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Re:Tech layoffs keep stacking up by thomascgalvin on Friday July 01, 2022 @11:31AM (#31947827)
I was laid off a few years ago because the company that hired me hadn't actually won the contract they thought they won. Really hard to pin that on engineering's performance.
Re:Tech layoffs keep stacking up by spidermanjones on Friday July 01, 2022 @12:19PM (#31948704)
Recently laid off under conditions that I'm convinced are similar.

I was at my org for roughly 9 months, I came in as part of a large class of new hires across the entire org.

The last 4 months we were in crunch mode trying to land a big client that leadership continued saying would be a game changer for us. My eyebrow was already raised, because if one company is that much of a game changer, what happens if we don't get that client?

Sure enough, as I was texting with a friend who was spared, he let me know as soon as the last person left the office that day from layoffs, company had the weekly all-hands and announced sure enough, they didn't get the client.

Re:Tech layoffs keep stacking up by mech422 on Friday July 01, 2022 @01:46PM (#31950021)
I've seen this in the past, though it hasn't bitten me... I'm really against 'pre-emptive' hiring for this reason. Its not fair to mess with people's livings just because you promised something in a contract that you can't currently fulfill.
Re:Tech layoffs keep stacking up by willcipriano on Friday July 01, 2022 @02:09PM (#31950373)
The worst part is it isn't like they don't have another option. Could choose to hire a contractor or let people know upfront about the risk of the job not being there in a few months, but that would drive up the rates people would ask.
Re:Tech layoffs keep stacking up by mech422 on Friday July 01, 2022 @02:34PM (#31950771)
Yeah, and the new hire potentially turned down a long term job for something that evaporates before they even start...
Re:Tech layoffs keep stacking up by jlg23 on Friday July 01, 2022 @04:51PM (#31952699)
> Its not fair to mess with people's livings...

Given that this is the status quo, employees should adopt the same attitude. When working for an ethical employer, I'll work 48h/day if the situation requires it, but for everyone else, I'll bill them for the "quick question over the phone" outside of my agreed upon working hours; and I'll quit when someone else makes a good offer. Once a (spectacularly unethical) employer tried to pull the "think about the others in your team" stunt only to be amazed when I found them better jobs within a week and everyone else quit, too. I cannot say he learned from that experience, but I equally cannot say I regret my decision.