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Radio Shack E-Fires 400 Workers
KingSkippus writes "You've got mail! ...and no job! The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that RadioShack has notified 400 workers by e-mail that they are being laid off. The e-mails state, 'The work force reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately your position is one that has been eliminated.' Nothing says thank you for your years of service to our company quite like an e-boot out the door."
ehhh you're quite daft for making that statement. the article clearly notes that these are employees mostly at their headquarters, which indicates they are probably mid level executives or IT staff or something like that.. not store personnel.
im sure people who work in stores make $7-8 an hour like most other retail workers.
At least in CT, sales people on the floor make $7-$8 per hour base (excluding bonuses), with higher tiers (managers-in-training, asst. managers, managers, etc.) obviously making higher bases and different sets of bonuses. No floor salesperson has their own radioshack email address, only a store-wide email account.
And no, they don't ask for home address anymore, only your zip code for marketing / store stock purposes, which you can decline with no argument. Addresses -are- needed in some situations though, for things like service plans and Answers Plus (in-store credit card) accounts though.
I also disagree with this being "soul-destroying," but for a slightly different reason. It could have been a lot worse - TFA says that there were multiple face-to-face meetings prior to the announcement, with an opportunity for employees to ask questions. There was also a severance package. It wasn't the best way to approach the problem, but at least it wasn't unexpected.
I heard a rumor from what appeared to be a reliable source that Radio Shack had to close a bunch of stores because they lost their contract with Verizon. Apparently cell phone sales were carrying the stores.
Notwithstanding that stock price can serve as a consumer confidence barometer as well as one for expected performance:
Until 2000-ish, Radio Shack had offered a stock-based 401K. From limited options, employees had been encouraged to choose this plan. Now, they are all worth dick. Furthermore, a comparison reveals that RSH has performed as much as 83% below the S&P.
"The news in this is that we've reached that particular point in our society where a corporation doesn't even have to have the common decency to fire people in person."
You're right, and I should have clarified. Radio shack has been pulling questionable downsizing stunts for years.
FairTax baby!
Quitting generally disqualifies you for any kind of unemployment benefits. Only quit if you are given a nice juicy severance package.
Most unemployment benefits are 26 weeks of minimum wage pay (generally about 5k). Understand this when negotiating your severance.
I was laid off after being given "unofficial" notice a full 4 months in advance. I had a chance to restructure my debt, get "layoff" insurance, and all kinds of other stuff that made the transistion much easier. Definitely a good way to go.
Remember, You are unique...just like everyone else.
"A job should be nothing more than a means to supporting your lifestyle. Sure...hopefully you can enjoy your work, but, really...does it matter who you do it for? Your job should not be YOU."
You don't have kids eh?
The moment you have a family depending on you the "just a job" bit takes on a whole new meaning. We're a family of 4 on a single income in north/central california. I barely make enough with the cost of living. If I lost my job then I would be hard pressed to continue to put my spouse through school, she would likely have to drop out and enter the workforce early.
-nB
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I'm just guessing he means those little scammy insurances you can get for loans and credit cards, where they cover your monthly payment if you're involuntarily out of work. It's kind of like "pogey" for your debt.
-Billco, Fnarg.com