AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT VIRGIN ORBIT

Long Beach, California-based Virgin Orbit, a spin-off of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space tourism venture, has announced that it will cease operations and lay off the majority of its staff due to its inability to find additional funding for the enterprise.

The decision will impact 675 employees, or approximately 85% of the company’s workforce.

CEO Dan Hart observed, “Virgin Orbit is ceasing operations’ for the foreseeable future’ after failing to secure a funding lifeline. The company will lay off nearly all of its workforce. We have no choice but to implement immediate, dramatic, and extremely painful changes.

“This company, this team — all of you — means a hell of a lot to me. And I have not, and will not, stop supporting you, whether you’re here on the journey or if you’re elsewhere.”

Some employees were upset when they found out that the board of directors approved a “golden parachute” severance plan for top executives in case they are terminated “following a change in control” of the company on the day they announced the layoffs.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it won’t. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT CHREMRING/ALLOY SURFACES

Chester, Pennsylvania-based Alloy Surfaces Company, a subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Chemring Countermeasures and manufacturers of military infrared air countermeasures and special materials decoys, has announced plans to layoff 63 workers on October 8, 2021.

The company is highly dependant on military contracts for such products as ejectible flare packages that contain special materials that react with oxygen to rapidly oxidize and generate an infrared signature to protect against an enemy's advanced air-to-air and surface-to-air infrared missiles.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT PANASONIC AVIONICS (08/24/2021)

AUGUST 24, 2021 — 221 LAYOFFS IN LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA

The company has announced the layoff of 221 workers at its Lake Forest, California facility. The layoffs are scheduled for September 30, 2021.

According to a company spokesperson, “Although we believe we are in the recovery stage of the effects COVID-19 has had on our industry, we don’t expect a full return of customer demand for quite some time.”

MAY 20, 2021 — WHISTLEBLOWER COLLECTS $28 MILLION DOLLARS

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it awarded more than $28 million to a non-employee whistleblower whose tip helped the regulator and the Justice Department launch investigations that led to bribery charges and 2018 bribery settlements. against Panasonic Avionics, a subsidiary of Japanese electronics company Panasonic Corp. and former executives, The tipster in the Panasonic Avionics case received 10% of the monetary penalties collected from both the SEC and the Justice Department actions. <Source>

MARCH 19, 2021 — Original blog post…

Lake Forest, California-based Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a designer, manufacturer, installer of in-flight entertainment and communications systems to the airline industry, has announced the permanent layoff of 135 employees located at the company's Bothell, Washington facility commencing on April 5, 2021.

The reduction in force decision appears to be driven by the global pandemic which has adversely affected aircraft manufacturing and operations.

Panasonic's in-flight systems have come under some degree of scrutiny for the privacy concerns involving cameras embedded in its purpose-built seat-back in-flight entertainment systems, especially in systems with internet connectivity.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?