Disney employees had to train their replacements after they were laid off

[Greg K.]

This is the sort of thing that really makes me question whether my loyalty to the Disney brand is misplaced ...

"The employees who kept the data systems humming in the vast Walt Disney fantasy fief did not suspect trouble when they were suddenly summoned to meetings with their boss.

While families rode the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and searched for Nemo on clamobiles in the theme parks, these workers monitored computers in industrial buildings nearby, making sure millions of Walt Disney Worldticket sales, store purchases and hotel reservations went through without a hitch. Some were performing so well that they thought they had been called in for bonuses.

Instead, about 250 Disney employees were told in late October that they would be laid off. Many of their jobs were transferred to immigrants on temporary visas for highly skilled technical workers, who were brought in by an outsourcing firm based in India. Over the next three months, some Disney employees were required to train their replacements to do the jobs they had lost.

“I just couldn’t believe they could fly people in to sit at our desks and take over our jobs exactly,” said one former worker, an American in his 40s who remains unemployed since his last day at Disney on Jan. 30. “It was so humiliating to train somebody else to take over your job. I still can’t grasp it.”​

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/u...n-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

 

[Castle2Castle]

NYT is late to the party -- story is over a month old with a topic already posted at the end of April.

 

[rteetz]

NYT is late to the party -- story is over a month old with a topic already posted at the end of April.

Yep. And this isn uncommon in other businesses unfortunately.

 

[gsimpson]

This behavior has actually caused me to significantly reduce the number of times I visit Disney each year. I am not boycotting them altogether, yet. Their product is not price based on cost of goods, it is based on market will bear. For them to reduce costs this way, while sadly legal, is pretty awful. This is yet another example that each time you hear "we can't find workers to fill the jobs" coming out of the talking heads you should be hearing "we can't find people to do the job at slave wages and lousy working conditions". This also lays bear the lie that a company has to try to hire a citizen of green card holder before bringing in H1B applicants, that is a lie told by politicians of both parties and dutifully repeated in the media. As an owner of a software development firm who gets approached at least weekly by "labor cost consultants" I can tell you that you don't have to do anything other than fire you local workers and hire the H1B workers.

 

[Andrew015]

This just further illustrates what we all know (and some don't want to admit); The Walt Disney Company is no longer a family run operation based on values and virtues as it once was years ago. Rather, it is run purely by Wallstreet, and current management won't stop until they have extracted ever cent possible from its customers and employees alike. Many are blinded by the pixie dust and feel that Disney can do no wrong. Others of us see the corporate greed and call it like we see it. We're the ones considered "negative"...

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

This just further illustrates what we all know (and some don't want to admit); The Walt Disney Company is no longer a family run operation based on values and virtues as it once was years ago. Rather, it is run purely by Wallstreet, and current management won't stop until they have extracted ever cent possible from its customers and employees alike. Many are blinded by the pixie dust and feel that Disney can do no wrong. Others of us see the corporate greed and call it like we see it. We're the ones considered "negative"...

Do you still visit (contribute/support to the existing situation) ?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Because of the above problems.........That is why when shopping we look and buy the Made in USA label. The job you save may be your own.

AKK

 

[Andrew015]

Do you still visit (contribute/support to the existing situation) ?

Yes. But I don't pretend like I am supporting the Red Cross, either. I know exactly what I'm dealing with. The point of my post was to illustrate that the vast majority of members here feel as if Disney can do no wrong. Those of us that point out these "bad" Wallstreet-driven practices.... like outsourcing jobs to India, or raising ticket prices 100% over the course of a decade without providing anything in return.... are considered "negative". Disney isn't run by Mickey and his cute little friends. It's a Wallstreet corporation out with one sole mission.

Don't try to put words in my mouth, please. I'm not suggesting that anyone boycott Disney. If you have seen any number of my posts over the years, you will see that I readily admit that I am as bad as anyone else for supporting these practices which I despise. I'm just hinting that some might want to take the blinders off. Nothing more, nothing less...

 

[Minniesgal]

This is a wider issue than corporate disney.

In most countries in the Western World it would be illegal to make employees redundant then rehire. Making local employees redundant and hiring people on visa's to replace them is also illegal.

This is an employment legislation issue. If the laws give companies the right to do this they will.

Not that other countries have it perfect. UK can move the work abroad. And France have great difficulties making people redundant so end up with massively over staffed companies paying people to do nothing.

 

[ELSA711]

I worked for a very big company and after 12 years with them was let go, my entire department actually. We were then required to train the incoming team that replaced us, all new hires. I don't think this is anything new for big corporations.

 

[Dean Marino]

Not the usual comment....

If one is in IT, and asked to do this sort of thing? Best move is to IMMEDIATELY quit - and start your new job search.
Sounds rude - but IT folks? Your only value is what is in your head: NEVER give this away. Oh, yeah.... did IT for 28 years... never got this garbage, because my employer KNEW I would do exactly what I described if threatened.

