Outsourcing Philippines
I just found out my job is going to be outsourced to the Philippines, and I am not sure what my options are…?
So, I work for an insurance company who have decided that cost is a more important factor than getting people’s claims paid. I’m not shocked really – I just don’t know what to do. We were recently told that the training for outsourcing has begun and it could be anywhere from a month to 3 months before my job is obsolete. They are telling us that they are going to try to find other jobs for us… but they didn’t sound too promising. I feel that the way this is all going, the way they told us, the way they planned this for months, and everything else is very shady. It seems as though they are saying there may be other positions because they don’t want anyone to jump ship before they are ready.
I don’t know if I should hang tight and trust this company or start looking for something else now. Is it possible that perhaps towards the end they will find reasons to fire people so they don’t have to give severance? Is there a typical way things happen when jobs are outsourced?
Unfortunately, this situation is happening more and more as the world gets “flatter”.
In a recent layoff that a friend of mine went through, the HR department wasn’t very helpful. The outplacement firm was only going to start working on finding jobs when the employee was officially separated.
Another friend went through a merger and his experience may be helpful for you. When the banks merged, their group was going away. They had a similar transition plan (but it was longer). My friend was always helpful and always ready to lend a hand with whatever they needed. They kept him around the longest and when an emergency hit he worked extra hours and a little past his original separation date. They appreciated it and let him take an extra month “working” at home before officially separating him and giving him his severance package.
My suggestion would be to help your employer as much as you can (although I understand how distasteful it is to train the person taking your job). You might be selected for an onshore job with the company or you might be one of the last ones terminated. At the very least, you can get a good reference from your (soon to be former) manager.
If the HR/Outplacement situation might not be be very helpful, then it might take a while to get a job on your own. If you hang tight and get all the money you can from your current employer while you search for a new one it would probably help make ends meet and postpone going on unemployment for a while longer.
Good luck with your job situation.