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Yahoo Layoffs: LIVE (YHOO)

yahoo-hq.jpgThe Yahoo layoffs (YHOO) have begun. We may well be included in the downsizing, in which case we'll have some firsthand stories of our own. We hope not, as we'll miss our job and colleagues at Yahoo (TechTicker), but no sense living in denial.

Please send us your stories and comments (tips@alleyinsider.com) and/or post them in the comments below.  We'll pick up info as it comes in and add it to this post (most recent on top). If you can take some pictures, please send those along, too.  We did this last fall, when AOL had its huge layoff, and  it made a lousy day a bit less depressing.

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In any event: Our best to all our fellow Yahoos on a crappy day. Let us all live to fight again!


Managers just being kept around long enough to fire their people--then blappo. Managment is always kept around to do the dirty work...and then they get it shortly there after. I've already heard where a manager eliminated his whole team and then he got the call last night. priceless


Oh, don't worry. They'll deal with management next. As for middle management, that will be what everyone will hear about next. The Reduction in Force is trhe layoffs. The next piece is to control the span of mgmt. We will see flattening of org charts next. The new rule is that to be amgr, you have to have at least 6 ppl report to you. That will all come out in the coming days.


Loving the free tacos. TokBox's taco truck has the BEST tacos. Just tried one and they are to die for! Brilliant way to recruit really talented people. Too bad Yahoo stopped marketing/thinking like this a LONG time ago.


Sorry to go, but not bitter.  Speaking as one who has been cut today, there are many thoughts that come to a mind, but only a few i'll share here. 1) while it may be seen as twisted to live-update the misfortune of some (many) here, we are used to -- and expect -- this kind of information on the fly. 2) cutting costs has been loooooonnnnggg overdue at the 'Hoo. it's just too bad that people are affected. but as others have already implied, it's been a good run for many of them. 3) middle management. from what i've seen of this and past cuts, there is never enough 'trimming of the fat' in mid-management. the org chart for my team alone shows like an ad for 'office space'. the ratio is like 1 manager to 2 underlings. 4) in spite of what the layoff training corporate messaging was, i for one, am looking forward to a pleasant holiday and new year with friends, family, and --oh--no annoying work emails! huzzah!


What the hell? All the middle managers are still here.  "Jerry mentioned they were targeting middle management with the cuts. I haven't heard of a single manager getting axed. You?"


Why fire the folks in Oregon? Why not fire more managers? "I don't get this..I have worked personally with some of the Engg folks in Eugene and they were a smart bunch. All the best Eugene folks! There are soooo many mangers at Y! that don't do crap..they are just walking around all day with nothing to do. This is just plain dumb..I dont think they still get it..you need to fire more managers!"... "SorrAgreed about the Eugene Right Media developers. I worked with them and they are absolute All-Stars. A big loss for the company and so undeserved."


Over Overture: Writes a newly laid-off Yahoo: "AFter 6 years, I was one of the Burbank Yahoos that is now going boohoo. Almost of of us that were laid off in the Burbank office were people that started when we were Overture. What is the reason for that - not the pay - that's for sure."


Hedge fund wants to double your options' worth: Ivory Investments wrote a letter to the Yahoo board begging it to do the Microsoft search deal. "We believe a search deal with Microsoft could deliver value to Yahoo shareholders of $24-29 per share," they wrote. Read more>


Next step: flatten management. "The next piece is to control the span of management. The new rule is that to be a manager, you have to have at least 6 people report to you. That will all come out in the coming days."


Twittering through (more) layoffs: Like Ryan Kuder last time, laid-off Yahoo employee Emily West twittered her way through Yahoo's layoffs today. "I’m kicking myself for not bringing some Bailey’s for my coffee. about 1 hour ago from txt" Read more>


Brickhouse shutters: Former Twitter CTO Blaine Cook tweets: "A sad day on the internets. (now ex-)Brickhouse people are amazing. Yahoo's loss, completely."


At least there are tacos: Video startup TokBox is parking a taco truck outside Yahoo's Sunnyvale headquarters from 11-2. Look for their list of job openings, too.


jerry yang's last last layoff memo: "we must take actions to better perform in today's turbulent global economy.  while we've found efficiencies in many parts of our business, laying off employees is unfortunately unavoidable." continue reading>


Finance outsourced: "Entire Finance group will be outsourced to an Indian vendor. Some will stay an additional 6 months for transistion."


