The reality of recession

Every employer has to dismiss employees at some point. It's painful to have to tell someone they no longer have a job. It's worse in the middle of a recession when you know how difficult it may be for them to find work elsewhere.

There's an article in today's New York Times that captures the process in uncomfortable detail:

For small employers, shedding workers and tears

GRAFTON, Wis. — In a small, windowless conference room, the nine members of the management team at Ram Tool gathered to consider which employees should be laid off in the company’s latest round of cutbacks. They debated each name and weighed issues like seniority and skills. Could they do multiple jobs? What was their attendance record?

Finally, after three days of discussions, they arrived at a list, and it fell to Shelly Polum, the vice president for administration at this small, family-owned tool-and-die manufacturing company here, to inform four workers they were being let go. She put on what her husband called her “stone-cold face” and walked out onto the shop floor.

When it was over, trying to maintain her composure, she rushed back to her office and shut the door quickly.

Then she sank to the floor and burst into tears.

“It was a rush of emotions,” Mrs. Polum said later...

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