Bad news today

Andiline · 05-10-2007

I've mentioned it in a few threads so far that job-wise I've been facing a difficult situation in the past months. My company (with which I've been for more than 15 years) has been the goal of a hostile take-over for the past 3 months. Since the battle has been hard it's become one of my habits to check my emails as soon as I get up in the morning and often there were news. Our management ALWAYS said that the take over offer was not acceptable.

Today we had our annual shareholder meeting and when I got up this morning I was totally shocked to read that our management last night had changed their minds 180° and suddenly it was no longer a hostile take-over but a friendly merger. Nobody did expect something like that at this point in time. As the shareholder meeting was transmitted live via Intranet today we watched it. Have to tell you I just LOVE the shareholders. I am shareholder myself (have just a few though) and gave power of attorney for my voting rights to one of my co-workers yesterday as he did attend the meeting. What happened today in that meeting was a complete mess. The guy who lead the meeting was totally incapable of doing it and as I mentioned before, the shareholders were great (the last comment of one of the shareholders to the president of our administrative board said it all: 'If you negotiated last night like you lead that meeting today I am not surprised of the outcome of the negotiatons'). The shareholders were the only ones who made me laugh today (I probably don't have to tell you that we did not work too much today because in between staff meetings we were exchanging news between Cologne and Zurich).

On the internet news today we read that for my company there is a job guarantee for 12 months (which means they can't lay us off for 12 months) but most news didn't mention that this is valid only for Switzerland. For us in Germany and all the other offices they did NOT want to give that guarantee lat night. So - nobody can tell us at this point in time what's going to happen with us....

There are still a lot of question marks open (if the shareholders hold their shares and don't sell their shares to that other company this merger will not happen but I am not sure this is likely) but bottom line is that for at least another 4 months we have no clue what will happen to our jobs. It is nice though that I heard that a lot of shareholders today have said that they feel sorry for the employees. Even though this doesn't help us it is nice to know that they are on our side.

It was hard the past 3 months but it's not easier now... Just wish me well... (not asking for more as there are a lot of people who are worse off than me). Thanks.

Andrea
P.S. Sorry if I sound confused - I am still trying to deal with the situation.

**TeeZet** · 05-10-2007

Wishing you, and all the others affected by this uncertain situation (to which I can personally relate), well is not enough, Andrea.
I wish you all the best one could wish for!

Btw: have you considered getting another job somewhere else and more or less abandon ship?

Andiline · 05-10-2007

Thanks Tony. I am not sure what to do. I do like the people I work with. I have a very good boss in Zurich (whom I had to keep informed today as he is on vacation this week) and I couldn't wish for better co-workers as far as the others are concerned.... I don't want to loose that and them but I know that I will loose some of them regardless of what I am going to do. Still confused...

JillyinMN · 05-10-2007

Andrea... I do wish you well! That is tough not know what is going to happen. Hang in there!
Jill

**TeeZet** · 05-10-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andiline

Thanks Tony. I am not sure what to do. I do like the people I work with. I have a very good boss in Zurich (whom I had to keep informed today as he is on vacation this week) and I couldn't wish for better co-workers as far as the others are concerned.... I don't want to loose that and them but I know that I will loose some of them regardless of what I am going to do. Still confused...

As you'll probably remember I experienced something similar. And I do understand how you feel about your colleagues, but bottom line of the story may be (not saying it will be) that you're on your own.
Please don't wait too long before making up your mind, although at this point you're probabably still too confused to think it through too far ahead.

Aimee'n'Bill · 05-10-2007

Sorry to hear that Andrea. I went through something very similar afew years back and I know the uncertainty is very tough to deal with. Good luck to you and your co-workers.

Andiline · 05-10-2007

Thanks Tony, Jill and Aimee. We'll have more meetings tomorrow morning (first a global one of our IT department to which I belong and then immediately afterwards a local one). Hope to know a little bit more afterwards. I'll be in Zurich next wednesday and will talk to my boss then about it all as well.

It's not like I'll loose my job within the next days. I don't even know if I'll loose it at all (and if I do this will take at least about 9 months). Still - this situation is going on all our nerves.

Jacko · 05-10-2007

I hate that "unsettled" feeling and feel for you Andrea. I think Tony is right...once you have a chance to absorb this, you may want to get feelers out for new employment possibilities....I know this is hard to do...i.e. work at one place while looking for possible work at another...but ultimately, the decision will be at least a little more in your control vs. just waiting to see what happens if you feel this merger may lead to big layoffs.

