Daily Archives: February 14, 2009
HR professional’s community crosses 600 members
The HR professionals’ community that I started on Ning has recently crossed the 600 members mark!
Here’s wishing it adds value to each of the (so far) 601 members.
CSR and layoffs?
Murali raises an interesting point after hearing about the Sapient layoffs today:
True CSR is about how caring you are to all your stakeholders.. and one of the most imporatant stakeholders are your employees. I have seen the ugly side of business - of treating employees as dispensable cost saving overheads rather than important investments that need to be nurtured. They do not seem to realise the emotional and psychological damage that happens to not only the laid off employees but also those who remain. Most CEOs look for quick results and today layoffs seems to have become a fashion statement. Any company that contemplates layoff needs to first start with the CEO. It is their failure..not that of the business environment. Taking care of their employees especially during these trying times is the most important CSR initiative.
I totally agree 
As they say “The bottleneck is almost always near the top of the bottle” If a company needs to do layoffs because its strategy has failed or because it has made losses in some businesses, then heads at the top of the business need to be laid off first.
Companies that have never laid off employees. Ever!
Interesting article about 9 US companies that have never laid off employees.
What do they do?
Some examples:
- Nugget Market – In troubled times when the company anticipates it will need fewer workers, it stops replacing employees who leave voluntarily.
- Devon Energy has been able to avoid layoffs by making sure it keeps costs low during economic downturns and booms alike.
- At Aflac – Options like telecommuting and flex schedules — programs which resulted from employee suggestions — have helped streamline the organization and save millions of dollars.
- QuikTrip is privately held, allowing it to pour profits back into stores instead of divvying them up among shareholders.
- Container Store has avoided layoffs in this economy by freezing salaries and keeping a watchful eye on the balance sheet. Famous for its “open door” communication-driven culture, Container Store asked employees to do all they could to ensure the company’s strength during a tough retail climate.
- NuStar Energy has avoided cuts even as other oil and gas companies are experiencing layoffs, by managing costs and constantly looking for ways to improve profits.
- Stew Leonard – The privately held grocery chain doesn’t have to focus on quarterly earnings, allowing it to weather economic downturns and rising food prices without resorting to layoffs.
- Scottrade is a privately held company with a conservative growth strategy, there’s room for flexibility and a strong focus on the happiness — and longevity — of employees
- Since Publix is 100% employee-owned, it prides itself that “owners never want to lay off other owners.” Nearly 6,000 of the company’s “associates” have made a career at Publix, having served 20 years or more
So I guess if you don’t want to be laid off – work with a privately owned firm that is fiscally conservative
SHRM honors HR people who avoided layoffs
Now this is interesting in the context of the current economic downturn. I hope SHRM makes these cases available to all to read.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) honored 15 of its members today for creating HR solutions that are successfully helping their companies survive the current economic crisis by avoiding layoffs, saving money and maintaining morale.
Called the “SHRM Economic Stimulus Prize,” $1,000 prizes were awarded to individual HR professionals whose HR strategies produced a measurable and positive impact on business operations.
The winning case studies highlight best HR practices to:
- attract and retain talented employees through leadership training and career development;
- create cost cutting strategies to avoid layoffs;
- reduce health care costs through employee wellness programs; and
- implement financial literacy programs that help employees cope with the difficult economic circumstances.
