So… the Mrs is working for a smallish family-owned J-company which has been around since the Meiji era and which does primarily B-to-B wholesale. From the sound of it, it's been coasting along on the inertia of its client base, but the economic climate and more agile competitors are making its business model untenable. Not to mention that it's packed to the gills with dead wood rising up the seniority/age payscales with nary a glance at productivity. Management has been burying its head in the sand (of bunkers on various golf courses probably) but it seems bites of reality are slowly being registered, someone has obviously bought a copy of "Personnel Management for Incurable Imbeciles" and the following steps have been taken:
* 2 weeks ago: announce that ten members of staff will be made redundant (but no decision was made on who would be affected)
* 1 week ago: announce that 15 members of staff would be sent home on 60% salary (but no decision was made on who would be affected)
* today: announce that 15 people would be made redundant and imply those sent home on 60% salary might be amongst them (but no decision was made on who would be affected)
Obviously everyone has full confidence in the management and is pulling together to do their best for the company, also there have been sightings of airborne porcine objects.
TIJ...