I don't know how many people were let go this week. I do know that most were over 40; probably over 50. I do know that many were top performers exceeding their goals year after year. I do know that some people were placed in new positions while others were not given that opportunity. I do know that decisions could not have been based on past performance, loyalty, or skill set. I don't know who's "strategy" this is. I do know that senior managers with lessor success records have been retained. For the past 4-5 years this once strong, premier company has been a mess. Politics.
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Pearson is a joke. 11 years, 13 managers and countless re-orgs. Thank GOD I was laid off. Best thing that ever happened to me. The anxiety of never knowing if you had a job the next year was debilitating. This company used to be about the kids and then Fallon changed the mentality to "make your quota" and forget about the kids and good education in general. It was awful working there and my manager said I wasn't to worry about losing my job and she laid me off a month later. Everyone who works there is miserable and the environment is toxic.
Didn't take long for Fallon & Company to run the business into the ground. After Marjorie left, that was the clue we should have taken.
Meanwhile, the useless overpaid dead wood will remain in Boston. KC VW CP BO CO EB.
Bagel munchers leisurely, cooking a bagel in Boston, at 10am, as others hustle, then going on FaceBook for the rest of the day. Symptomatic of the culture.
At least they finally got rid of the s-xual harasser in my department. Though why it was done under the guise of a layoff instead of a firing and why it took so long, I'll never know. Maybe the next round will include the other creep harassing all the women.
After nine years, 11 different managers, and six reorgs my number finally came up back in December. The last three years were full of nothing but anxiety from the constant changing of roles, responsibilities, leadership, and exodus of talent either by the axe or moving on to more rewarding opportunities. Failures of top brass were legion yet there have been no repercussions despite losing huge contracts in New York, California, the Common Core debacle, FCAT disaster, and multiple other failings in courseware and instructional management releases.
There have been successes, too, and there remain incredible dedicated people who believe in the spirit of the work, but John Fallon and his army of seemingly unaccountable MBA's at the upper levels never seem to take on board ideas from decades of experience in the lower ranks.
Out in the field Pearson is generally reviled and mistrusted, particularly by teachers who feel various rollouts in assessments and high-stakes tests have been done without any input from them. They aren't wrong. It didn't used to be that way, Pearson used to actively engage with teachers, and despite the shift to digital it doesn't and shouldn't be that way now.
Anyway, for those who remain, I would advise polishing up your resumes, updating that LinkedIn profile, and looking to greener pastures. Or don't; wait for your manager to make an impromptu request for a "quick meeting" sometime around the holidays, act stunned, then collect severance while you shift gears and pursue what interests you. Either way, Pearson doesn't care, and neither should you.
It wasn't top down custom digital services.
Lower level employees were cut and our top heavy middle and senior management all remain.
PLS Boston is SO top heavy.
SVP > VP > Senior Director > Director (or Manager) > Manager > Team Lead > Senior Media Producer > Media Producer > Work offshored or outsourced
It wasn't top down custom digital services. Lower level employees were cut and our top heavy middle and senior management all remain. So they're cutting the people who actually do the work and build the products, while management is still here doing absolutely nothing.
Top it all off, they cut the gym benefit in the Boston office today and I've been told other benefits and perks are being gutted over the next few weeks. Must be cutting those benefits to pay out big bonuses to management!
One of the senior leaders on the PLS side (last name initial B)
You can ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell (ring my bell, ding-dong-ding)
Was there any pattern to the layoffs in PLS? Specific departments? Was it top down with some senior management being laid off? Like W or P or O? If not, maybe they'll finally work an honest day instead of shopping and gossiping all day.
One of the senior leaders on the PLS side (last name initial B) has allowed this mess to unfold over the past 5 years right under his/her nose. Terrible judgement placing management, (most from Cengage), over-paying 6 figure bonuses on deals that never came to fruition, and flat out corruption and unethical behavior within his/her world. That senior leader is still "leading" the extreme mess that he/she created. The bed was made, now sleep in it.
Would not be surprised if Pearson is sold for its IP as it obviously can't implement or understand technology. Senior book people clinging to jobs as Pearson sinks.
Has anyone ever worked for, or even seen, a company so completely lost in an industry that it used to lead?