New ex-Yahoo: Got my paperwork and it's a done deal. Just trying to figure out where in Santa Monica to go to lunch. Good luck to everyone afffected. Wish you all the best! [A reader suggests "El Cholo" for lunch.]


New York layoffs were rough, all one-on-one meetings: "In the NY Park Ave office, all the layoffs were one-on-one. Mine was, at least. Whole teams have been let go, even engineers. The office was hit pretty hard. Wouldn't be surprised if all the NY offices were to consolidate after this." Read more.


Oregon hit: "Oregon just got hit.... 4 months severence... February 13 is going to be last day pay as employee and then 2 months pay after that... Customer Care PM"...  "Got a rumor that all of Eugene Engineering is gone"..." Started at 9am in Oregon. Lots of people going out the door... At least 20-30 people so far today."


Toolbar engineering moved to Bangalore.  "Yahoo toolbar entire engineering and QA team in US are got, all moved to Bangalore."


"Eugene Right Media is affected as well..some layoffs have been announced there"


Thank heavens--I'm safe.  "Just found out I'm safe. Not sure wether to laugh or cry... I've heard of several people being told in private by their bosses that they are safe, but it's all been very hush-hush so far. The rest of my team hasn't been notified yet one way or the other, as far as I know."


Cambridge, MA  toast?  Heard the former Maven office in Cambridge, MA got hit hard.


Help! I have no idea whether my friends are dead or alive (Panicking Yahoo).  Would someone please tell me what's going on? I can't reach anyone! This dread is unbearable....


Waiting to hear whether I'm toast. Silence deafening in here (Sunnyvale-based Yahoo).  I'm still waiting to know if I'll be "impacted" ...you could hear a pin drop here in the office. Rumors I've heard so far:

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  • They are going to do team meetings as a group at 10:30am, not individual notifications.
  • The packages are going to be "generous", regardless of length of service. [Ed: This is true: Yahoo appears to be offering four months of severance, which is quite generous]
  • The further-flung buildings (SNV and G) are going to get "very slow", I assume because they will be consolidating people into the main bldgs once they make the cuts.

Dreading the all-hands meeting next week: I wonder if, after this, there will be another mandatory rah rah meeting like the one the whole company had to endure that brought us "DO THIS MORE".


Bitter and happy to be gone: "Last layoff and this layoff are just more opportunities for management to take out engineers they despise, expand their territory, protect their friends, wash their hands clean with new excuses."  That's what happened to me. Fired for a flimsy cause with no documentation so my manager could reduce his headcount and keep his pets. Oh well. Good riddance. Got tired of working to make thngs better and things only getting worse and worse. Seeya.


The (effectively disguised) silver lining, courtesy of an ex-Yahoo: dear soon-to-be-fellow-ex-yhoos - there are only three things bad about getting whacked from yhoo:
1. the financial uncertainty.
2. having to pay for your cappucinos.
3. uhm, it turns out there are only two.

the good news is that life on the other side is so much better! - here are three things you can look forward to:
1. being part of a winning team again (can you even imagine how good that's gonna feel?)
2. no longer living with the uncertain future that has nothing to do with your contributions but rather everything to do with the incompetence of jerry, sue, the board and past management.
3. refocusing on growing segments of the digital economy (despite the layoffs it's still growing!)
4. (turns out there are way more than three but i'll stop after this) not having to suffer a management team that thinks that yodeling and "bleeding purple" equal cohesion, vision and leadership.

welcome to the first day of the rest of your lives. while difficult, you'll get through it. i did and am so much happier than i ever was on the purple titanic.


Don't forget to apply for unemployment benefits. It's your tax money, after all: "Hey, all, don't forget to apply for unemployment. In California, at least, you're eligible for unemployment even if you get severance. For some of you, that'll be an extra $500 a week. More info here:


Boy is Yahoo making some dumb choices here (Email from a Yahoo on AllthingsD): “Yahoo has made a lot of stupid moves, starting with turning Microsoft down, but to cut the high caliber and quality of people that they are cutting now–basically choosing quantity over quality–is an abomination. How’s the old saying go: you don’t mess with success. Yet, that’s exactly what Yahoo is doing, and is only going to become even weaker than it already is.”


