I was let go in Feb in the rif. It was unexpected and unnecessary. I have not gotten a job yet, but I am the happiest I have been in years. That place is toxic, unorganized, petty, poorly run, gossipy, and generally bad for anyone's well being. If you are still there, find a way out. If you have been let go thank a higher power.
6 replies (most recent on top)
I agree, I was so happy to leave that place. It was toxic! Micromanaging, hostile. It was the most depressing place on earth!
It's been asked here before I'm sure but I have to ask... why would anyone work for this miserable company. The ship hit the iceberg a while ago. The sink is slow but it's inevitable. Get out now while there is still some sky showing.
Rats on a sinking ship bite, scratch, maim, claw and step over each other just to survive. Sounds like Staples corporate to me.
I was caught up in the reductions last year. It's a scary conversation to have not knowing what the future held. I had a wife, kids, mortgage, and car note to try and balance with a short lived severance. As uncertain as the future was, I can totally emphasize with the OP. I woke up the morning after my last day and was the happiest I had been in years. I was casually looking for another job for a few months before I was let go. This just forced me to hit it hard. I found a job after four months. Money wasn't the same but it was in the ballpark of what I was making at Staples. The beauty of it was I could sleep again at night. I used to lay awake at night fighting sleep because I didn't want to wake up and go to that store again. Used to have panic attacks on the way to work. Had worked hard for that company for 14 years and knew my job well. Numbers were usually good but there was no pleasing anybody. If I learned anything at Staples it's that you can't manage by fear. Simply doesn't work.
I feel bad for most anybody who gets let go by a reduction but at this point you can't say you weren't warned. People have been on this site for a long time saying "get out now!" Attitude, work ethic, sales numbers...none of that matters. Keep working there as long as you like but you can't cry when your number gets called. If you're not keeping your eyes and ears open for something else then you're a fool.
Same response to the post about keeping good people -
They know the retail division is dying off. They do not want to keep good people. Long tenured, good people means more severance when the inevitable end comes. They'd rather have transients that would only be eligible for a couple weeks severance than have good managers that would get up to 12 weeks & UI benefits.
So they keep people like VS to drive good people out.
Led me to nervous breakdown, anxiety and depression and they said I was a good GM. Horrible, toxic, environment being run by incompetent, horrible , toxic executives. Window dress everything for the big corporate bosses and never show what truly a Staples store looks like on a day to day cycle. Company is doomed MD, VS, and a laundry list of more career executives NEED TO GO. They are divorced from reality, caustic, and treat NO associate with a crumb of respect.