AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT VERIFONE

San Jose, California-based VeriFone, a third-party manufacturer of electronic payment point-of-sale devices, has announced that it will be laying off 226 employees from its Lincoln, California office commencing on August 26, 2019. According to a company spokesperson, “While the Company’s elimination of the affected positions is expected to be permanent, the job functions associated with the eliminated positions are being outsourced to a third party. The Company anticipates that the third party may offer employment to many of the affected workers.”

It appears that the company is still undergoing a restructuring/cost cutting effort that was initiated by a new CEO when the company was taken private by an investment consortium dominated by private equity firms, including San Francisco, California-based Francisco Partners and Canada-based British Columbia Investment Management Corp.

Technological disruption appears to be impacting the company as mobile device payment schemes such as contactless transactions with internal wallets eliminate the need for point-of-sale card readers and pin-pads.

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 JONATHAN LOUIS FURNITURE

Gardena, California-based furniture maker Jonathan Louis has announced the layoff of 329 employees commencing on August 30, 2019. A company spokesperson attributed the layoffs to “a slowing in business demand and an increase in production costs.” A major portion of the company’s raw materials are sourced in China and it is possible that the new U.S. 25% tariff structure on furniture and components may have resulted in an increase in the cost of materials. The company produces sofas, sectionals, chairs , storage beds, chaise lounges, and headboards which are primarily sold in Southern California. According to a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice filed with the State of California, the positions affected include: 179 floor helpers, 40 upholsterers, 34 machine sewing operators, 16 fabric cutters, 12 assemblers, eight quality control inspectors, seven forklift drivers, six supervisors, five janitors, four machine operators, four spring assemblers and three foam cutters.

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 HUBBELL LIGHTING

Greenville, South Carolina-based Hubbell Lighting, a manufacturer and distributor of indoor and outdoor lighting products, has announced that it is consolidating manufacturing operations and will be permanently closing its manufacturing operations in Newtown, Connecticut which will result in 143 layoffs, a small Burndy facility in Bethel, Connecticut which will result in 54 layoffs, and a manufacturing operation in Hudson Wisconsin which will result in another 54 layoffs. According to a company spokesperson, the work performed at the Newtown facility is being transferred to a Hubble facility in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico and the work performed at Bethel is being transferred to a Hubble facility in Leeds, Alabama. The work being performed in the Hudson facility will be terminated due to the discontinuance of the company’s P2 (Precision-Paragon) brand.

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?