Yep, found out today that my company, Kehe Foods Distributing, which just recently bought out the company I've been working for, is going to lay off like 80% of their salesforce. This is due to a change in how we're doing business. We're a food distributing company that specializes in gourmet products, such as natural food, organic, kosher, ect. We also sell alot of common items as well. What we do is we carry products that major supermarket chains can't handle holding in their warehouse so we provide distribution for them. My job is to order the product and merchandise it when it arrives to the store on our trucks, and make commission. I've been making between $30,000-$35,000 doing this for just over two years now. I started at Publix in 2005 and in 2008 left to go work for this company since it provided a living wage, great benefits, a flexible work schedule, working independently, and usually for no more than 35 hours a week. It was almost too good to be true, it was a job that seemed right for me, at least for the time being. Me being 24, making a living wage is rare these days so I had to take the job seriously and I did.

Now come 2010, we get bought out by a new company. We used to be called Tree of Life Inc, now we're called Kehe Foods. Publix, which is our largest account in the southeast region, has decided to put all of their vendors on their automated ordering system. Publix has all their grocery items that is directly distributing to their warehouse on automated replenishment, which eliminates the need for associates to order the store. Now they want to put all vendors on this system, eliminating the need for a salesmen who works on commission to order the products they don't have their warehouse. Since we're the biggest vendor for Publix they want to put us on this first. Now our company has known about this plan for a while now but we were never told our jobs would be in jeopardy. We all just assumed business would continue for us as usual, we just won't be ordering the stores but we're still needed to merchandise the product.

But now our main competition, United Nation Foods Inc, which has distribution on many of the same items my company carries and they also have Publix as an account, but theyre only in the major stores. They told Publix they would carry our items but much cheaper, since Publix is trying to lower their prices due to competition from Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie. Our company heard about it and told Publix we'll lower our profit percentage to keep business with them. But Publix also told them they want to have direct distribution on all our products, which is how our competitor does things. Their salesmen order the product and Publix clerks work the items. However, since all vendor items will now be on this new automated system, they're won't be any need for salesmen to be in the stores. Publix being our biggest account in the southeast, we would have to eliminate around 80% of the sales force. That's a lot of jobs being cut. We're a nationwide company, we even have distribution in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. But Publix is big business in my region, and it doesn't appear that my company is going to fight to keep our jobs. We do have distribution in Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart and Sedanos, but its on a very limited basis. There's simply not enough business available in those stores. So me and most of the people I know have until September to find jobs. Things aren't 100% official yet but its looking like this is all going to go down.

Im only 24 and don't have enough work experience, so this layoff stuff is pretty new to me. I'm not asking for sympathy, but I'd like to get some advice on how to deal with this and what maybe to expect. Obviously #1 Im going to start applying for other jobs. I already have my resume typed and ready to go. Im also consider transferring my 401k to a Roth IRA. Originally my company contributed to it but then they stopped before we got bought out by the new company, and the new company is privately owned and was going to put in a employee stock ownership program, but now that seems like its not going to happen. So I may need advice about that.

I just feel sick to my stomach. I know the whole country is going through this. I know alot of members on here have gone through this and Im nothing special. But this is a pretty big deal. It really has got me looking at the big picture on alot of things. Welcome to the new economy, I guess I was born at the wrong time in history, it really is starting to feel that way. :sad:

 

Pretty sure. I only have two years at this company and Im one of the youngest employees. Since most of us are on commission, my pay isn't an issue as far as my employment goes, so its not like theyre going to be looking at pay vs. experience as far as who theyre going to keep around. But for me, Im 90% sure at this point Ill be let go along with alot of other hardworking people. My company did say theyre not going to let everyone go, they still need some people, but Im quite sure I won't be one of them. Im already in that mentality that my job is basically gone and I better start looking around this weekend.

 

Very true. I know Im going to have to make concessions, but I don't want to lower my standard too far just yet. I do have 5 years experience in grocery and Im sure I cna go to any grocery company, but with all these massive layoffs im going to have to compete with some of my former co-workers for those jobs. Going to back to Publix where I started is an option but not a very good one. For starters, they pay just about minimum wage, theyre is little opportunity to just get full time. Part time is a joke since you usually only get less than 30 hours. The benefits are decent for part time but insurance is too expensive when youre getting paid less than $10/hour. Publix is going the Wal-Mart way of conducting business with their employees, unfortantely. They used to be a good company to work for at one time but they changed alot these past few years and not only would I be starting all over again, I actually would be alot worse off.

