Not many people attend their own wakes.
But that’s what happened Monday night as scores of Andersen employees killed time waiting for the stroke of 8 p.m. when they could call their voice mails and learn whether they still had jobs.
While many just went home, dozens of others chose the smoky comfort of bars such as Mother Hubbard’s, 5 W. Hubbard St., and Govnor’s Pub, 207 N. State St. There they could lift a few beers and commiserate with colleagues when they got the bad news that many were correctly expecting.
“We might as well be together since it might be our last day,” said William Martinez, a 27-year-old employee at the firm’s data center, who was at Mother Hubbard’s Monday evening.
Some, like Dale Thorne, already had gotten the bad news but chose to hit the bar anyway.
Thorne, director of data center operations, is losing his job after 22 years with Andersen. It’s an unexpected blow that has left 56-year-old Naperville resident reeling and pessimistic about the future.
“I will guarantee you this firm will not be in existence in six months,” he said. “It’s in a death spiral.”
Dark humor, tension
There was enough laughter and morbid humor to distract Andersen employees for most of the evening. But as the witching hour drew near, the atmosphere became tense.
Cell phones began appearing shortly before 8 p.m., as co-workers dialed in to pick up their messages.
Monika Ray broke into tears when she heard she had lost her job in tech support.
“This is my family. They greet me every morning,” she sobbed outside Mother Hubbard’s. “It really strikes me hard that I’m not going to see them every day.”
At Govnor’s, Andersen employees cheered regardless of the message they got. Tonik Gayden, who started with Andersen out of high school 18 years ago, was actually happy to find out she was unemployed. Those who stay will have to work twice as hard with half the staff, she figures. Eventually, they will probably lose their jobs, too.
Gayden’s tears came Friday when she walked into the office.
“I knew the end was coming,” she said. “For all the people who worked hard over the years to build their careers, it’s a travesty.”
Ed Bialowzewski, a 27-year-old Andersen information technology employee, was one of the lucky ones. His message said, “I’m pleased to announce that you have been chosen to remain.”
Bialowzewski high-fived his friends at Govnor’s and ordered a shot of Jagermeister to celebrate. Others whooped it up too.
“I’m unemployed. I’m out of here,” one woman stood up and yelled.
Andersen’s recorded message was kind even to those who let go. It thanked employees for their years of service and concluded, “Please keep your chins up. You did nothing wrong.”
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Few employees said they were angry with the firm, which faces an obstruction-of-justice charge for shredding documents related to its work for bankrupt Enron Corp.
“All it is is a couple of partners that went out and did a couple of things they’re not supposed to,” said Chris Duffey, an Andersen employee who was sporting a Federal Express “Don’t Panic” button at Govnor’s. “Bad decisions by a couple of people took down an entire company.”
Anger at government, Enron
Others were angrier with the Justice Department or Enron executives.
“My personal beef is what happened to the secret partners [at Enron]. Where are the ones who got away with the money?” asked Bialowzewski.
Others withheld judgment but were angry that the firm’s rank and file were paying the price for others’ wrongdoing.
“Whether Arthur did anything wrong or the Justice Department did anything wrong, it doesn’t matter. I’m out of a job, and I have a problem with that,” complained Steve Colby, a 37-year-old information technology manager.
Surprisingly, perhaps, no one expressed anger at the impersonal method the company used to announce the layoffs.
“Some people will think it’s sterile,” said Thorne. “It really isn’t. It really gives as much dignity as possible.”
Added Lynn Ray, who has been with Andersen for 2 1/2 years: “When you have 6,000 people, what do you do–have one-on-one meetings?”