MIDLANDS (Omaha World-Herald)Netshops cuts about 50 jobs Omaha-based Netshops
Inc. reduced its work force by about 50 people last week, the result of
reorganizing at the rapidly growing Internet retail company, Chief Executive
Doug Nielsen said Tuesday. No further cuts are planned, he said. The company has
grown from a handful of employees to 400 in five years, Nielsen said, and some
realignment of operations was done. "We've gained some efficiencies." The
company operates 150 retail sites, having acquired 30 from a Minnesota company
in November. Nielsen said revenue grew to $115 million last year. — Virgil
Larson
"About 50 people" .... looks at print out I received ... I get a total of 61 people impacted by this recent round of layoffs.
"No further cuts are planned" - unless things work out like they did in 2006 and a group of people are let go again in August - after the important Father's Day and 4th of July holidays.
"We've gained some efficiencies." How? The way I remember things, there weren't enough people to do the work available before the layoff. How could there possibly be any efficiency gained by letting go of 61 people?
"revenue grew to $115 million last year" - so a layoff was needed why?
I can only speak for myself here, and my own experiences while employed at Netshops. I know my reviews were always above average, so if me being laid off was a result of a performance issue, I wasn't ever made aware of any issue.
I wonder if any of the other people were told why they were chosen for the layoff?
Lastly, I wonder what the people at Netshops North think about this? You know - the people working for the Thralow.net stores? Binoculars.com, Telescopes.com, Pans.com, etc. All those people have to wonder how long they'll continue to be employed. I know I'd be thinking about it if I were up there....
3 comments:
So glad to see someone made a blog about this!! I couldn't agree more with this post. How does a place go from record sales and very over worked employees with projects planned a year in advance to suddenly not needing them anymore?? It just makes me sick the way they lie about it and say they were just reorganizing to be more efficient and then go on pushing themselves as a fast growing company and one of the best places to work in Omaha.
So, here's my question: We know the majority of the lay offs weren't based on performance. Looking at the "Selected" list, it appears that mostly older employees got let go. Except for the call center, most of the people let go were over the age of 30. Older = more experience = more pay?? Not with this company. So, what then?? It seems, to me, that a certain someone has weasled their way into a position that they can just abuse at will. I don't think I would be far off in saying some of the lay offs were personal. That's just the kind of selfish, immature, unethical, caddy management they've got running that place. The kind of management that listens to none of the advice given by the people that actually DO the work. Why listen when you can just lay them off?? Problem solved.
I managed to get while the gettin' was good and it seems I was just in time. In my experience with this company, the people in management are nothing more than number mongers that are in for a rude awakening. Especially Mr. Nielsen.
I think it was not only 'age based', and yes that includes the floor, but I think it also involved in some cases people who really did want to put the CUSTOMER first, NOT the company. I know for me personaly, it also had to do with an attendence issue. After all, I was put (and rightly so in all honesty) on a 'verbal warning' THREE days before being told I was being let go. The thing that really blew me away is they hadn't even finished tell us of the 'restructuring' before we were being handed boxs that contained our personal things and shown the front door. Talk about a surgical strike! But then, what did I expect after watching what they did in November to Senior Staff. I miss some of the people I was lucky enough to work with every day, but NOT the company.
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