So there's options and Im going to have to consider alot of them, but it surely could be alot worse.

 

I might send you a copy. :up:

 

Thanks opie and everyone else for your support. Hopefully things turn around for the economy and we wont have to deal with this bull**** as much.

 

First of all, I wanna thank you guys for your kind wishes and advice, I really appreciate it. I usually try to keep my personal issues off this board, since I really don't like putting myself out there. But this is pretty heavy stuff and I'll take any advice I can get and I will consider it.

So today we had a telephone conference meeting. Basically the company just told us what we already knew. It looks like this has been in the works for some time now, and they're just now getting around to letting us know. Of course they didn't say that but I got that impression from the meeting. It's practically already set in stone and I don't think our jobs will be saved. Now our company says they will keep some of us, but Im guessing roughly 70-80% of the sales force is for sure going to be let go, and me being one of the newer ones thats younger and the fact that I was recently switched from commission to salary due to a change in my route, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be one of the first ones to go. Thats just the reality of the situation.

Now problem is, I could go to another vendor company, such as Kraft, Keebler, Nabisco, ect. However, it is only a matter of time before I'd have to go through the same thing all over again, since it seems Publix is determined to phase out of their vendors entirely and go directly to what we call "self-service". The obvious option then would be to go back to Publix, and that would make sense, but not for the long term, for the reasons I've already stated here. So I think I might have to get out of the grocery business altogether. Especially being here in south Florida, where there are no unions and grocery-related jobs don't pay well and the job security is virtually non-existant these days. Then again, in South Florida that seems to be the story when it comes to jobs all around. I dont want to be one of those who throws out excuses or looks at the glass as half-empty, but Im one of those who pays attention to the news, is well read up on history, and follows current trends in the economy, and Im telling you right now its very hard to be optimistic these days when it comes to jobs. I know Im capable of landing on my feet, I gained alot of confidence when I got this current job, I know I'll land another one sooner or later. But I can't help but be worried, with a car payment + insurance, bills, gas, food, rent...good thing I live with relatives, so my rent can be put off but I don't want to live here for free, I don't want to take advantage of living here. The whole point of me having this job was to continue to save up and eventually live on my own, which I couldn't do on a Publix salary. Now Im royally screwed, this is going to set me back at least another year, maybe longer, from doing what I had planned on doing. Im not even so much depressed as I am angry, because it seems like odds are against me. I feel worse for some of my co-workers who have kids and have a mortgage to pay. I feel for the guys who are in their 40s and older who are going to have a much tougher road ahead looking for a job than I will. I feel like Im on the Titanic and it just hit an iceberg and the ship is starting to sink rapidly and there's only so many boats to get onto and escape.

So once again I thank you all for your support and if you're interested Ill keep updating this from time to time.

 

No, please, rant on. This is a consequence from us converting from a manufacturing-based economy to service sector economy. Problem is in a service sector dominated economy, is that most of the jobs are dead end, low wage, part time only. In order to make ends meet people are working several jobs. The economy is being run by a cabal. Its becoming increasing clear that the middle is being hallowed out, and that's suicidal to me. The middle class is the class that supports both the very poor and the very rich. The middle class is divided by the upper classes who used to have nice pay and benefits and all the job security in the world, and by theworking class that consists of blue collar jobs that once paid living wages and decent benefits, mostly thanks to the collective efforts of unions and groups who fought for many basic job benefits that most take granted today. Some people really think paid overtime, weekends, paid holidays, 2 weeks vacation, ending child labor, social security, health insurance provided by employer, safety rules and regulations, anti-discrimination policies ect. have always been part of the fabric of the workplace. This is simply not true. I wonder if those running the country really want us to slip back to the days before the New Deal, back when the Industrial Revolution was its peak, when workers were wage slaves and have no voice in the workplace. The fact is, is that there is a war on the lower classes. When the poor and middle classes speak out about their grievances, the rich cry "class warfare". When the rich openly screw the lower classes, its called "business as usual". Even Warren Buffett agrees:

 

I don't think so. For one most of the salespeople are on commission, I'd figured they will cut the salaried people first, which includes the lower level employees like merchandisers and territory assistants. I also had a tough time with my previous Supervisor, who was laid off last month in the first round of cuts(which after they said we'd all be safe, ha so much for that), which I think may hinder my chances of being retained further. Im 85% sure at this point I'll be one of the first ones to go.

