The shops have gone contract,  This means that our electrical jobs, plumbing, service order, carpentry will be done by an outside contractor. What that may mean to me is that, if the contractor is required to use his own supplies and equipment, then there will be fewer required hand receipt holders (people who are responsible for the necessary equipment to get the job done).  Part of my job is to keep track of our equipment and the hand receipt holders (There are 3 of us to do that). With less equipment and fewer hand receipt holders, someone may figure out that we don't need 3 people to handle the job. I hear rumors of a RIF (reduction in force) at work, so it may mean that someone's job is on the line.  Not necessarily his employment, but the description of what he does. If there is a RIF, each person involved will bump down to a job held by someone with less seniority or a lower grade than he is - I've been through several RIFs and very few actually go out the gate, because personnel holds open the jobs of people who quit, retire, or are transferred. When the RIF happens, there's a shuffle, and people find themselves in different jobs. I do have someone in my office with less seniority than I do, so I figger that if a position is made obsolete, I'll probably stay put, unless I'm bumped out of my position by someone with more seniority (not likely). So, all in all, I'm not worried, I keep smiling, and keep looking for another job (in computers).