FedEx Layoffs in Memphis

[MKH]

Hello all,

I have been a member of this site for some time now, but rarely post due to my hectic work schedule. I love to keep up with all things Sowal, and just returned yesterday to Memphis from a quick 5-day trip to my beloved Sowal-the 12th trip I have been fortunate to make in the past 5 years.

I arrived at the beach last Thursday evening. I received a phone call from my manager at FedEx at 8:30am on Friday (I was at Publix at the time), informing me that due to the global economic recession, my position had been terminated and I would not be allowed back in the building to pick up my personal items from my desk. I have only been at FedEx for 2 years, so my severance package consists of next week's paycheck, and that's it. In the past 6 months, I have been told, in person, by three levels of management that if there were layoffs, I would not be affected in the least. I was responsible for all sales and marketing efforts directed to the $2-6k segment of our domestic business-the small business customers that have been hit so hard by this recession. My segment was at 120% of business plan YTD. This layoff was not performance-based. I was the least senior member of my team, but I had the highest salary, due to my 14 years of very successful outside sales experience and the fact that I recently completed my MBA with honors.

I have to wonder and pray-did this happen to me while I was in Sowal for a reason? Is this a sign that this is the time I realize my dream and move to Sowal permanently? And if so, how do I do that?

I know there are a lot of Memphians that read these boards and love Sowal just as much as I do. There may even be other FedExers on this board, as well. If anyone has any suggestions or know of someone that would like to hire an accomplished, driven, dedicated sales professional that will deliver results, then please let me know how to get in touch with them, or pm me and I will send you my contact information. Thank you.

 

[Matt J]

That sucks and I'm curious if they knew you were vacationing here and decided to call when you got here since the blow wouldn't seem that bad while on vacation.

Good luck in your search, if you're looking for sales work I don't know that I would pull up stakes just yet and come on down, but it has been known to happen.

 

[Minnie]

So sorry to hear this, I had several friends affected.

At my husband's business they called people in, and if you were out of town, you got a phone call too. My husband was out on medical leave and was called in. They told him, unless you are in the hospital be here. He was spared for now but demoted to working from 6:30pm to 7am after being with them for 20 years and was basically told if he did not like those hours, there is the door. It is a tough world right now.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[ItzKatzTime]

FedEx did this back handed!

Oh Marsha I am so sorry to hear about this. I wished you had called while in SoWal. I will keep my eyes and ears open in case something comes along. With your background something has to be available.

I think that was a terrible way that FedEx handled it. Take care and let us know how it's going.

Kat

 

[Lynnie]

Yep, terrible news! High School friend affected and we was with them almost 20 yrs.!!

Tough times- hang in there!
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[Cheering472]

My office is covered with personal stuff. It stinks that you aren't allowed back in to get your possessions. I know someone that was let go from FedEx last year and he's "living the life" in Destin today. He said it seemed like the perfect time to make the move.

I can imagine this is a scary time. I wish I had the right words to help you. I hope you find happiness in a new job wherever it takes you; hopefully closer to the sand. Good luck!

 

[scooterbug44]

Do they do that to keep you from taking stuff or keep disgruntled former employees off the premises?

Do they ship you your personal stuff then?

Pretty rude way to do it IMO.

 

[MKH]

All of my personal items just arrived via FedEx (haha) in 5 boxes. My fish tank was in one of the boxes, minus the fish of course. He was an innocent bystander in all of this and apparently has lost his life.

It WAS handled very badly. Everyone was told to sit at their desks from 9am-12noon last Friday-no getting up to go to the restroom, no talking to your coworkers, etc. Plainclothes security guards (with guns) were patrolling the halls. One secretary who has been with the company 24 years reached for a picture of her grandchildren and tried to put it in her purse and a security guard grabbed her arm and made her put it back down. Then she (and everyone else) was walked out of the building like a criminal.

Maybe it was a blessing that I was on vacation at the time and didn't have to go thru the humiliation of being escorted out of my office, with my friends and coworkers standing there watching me.

Kat, I had every intention of calling you while I was in Sowal. We arrived on Thursday evening, and then this happened Friday morning, so after that I didn't feel much like socializing. The rented condo turned into a bunker of sorts, I guess you could say.

One woman was out Friday having outpatient surgery. She didn't get the call that she was terminated, and she showed up on Monday morning and her badge wouldn't work! She got stopped at the gate, and then her manager had to come out to the parking lot and give her the news standing next to her car. She's been with the company for 14 years.

I attended an open house this afternoon at a career transition management firm. FedEx is providing us this resource for 6 months, so I heard a lot of stuff there from my fellow ex-coworkers. All of our HR packets had a print date of March 22, so we were good as gone for 2 full weeks before they bothered to tell us!

And it's not over. There will be addtional layoffs in 60 days, and next time there will probably not be severance packages. Just outright dismissals.

Everybody is scared out of their wits and freaking out. And everyone is in shock that just last Monday evening, Fred Smith went to John Calipari's house and offered him $7million and use of the corporate jet for recruiting purposes, if he would stay at the University of Memphis. I realize it is his money and he can do what he wants, but the corporate jet costs $20,000 everytime someone uses it. It was bad form to be throwing around such luxuries at a basketball coach, while 1000 loyal employees were receiving their walking papers that same week.

 

[scooterbug44]

Bet that there will be some lawsuits filed as a result of how it was handled. Your fish alone constitutes mental anguish.

 

[scooterbug44]

Bet that there will be some lawsuits filed as a result of how it was handled. Your fish alone constitutes mental anguish.

Update - sorry, as my attorney phrases it "not actionable as far as I know -
there's no federal law against being an arsehole."