Earlier this month Chrysler announced that it would be shutting down its worldwide operations for two weeks this summer, but apparently the Michigan-based automaker forgot to consider one major factor in the shutdown — its employees.
According to the Detroit Free Press, through an apparent meltdown in the communication lines, no one informed top Chrysler brass of the ill-effects a mandatory vacation could — and did — have on employees.
Because the vast majority of Chrysler employees only have two weeks of vacation time a year, the shutdown — scheduled from July 7th to July 21st — consumes all of their days off. But since Chrysler made the announcement so late in the year, many employees already have vacations scheduled for other days or have already used their allotted time off.
What that means is that some employees will have to cancel their vacation plans or take two weeks off with no pay — which is not a viable option in most cases.
Chrysler has yet to comment on the subject, but it would seem that a company in as much trouble as Chrysler would want to keep its employees happy.
03/27, 11:19 AM
posted by:
mr.meanpants
Wow. There’s a moral booster.
03/27, 11:30 AM
posted by:
F451
Kneejerk management from a failing company. Sounds like a Nardelli move as he been schooled in kneejerk management at the expense of others.
03/27, 11:31 AM
posted by:
bdizzlefizzle
They really have no choice but to give this as a freebie. It’s too late in the year to do this without violating some kind of legal HR contract issues
03/27, 11:46 AM
posted by:
Madcapp
They could mow grass, or sell dope instead.
03/27, 11:56 AM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
My ****ty company, HP, does this mandatory vacation crap also. Only we are doing well, but they instituted it one year in bad times and now they do it to manipulate their earnings and liabilities so that the jackasses at the top can skim a slightly higher bonus for Christmas. Corp suits are all A-holes.
03/27, 11:57 AM
posted by:
Stridder44
WTF?? How could something like this “slip their minds”??
03/27, 11:58 AM
posted by:
Stridder44
mayer_ray_nagin:
HP sucks anyways, but thanks for reinforcing the truth.
03/27, 12:01 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
This does sound like something Nardelli might have done during his Home Depot reign. The lights are flashing, the gates are down, but the train’s not coming.
03/27, 12:14 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
Some of these union-monkeys who already took their vacation win in this situation. The more pressing question is, why do we give a **** about a bunch of overpaid monkeys with no skills taking 2 weeks off without pay?
03/27, 12:35 PM
posted by:
kagon
Its funny how these workers think they’ll have jobs, if they kill off the company. Some people have a whole hell of a lot to learn about the economy, the same could be said for the management at chrysler. Unions got greedy, and they companies caved, they assumed they would continue to hold market share, they haven’t. Now the chickens have come home to roost, so basically they’re paying out to their former employees and unions, passing the price onto the consumer, and thusly making them even less competitive.
03/27, 12:40 PM
posted by:
cookie4me
That is Nardali for you. It doesn’t affect him or his Cerebus masters so why not!?! This is exactly what is wrong with a growing number of American businesses.
03/27, 12:41 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
Jessom Cum-Stain, I’m sure the Canadians howl with laughter everytime one of those Al-Qaeda beheading videos hits the web.
03/27, 12:43 PM
posted by:
inspire
You mean to tell me the upper mgt didn’t think this one over and not inform the employees this? I’m not sure what’s gonna happen. I think if any people posting here think if someone forced you to take all your vacation time after you and your family decided on doing something else another time of the year … and you don’t have any other extra banked vacation time … you’d be pissed.
I’m sure this decision (mandatory vacation across the world) was made from up top (ie Nardelli). Do you understand why he was canned from Home Depot now? Lights are on, but no one’s home. This is a fiasco and I’m not sure how this one will be played out.
BTW, I’m sure the higher ups in the union will have more than 2 weeks vacation. Should hurt too bad, except for the new recruits. (But what do I know? I don’t work there and I don’t know the vacation entitlement scale at Chrysler.) Isn’t industry standard 3 weeks paid vacation? (Maybe that’s a Canada thing …)
03/27, 12:47 PM
posted by:
WOOKIE62
They are lucky to have a job! Shut up and enjoy your time off!
03/27, 1:17 PM
posted by:
TomF
No heroes in this case. Yeah, this looks like classic Nardelli “sensitivity.” The guy established himself at Home Depot as a monster when it comes to HR issues.
Then again, considering the horrible vehicles they’re building and the level of quality they’re maintaining, these workers should thank their lucky stars they’re not clocking in at Pizza Hut.
Employees unhappy with mandatory vacation? America is unhappy with the cars they build.
03/27, 1:29 PM
posted by:
A4
idiots
03/27, 1:45 PM
posted by:
MercMark
There will be a much longer “vacation” soon.
03/27, 2:20 PM
posted by:
terk184
Considering they get paid to not work for the other 50 weeks, this shouldn’t be a problem.
03/27, 2:58 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
They’ll be even more happy when Bob Lutz personally delivers their layoff notices and tells them that GM has officially, once and for whooped their sorry asses. Maybe GM will hire them to work at one of the many GM plants?
Of course they’ll need to learn the concept of “quality manufacturing” first
Won’t be building ****ty ass Chryco models, that’s for sure!
03/27, 3:53 PM
posted by:
global_lightning
They should take advantage of this mandatory time off to update their resumes and start hitting Monster.com
03/27, 5:30 PM
posted by:
sharpie
Since when did Corp execs care about employees? Wasn’t that the point of having Union? Wait, the union leaders are just as bad if not worse! Recall the air traffic controllers incident? I am not for the practice, but it seems Chrysler needs the idling to straighten things out. These workers have been paid so well they shouldn’t complain. Besides, where are your union leaders now when you are thrown into the situation? I bet they don’t care either and probably sleeping with the execs’ wives!
03/28, 11:46 AM
posted by:
shitalker
buhbye chrysler…