memes

I'm doing this one now mostly. Current company was just bought by a bigger company. All major projects have been stopped while we wait for the new bosses to show up and tell everyone what to do (then fire 2/3 of us).

I'm busy looking for my next job now. I have learned that any time there is any major acquisition or merger, get looking THE DAY it is announced. Do not wait, do not hope it will get better.

The management will let the news settle in, then after about a week or two, they'll send some useless motivational email about how we should value our work, take pride in it, whatever. They're just trying to keep everyone busy so that they won't leave because the bosses will get a bonus if they can keep the place stable long enough to hand it over to new management. They let everyone believe that everything will be fine, no need to panic.

The rule is, when you start to see the faces of the new company, it's fucking over. You have weeks/days left before you're gone. They've already gone through the staff, they know the names, who's worth keeping (very few), what they do, how much it will cost in lost productivity when they fire everyone off. They have consultants at the ready to come in and clean up the mess left behind after they sweep everyone out. Any hope that you're a good person or that you know something that nobody else does and that's useful is just wishful thinking. You represent an expense and they want those to go away. They will spend as little money on you as possible to make you go away. They will typically offer no severance or as little as possible (in the US). They will do what they can to fend off a potential lawsuit so you won't have any grounds to sue once you're cut. They'll keep the people in other countries that actually have labor protection laws and drop all the US workers as fast as possible.

Never sit around hoping things will work out, they will not. Just dust off your resume and get at it.