 

Yeah, and the more I think about the more I'm sure the company that bought us was aware Publix was intending to do this. From what I've heard from one of my store's backroom receivers that works for Publix, they have been planning on phasing out vendors for at least 4-5 years, beginning with this new automated replenishment system they've implemented. We were just recently bought out by another grocery distributor, Kehe Foods, which just so happens to specialize in direct distributing, that is, product is shipped directly to the supermarket's warehouse for shipment, and is picked up by the store's trucks. I heard they do that for Target. So when we were bought at the beginning of this year, the only correspondence we've had with them is one conference call stating the company's mission statement and a few basic outlines, that is it. Usually, everytime our company was bought out, as in the past, we usually gain benefits and new tools to do the job. But that was when the economy was healthy. This time around, we haven't heard much of anything, and our supervisors have had several meetings with the new company reps and we haven't had one. I had a feeling something was up but this blew my mind. So Im waiting to see what our severance package details will be. Since this is a massive layoff and Im relatively new, I can't imagine Ill be able to negotiate anything, so I guess Ill see. Hopefully itll be a generous offer. They did mention they will provide job training and assistance for us, but I don't see many opportunities, hopefully Im wrong.

Publix was once was great company to work for. I have many relatives who have worked and still do work for them. I didn't even badmouth them as a company when I worked for them, even though I had some bad experiences in my particular store I worked in(lots of typical workplace politics), when I got this job and saw the other side of things, I realized alot of issues I had when I worked for them were not just occurring within my store, in fact, it seemed all the stores were the same, everyone except upper management and teenagers that are just collecting paychecks are indeed miserable, but what exactly can you do about it? Now alot of upper management and long term employees are happy, their stock is sky high and many of them will retire nicely, but they also got in while the getting was good. The company changed drastically the past 5 years, going the same way as other large corporations all in the name of "competition", which we all know is code for the upward mobility of the corporate heads at the expense of the rest of their employees. Besides the negative I've outlines, they've also capped raises for part-time, full-time and lower management, curbed bonuses(which will be gone eventually), and will phase out assistant mangers. This is why I really do not want to go back. I already experienced the culture of working for Publix: unbelievably high expectations for little pay/hours while dangling carrots at you like full-time or hours to qualify for benefits. And what if their stock goes all Enron? It'll be worthless. Lots to think about on that one. They're still on my list, but on the bottom that's for sure. Publix was once a very good company to work for, when they had a different corporate structure and they weren't so large. Now they got stores on every corner and they have strayed away from that "employee owned" mindset that made them so great. They are losing instore customers(employees), since they do not give discounts. Theyre already taking a hit from outside customers. Don't get me wrong, I'd shop there before I'd shop at a Winn Dixie or Wal-Mart, and I've worked in those stores while working for this company and I can tell you they really are as disgusting as they look and feel(no offense to anyone who shops there, I dont blame you for trying to save a buck). I dont know though, I dont think I can stomach shopping there now seeing their stock clerks doing what I used to for 3x as much pay. *sigh*

 

My co-workers are distributing this email. I did not write this up but I made a facebook group and Im going to try to share it wherever I can.

http://www.facebook.com/finsane?v=w...213324#!/group.php?gid=107110756002273&ref=mf

 

Just receieved a call today that I got the job I recently applied for. It's a Retail Sales Merchandiser position at a brokering company. I basically do the same duties as I did for my previous job, except order and stock product. Its a fulltime position with benefits and I start the 21st of September. My last day with my former employer is the 24th. So it worked out for me in the end, hopefully I like what Im doing(for a bit less money however) and Ill stick with it for a while. I'm confident Ill do a good job since I'm familiar with the type of job, same industry, I'm just going from a distributor to a broker. I'm just hoping I have job security. But the important thing is I have a new job and I won't have a gap in employment and I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

For everyone who gave me support in this thread I thank you. For all those looking for employment I hope you are lucky like me and find something to make ends meet in these tough times. Good luck.