user avatar
derek walker
@dereklwalker
I'm chief instigator, janitor, secretary and mailroom person for brown and browner advertising.
Columbia, SC
linkedin.com/in/derek-walke…
Joined February 2009
3,144
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11.1K
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Posts
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    An agency I was working at announced in a company-wide meeting that they were going to lay off 70 employees. They went over the reasons why this was needed. The CEO asked if their were any questions. My hand shot up. (Read your policy manual. Learn basic tenets of business)
    10M
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    Replying to @dereklwalker
    After the meeting, the head of HR said to me. "Now I have to inform leadership that they can't lay you off without it looking like retaliation. Nice move." "What? All I did was ask questions and give suggestions," I said. We chuckled. It took almost 2 years for them to get me.
    1.3M
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    Replying to @dereklwalker
    Working for others isn't a fair process. There are rules but they're only rules when people adhere to them. Knowing policy and how business works can only make you a better professional. And give you a small measure of protection. Learn to document everything, keep records.
    1.3M
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    Replying to @dereklwalker
    If it isn't in writing or on a recording, it doesn't exist and it didn't happen. When you realize that things ain't right at work, make sure you have records. Things said in person need to be put into emails or texts or messages. Screenshot and save everything to your storage.
    1.2M
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    Replying to @dereklwalker
    Me: "You said we had not reached profit goals, and that is the reason for the layoffs." Him: "Yes." Me: "So, we are not losing money?" Him: "No." Me: "We are laying folks off not because we didn't make profit. We're laying people off because we didn't make enough profit."
    1.3M
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    Replying to @dereklwalker
    The room collectively gasped as employees realized that we were laying folks off not because we were not making profit but because we weren't making "enough" profit. I peppered the leadership team with questions and suggestions around alternatives to laying people off.
    1.3M
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    Replying to @dereklwalker
    "Before I ask my question, I want to make sure I'm clear that our 'open door' policy means that as long as I respectful I can't be punished for my questions," I asked. The head of HR shot me a glance, our eyes locked and I smiled. Before HR interject, the CEO replied, "yes."
    1.3M
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    Replying to @KieranO
    I am so glad you asked this. Respect is earned. I liked management for the most part until they revealed themselves. They started to talk down to employees, they lied to both clients and employees. They were not like this when the shop was smaller. They changed with success.
    937K
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 16, 2024
    Replying to @prod_w_attitude
    I wish I could say that I learned this without being burned too but I can't. That moment when you realize there is no proof, and it is your word against theirs, and you are screwed. That moment sucks.
    362K
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Jun 20, 2024
    We were once so much more savage.
    82K
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Mar 17, 2024
    Replying to @MattyB
    I did not say they were wrong for acting to increase profit. They presented their actions as if the agency was not making enough revenue - on purpose. That is misleading. This post was about knowing how to protect yourself as an employee. I spoke up and survived, sort of.
    122K
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Nov 23, 2021
    Finally, the truth.
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    Jun 28, 2020
    Can we all agree that if advertising is going to keep these insane deadlines and turn-around times, then we must reduce the amount of meetings and time in meeting that we have. It pulls people away from doing the actual work.
  • user avatar
    derek walker
    @dereklwalker
    May 2, 2020
    Advertising creatives "working" does not look like "work." Let that marinate for a bit. When creatives come together to work, they may talk about anything or nothing or everything in-between. The path to developing a creative idea is not linear, it wanders around a bit.