Thread regarding Ferguson layoffs

I was let go as a showroom manager 2 years ago as "budget cuts" being in the showroom industry for30 plus years. The showroom was tops in the NY market in 2019 and I worked the floor during covid when all management was home safe. Why I am responding to what I just read is that Mr Peebles (who I met on a sales call in 1980) would turn in his grave as to why corporate greed has ki-led a great company. If you work there you are just a number until they have to show more empty goals to the Shareholdres.

Not surprising. They've been so obsessed with getting in to the big box store market that they completely alienated their contractors. Largest plumbing contractor in our area and we can buy things cheaper from Build.com (owned by Ferguson) than from Ferguson directly.

I just love hearing after being a reduction in force that they’re handing out promotions, and giving everyone bonuses. I guess that’s Ferguson… a real class act! And get this… people that work from home don’t have enough work to do so they’re just paid to sit around and clean their house. So effed up.

2k layoffs damn , for a sp500 company or a could be one soon is crazy no news has picked on this news. Orders are low and I fear is gonna get worse, let’s just pray is not like 2008

They are very good at telling you one thing and doing another. Like saying there are hiring freezes and no budget to promote or have increases but approving hires over the salary budget. I don't trust anything they tell anyone. They are so shady.

When I was a RIF on Feb 15, they had 377 positions recruiting for, today a month later it’s 429. Sooooo, no hiring freeze as we were told apparently, .

I was also let go from Ferguson a couple weeks ago as outside sales. Sales were up substantially at our branch and I was over sales budget. No explanation except head count reduction. Morale seems at all time low. Seems like you are just a number here.

So what was the actual number of layoffs? In the 1K or 2K?

What was the total of Layoffs? I heard 1200 in the US. I'm so sorry for everyone's loss.

I hope anyone working there sees what’s happened. The company of David Peebles is now long gone, replaced with the same soulless corporate body that is Lowe’s or HD or anyone else massive. The move to US stock market was the last nail. I know of at least 10 associates who were 30 years plus, who were performing OVER budget, who received awards year in and year out, who were let go. If retaining talent isn’t a key mission, good luck serving your customers.
What was his old quote??? You can take my customers and my inventory but if I have my associates I will stay on top? Ha

Ferguson starting hiring external “talent” at the c suite level 5 years back. This was a major shift from the promote from within mentality previously. There was a missed opportunity to balance bringing in new ideas and promoting those associates that new what worked and what it took to keep the customer happy. Added on there was a mismanaged effort to update the ERP from green screens to a slick cloud based interface. Trying to take a 25 billion company from 70’s technology to current is a massive undertaking. Ferguson hired millions of dollars worth of consultants to implement and neglected business change readiness, and management  oversight of external resources. This ended in contractors pretending they understood the business model and delivering a solution completely inadequate for the volume of business. Long term associates both within HQ and the field locations tried to raise red flags all along the way only to be told their observations were invalid or that this was just part of the growing pain. Had Ferguson attempted to bring together new and old in a more cohesive effort, set clear objectives for ERP conversion and taken time to hold leadership accountable there is no doubt in my mind that millions would have been saved, talent retained, and growth achieved. Said with care and hope for an opportunity for reflection.
Good luck to all those impacted by layoffs and strength to those so burned out their passion has turned to apathy. May you all find that spark again in a company appreciative of your dedication and talents.

Yes, my position was “downsized” last week along with a large number of other positions that were eliminated and un-filled job postings that were closed. Was running ahead of budget for the first half for sales and profit, didn’t matter…

Can anyone elaborate about the monitoring of online activity? How, when they started and if this also includes teams mobile apps?

2,000 is a lot! So sorry to hear so many people are impacted. I was laid off once and it was really difficult to recover.

btw...Monitoring phone calls and emails is very disturbing.

I was let go from Ferguson yesterday. I understand I was part of a massive staff reduction to cut costs. My experience was generally positive during my time there. I liked most everyone I worked with. However, you could see the shift to wokeness at a corporate level and they listened to every phone call and saw everything you do online. That was a little disconcerting, but you just learned to lean on your cell phone more.

Did this happen? I haven't seen anything in the news other than the one in November. Agree it's a terrible company that has huge revenue gains and layoffs at least once a year.

ESG, DEI, and the current wokeness get you here. Their core customer does not care on bit about all of that stuff. Just deliver product at a fair price when and where they need it. But they will be visible in your local PRIDE march, the insurance covers gender reassignment, and they have a fancy new office building that is 1/4 full that is fun to show off to the investor community.

They were late to those parties, it has been clear it is just to appease millennial back-office associates, and it's a complete waste of resources. I'd know, I was reprimanded for not including my pronouns on my email signature. So happy to have left on my own last year after over 2 decades there.

2,000 employees

Not sure the number, but hearing a massive amount of 'reduction in force' today. Take it as a blessing. Horrible place that can't take care of their talent after record year after record year. Strategy is to go after project work, leaving the transactional with zero support. That will backfire.