And as far as I’m concerned, it’s time to leave. Leadership may change and things may improve, but I lost patience.
22 replies (most recent on top)
What does "asked to leave" mean? You were "fired".
Affected staff in Cambridge plant is only shop people. The office staff is relatively unaffected so far. Likely office staff will be clipped before Christmas or early January 2025z
Had? They still have those useless managers. The affected staff in Cambridge sounds like it was factory personnel only.
Rockwel had way too many paper pushing/ppt, arm chair, non value add managers / directors whose only roles are to attend the dept meetings and report up numbers generated from the PowerBI.
Definitely more layoffs coming up.
They let go 40+ ft shop employees in Cambridge Canada plant yesterday.
The office employees will likely be next.
I have just got laid off from the Cambridge Canada facility along with 20+ others mostly from the afternoon shift.
Unfortunately, The Christmas holiday may come sooner for some folks. The cuts are will take place after the AF. Unfortunately.
RA has too many ranks of no value add management teams, directors reporting to directors, DEI hires intended for virtue signalling, managers who mastered a few buzzwords/ppt/powerBi filters who cannot drive growth….and unfortunately increasingly fewer folks who actually understand the product, application, and market. RA is undergoing soul searching trying to figure out what business they are in. (So called GE duhh moment)
Blake will announce another 3% rif. And he won’t take a raise this year. lol. What a mendacious f+*^
Autofair and the circlej--kday of investor day is this week. Most of the investors are fooled by Blake but let’s see if Amy ask any tough questions.
Why are you flat or declining when Emerson is up. Plex was $160m in revenue, it should be $250m if the investment has any chance of success. Is it there? Can you be more specific about new areas in semiconductor you have entered (more than air handling and itrak applications). When is the ice3 being released, because your current ontologies chip is 10 years old and why did it take you so long? Is any of the software beyond hmi and Logix programming software growing at double digit? are you making any investment in your bread and butter components products? Why did so many leaders depart over the last 6 years and it seems like a revolving door?
The stay or go question should revolve around whether you think the next ceo will be competent. Don’t forget. Blake’s other opponent was Frank K and some mo--ns thought franks demeanor was too “tough” (aka Susan Schmidt and Don “the dolt” parfait). So now it appears it’s Tess or Matt. Neither was on anyone’s list to be ceo before Blake. Frank and Fran thought Tessa, at best, should lead sales. And Matt was just a gpt wonk. Matt once told me that Blake was a black widow. In that insight, he was right. So can either of them lead Rockwell? Well, what have they done and who have they developed and championed. And Matheus? By far the smartest but I think the job is not what he wants. Leave. And tell your young friends to look elsewhere. Nothing good will happen for 4 years.
The damage done will take a decade or more to repair and recover in a best case scenario. Rockwell is having its GE moment where a small number of sr execs destroy a century old brand and decimate shareholder value while making millions in restricted stock and options. The board is complicit and enabling.
I was a long time employee who was impacted in the “shadow” layoffs in 2023 - no announcements, people here one day, gone the next, performers who happened to be experienced North America employees - easy to let go. I had LTI, been promoted. Didn’t matter. Wrong part of the organization at the wrong time? Maybe I was part of the fat trimming? Things happen and businesses can go through challenging times. That’s when you see the true colors of the organization and the “leadership.” glad I never questioned my value.
Many good people have been and will be impacted due to the premiums paid for acquisitions, lack of investment, and decline of core product businesses. The question everyone should consider- if the company treats employees this way, how well do you think they treat their customers and business partners? How much will those business partners and customers tolerate and for what period of time?
Seeing things now as an outside, when I interact with Rockwell customers, many speak with vitriol about cost, support, interoperability. Distribution continues to consolidate in North America and the senior leadership in most of those organizations are looking to further diversify their revenue streams. Replacement of automation install base takes a long time but the North American install base is Rockwell’s only real remaining strength. This strength is at risk - competitors have higher performing and better quality controllers and drives, period.