Perhaps, nothing will change at all as well.

Best wishes that this works out the way you want it to...but remember this...a job is just a job...your power is in the kind of person you have made yourself and what you have learned and experienced in your life...this is transferable to many places and many things...AND noone can take that away from you.

tlegray · 05-10-2007

Sorry to hear that all of this has taken away your peace of mind. Hope things go well for you no matter what happens.

Tommygurl · 05-10-2007

My job (along with 100 fellow employees) was contracted out in Sept....I remember how upset/confused/scared I was! Rest assured that things will work out for you for the best...I know it is hard to believe that now! I haven't run into one person who I used to work with that is not happy now.....

Good luck to you!

Andiline · 05-10-2007

Thanks guys for your support. I will not take any decision for at least another week. I want to hear what they tell us tomorrow and next wednesday in Zurich I will meet people who are very important to me and I wanna know what they say.

Further to that I really wanna go to French Polynesia... this will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip and I don't wanna jeopardize that. Yeah, I know - priorities and stuff. But French Polynesia has been a dream for sooooooooooo long...

Luv' you guys
Andrea

DavidB · 05-10-2007

Good luck Andrea. Our department downsized a few years ago. I was the last person to stay on full time. It came down to the other guy had taken a month off for surgery giving me more hours worked.

Loree · 05-10-2007

Andrea
I'm sorry you are facing this.
I think you should go to Playa and think about what your future holds for at least a week.
It will certainly make things more clear to you than what they are now.
Best of luck to you

TAPPY · 05-10-2007

Andrea, I know something good will come of this for you. Stay positive and keep a good outlook. At least you know you have some time to try and decide what you would like to do if this job ends.

JEZ · 05-10-2007

Andiline, you are the best, so if these people lose you, another employer will be lucky !

Take care,

Ennnnnnguuuuuluuuuuuund !

05-10-2007	#1 (permalink)
Andiline añejo Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Cologne, Germany Posts: 7,435	Bad news today I've mentioned it in a few threads so far that job-wise I've been facing a difficult situation in the past months. My company (with which I've been for more than 15 years) has been the goal of a hostile take-over for the past 3 months. Since the battle has been hard it's become one of my habits to check my emails as soon as I get up in the morning and often there were news. Our management ALWAYS said that the take over offer was not acceptable. Today we had our annual shareholder meeting and when I got up this morning I was totally shocked to read that our management last night had changed their minds 180° and suddenly it was no longer a hostile take-over but a friendly merger. Nobody did expect something like that at this point in time. As the shareholder meeting was transmitted live via Intranet today we watched it. Have to tell you I just LOVE the shareholders. I am shareholder myself (have just a few though) and gave power of attorney for my voting rights to one of my co-workers yesterday as he did attend the meeting. What happened today in that meeting was a complete mess. The guy who lead the meeting was totally incapable of doing it and as I mentioned before, the shareholders were great (the last comment of one of the shareholders to the president of our administrative board said it all: 'If you negotiated last night like you lead that meeting today I am not surprised of the outcome of the negotiatons'). The shareholders were the only ones who made me laugh today (I probably don't have to tell you that we did not work too much today because in between staff meetings we were exchanging news between Cologne and Zurich). On the internet news today we read that for my company there is a job guarantee for 12 months (which means they can't lay us off for 12 months) but most news didn't mention that this is valid only for Switzerland. For us in Germany and all the other offices they did NOT want to give that guarantee lat night. So - nobody can tell us at this point in time what's going to happen with us.... There are still a lot of question marks open (if the shareholders hold their shares and don't sell their shares to that other company this merger will not happen but I am not sure this is likely) but bottom line is that for at least another 4 months we have no clue what will happen to our jobs. It is nice though that I heard that a lot of shareholders today have said that they feel sorry for the employees. Even though this doesn't help us it is nice to know that they are on our side. It was hard the past 3 months but it's not easier now... Just wish me well... (not asking for more as there are a lot of people who are worse off than me). Thanks. Andrea P.S. Sorry if I sound confused - I am still trying to deal with the situation. __________________ My travel blog Andiline.de Pics from my trips till the North Carolina Peep Meet till I go in Thailand

05-10-2007	#8 (permalink)
Jacko añejo Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 17,984	I hate that "unsettled" feeling and feel for you Andrea. I think Tony is right...once you have a chance to absorb this, you may want to get feelers out for new employment possibilities....I know this is hard to do...i.e. work at one place while looking for possible work at another...but ultimately, the decision will be at least a little more in your control vs. just waiting to see what happens if you feel this merger may lead to big layoffs. Perhaps, nothing will change at all as well. Best wishes that this works out the way you want it to...but remember this...a job is just a job...your power is in the kind of person you have made yourself and what you have learned and experienced in your life...this is transferable to many places and many things...AND noone can take that away from you. Last edited by Jacko : 05-10-2007 at 04:58 PM.

