As a new employee who's been here for less than six months, how safe am I? I'm going to guess they're going to go after high earners first and foremost, and I'm certainly not among them. What was the case in previous rounds of layoffs? I'd appreciate any info.
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Coin toss… I’ve been here for 25 years and I tell early career folks to view this as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to see what a career with BP will be; constant change with unknown outcomes, untrustworthy leadership at the upper levels, and so more with less. You’ll have a great leader here and there, but generally they manage upwards. It comes down to you deciding if the money is worth the constant uncertainty.
Whomever commented below on cost of salaries to a team has no idea how that actually works. Your team homecode is getting hit with actual salary, bonus, and other employment costs so there is direct differentiation between high/low in grade on your resulting team costs. The only place generic costs are used is in forecasting and timewriting.
No one is safe. My coworker who was only at BP for 1.5 years was impacted. All the lower level support staff are being outsourced to India in my area.
They tend to go after the barbells (old, expensive and checked out... young and untrained).
HR will sit in on discussions to make sure any discrimination isn't overt. However, it is important to note that youth (under 40 years of age) and inexperience are not protected classes.
This is a great question to ask and I know where you're coming from. As an Amoco heritage member, I remembered it was one year after I joined that I encountered my very first time a layoff. Several things were happening that were in my favor. The workforce was older, and many of them were chomping at the bit for this opportunity to go out with a severance package. That helped to reduce the pressure on the younger members. Also, at that time, because I was relatively new, and my pay was relatively lower, I was "told" I was not at a big risk, but it was hard to find comfort in that. Hang in there. Even when it's easy to fret (and I don't blame you if you do), keep your head down, and do the best job you can.
it would help by saying which part of the business you are in, as so many various transformations going on with different groups ??
They will look at what they say, but at the end of the day it's going to be business lines and if your skills are easily transferable to the low cost locations. Unless you are a "new graduate" then you're not really ring fenced.
BP relies wholly on process - a fig leaf to protect against perceived or actual bias. However, as a new hire during the BP-Amoco merger it was absolute luck that I survived when 18 out of 20 in my cohort were let go. The biggest risk is in fact that you are not known / have not made a strong impression. Without a relationship with your supporting decision maker you are seriously at risk. Best of luck...
Last in, first out.
An employee would get charged to their team at a rate depending on their grade so their actual salary wouldn't come into it. So I think being high paid for their grade won't count against someone. I don't think you being new would count against you either. Generally your performance vs peers will be looked at but there will be a big slice of luck too e.g. do you work in ring fenced team vs do you work in a team that is going to be entirely disbanded or shipped offshore or are you somewhere in-between?