 

[Kingdome8]

""Rather, it is run purely by Wallstreet, and current management won't stop until they have extracted ever cent possible from its customers and employees alike.""

Everything is run by Wall Street. Companies will do anything to keep stock price up. Wall Street controls are retirements and our government.
Just like politicians will say what ever gets them votes from their party whether they believe or not. They wanna keep their jobs too.

I don't blame companies for doing business and keeping funds outside of country.
Govt needs to make things better for usa business.
That's why we need a president with some balls.
Political correctness has really hurt

 

[Josh Hendy]

For them to reduce costs this way, while sadly legal, is pretty awful.

I don't think that it is legal, according to the information that has been posted. Read up on H-1B visas. The employer must attest that the wages being paid are at least equal to those being paid to US citizens, and also must attest that US citizen workers are not being displaced.

But it is possible that loopholes have been written into the laws so that on the surface American citizens are protected (according to Congress) but in reality large companies will get whatever they want, and will never suffer any legal penalties no matter how egregiously they violate the (alleged) spirit and purpose of the law.

I don't blame companies for hiring workers offshore. Many companies have significant profits earned in those countries which they can only repatriate at a very high corporate tax rate, unless they find some way to spend the money in that country, e.g. on IT services or product development.

But driving 18-wheel trucks through loopholes in local, domestic laws in the country where their HQ and most of their shareholders, employees and customers live ... loopholes that were inserted through the efforts of massive ... let's call it lobbying ... is really bad for a company's reputation, no matter how many congresspeople they, ah, lobby.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

American employees have been treated like crap for the better part of 45 years...

Why? Most of you/us voted for the culprits...backed by lots of corporate money.

I hate to make it political...but it fundamentally is political.

 

[OKW Lover]

Another slow news day. This is about something that happened almost 9 months ago. I wonder if it re-surfaced because of somebody's agenda. Are labor contracts up soon?

 

[CounselorX]

Not the usual comment....

If one is in IT, and asked to do this sort of thing? Best move is to IMMEDIATELY quit - and start your new job search.
Sounds rude - but IT folks? Your only value is what is in your head: NEVER give this away. Oh, yeah.... did IT for 28 years... never got this garbage, because my employer KNEW I would do exactly what I described if threatened.

Exactly. I work in IT as a systems administrator. If I got told I was being replaced and I have to train my replacement, I would start rolling on the floor laughing and let them know that when I walk out of the door today, my rates will be double what they are now.

 

[Andrew015]

Exactly. I work in IT as a systems administrator. If I got told I was being replaced and I have to train my replacement, I would start rolling on the floor laughing and let them know that when I walk out of the door today, my rates will be double what they are now.

For this exact reason, I think there's probably a bit more to the story than what is being relayed. I suspect that some kind of severance package was offered to those that were let go, as I think the majority of responses would have been similar to the hypothetical one described above. Who in their right mind would stick around for that unless there was some significant monetary incentive warranting you to do so? Obviously, some might be paycheck-to-paycheck and not have a choice, but I think the majority of those 250 would have walked immediately if there wasn't some kind of carrot being dangled. Don't get me wrong... I'm in no way trying to justify the action. Just trying to understand why there wouldn't have been a stampede to the parking lot after getting the news...

 

[Castle2Castle]

From one of the other articles in the previous topic on this, those who remained to train their replacements were offered a 10% bonus and severance package.

 

[kiki02]

Exactly. I work in IT as a systems administrator. If I got told I was being replaced and I have to train my replacement, I would start rolling on the floor laughing and let them know that when I walk out of the door today, my rates will be double what they are now.

There must be more to this. Isn't there a Labor law regarding this?

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

Yes. But I don't pretend like I am supporting the Red Cross, either. I know exactly what I'm dealing with. The point of my post was to illustrate that the vast majority of members here feel as if Disney can do no wrong. Those of us that point out these "bad" Wallstreet-driven practices.... like outsourcing jobs to India, or raising ticket prices 100% over the course of a decade without providing anything in return.... are considered "negative". Disney isn't run by Mickey and his cute little friends. It's a Wallstreet corporation out with one sole mission.

Don't try to put words in my mouth, please. I'm not suggesting that anyone boycott Disney. If you have seen any number of my posts over the years, you will see that I readily admit that I am as bad as anyone else for supporting these practices which I despise. I'm just hinting that some might want to take the blinders off. Nothing more, nothing less...

Don't get me wrong-by all means do/say what you want.

The point of my post was to illustrate the uphill battle to expect anything other than what we are seeing IMO.

If the "blinders off" guests are still contributing (reluctantly or not), obviously the "blinders on" guests will for sure.

WDW's delivered product is pretty much a legal drug at this point, fortunately or unfortunately (depending on the individual) for those that desire it.