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05-10-2007	#2 (permalink)
TeeZet Non-aggressive Dutch dude Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Uithoorn, The Netherlands Posts: 7,626	Wishing you, and all the others affected by this uncertain situation (to which I can personally relate), well is not enough, Andrea. I wish you all the best one could wish for! Btw: have you considered getting another job somewhere else and more or less abandon ship?

05-10-2007	#3 (permalink)
Andiline añejo Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Cologne, Germany Posts: 7,435	Thanks Tony. I am not sure what to do. I do like the people I work with. I have a very good boss in Zurich (whom I had to keep informed today as he is on vacation this week) and I couldn't wish for better co-workers as far as the others are concerned.... I don't want to loose that and them but I know that I will loose some of them regardless of what I am going to do. Still confused...

05-10-2007	#4 (permalink)
JillyinMN life=playa Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: IGH, Minnesota Posts: 946	Andrea... I do wish you well! That is tough not know what is going to happen. Hang in there! Jill

05-10-2007	#6 (permalink)
Aimee'n'Bill reposado Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Grosse Pointe, Michigan Posts: 1,198	Sorry to hear that Andrea. I went through something very similar afew years back and I know the uncertainty is very tough to deal with. Good luck to you and your co-workers.

05-10-2007	#7 (permalink)
Andiline añejo Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Cologne, Germany Posts: 7,435	Thanks Tony, Jill and Aimee. We'll have more meetings tomorrow morning (first a global one of our IT department to which I belong and then immediately afterwards a local one). Hope to know a little bit more afterwards. I'll be in Zurich next wednesday and will talk to my boss then about it all as well. It's not like I'll loose my job within the next days. I don't even know if I'll loose it at all (and if I do this will take at least about 9 months). Still - this situation is going on all our nerves.

05-10-2007	#9 (permalink)
tlegray beachaholic Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: TX Posts: 490	Sorry to hear that all of this has taken away your peace of mind. Hope things go well for you no matter what happens.

05-10-2007	#10 (permalink)
Tommygurl crab killer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: I am Canadian!! Posts: 14,197	My job (along with 100 fellow employees) was contracted out in Sept....I remember how upset/confused/scared I was! Rest assured that things will work out for you for the best...I know it is hard to believe that now! I haven't run into one person who I used to work with that is not happy now..... Good luck to you!

05-10-2007	#11 (permalink)
Andiline añejo Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Cologne, Germany Posts: 7,435	Thanks guys for your support. I will not take any decision for at least another week. I want to hear what they tell us tomorrow and next wednesday in Zurich I will meet people who are very important to me and I wanna know what they say. Further to that I really wanna go to French Polynesia... this will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip and I don't wanna jeopardize that. Yeah, I know - priorities and stuff. But French Polynesia has been a dream for sooooooooooo long... Luv' you guys Andrea

05-10-2007	#12 (permalink)
DavidB añejo Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Mid Mich Posts: 2,755	Good luck Andrea. Our department downsized a few years ago. I was the last person to stay on full time. It came down to the other guy had taken a month off for surgery giving me more hours worked.

05-10-2007	#13 (permalink)
Loree añejo Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: north of Pittsburgh Posts: 9,477	Andrea I'm sorry you are facing this. I think you should go to Playa and think about what your future holds for at least a week. It will certainly make things more clear to you than what they are now. Best of luck to you

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05-10-2007	#14 (permalink)
TAPPY añejo Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Louisiana Posts: 14,942	Andrea, I know something good will come of this for you. Stay positive and keep a good outlook. At least you know you have some time to try and decide what you would like to do if this job ends.

05-10-2007	#15 (permalink)
JEZ añejo Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: At the Beer Bucket, Playa Del Carmen Posts: 3,462	Andiline, you are the best, so if these people lose you, another employer will be lucky ! Take care, Ennnnnnguuuuuluuuuuuund !