It’s almost funny. I was laid off one day after I turned 50. It was probably a coincidence, but still. I’m financially secure so it wasn’t such a big deal. I found another job locally that doesn’t pay as much, but I enjoy it. However, not many people are in my position, and it’s really a sh---y move to show people the door the moment they turn a certain age, which is no longer considered even a middle age.
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New HR leader in town and has pretty much said the oldest gotta go. Plan is playing out now
As for your first question, "what is Corning's grand plan for the future?". That's easy: it's to keep Wendell and the other C-suite id--ts in their jobs as long as possible.
Dear Mr Jim,
While you are correct that laying off highly experienced old farts like me is wasteful to the company, we are also raising healthcare costs. Also, we're not going to be around that much longer. So they decided to concentrate the cuts on us old people and then focus later on recruiting young talent from Harvard, MIT etc. While this might look like a good idea, they still haven't clued-in that a lot of these young people don't want to spend the best years of their life in the Corning valley.
What’s Corning’s grand plans for the future?
Why can’t they cultivate the expertise and loyalty which has empowered this company to reach new heights?
The talent they throw away is expensive talent indeed!
It takes years to recover that talent…
Layoffs are a balance sheet item which can easily be shifted… training, expertise and loyalty are not…
It is hard to differentiate (impact wise) the research group from EIG- both invested in IP and exploring new ideas rather than producing business-ready values, to the most part. I hope the French EIG director is still there. I thought she was a descent leader.
@4pdk+1ujLvY0n RE: new head of EIG
Some of the management (who should never have been management in the first place) below him were shown the door... Who knows, maybe he will be next? Always surprised to see EIG has lasted this long throughout these many seasons of layoffs anyway… just stating what I have been thinking… don’t like to see good people losing their jobs but it does not seem to be a strong stable business at the moment
Kiss the ring just to whine about it....
...and another thing: Stating your views and opinions to upper management (VP and above) is always a bad idea unless you're views are in complete agreement with those of upper management. Doing otherwise is a bad career move. I wish it were not like that. I wish you could give your honest views to those high up at Corning. However, most executives are not receptive to criticism. Agreeing with Cornings corporate messaging is your best bet for remaining on the payroll.
Hey Dante's 4th.
While a lot of people are venting their frustration with Corning on this site, I don't believe they are staying at Corning because they lack the ba--s to leave. They are staying because leaving is not easy for some people. This is especially true for for a lot of people at SP with specialized knowledge and skills. For example, the Corning area has few opportunities for a glass scientist...aside from Corning Inc. So, for many, leaving Corning means relocation to another part of the country. Family connections in the area, kids in school, etc. can make this very difficult. Also trying to sell/buy with the current interests rates can be tricky.
I went through this a few months ago and it was ABSOLUTE HE-L. The move was expensive. As a new employee, you get almost no vacation. I lost a lot of unvested $. No friends here. It's miserable. Plus, the new company is a dump. A lot of Corning employees don't want to take their families through this ordeal unless absolutely necessary...hence, they stay at Corning and gripe about it. I say shame on Corning for doing this to their hard working employees.
Dante’s 4th, what’s your story w Corning? Been curious to know since you have been quite active and seems to know a lot
All of this whining about a job that you all voluntarily keep. Saying sh-t that you don't have the ba--s to bring up to people face-to-face.
Also the new head of EIG needs to go...when is being an arrogant AH helpful? Not to mention his brown-nosing with the CEO which leads to everything he has been associated with is a financial disaster for the company.
If age is a factor time for the CEO (65) and CTO (54) to leave. Need fresh blood, fresh ideas!!!!!!!
Yes, it is often better to find a new job before you need a new job. You are in a much better negotiating position while you are still employed. Once you are unemployed, prospective employers will view you as desperate...and after a few months of paying those Cobra bills you will indeed be quite desperate.
I was smart and canned Corning. If you are foolish enough to invest yourself in a career with this company, your issue is not age.
Young man, if you think it is bad now, then wait until you are in your 60's.
While being financially secure is a good thing, you still need healthcare....so you need to work. I could (and would) retire today if it weren't for the fact that I am still 3 years from Medicare eligibility. Cobra is $$$ and only lasts 18 months at most. Obamacare is unstable and very expensive without subsidies (which you won't qualify for if you earned a respectable salary the year before you were canned form Corning).
Your financial security will evaporate very quickly if you have a medical issue without good insurance.
🙄