CNET News: "Oracle appears to be adding insult to injury in its merger with PeopleSoft - taking the unusual step of notifying workers of their termination by sending pinks slips via express mail to their homes.
PeopleSoft employees across the [United States] are expected over the weekend, according to sources close to the company. Those spared pink slips will get packages too - containing new
So what does everyone expect? One-to-one meetings with every affected employee and negotiations stretching out into the coming weeks? That's not how it works in the US where it seems anyone can be fired at any time without notice in such circumstances (and vice-versa: anyone can quit at any time without notice).
According to media reporting over the past few weeks, layoffs are expected to be in the thousands (see my
While I agree with Davis where he says this is not very humane, I'd challenge his comment that this is "the view of most of the employees out there" - out of 11,700 PeopleSoft employees, what does 'most' mean?
In any event, I can't see what other choices there are for Oracle the employer as they begin to Oracle-ize their new prize.
The prime reason for the acquisition is for Oracle to gain the assets and resources of a competitor that will give Oracle an opportunity to jump up a few points in the enterprise software market league table. As with any acquisition, part of that is realizing often-huge cost savings from closing or amalgamating offices, for instance, which translates into reducing headcount in order to achieve the financial synergies (as the beancounters would express it).
This is a fiercely competitive market where changing fortunes from even tiny percentage-point market share differences can have enormous financial effects. It's where the niceties of normal human relationships in the workplace will fall into distant second place during a time of radical organization change.
Is that right? No, but it's the harsh reality.
Neville Hobson is the author of the popular Crayon. Visit Neville Hobson's blog:
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Harsh Reality for PeopleSoft Employees
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