Fearful of budget cuts for the coming new year?

Have any of you ever been fearful being let go because of budgets cuts? Usually when the new year comes in budget cuts are made. What do you do in that situation? I may be in that situation.

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scaredoftests

Usually, budget cuts (at least in my experience happened near July or so) closer to the end of the fiscal year. If you think it is going to happen, start sending out resumes NOW.

jcundiff

budget cuts are typically a later in the year thing, after the company misses performance marks for 1st qtr or 2nd qtr end. or near the end of the year but if you think you are on the chopping block dust the resume off and start looking

gespenstern

Abandon ship!

Seriously, in many and many cases signs are clear while people tend to ignore them until the last day when it's already too late. Always be prepared and make sure to give yourself time beforehand.

All things are typical, e.g. acquisitions, missed sales expectations, shrinking markets, reorgs (which are usually consequences to above).

TechGromit

We cut back on contractors around July last year, we lost our desk side support guy, which hurt because we all had to pick up the slack and answer stupid user calls. Fortunately a full time IT employee left for another opportunity elsewhere in the company. Instead of replacing the position, it was decided to bring back our contractor and let him concentrate on the low level user calls and we would all pick up the slack of the guy that left. Now we all have to take turns watching You tube and call our spouses all day to pick up the slack. yes he did that little at work.

As for other cut backs, they laid out the staffing levels until the day the plant closes. We lose another position in 2018, which will be our contractor again, and the day the plant closes in Dec. 2019 my position gets cut. We also had our last PC/laptop refresh, this year, no new laptops or PC's. Not sure about UPS's or Switches, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

The good news I have a clear goal when to jump ship before I hit the iceberg. I don't plan to being in that same place in Dec. 2019.

volfkhat

Fayz wrote: »

Have any of you ever been fearful being let go because of budgets cuts? Usually when the new year comes in budget cuts are made. What do you do in that situation? I may be in that situation.

As for the "fearful" aspect:
Whenever i start a new gig... i always have an approximate end-date in the back of my mind.
That way, i am always in a mindset of learning as much as i can, while i can.

There is no "coasting". No complacency.
Only steady growth/development.

Once my end-date comes aroud... i get to decide if i stay (because there's more to learn) ; or move on for a new position with greater compensation/knowledge potential.

With a perspective like this... what's to be afraid of??

tmtex

The 2 times I've been laid off was in the summer. I should also add, use your instinct. long story short my company was acquired and there was 2 of us ( SD managers) I was promised up and down that I was going to be let go, even had an offer and the said no no no don't leave, your OK. 2 months later laid off. I knew I should of left when I could. I found out when your unemployed its hard to get a job.

DatabaseHead

Went through this twice

Lots of closed door meetings?
Management not as available?
Projects that once were important suddenly aren't the primary focus, but you don't know what is?

Legal trouble or financial problems are your best guess. Like others have mentioned be prepared. At the very least get your resume polished/updated.

Also think about what you want to do, same thing shouldn't be a problem. Something different that will take some creativity and time.

PS Lay offs can come at anytime. I experienced them in March and end of the year in my situations.

NetworkNewb

As long as someone keeps their skills up to date and in demand, and budgets for the unexpected, there is no need to be fearful.

TechGromit

tmtex wrote: »

I was promised up and down that I was not going to be let go, even had an offer and they said no no no don't leave, your OK. 2 months later laid off.

It's really low when they pull this crap, but sometimes even your boss doesn't know he's just repeating what his boss tell him.

volfkhat

tmtex wrote: »

...I was promised up and down that I was[nt] going to be let go, even had an offer and they said no no no don't leave, your OK.
2 months later laid off. I knew I should of left when I could.

TechGromit wrote: »

It's really low when they pull this crap, but sometimes even your boss doesn't know he's just repeating what his boss tell him.

Man.... Tmtex's tale is so powerful. I mean, i need to print that out and stick it on my Fridgerator!
Always look out for Numero Uno.

As long as the "next" job offers a chance to Learn new things (and grow your skills) then TAKE it.
You owe nothing to anyone.

With that being said...
One could argue that if He took the new gig... he could have still have been laid off 2 months (the new job Lost the contract, etc).
Then you'd be kicking yourself for quitting/leaving the other job.

So, you never know; all you can really do is focus on learning news skills/exp.

Fayz

volfkhat wrote: »

As for the "fearful" aspect:
Whenever i start a new gig... i always have an approximate end-date in the back of my mind.
That way, i am always in a mindset of learning as much as i can, while i can.

There is no "coasting". No complacency.
Only steady growth/development.

Once my end-date comes aroud... i get to decide if i stay (because there's more to learn) ; or move on for a new position with greater compensation/knowledge potential.

With a perspective like this... what's to be afraid of??

Thing is this I'm in a permanent position. Everyone else is Level 2 Desktop Support but me. No permanent manager just a temporary one and infrastructure is changing where a 1/3 of the company is moving to another locale.

volfkhat

Fayz wrote: »

Thing is this I'm in a permanent position. Everyone else is Level 2 Desktop Support but me. No permanent manager just a temporary one and infrastructure is changing where a 1/3 of the company is moving to another locale.

