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Surprised no one has mentioned the 100 or so people laid off at E-One in late April.
What is going on down there?
E-One terminates 100 employees
Move is not said to be downsizing
Published April 23. 2003 8:30AM
BY HARRIET DANIELS
STAFF WRITER
OCALA - Emergency One, the area's largest private employer, terminated 100 workers on Tuesday in an effort to upgrade the company's overall performance level.
The firings are not described as downsizing since E-One continues to add new employees. Prior to Tuesday, the company employed 1,420 people.
The decision was felt throughout the five local plants, including hourly and salaried employees from the production floor to the administration office.
Bobby Herring, E-One vice president of human resources, said the workers were not performing at the level the company needed.
"It's a weeding out of those not meeting standards," Herring said. Two or three additional employees are expected to be terminated within several days, he added.
E-One president Harold Pinto meet with employees a few weeks ago to discuss what would be about a 10 percent layoff.
According to Herring, the former workers are not entitled to severance packages since they were terminated. However, they are eligible for COBRA options and have the choice to file for unemployment.
COBRA, the acronym for the extended health care coverage made available under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1986, allows workers to continue employer health care coverage after being laid off or voluntarily leaving a job.
E-One downsized in late 2001 as the result of an economic slowdown in a bear market worsened by the terrorist attacks.
"The difference then was that the company needed to downsize the workforce," Herring said. "That is not the case this time. We will turn around and hire more workers, it may not be one (hired) for one (fired), but we will add workers to improve performance."
The company's explanation does not seem to make sense for some of those who are now out of a job.
Kevin Woolridge, let go after five years with the company, said he was "distraught."
He said there are no reprimands in his record that he is aware of.
"If I had bad or poor performance, you'd think they would have come to me before now," Wooldridge said.
The news comes especially hard for him since his wife is expecting the couple's first child in about a month. Woolridge found out he was unemployed shortly after lunch on Tuesday and is waiting for final paperwork from E-One.
He said it's hard to understand why the company is keeping inexperienced workers over those with experience. With no immediate plans for the future, Woolridge said he may consider resuming his education for a degree in criminal justice.
"You try to find a job to better yourself, and just when you are thinking you've found a job that's it, it comes to this," he said.
The fired workers will be joining others looking for jobs. Marion County had an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent in February, when the most recent jobless rates were announced.
Harriet Daniels covers business for the Star-Banner. She can be reached at 867-4125 or [email protected].
What is going on down there?
E-One terminates 100 employees
Move is not said to be downsizing
Published April 23. 2003 8:30AM
BY HARRIET DANIELS
STAFF WRITER
OCALA - Emergency One, the area's largest private employer, terminated 100 workers on Tuesday in an effort to upgrade the company's overall performance level.
The firings are not described as downsizing since E-One continues to add new employees. Prior to Tuesday, the company employed 1,420 people.
The decision was felt throughout the five local plants, including hourly and salaried employees from the production floor to the administration office.
Bobby Herring, E-One vice president of human resources, said the workers were not performing at the level the company needed.
"It's a weeding out of those not meeting standards," Herring said. Two or three additional employees are expected to be terminated within several days, he added.
E-One president Harold Pinto meet with employees a few weeks ago to discuss what would be about a 10 percent layoff.
According to Herring, the former workers are not entitled to severance packages since they were terminated. However, they are eligible for COBRA options and have the choice to file for unemployment.
COBRA, the acronym for the extended health care coverage made available under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1986, allows workers to continue employer health care coverage after being laid off or voluntarily leaving a job.
E-One downsized in late 2001 as the result of an economic slowdown in a bear market worsened by the terrorist attacks.
"The difference then was that the company needed to downsize the workforce," Herring said. "That is not the case this time. We will turn around and hire more workers, it may not be one (hired) for one (fired), but we will add workers to improve performance."
The company's explanation does not seem to make sense for some of those who are now out of a job.
Kevin Woolridge, let go after five years with the company, said he was "distraught."
He said there are no reprimands in his record that he is aware of.
"If I had bad or poor performance, you'd think they would have come to me before now," Wooldridge said.
The news comes especially hard for him since his wife is expecting the couple's first child in about a month. Woolridge found out he was unemployed shortly after lunch on Tuesday and is waiting for final paperwork from E-One.
He said it's hard to understand why the company is keeping inexperienced workers over those with experience. With no immediate plans for the future, Woolridge said he may consider resuming his education for a degree in criminal justice.
"You try to find a job to better yourself, and just when you are thinking you've found a job that's it, it comes to this," he said.
The fired workers will be joining others looking for jobs. Marion County had an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent in February, when the most recent jobless rates were announced.
Harriet Daniels covers business for the Star-Banner. She can be reached at 867-4125 or [email protected].
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