Yahoo management's firing instructions: Here's what the people about to sack you were told about how to do it Rate them on their performance!


More well-wishing on Twitter, some complaints that we are turning the layoffs into a "sport" (which is not our intention):

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Immensely pissed off with the yahoo layoffs
— kenshin03 41 minutes ago
Anime_sa_normal
This is going to be a sad day for a lot of Yahoo employees. I am sure we will see the tweets later. I hate layoffs, makes my stomach turn.
— cheapsuits 43 minutes ago
Halloween2008_normal
Another morning, another round of Bay Area layoffs. This morning it's Yahoo and EA. :(
— Antigone about 1 hour ago
Office_gangster_normal
Really, even the manner in which Yahoo! is doing the layoffs severly lack the proof of existence of balls within the company.
— codelust about 2 hours ago
N505415633_1662944_2523_normal
Yahoo layoffs start today. Any stories out there yet?
— shikana about 2 hours ago
14060_normal
RTWT @lululondon Finding the coverage of the Yahoo! layoffs slightly disturbing. When did layoffs become a sport?
— brattner about 2 hours ago
Lulumsn4_normal
Finding the coverage of the Yahoo! layoffs slightly disturbing. When did layoffs become a sport?
— lululondon about 3 hours ago

Bangalore 3% cuts: "I am hearing from people in Bangalore: 3% staff cut. 4 months severance"


Small business team hammered: Layoffs have already happened for leadership in the small business group (smallbusiness.yahoo.com).  A couple of senior folks let go tonight before the general layoff tomorrow a.m.  Only VP's with no knowledge of business remain (vp's are the hot jobs vp's that took over a number of months back with a different reorg).


Lots of good wishes on Twitter:

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Here's hoping that all the remaining #yahoo peeps with a clue survive the next round of layoffs! Those who went before are pull'n for ya.
— frandallfarmer about 4 hours ago

Me_jan1965_2_normal
wishing all my old Yahoo! peeps luck tomorrow with the imminent layoffs!
— emalone about 5 hours ago

Entire group whacked in one go: My whole group is being cut. Around 30 folks. Not engineering.
Long day. Time for bed.


Bangalore hit early this morning. Yahoo is having layoffs in their Bangalore office as well, as I type this comment. I guess we will hear more tomorrow.


Valleywag: How the layoffs will go down: Commenter yanged describes the process:

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There are requests for the little people to be in the office by 9 a.m. If they can't, they must be available by cell for the next 6 hours. Nobody sure what that all means. Are people going to get in early, pretend to do work all day, hoping not to get that knock on the door or phone call from the manager? After waiting for months, are people going to have to sweat it for hours and hours waiting to see if they will be tossed overboard?

Who will get the ax: No one's safe. Upper management at the company insisted that departments across the board make personnel cuts. But finance will be hard hit; a source inside that group says 50 percent of the workforce could go. Likewise HR, since fewer employees require fewer administrators. Kara Swisher, the AllThingsD blogger, thinks entire projects might be eliminated. Yahoo currently lists more than 100 websites and services. Does it really need Yahoo Pets, Yahoo Avatars, Yahoo Ecards? Let me put it this way: If it's a Yahoo site you've never heard of, it may well be on the chopping block.


SAI: If you missed it last year, watch this awesome video made by the AOL France team after they got their collective pink slips last fall. It is the very definition of getting lemons and making lemonade.  (The password is "aollover" (AOL lover). Type that in the window below, and you should be good to go.)

 





Reader: Yahoo layoffs are underway.

* "Last day of work" is Dec. 10th
* Employees are considered "on the payroll" through Feb. 13th (accrue vacation, get benefits, etc. during that time).
* On Feb 13th, if employee hasn't found a new job, Y! pays out a 2 month severance in lump sum form
* All employees must remain "on call" to answer "reasonable" requests between now and Feb. 13th
* Y! employees can't disparage, etc. the company

For ppl with line responsibilities, there appear to not have been any transition plans (at least in one example I know of).  There's going to be some confused clients/salespeople tomorrow morning when their e-mails aren't getting returned ...


 

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