before the staff meeting

Bummer - I’ll bet your brain’s imagination capabilities (BIC) are in full flight.
I’m passing you some of my lucky stuff - here’s hoping your BICs are in the wrong direction. 

Maybe he has a relative, Maybe that relatives name is....Don
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But here is what I really think. And I hope it helps. I know a lot about the way companies work. If they were going to get rid of you, they would never let you in on it. They would just do it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised tomorrow. I think your the best, and I would be willing to bet your employers agree with me. Very efficient, you would have made a good hit man.

The more likely scenario is they want you to make a choice about someone, or something.

If you are managing network resources you’ll need to disconnect network access rights for “the following list of employees” before end of meeting.  Could be something like that.  Would explain the secrecy. 

If they were laying you off, would they be so cryptic?  Yes, I’m trying to sound reassuring. 

I usually just tell myself “The worst thing that can happen to me is I work later or I don’t get laid” Nothing earthshaking!

When placed in that perspective… I stop worrying.

Nah, I doubt they’d be good enough to give you that much warning.  The last time I was “outsourced”, they didn’t have the decency to let me finish my coffee first.  Oh, and I had just come back from vacation that day.  @$$holes.  Long (and bitter) story short, I think you’re in the clear. 

In any case, best of luck to you tomorrow.  Try to get a decent night’s sleep, ‘k?

They definitely wouldn’t give you any warning if they were going to lay you off. Your boss would have requested to meet with you immediately. To match your analogy, your girlfriend/s.o. wouldn’t say “We need to talk… tomorrow morning.” Nah, they say that right before they break up with you.

No worries, dude.

I send you all my best wishes. Hopefully nothing negative will come of this.

He’ll give you a big pay rise. Or a promotion. Wait and see.

Seriously, I hope all goes well.

Thinking positive, supportive thoughts in your direction.  Or a prayer in passing, whichever floats your metaphysical boat.

That said, the various speculations about “They would never tell you about it in advance if they were laying you off” speculations are reasonably plausible (speaking as a pointy-haired IT manager myself).

Maybe he has a relative, Maybe that relatives name is....Don

LOL

Les: best of luck to you man!!  Stay positive.

Thanks for all the support, but I’m the sort of guy they give advance warning to. If you go back and read through the archives back when I was laid off the first time you’ll note that they gave me a month’s warning so I could start looking.

My current manager is an even better guy then the fellow I had last time so I wouldn’t be surprised if history repeats itself. But I’m trying to stay optimistic.

Remember to bring your blaster and borrow a light-saber. Oh, and don’t forget the Wookie.

Good luck.

Nothing to say but good luck, and try to do something stress-relieving tonight.

Hey Les, you mean there is a chance the boss is going to take you into his office, look you in the eye and lay you off?

Look at it this way, the last three jobs I was laid off from they didn’t even have the guts to say it too my face, preferring to do it over the phone at night… By a secretary!  Balless assholes.

and don’t forget the Wookie.

How exactly would one go about laying off a wookie?  “I’m sorry, Chewbacca, but we’re cutting back our payroll and… what are you doing??!  Stop tha… Aaugh!  My arms!”

“I suggest an alternate strategy; let the wookie win.”

If you are managing network resources you’ll need to disconnect network access rights for “the following list of employees” before end of meeting.  Could be something like that.  Would explain the secrecy.

That was my first thought, too, DOF. Hoping it’s how things shake out… with condolences, of course, to those employees who’re getting dumped so close to the Holidays (I know all too well how THAT feels!).

Might not be anything negatice at all. Could be their asking Les to take on a special project and want to get his agreement before they announce it in the meeting.

employees who’re getting dumped so close to the Holidays

Good point!  Why the hell do companies lay off people during the holidays?  Just to twist the knife?  Salt in the wound?  Maybe there’s a reason for it but what that could be…

I hate when I use the wrong word. Haven’t gotten enough sleep this week.

Change “their” to “they’re” in that last post.

Why the hell do companies lay off people during the holidays?  Just to twist the knife?  Salt in the wound?  Maybe there’s a reason for it but what that could be…

To get them off of the payroll by the end of the calendar year.  Many employee benefits and other entitlements run out at the end of the year.  Also, the employer can save by not having to send out a W-2 for the following year, the costs add up.

Many schools save quite a bit of money by laying off custodians before the holidays and then rehiring them after New Years.

SJ, I’ve been fortunate enough to work for some very good people over the years. Though I’ve also been fortunate enough that I was usually the one doing the leaving.

DOF, what IDM said. It’s all about not having to re-sign the contract at the end of the year only to terminate it a few months later. Though that’s exactly what they did the first time I got laid off (February 05).