Why I've Been Quiet

[javadude]

Things have been busy with me recently.

The company I work for, Artemis was bought by a US company, Triology and is being merged into their Versata business. Triology/Versata has handled the whole thing very badly.

Just one aspect is they're making the UK development, support and product management teams plus a few others redundant. I'm one of 6 Java programmers that produce the company's software. The team has loads of experience in the IT industry (I'm the youngest at 38) and have about 100 years combined service in the company, and hence that much experience of our products. So far we're being replaced by 3 developers in India who are in their early twenties.

We've spent the last year working hard to produce a radically improved version of our software. When we learned our jobs were targetted for redundancy we were asked to spend 70% of our time working on the new version to hand it over to the offshore team. We will get no reward or recognition. The other 30% of our time was to be spent training them in our jobs. We were originally told we would not get gardening leave and would be required to work our notice periods. For me that was likely to mean a leaving date of mid november or december depending on when I received the formal notice. The company policy includes a generous redundany payment which the new owners have decided not to pay so we would just get the statutory minimum. For me it equated to two weeks pay to pay the bills while I found work just before Christmas when the job market is quiet. Not much reward or incentive to stay on and train my replacements in my job.

Over the last few weeks/months I've been studying every evening to update my skills. I left as soon as I could and have become a contractor. I've forfeited my paltry redundancy but it was worth it to get just the right contract and cut short my time at Artemis. My last day is today and I start my first contract on Monday. I'll be getting more money and gaining commercial experience of JSP. I'm a happy bunny.

[BernardTamHK]

Glad u landed on ur feet ... and apparently wearing better running shoes too!

Good on u. Mergers are hard on employees ... I've been thru a few myself. To be honest, I have never seen a merger not be "handled badly".

All the best to ur new job! Now get back into the game .... ur lex is waiting! hehe ....

[Doodlebug]

One door closes and another opens is a very true saying, they have done you a favour by handling it so badly.

Good luck dude in your new venture and enjoy your last day knowing you are going upwards and onwards.

:D :D :D

[Fidgits]

sorry to hear this, but glad things have gotten sorted..

[Jolliffee]

Things have been busy with me recently.

The company I work for, Artemis was bought by a US company, Triology and is being merged into their Versata business. Triology/Versata has handled the whole thing very badly.

Just one aspect is they're making the UK development, support and product management teams plus a few others redundant. I'm one of 6 Java programmers that produce the company's software. The team has loads of experience in the IT industry (I'm the youngest at 38) and have about 100 years combined service in the company, and hence that much experience of our products. So far we're being replaced by 3 developers in India who are in their early twenties.

Over the last few weeks/months I've been studying every evening to update my skills. I left as soon as I could and have become a contractor. I've forfeited my paltry redundancy but it was worth it to get just the right contract and cut short my time at Artemis. My last day is today and I start my first contract on Monday. I'll be getting more money and gaining commercial experience of JSP. I'm a happy bunny.

I was made redundent in 2003 and have been contracting ever since, frankly I would not be a permy now. Good look and enjoy, if you don't like your new job just change to another, no problem! :D

[Dave-Ellen]

In my day job I contract and would never go permanent again :D

Glad it got sorted............things will only get better !

[Bazza]

best of luck :D

[Continunity]

best of luck, having been through what you have just been through i know how crappy it can be.. good luck with the contracting.

[MacRS200]

Crappy deal mate, most big companies think that loyalty is a "one way street".

Good luck on the contracting and may the work roll in, don't forget to take some time off though :D

I went from permy to contract to another contract to permy, changed jobs, set up a company, back to contract and then permy again. You just go where the money is.

[Sagitar]

Things have been busy with me recently.

The company I work for, Artemis was bought by a US company, Triology and is being merged into their Versata business. Triology/Versata has handled the whole thing very badly.

Just one aspect is they're making the UK development, support and product management teams plus a few others redundant. I'm one of 6 Java programmers that produce the company's software. The team has loads of experience in the IT industry (I'm the youngest at 38) and have about 100 years combined service in the company, and hence that much experience of our products. So far we're being replaced by 3 developers in India who are in their early twenties.

We've spent the last year working hard to produce a radically improved version of our software. When we learned our jobs were targetted for redundancy we were asked to spend 70% of our time working on the new version to hand it over to the offshore team. We will get no reward or recognition. The other 30% of our time was to be spent training them in our jobs. We were originally told we would not get gardening leave and would be required to work our notice periods. For me that was likely to mean a leaving date of mid november or december depending on when I received the formal notice. The company policy includes a generous redundany payment which the new owners have decided not to pay so we would just get the statutory minimum. For me it equated to two weeks pay to pay the bills while I found work just before Christmas when the job market is quiet. Not much reward or incentive to stay on and train my replacements in my job.

Over the last few weeks/months I've been studying every evening to update my skills. I left as soon as I could and have become a contractor. I've forfeited my paltry redundancy but it was worth it to get just the right contract and cut short my time at Artemis. My last day is today and I start my first contract on Monday. I'll be getting more money and gaining commercial experience of JSP. I'm a happy bunny.

Did you seek any professional advice about this? Applying those kind of condistions sounds awfully close to constructive dismissal. The TUPE provisions are intended to stop an employer to whom an undertaking is transferred from reneging on the conditions of employment of the employees in the undertaking transferred. I think it might still be worth your while to have a look here for a start

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Employment/Employ...ngYourJob/fs/en

[Tony-Bones]

Relief!.... I felt so sorry for you the last time we met. Seeing you sitting in reception i thought 'why does he have a suitcase on his lap' then i realised it was a book...... a big book! and you were swatting up ready for the first interview..... Anyhoo nuff rambling, well done i am very pleased for you.

[eXOBeX]

Would be a shame if the new version of the software turned out to be a convoluted, bug-ridden bag of s**t and they had to go back to the old one, eh?

[craig7022]

All the best mate.

Been through something similar myself and at the time felt really down didn't know where to turn.

2yrs later i'm running my own company with 2 shops, web page, 4 delivery vans 18people working for me.

The future's bright :winky:

Best of look to you

Regards Craig

[peter026]

Good Luck in your new venture

[javadude]

Thanks for all the good wishes.

Relief!.... I felt so sorry for you the last time we met. Seeing you sitting in reception i thought 'why does he have a suitcase on his lap' then i realised it was a book...... a big book! and you were swatting up ready for the first interview.....

The booked helped. I'm still studying though I've eased off a bit now.

Did you seek any professional advice about this? Applying those kind of condistions sounds awfully close to constructive dismissal. The TUPE provisions are intended to stop an employer to whom an undertaking is transferred from reneging on the conditions of employment of the employees in the undertaking transferred. I think it might still be worth your while to have a look here for a start

We did. TUPE doesn't apply in our case tho I forget why. Something to do with how the sale was done. We had a strong case to pursue the full redundancy. As I left before I was made redundant then constructive dismissal is the only thing I could go for personally. I think they only award loss of earnings and I moved straight into something else and am earning more so not sure how successful I'd be. Anyway I'm gonna write it off and move on. Those who did get made redundant are grouping together to take the company to employment tribunal. Some of them are owed a lot more than me so it'll still hurt the company.