Stream Global Services, SM North EDSA, Quezon City Site
Hands Out "30-Day Forced Unpaid Leaves" to 55 HP PSG Employees
Last Saturday morning, May 29th, was supposed to be another normal day in the office for John (not his real name), a technical support professional for Hewlett Packard's desktop support group in HP Stream Quezon as the first Manila site is known among its global partners. John's shift starts at 4am and he had no clue whatsoever about what was in store for him that fateful day. You see, John never had the chance to login that day and work because he was sent home by his Team Manager because he was handed out a "forced leave." There were sounds of disgust, muffled cries because of disappointment and heartbreak and worries, and there were controlled fits of anger that day from the affected and even unaffected agents. Even the Team Managers themselves who served the infamous directive to the hapless agents were at lost about what happened and why it was happening. They were as confused as their now "unofficially" jobless subordinates. If there was a clear image of the management blindsiding its employees - THIS IS IT.
I can never imagine how a directive as devastating as this in scope and effect went unnoticed and undetected by HP's top brasses. If what HP's bosses say - that they never knew this was coming - is true (and we have reason to believe that it is) then does this mean that the kind of management that they have in Stream is the kind that goes through the backdoor in the late hour like a thief in the night to hand out unpopular and harmful directives? In this case, deciding to remove food from the tables of the 55 agents they pulled out of the floor with so short a notice. The 30-days forced leave is naturally unpaid. What do you expect these people to do in that span of time, relax and have a good time? These employees have families and some of them are bread-winners! Is this because the company is too greedy to retrench these people because they will be paying them more? To quote one commenter on another blog about this topic... "(the affected agents) are not planning to move to different company but Stream Global company leaves the majority of us with no choice." This is exactly what I mean.
Word from HP Senior agents and TM's themselves describe the meeting called by Stream's Site Director Nemanja "Nem" Zec and new HP SDM Criselda Fernando ("?" a question mark here because word is she's yet to introduce herself to the HP people) with STM Ann Michelle "Mitch" Ng as secretive. STM Mitch was only kept up to speed about the directive on the said meeting and she has no part in making the infamous decision. Was it SD Nem or SDM Cris? Your guess is as good as mine. But one thing's for sure, these people who made the decision (should I say these people who schemed?) to put these employees in forced leave have their balls intact when they're maliciously planning these directives but they have no balls to serve them! If I were one of those affected by this policy, I'd say, "I want the person/s who made this decision to have the guts to serve it to me and explain it fully!" I want them to look in the eye of the people that they will be thieving from! Tsk! I can't breathe from all the malice behind this directive! :-(
Is this move legal? I don't know. I'm not a labor lawyer nor a law expert. I hope that readers who are knowledgeable on the topic would enlighten us by posting comments here. The legal aspect regarding this matter might be a topic I would write about on my next blogs. For now, what I know based on my conscience and common sense is that there is injustice and something amiss about all these unfortunate events. Is the company losing money? Well, they just bought a big BPO company in E-Telecare, so you tell me. I don't think they'd be buying out E-Tel only for Stream to be bankrupt itself... right?
Rumor has it that...
1. There are agents who would be undergoing or are already undergoing HP PSG training to replace those that were uhm, set aside. Word is also out that they are former E-Tel Dell employees who lost their seats when Dell pulled out from E-Tel. Hmmnn... I smell, what's that famous resto in Eastwood? Something Fishy! So there.
2. There will be more agents who will be uhm... asked to take a 30-day vacation. Let's hope that this one will remain a rumor.
3. E-Tel is out to remove Stream's "original" people in sensitive positions so that they can place their own. Now this rumor has been floating around since well-loved former bosses in Stream SD Barbie Dela Torre and former HP SDM Kurt Andrada resigned. *wink! wink!*
So, there you go. Those are the latest happening in Stream Global Services. Are you planning to apply there? Well, think again because those who are already in wants out in the soonest time possible. To those who are already in... you know the drill - prepare to abandon ship!
Oh and before I forget, this is just the first of many parts. I have yet to discuss the HMO and a beautiful person named Christopher Roxas (RIP). Until my next blog. :-)
