| Financial/Business System Analyst |
The Financial Center-West (FC-W) is one of three financial centers
worlld-wide. The hours are 40+, dress code is business casual (mostly
casual), diversity is only emphasised and practiced at the FC-W, the
east and central centers do not have this program.
The working environment and opportunities for advancement are totally
dependent upon your current Team Leader, Service Delivery Leader, and
Business Leader. These individuals are subject to change, obviously so
these conditions also change with them. During my eight years of
service I saw how many different individuals were treated, handled, and
displaced. It became very personal when I became a targeted individual
for displacement.
In eight years held four different positions within FC-W GCFC, Financial
Center-West Global Card Financial Center. The management changes were
fairly frequent: seven Team Leaders (TL), five Service Delivery Leaders
(SDL), and three Business Leaders(BL).
The main rule that was learned by every active employee was to do you
best to work for the TL and SDL that hired you. When a change in
management occurs individuals can and are targeted for change.
During a lay-off period five of seven very AMEX experienced Lead
Business System Analysts were displaced when the new SDL changed their
job description. Many other employees were laid-off, the most common
factors of the individuals laid-off were 15+ years of service, utilized
their medical leave within the last year, high dollar employees. This
was discussed with the SDL and BL after the lay-off was complete, and of
course they did not acknowledge any of these things to be true. The
working staff definitely did not agree with the answers from management.
Personal experience with the above unwritten rule: I was a highly
motivated employee, demonstrated my advanced skills in many
circumstances and received many awards and cash bonuses. Awards
acknowleded corporate wide and published in the AMEX web-site: Naming
of the newly structured finance organization, Global Accounting and
Finance Operation (GAFO) 2003; FC-W Finance Award of Excellence--Value
Add Champion 2002; Quarterly A-Team Award 2001; Chairman's Award for
Quality 2000.
My hiring Team Leader moved onto a different position, the new hire
targeted four of us to leave the company because, with the completion of
the work migration into FC-W from FC-E, our advanced skills were no
longer needed. Three of us no longer work for the company, and the
other person took a lateral move to another team. These positions were
then filled with entry level lower paid individuals. During the time we
worked for this new TL the work environment changed drastically.
Opportunities of advancement were non existent, all daily work changed
to routine. All prior responsibilies that were challenging and
rewarding were eliminated and given to the new hires. One-on-ones,
which were suppose to be monthly, were very rare and only focused on
what was being done to leave the organization.
The team that he was highered to lead was originally a very strong,
experienced, knowledgeable team. There are only three of the only
original members left, the orginal team was a force of twelve. The
three remaining were the least experienced and newest members to AMEX,
they also are of ethnic origin. Additional turn-over was with four
individuals he hired, but did not stay long. They either took lateral
positions to another team or left the company. Team spirit was very
low, and focused on mistrust and fear of retribution.
Upper management assistance was sought, following all the rules of
hierarchy, and nothing was accomplished.
The annual survey ranking is acceptable, however, of the three financial
centers, FC-W ranks the lowest for the categories of employee
satisfaction, employee advancement opportunies, training opportunities,
and trust and respect for all levels of management.
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