The original poster (OP) works at a consulting company. Their main focus is to add automation to businesses, which unfortunately can make jobs redundant.
His Company is Responsible for Job Losses
OP says in the past financial year his company was responsible for thousands of jobs becoming redundant.
They Automate Parts of the Business
Where practical, OP’s company replaces human workers with predictable, repeatable solutions.
Companies Save Money
When machinery replaces humans, companies are able to save “fat stacks of money” according to OP.
His Parents Worked for a Client
OP’s parents worked for the next client he was in charge of which, he says, made it an awkward situation.
He Did an Audit
He completed an audit of the industrial company his parents work at. OP says he interacted with departments/areas his parents were involved in to elicit processes, requirements, etc.
They Found the Company Solutions
OP completed the review and found they could cut over 60 jobs and improve output by introducing an off-the-shelf solution. They showed the company which workers would be best to retain, retrain and retrench.
His Parents Got Cut
OP says based on the metrics, his parents were part of the mass redundancy. He wasn’t allowed to warn them ahead of time so they found out about losing their jobs at the same time as the other workers.
His Parents Were Furious
His parents told him he had no loyalty and they should have “fudged the numbers” to help them keep their jobs.
They are Too Old to Find Other Jobs
His parents know they aren’t going to be able to find other jobs at their age.
They Are Trying to Make Him Feel Guilty
OP’s parents asked him how he can sleep at night knowing he put his own parents out of work.
He’s Proud of His Work
He told his parents he takes his job seriously and is proud of the work he does.
His Family is Sending Him Messages
His siblings and extended family and family friends are angry with OP and are sending him messages saying he should be ashamed of himself.
He Doesn’t Feel Bad
OP isn’t sorry for what he did. He says the job was enjoyable and challenging experience which resulted in a happy client.
The Readers React
Readers were divided on this situation. Some felt he was wrong for taking the job and some thought he had to do his job. But mostly people were shocked about his attitude and his lack of apathy.
He Can’t Fudge Numbers
Its unreasonable for his parents to expect him to “fudge numbers” because then his job would be on the line.
“NTA, economics are complex. If you wouldn’t have done it, someone else would, if you’d done it by cooking numbers, you’d be fired. If the company wouldn’t have done it, but the competitor did, what would’ve happened then?”
Was Their Job Loss Inevitable?
“NTA-there is nothing wrong with being good at your job and proud of it. It really sucks his parents lost their jobs but whether he worked on this particular job or not the same data would have still been found and the end result the same. He’s not at fault here especially having been cleared by his boss to work on this particular job.”
Why Didn’t He Declare a Conflict?
One readers said OP wasn’t at fault but he shouldn’t have been in the situation anyway.
“You probably should have turned down the job due to a conflict in interests though. You did your job, provided objective data and the results are the results.”
Other readers felt he should have not only declared a conflict, but also should have had more compassion for his family.
“You should have turned down the project because you have a conflict of interest. Or at least you should have a contract of interest. I get that you take your job seriously and that’s great. But you don’t take your family seriously enough. You are not acknowledging the pain, uncertainty, and fear that you have caused them. Their feelings are normal for anyone being made redundant, and you should have expected that their negative emotions might be directed toward you in this scenario. Your parents are not jerks for having feelings. You could have avoided the awkward personal situation, if not the ultimate outcome for them, and you should have.”
He Seems to Enjoy Replacing Humans
One reader went so far as to call OP an sociopath for expressing so much enjoyment is watching people lose their livelihoods.
“That’s not “a bit extreme”, he’s an effing sociopath!! I know I’m late to the discussion but I come from twitter. I cannot believe he got a NTA!!”
“YTA – you already were before you even got to your parents job just from the sheer enjoyment you seem to get out of being directly responsible for people losing their jobs.” The reader went on to say “I’d honestly disown you and cut you out if you were my kid for being an obvious sociopath. One day a computer program will replace you, and I hope you remember enjoying figuring out how to get people fired because it was ” challenging”. There is no pride to be had in the work you do.”
Read More: Her Sister-in-Law Makes Reservations at Expensive Restaurants and Then Conveniently Forgets Her Wallet But Now She Came Up With a Plan to Break the Habit
The original poster (OP) has a sister-in-law named Amy who likes to visit from out of town and stay with them. There is one thing she does regularly though that is really starting to bother OP and so she decided to take things into her own hands to fix the recurring problem.
The Coffee Shop Owner Made Him Feel Uncomfortable for Studying for Hours in His Coffee Shop Everyday and Only Buying a Tea
He Left a Restaurant Without Paying After Waiting Over an Hour for His Food But His Friend Thinks He Was Terrible for Walking Out and Not Paying for What He Ordered
The original poster (OP) has a girlfriend who lives out of town. A meal out on one of his visits turned into a situation he is still wondering if he handled correctly.
Insisting her Sister Get a Prenuptial Agreement to Protect Their Joint Rental Properties Has Created Family Drama She Never Expected
The original poster (OP) and her sister are property investors. She really wants to protect their shared assets but her suggestion to get a prenuptial agreement has everybody in the family up in arms, including her sister.
Famous Dead People Who are Remembered as Saints But Were Actually Sinners
Covering up crimes and repulsive behavior of famous people is a practice that has happened for decades. Many people who have died and wronged others are still treated like saints despite hearing about despicable things they have done. The following is a list of people who don’t deserve the accolades they get for their acting or activism.
The original poster (OP) is studying for an I.T. certification. He was able to find a nice place to study but he is sensing that he may be behaving inappropriately.