But that's the thing; there's no such thing as a permanent position.
It's an illusion.

Your employer could whack you tomorrow (as you already know since you are worried about potential cuts).

All jobs are temporary; so don't be afraid to start looking for your next one :]

TrailRunr

Fayz wrote: »

Thing is this I'm in a permanent position. Everyone else is Level 2 Desktop Support but me. No permanent manager just a temporary one and infrastructure is changing where a 1/3 of the company is moving to another locale.

I've been in IT for over 20 years. If I were you, I'd start looking and bailing out at the first opportunity. I would send resumes next week when everyone gets back from vacation. Don't believe your boss if he says everything is fine. Nothing you said above changes my advice. It is time to abandon ship. You don't have a permanent position unless it is covered by a collective bargaining agreement (union). You can fire your employer and they can fire you. It's much better to fire your employer first rather than wait around. It's way harder to find a job and negotiate wages when you don't have one.

pinkydapimp

always prepare for the worst. So regardless of where you work you should always be thinking, if i get laid off tomorrow, will i have trouble finding a job? If that answer is yes, then use your time now to get certs and other skills. If that answer is not sure, send out your resume and test the market. If that answer is no, then think about your current job and ask yourself what you are gaining by staying there.

Rinse. Repeat.

powerfool

volfkhat wrote: »

But that's the thing; there's no such thing as a permanent position.
It's an illusion.

Your employer could whack you tomorrow (as you already know since you are worried about potential cuts).

All jobs are temporary; so don't be afraid to start looking for your next one :]

^This.

Unless you are in some position protected by tenure or a union... or you own the place, you can get let go any time. And if you have this gut feeling, best to chalk it up to probably going away... don't hold on to it, just bide your time and look for a new job.

TechGromit

volfkhat wrote: »

One could argue that if He took the new gig... he could have still have been laid off 2 months (the new job Lost the contract, etc).
Then you'd be kicking yourself for quitting/leaving the other job.

Usually it's easier to land a job if you have one already and you can often negotiate a higher salary. It's a hell of a lot less stressful too. When your unemployed, your under financial pressure to get another job fairly quickly, you don't have the luxury to wait for the perfect job. Reassuring tmtex that he had nothing to fear caused him to pass up an opportunity that was most likely better than a position he could have secured unemployed.

TechGromit

volfkhat wrote: »

But that's the thing; there's no such thing as a permanent position.
It's an illusion.

Nonsense, it's call working for the Federal Government (directly as an employee, not a federal government contractor)

Danielm7

I'm not concerned about my own position as we're already short staffed. I'm worried that they won't hire the additional staff they say they will, we'll see.

volfkhat

TechGromit wrote: »

Nonsense, it's call[ed] working for the Federal Government (directly as an employee, not a federal government contractor)

Agree to disagree :]

No job is permanent.
Yes, sometimes it requires an Act of God in order to cut the deadweight... but it still does happen.

Just ask Louis; he thought he had a cushy government gig.

ivx502

TechGromit wrote: »

Nonsense, it's call working for the Federal Government (directly as an employee, not a federal government contractor)

Ever heard of a R.I.F. notice? I know when the sequestration cuts were in place. I was getting ready to get hired as a GS 9. The R.I.F. notice came down and the position was eliminated. Which was fine because I had not left my employer at the time.

jeremywatts2005

If you are nervous you need to get looking likely the axe is going to fall and the company is not going to be the one taking the hit. You are.. That is why I am not afraid to change jobs. There is no such thing as company loyalty anymore. Companies look out for themselves, shareholders and profit. You are not their concern and just another line item to delete if they are not doing well. I know that is cold but it is truth. My grandparents and parents never understood why I changed jobs so much. Now they understand why. My dad after over 20 yrs laid off no work and cannot find any work. Company did not have a 401k or retirement and he is sitting on disability. My grandpa retired from Ford and they cut his pension and benefits over and over. He always said he wished he would have left and found more money in another job. It used to not be this way but it is now. No pensions and no benefits for the long term outside of the 401k spell it all out for you. They are not looking at keeping most people long term.

Matt2

I'm still waiting for a budget (after our company was acquired 17 months ago). So not too worried about cuts since they let 2/3 of the company go back then.

But to answer your questions I echo others. Keep your eyes open for the right job sooner rather than later. Some people look at least once a year, just because.

paul78

@Fayz - I wish you well as you weather this period. I am sure it is stressful. From my perspective, I am always "fearful" of budget cuts. Although fearful may not be the right adjective - for me - it's about knowing that the possibility is always there. I never dwell on it though and instead use it as a means to motivate my own performance.

As for what I would do if in this situation - frankly - I do nothing. I always assume that I could be in the situation and I try to evaluate what I may or may not have accomplished in the prior year which would lend to a decision where I could be terminated. I generally do this regularly so if I believe that I'm not a good fit for a role, I would either have that discussion with my management and either (1) decide to move on or (2) find a different role. In this way, it puts the control back on me and I am less distracted about a negative outcome during budget cuts.

Layoffs are no fun. I have been in the position about a dozen times where we are reviewing who we would layoff. In all cases, it's always to hit a number.

Good luck.