Thread regarding Barnes & Noble layoffs

I left BN a couple months ago. I feel sorry for those hanging on till the last death rattle. It’s sad. Not just because I left. They deserve better. But they just trudge in, talk about how much they hate it & spend their shift doing meaningless busy work, hoping to sell a customer a book. I couldn’t take the negativity anymore. I’m not going to tell people they should leave, they’re stupid if they don’t leave,etc. They know. Why they do nothing about it is up to them . One co worker likened it to being in an abusive relationship that you stay in. Me ? I get it . A paycheck, for now. But what happens when you walk in , find out it’s your last day and the paycheck stops?! I just couldn’t let that happen.

This company can't survive on breaking even. The stocks are doing nothing if they're not tanking.

It's time to shoot the horse.

Steve Jobs killed B&N. Even ebook sales are in freefall these days. Who wants to pay for books, magazines, and newspapers when news, webnovels, music, and video are available in unlimited quantity for free in your pocket? It's sad, but no one feels sorry that the Pony Express is gone either.

Amazon is just as evil, don't kid yourself.

“Unless they offer those that they fired, their jobs, back. I will NEVER purchase anything from BN.”

I think we all know that as much as they should regret that disputable move, they’d never admit it.

Me? I left about a month ago. The writing is so thick on the wall! I will never give BN another nickel, either! My family or friends are ALL using Amazon,now ! Better Cust service! Better prices!

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Despite their best intentions and talent, it will be close to impossible to restore the company unless they focus on their store staff and give them the incentive to sell product.”

NEED TO focus on staff, but-

Unless they offer those that they fired, their jobs, back. I will NEVER purchase anything from BN.

For those remaining, this is all very demoralizing and frustrating. Many BN booksellers are or were there for many years, and took great interest in their work, only to be let go or reduced to part time hours, with no benefits.

Unfortunately the lack of passion is at the top( just wants to sell the company) however these new highly paid executives from Target, GNC , etc . are all determined to shine!

Despite their best intentions and talent, it will be close to impossible to restore the company unless they focus on their store staff and give them the incentive to sell product.

I see such sad disillusioned faces and low energy levels at my local store and it is not helping sales.

I figured the delay had to do with cutting hours even more.

Customers are complaining now they have to wait to be helped.

BN cutting their own throats (along with hours). I Know many of my coworkers are looking for other jobs, with more hours.

This company is a shell of its former greatness. The Riggios should be ashamed of themselves!

Our three week schedule just went up today.

But a few employees complained of cut hours.

AS a former employee and victim of the Red Monday layoff executions, I do visit this page often to read the rumors or truth or to agree with commiserating comments of experience. Some of the topics or threads run the rampantly with fear and rumor and angry, yes. However, I must say that this thread entitled FACT OR FICTION, written by a still employed management person, is the best so far. It is filled with optimism and pessimism and truth and thoughts of future. It also gives great advice about thinking ahead and making choices about possible end of days for the company. I hope to read more from this author who calls themselves 'Truth Not Rumors'.

I knew there was more than 1800 fired last year !

Thanks for confirming!

At the time our SM said he didn’t know until that day of the firings. He’s since admitted he knew but had to keep the store running until plans were in place. I guess it’s ok that your core values are there for the lowly workers, not management.

I’m still there but actively looking. The morale in the store is at an all time low. It’s like Poe’s Pit and the Pendulum. The blade is coming down. Slowly but surely. Always over us. Getting closer every day.Soon it will be on us.

"It’s the beginning of the new fiscal year and payroll budgets have not been finalized. Schedules will go up once stores have their new budgets..."

Nope. In all the years I spent there, I wrote more schedules than I've had hot dinners, and we never didn't post them, or fall behind, even at the beginning of the new FY. And, almost every new FY, the accountants in NYC were apparently caught unawares and didn't get us our new budgets into a month or two after the year started. The DM or SM would tell us some lowball budget, and we'd write schedules from that.

If this is indeed true that schedules are being held back, it may well portend something is in the works. All I can say is, we had never done this before.

I thought in the 10q it said the end of the fiscal year in 4/26? So there is another month until year end. Payroll budgets are set way ahead of time and don't explain why they haven't posted a schedule company wide. State law requires schedules be posted in advance. It's different in different states but most are 3 and 2 weeks now in 2019.

It’s the beginning of the new fiscal year and payroll budgets have not been finalized. Schedules will go up once stores have their new budgets

L.R.

Only one week schedule, instead of the usual two, at my store as well. The whole store is buzzing about why.Management just says “we haven’t done it yet “two schedules have always been out there for the past three years that I’ve been here.

Yes there’s something big on the horizon. My store manager always has two weeks of schedules up there’s only one. Told him I had to make an appointment and needed to know what day I would be off. He told me to “go ahead and make your appointment “I have again what my days off would be. He said don’t worry about it. Acted annoyed and walked away. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

The lack of supply ordering, the "wait & see" approach with recent schedules, the never ending chaos that is the Receiving room....

I have a sinking feeling something could come sooner than later and it will be abrupt.

I feel terrible for those 50 and over (i'm getting there within a few years, myself), because it's going to be a tougher road towards employment, as everything has become "youth obsessive" in the current work culture.

Back in the 80's, you'd still see many older folks working retail & restaurants, but now it's completely shifted to "young & fun", as my colleague joked about a recent job interview.

She said, "Once you turn 50, the old warranty is expired."

Many of us have a really hard road ahead of us, from employment to degrading health.

I heard there is a hold on writing schedules for week after next. It might just be to see what hours to cut, but might mean something else. Timing is interesting.

Another big store. And another big location.

BFirst some New York City stores now Chicago, who’s next?

More good news, looks like another B&N will be gone.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ori/ct-biz-state-street-towers-proposed-ryan-ori-20190322-story.html

Has everyone written a review on the job sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster, Glassdoor, CareerBuilder, etc?

Truth, not rumors......this is probably one of the best post I have read so far. I thank you for your honestly and your understanding for those of us that were let go in the big lay off of February 2018. However, although most of us seem bitter, the better term would be betrayed and hurt. And yes, still after over a year, I, myself am still heartbroken. I have moved on, but moved on without my barnes and noble family of 17 years.

You can google for yourself and find out most of the facts on here.

I know for a fact our SM and the wicked witch of New England DM know and have known everything that is going on with layoffs and they plot who will be fired next.

One time they fired two women at the same time- but NO AGEISM HERE- HA!

I wish they had sued the company, they would've left with more. And I can list the number of people over 50 who have been fired.

I hope anyone who considers working for this has-been "destination" store realizes it's not the enjoyable place it used to be. There are much better places who pay more, have benefits and treat their employees with respect.

You mean fiction or nonfiction.