I am sure you are right. I think even firing someone for their misconduct must also be painful.

It is, my friend. I've seen managers that approached terminations as they would any other activity, in an aloof manner almost as if they were disconnected. I can not do that. I am all too well aware that I am affecting someone's life and livelihood, and that weighs heavily.

Coffee,

Sorry to hear about that ... for you and for the other employees. Unfortunately, the numbers of the years end come into reality around the holidays, and if the company doesn't survive, it will not live on to offer jobs into the upcoming year.

Just be positive. Obama will save us all from the the most devastating economic collapse since the Great Depression, because he said so! ... LOL

- Thom

Oh, you're right. I forgot all about Obama! I feel SO much better now!

Thanks Thom!

Spent over 20 years in management and every time I had to cut back by laying off folks, I had to realize that there were families involved also. I don't miss that part of the job or heart ache.

Damned if it isn't the toughest part of the job, that's for certain. There's no doubt it's going to cost me some sleepless nights. I could have taken the easy way out, and had Human Resources come in and take care of it, but that would have been worse in my book. I felt I owed it to them to sit down face to face and lay it out.

I just wish I saw some hope on the horizon for the economy. I don't, not for quite some time. In the trucking business, if EVERYONE'S seeing a business drop off, that means nobody is shipping raw materials or finished product, which means nobody is buying them, which means the economy is NOT getting better.

Thanks for the visit and the words, uncle charlie!

HI Coffee,
I understand...only because, after 20 years of unwavering loyalty, my husband was "laid off" three weeks before Christmas, because of the economy. That was 2 years ago. I blogged a simple story about it back then. I was of the mind that 'it' was the oppportunity of a lifetime for us. And, it was.
For some, it is a tough hit. For some, who may be more resourceful, it could be the opportunity of a lifetime. The most important thing to remember is that none of this is your fault or responsibility. I believe after your words, you would have kept them all if you could.
Don't be so hard on yourself...give you a break! It is tough all over, and so many of us have been affected by the economy.
Things will get better....and I don't mean to sound as naive as I do here...I'm just writing in a small space!
Keep your chin up!
:)

Thank you for the kind words. You summed it up nicely. While I understand that it may be beyond my control, it's the impact that my actions had on those families, the hardship I know they're going to go through as a result. I like to think of myself as a compassionate person. Some can just slough it off. I've never been able to do that. But, as you indicated, life goes on.

Many thanks for the visit.

I hate adding more fuel to the fire,but I don't see it getting better anytime soon. I live near Union Pacific RR tracks. Up until five years ago the freight trains were non-stop. Today it's dwindled to maybe two every couple of hours. And this is the time warehouses should be stocking for Christmas.
And yes,each lay off has a far reaching affect. I don't envy your job for a minute, except that I would rather hear the bad news from someone as compassionate as you, who has been there, than a youngster telling me "your outta' here".

I'm afraid you're right CF. From my perspective, that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel isn't in view yet, no matter what the media or the administration says. We're in this quagmire for a while. This is usually one of our busiest times, as you say, for retailers and wholesalers preparing for "black Friday" and the official start of the Christmas Shopping season. It just isn't there.

We've been through these cycles before, my friend, and I'm sure we'll go through them again. This one's just deeper and longer than most.