A few days ago eNews featured a banner headline about ABSA emphatically denying rumours of forced retrenchments or using underhanded tactics. The bulletin didn’t elaborate on the story. Does anyone know the specifics?
'Luthon64
The manner in which they're going about this is foreign to our culture, it is also in my opinion, extremely underhanded. Instead of simply identifying jobs that needs to go and retrenching outright, they "restructure" and give the "option" for staff to re-apply for jobs, you receive three "choices" of positions you may apply for. This then goes to a panel of immediate line management and they pick and choose who they want to place where. The rest are then placed on reassignment, which basically mean you can park off at home for three months with full pay, after the three months are up, your contract is terminated. The idea is that for the first month the bank will attempt to place you internally and if not successful, you have two months to find another job externally. Should you find another position externally within this period, you forego any retrenchment package you might qualify for (since you effectively resigned -see?). So in effect they're at this point of time sticking to their "no retrenchments effected" story due to the fact that the first lot's three months are'nt effectively up yet (this is the IT division - they were the first to be affected in Feb, so in effect only at the end of this month claims of retrenchments can be made).
I myself found myself on a mini vacation for three days before I had an opportunity to go for a panel interview for an entry level job.... I was offered something a tad better after that particular circus, and am still working, many of my colleagues were not as fortunate though.
Its a bloody mess and morale is dreadful, we have top management trying to appease the staff during the (now) twice weekly tv shows, but I note that in the open areas most staff dont even bother switching on the tv's anymore. Its all lip service anyway.
