Escaping the big red ax when unemployment is over 7%…
To say I’ve been nervous about the ‘longevity’ of my job is about as big of an understatement as saying George Foreman had a moderately good idea when he bought into the ‘grilling’ concept.
My boss notified me that he had submitted all the positions in my department for review today. He doesn’t believe anyone will be let go but he felt I had the right to know.
In this particular instance, I would have rather enjoyed the element of surprise. Instead, I won’t sleep for the next two to three weeks.
In preparation, I’ve been making myself known to any and all executive upper management. Even though I don’t have the money, I always accept when invited to lunch the CEO, the CFO, the VPO… and pretty much anyone else who has three letters in their title – though I think I lunched with the janitor once.
Who knew MJS was ‘Main Janitorial Staff’?!?!
I visit the management floor twice daily to pick up my mail, to request signatures,… and sometimes use their bathroom.
It has potpourri and scented soap! Give me a little break here!
My mailbox sits in the most inconvenient place possible – on top of the stack just short of requiring a step ladder to reach (of course, this wouldn’t be a problem if I were say…. taller than Ryan Seacrest… but I’m not). I reached to grab my mail and was met with an empty space.
My mailbox was gone.
I froze in a panic.
Um. Is this how they fire people? They simply remove their mailboxes and when the employee asks, management says, ‘Oh, you? Yeah, you don’t work here anymore. This is Bob from security, he’ll be escorting you out.’ I started to think about applications and resumes. My budget was already bad but now? With no cash? What was I to do?
Tears started to form at the corners of my eyes.
That’s when the receptionist walked up and said, ‘Did your mailbox fall again? That silly thing! You must be so annoyed! I’m sorry! We should glue that darn thing down!’
She picked up my box from its perch in the corner jammed near the window and tossed it to me.
In a place like this, how am I supposed to remain sane?!?
I’m picking up some two part epoxy on my way home from work. That mailbox will never move again.
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Posted: January 22nd, 2009 under Life in General, Personality, Work, company x.
Comments: 6
Comments
Comment from millie
Time: January 22, 2009, 7:10 am
You worry too much! You have to think positive! Sounds like you really like your job.
Comment from Ashleigh
Time: January 22, 2009, 11:30 am
I agree with Millie.
Comment from Nicole
Time: January 22, 2009, 4:05 pm
Whew, that was close! Good luck!
Comment from Lizzie
Time: January 22, 2009, 4:17 pm
Two part epoxy is definitely the answer. Definitely.
Comment from baselle
Time: January 22, 2009, 9:11 pm
What helps me out (honest!) is to just wallow in it. You might want to do this on a weekend afternoon. Pretend you’ve gotten the ax, and let your thoughts just go. Its terrible, I’m going to starve, and be thrown out on the street, or worse, have to move in with mom and dad.
Then think about what you really will do. Visualize calling for unemployment (you earned it), dusting off the resume, even think what do you really want to do. Think about how much you will pull in, and come up with a contingency budget.
Sounds so practical, but you might just as well get a head start on the freakout and the job search. You can’t control what other people do but you can control what you do. Yeah, and glue down that mailbox.
Comment from Michelle
Time: January 23, 2009, 2:23 pm
Wow – baselle … that is an unexpected response but really practical. I like it.
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