AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC

San Francisco, California-based Pacific Gas and Electric Company, an investor-owned utility, has announced that it is "ramping down" its workforce, not creating layoffs.

The personnel adjustment will impact 800 contract employees.

According to PG&E...

"The safety and reliability of the gas and electric service that we provide to our customers is always PG&E’s primary responsibility.

To be clear, we are not doing layoffs. Like other utilities, PG&E staffs to meet its work plans. We start with our own employees and then use contractors as a flexible resource that we ramp up or ramp down based on the amount of work that needs to be done.

We’re investing to update PG&E’s infrastructure at an unprecedented rate and will prioritize safety through our risk reduction and compliance programs.

We have streamlined our vegetation management contracting strategy, to make sure that it delivers high-quality work in a way that’s affordable for customers. We’re also looking to do more of our tree work in-house, including hiring 150 vegetation management inspectors as PG&E employees this year.

And we’re incorporating other wildfire mitigation programs such as Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings, which turn off power automatically when a risk is detected and have proven to be an essential and effective tool for reducing ignitions.

Undergrounding more of our powerlines in high fire-risk areas to improve safety and significantly reduce the risk of wildfires also will lessen the need for ongoing vegetation management.

Overall, we have reduced the number of contractors working for PG&E in recent weeks due to several factors, including completing or nearly completing the 2022 work plans these contractors had supported. Additionally, some of our vegetation management work takes place in the mountains, and recent snow has caused that work to stop for the season due to safety and access issues. In addition, we do have a typical end of year ramp-down on contractors generally.

The significant reduction in fire acreage in 2022 also is a factor as PG&E tree contractors are often required to remove dead, dying or burnt trees after a fire. CAL FIRE reports that 362,476 acres have burned in California this year compared to more than 2.5 million acres last year and the five-year average of 2.2 million acres.

As we move into 2023, we will match our work plans with the needed human resources and make those decisions as appropriate."

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 HAGERTY (04/12/23)

APRIL 12, 2023 — 83 EMPLOYEES IN ANOTHER ROUND OF LAYOFFS

The company has implemented another round of layoffs, trimming the workforce by 4%, or 83 employees.

According to a company statement, "As part of a restructure of our business, Hagerty announced that we are reducing our workforce by 4%, 30 of whom are based in Traverse City, We remain committed to Traverse City and still employ more than 600 people in the Grand Traverse Region.”

"Although a small percentage of our team members were impacted by this extremely tough decision, we are committed to being as supportive as possible to those leaving us. We are providing severance, a benefit stipend, and career transition services.

"This move is intended to position us for continued long-term growth and profitability as a leading automotive lifestyle brand. Hagerty continues to drive strong business momentum, including revenue growth of 27% in 2022, and look forward to maintaining this momentum in 2023 so we can invest in our people, brand, and technology. We will miss our team members who were impacted by the restructuring."

DECEMBER 28, 2022 — Original post…

Traverse City, Michigan-based Hagerty, a specialty insurer specializing in classic car insurance for collector vehicles, has announced a 6% reduction in the company's workforce to cut costs and improve earnings.

The layoffs will impact 103 employees.

According to the company, "Hagerty continues its focus on managing expenses in order to achieve growth and profitability goals. Although a small percentage of our team members were impacted by this extremely tough decision, we are committed to being as supportive as possible by offering transition assistance, including outplacement services and severance benefits to displaced employees based on various factors including years of service," the company statement read.

“During the past few years, we have relied heavily on high-priced contractors for digital product development, software engineering, and other projects. We are winding down many of these contracts and in-sourcing the remaining work at a lower total cost. We are carefully looking at all of our third-party expenses and working to reduce scope, price, or both. Additionally, we are viewing our various initiatives and prioritizing the ones that add the most value to our core insurance, membership, and marketplace businesses and deemphasizing the ones that have dragged on profitability during the last few years.”

As a result, Hagerty was “taking the necessary steps to improve profitability and cash flow in 2023, including cost containment initiatives and prioritization of resources. The financial health of the company remains sound, as indicated by our double-digit year-over-year revenue growth" in the third quarter of 2022.”

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 PODIUM

Lehi, Utah-based Podium, a sales automation and customer engagement platform providing embedded reviews, chat widgets, and text message marketing campaigns for small businesses, has announced a 12% reduction in its workforce.

The reduction in force will impact 144 employees.

Co-founders, CEO Eric Rea and Dennis Steele have noted, "As founders of this business, we understand how painful and personal these changes are for all of you. We accept full responsibility for the decisions that led us here, and we are incredibly sorry to have to make these necessary decisions."

"While we have always been disciplined about unit economics, we are going to need to be even more focused in order to drive the business forward in a macroeconomic environment that is less forgiving. While these are very difficult decisions, they put us in a position where we can control our own destiny."

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?