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2005-04-26 - 9:03 p.m.
Disturbing News
Life has become very stressful indeed.
Aside from dealing with my mother�s semi-bad news, I received an obscure IM from a friend of mine from work early this morning while I was on break.
It simply said, �OMG! Have you heard?!�
Of course, fate would have it that I was out on a smoking break when she IM�d me and by the time I returned she was �in a meeting� (according to her Yahoo messenger status.)
I�m curious by nature and so my curiosity was piqued. That was until my boss�s boss was discussing something with my co-cubicle dweller. My curiosity quickly turned to dread when I heard my co-cubie jokingly say, �You�re not over here to let me go, are you?�
Holy shit!!!
I ran straight for my boss�s cubicle and said in a rush, �What�s going on?!�
That�s when she broke the news. Apparently the company wasn�t doing well financially (although they anticipate this big boom in growth over the next fiscal year) and so they were trimming the fat. To make things even sweeter, their round of layoffs will not be done in one day. No one knows how long they will last and no one knows who will be affected.
So all day it�s been a game of �Who�s next?� Instant messages back and forth of the latest person to walk out with box of personal items in hand.
And some of the layoffs made no sense at all.
I should know. I�ve been through several of them.
The first one was actually of my own doing. I worked for my father and my job only consisted of answering phones (maybe three calls a day) and reading books. I went in search of a more exciting position and was laid off after I found some temp work. No surprise there. No work, no work.
The second one was supposed to be a �merger�. My company was being merged with another company with a crappy reputation. As soon as the merger was announced, I had suspected the intentions of the now �parent� company were to give our company a bad name and run them out of business. I had just switched positions and although I was supporting a few key applications, I was getting pretty bored during the day. Once again, no work, no work. No surprise.
The third company is still being �acquired� by the other company. Oh I�ll come right out and say who they are. Pacificare is currently acquiring Pacific Life. Pacific Life was a great company and although I didn�t feel I was quite adequately compensated, I loved working there. However, I had already been burned twice (last time I was working temp jobs for about a year and a half without benefits). I knew what was happening although everyone else refused to admit it. So I moved on before I could be burned again. (Good thing too. The deal was supposed to close in March and they�re still not closed. Everyone there is miserable and to hell if I�m going to work for a crappy company like Pacificare. I refuse to work for a company I�m ashamed of.)
So now four months later. I love my job, my work, my boss. It�s all good. However, they seem to let go of people at the drop of a hat. And what�s scary with this last round (or rather current round) of layoffs is there is no rhyme or reason to who they�re laying off.
They are some people who deservedly should be getting laid off, that aren�t. And some that are, and are.
Right before I received the infamous IM, I passed a co-worker in the hall carrying a bag and keyboard. His return smile was stilted and somehow I knew something was up.
I don�t know if it�s just experience from being laid off three times, but I knew something was going on when I passed him in the hall.
After hearing the news, I couldn�t help but think about what he must be feeling right now. To just be informed that you no longer have a job. That you now have to find a way to pay bills and find a new job comparative to the one you used to hold. To go through all the crap of interviewing and submitting resumes again.
I�m sick and tired of hearing companies complain that our generation has no loyalty. You reap what you sow and these companies have been laying off people left and right for years.
You just get so sick and tired of it. You hope your next job will be stable. You work your ass off for �the man�. But if someone does a crappy ass job of budgeting and sales, your ass is on the line.
I really need to start my own business. Get away from this crap.
My arm is getting tired. I�ll rant and rave some more tomorrow.
Good night, sweet dreams.
Moved - 2005-07-25
New Job - 2005-07-25
Idiots in the News and Mom Update - 2005-07-21
Parents! (sigh) - 2005-07-21
More of the Same - 2005-07-19