My company has slowly been transitioning to Manila. It started a few years ago when they started hiring and training some tech support reps there and some of our leads got to go to Manila for a few months to help get it off the ground. Then, they built a HUGE company building out there, now that the trainers and other staff were in place (trained by people from my office!). They started hiring and hiring people in Manila. They stopped hiring in the United States altogether. That was a red flag to me, BUT we were assured that nothing was changing.
Over time they have closed departments in the US that they say we don't really need anymore for this or that reason, it all made a lot of sense. Meanwhile people in Manila that are being hired are being hired and then promoted, even above my current position. I'm a Tech III and I've been there for 7 years now. I had asked my manager a few months ago why I couldn't be promoted to a higher tech level considering my amount of knowledge, especially when people in Manila were getting promoted to Tech IV and V. People in Manila were also being promoted to an internal department that handles back office issues and QA. He said there is no movement available right now. My manager retired at the end of January.
I was moved to a different manager right before he retired for some unknown reason, I really don't remember what it was but I was with my manager for almost the entire 7 years I worked there. The manager they put me with is AMAZING though. She's got a super big heart and she works really hard for her team. She wants to see us succeed and will do whatever she can to help us do so.
I am currently on the phones but for the last few months I have been on special projects and flexing for the back office support team. I was interested in trying to get on that team but have been recently told they are not hiring for that team in the United States…
Today we got an email. We are “restructuring.” They've done away with an entire position in another department (letting many people go, I'm sure). They also say in the email they've combined two departments into one (letting go people here too, probably). Then the email says that MY DEPARTMENT is also being “resturctured.” It was a very vague email and then around 2PM they pulled my entire team into a meeting and the meeting was called “TSReorganization” or some bs like that.
They start out by discussing the email and she goes on to say that as the head of the department it was important that she discuss it with us because it directly affects us. At this point I'm like, am I getting laid off?? Wondering that. Then she proceeds to tell us that my manager, and three others, “are no longer with the company, effective today.”
I'm FUMING. Is this what is happening all across America? Companies so desperate and greedy for money that they're just casting out hundreds, if not thousands, of people for the promise of paying a worker in another country a lower wage? Like, I know, I'm not completely blind to it, I've seen it happen before at other places and I know it's been happening but I'm just at a point where I just can't believe this. I'm so angry, especially because I know what a huge heart my manager has. Her and her wife foster animals and her wife will bake a bunch of goods and sell them just to turn around and donate ALL the proceeds to the local retirement community, elementary school, or animal shelter.
I don't know if this is even the right place for this but I'm just so upset and angry at my company right now and I can't post this anywhere else. People from work my have my Facebook and I don't use any other social media. What does this mean for those of us on the phones? Are we going to get laid off too? Do I stick around until it happens for the severance pay? Do I start looking for another job now and jump ship? I'm so angry and confused and I really don't know what to do or think. Sorry this was so long, thanks if you read it all.