So hopefully the younger crowd (who were kept in this lay-off) are learning that they should be preparing for a different position outside of Ford when available as Ford obviously throw the senior people (except Executives) overboard in rough seas - since downturns always occur in the business cycle
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Welcome to the working world. I've been through a few companies and have seen these actions at all of them. GM just did this as well.
It's unfortunate but it's just the way the world works these days. All you can do is live below your means, save the excess, and prepare for the inevitable.
My FCG eyes are wide open. I saw the only three technical people who knew anything get canned today. This does not bode well for my future since the only people I respected are not valued by Ford. That means I will not be valued by Ford. Time to pack my bags and seek employment elsewhere.
Yes, 401k is portable...be flexible, and move where the best opportunities are
Yes we already know that we will work at multiple companies in our lives. We are selling our skills for a wage and Ford is only one part of my life.
Yup, young Ford employee here. I've already decided that I will not work for this company forever. They inflict rigid hierarchy and bad work ethics on their employees and can't even seem to compete in their own market. That said, I will not be buying a Ford product either. Why should they be entitled to my purchase? I could get let go any day and then I'd just be stuck in debt to them. Even worse, I could be there until I'm older and have completely bought into the Ford lifestyle and still be let go, like my boss was today.
The bottom line is that Ford is not open to making their work environment empowering or open to change for the new millennium. They are a cut throat old style company. The 50's are over folks and someday Ford will be too and all of the mighty execs that let everyone go today will be stuck out on their own a--es, having gotten away with it all and made out like bandits.
You think they'll remember this by the time the next recession comes, say, in 8-10 years? Most people who survived the 2007-2009 recession forgot and left all their eggs in the same basket. In 8-10 ywars, these new people will be seen as the highly salaried liabilities. Some of my friends at GM had been there for over 12 years, survived layoffs 10 years ago, and moved on. Last fall, I asked them why they didn't get the "wake up call" and moved away from the auto industry. They said they only saw the recession cycle as an anomaly and not the norm.
I think Ford is an excellent company to work for. As we all know there was some extra manpower that company really needed to let go. Lot of employees at Ford got use to laid back culture and now that company is taking action to correct it, people are upset. We all know lot of people did not have enough to do. I am 31 year old and I think Ford has a great future.