If you’re wondering - should I stay or should I go? Many of us stayed for a long time because we liked the work, our coworkers, and we took care of customers. We had a good run, for a decade plus, a people-centric culture. Most people were treated fairly and with respect (not all) even though there was little to no career advancement or bigger titles unless you were willing to move to corporate hub like Milwaukee or Cleveland.
There are some pockets of goodness left in Rockwell but I would be actively looking for a new job and new company if I had to come to work everyday looking over my shoulder.
For the board and Blake - How much progress and contributions do you expect from employees in an environment where everyone is worried about job security, haven’t got raises, seen Rifd employees treated virtually the same as people terminated for cause, all while seeing Edgar filings with the stock and options being vested by a small number of execs?
Job market is tough but there are options. Update your resume, get on LinkedIn, and use your professional network even if you think you’re safe.
I was laid off from the Cambridge facility after 20years of service. My severance package was 40 weeks worth of severance pay plus any unused vacation.
This amount of severance pay is the bare minimum per Canadian law.
Looking and finding work at 50+ years
Of age is not easy because you are competing with many many Indian new
comers with fake degrees and diplomas.
Deciding to leave is tough. Do what is right for you. Not sure if current severance but it used to be 1 week per year of service maxed at 20. But that is not law and they could give you nothing if they decide. So sticking around for severance is not a sure thing and it takes you out of the absolute choice (they decide you go). If you are over 55 and have enough points, you can retire and keep the health care and sell options you might have for 5 years. But finding work in an age biased country takes time. Again, do what is right for you. Leadership will change and could get better. It will take time to rebuild.
RA counts on ppl to quiet quit on their own terms ASAP. Many ppl managers will motivate/encourage/push employees to quit on their own terms.
RIF efforts require severance packages and and likey face litigation risks (risk related wrongful dismissal, discrimination, constructive dismissal, ageism, s-xism, racism etc)
If you can find a new job while you have one, thats the best reason. I know its hard to leave after you have been there any length of time, and feel like you are bailing on coworkers but you need to think of your own future first. So while employed, look for a new one. I'm not employed there, but I've used AllenBradley PLC's for years. Its legacy. But when I am not forced to use, I always use Koyo's at half the price and for the longest time better software. Connected Components became much better than that old legacy stuff.
Besides leaving for greener pastures, is there a reason why we should leave instead of getting RIF'd with a severance?
Sadly more RIFs are coming before Christmas! Significant cost reductions are necessary to slow down the plummeting of the EPS in FY25
Here is a nice thank you for more than 25 years of service. Retiree healthcare goes up more for the more years you spent at Blake’s id--t run company. Thanks Blake and Rockwell. You su-k in perpetuity. Keith is spinning!!!!
Blake continues on his tu-d journey. My monthly retiree insurance went from $950
To $1300!!!! I hope he does a painful death. Leave now if you think they like you.
RA just like many other traditional US companies went too aggressively with “virtue signalling”, DEI hiring, mindless acquisitions (Otto, Clearpath, Fiix, Plex etc.)and slowly distancing from the core businesses.
RA owners must push to remove layers of parasitic managerial ranks. RA needs drastic internal changes to remain in the fortune 500 companies. Unfortunately.
I was asked to leave RA in June 2024 after 20+ years with the company. Fortunately, i was able to land a much better job without relocating.
Endless PowerPoint - think of all the people and time that went into BSRs over the last xx years. For what?
If you are still there, you may have waited too long. I left after 25 years recently. Best move ever and the poor leadership under Blake continues. Did you listen to the earnings call? It was a mix of half-truths, pathetic explanations that show his team can’t manage a business with any kind of flux and word salad baloney. OMG! Blake will be remembered as the WORST CEO of Rockwells esteemed history. 12% reduction in headcount in a North American based automation company????? The US has had the best economic recovery, strong gdp and the automation market is good. And he is flat to declining in ‘25????? What more do you need to hear? I hear more layoffs, more stupid cost saving efforts, more directors and VPs making bad decisions and creating endless PowerPoints, and no raises or bonuses. And Blake has no use for experience and talent. He wants sycophantic agreement.