2005-05-12

Job Be-Gone

I got laid off this morning. Which was nice.

Actually, nine of us did. The management asked that we don't spread the news while they're still going through the process of letting people know, so I haven't been able to tell my favourite colleagues yet that I won't be around any more. Hopefully some are reading this now, so they know where the hell I've disappeared to. (It's fine to call me, by the way. I'm just not allowed to call you til the end of the day.)

I went for second breakfast with Will (another casualty). Neither of us were surprised that this happened, after the super-mega lay-offs of January 24. I have six weeks severance and the company is being very co-operative regarding my immigrant status. I've been given the number of the law firm who helped obtain my work visa in the first place and I've been told I can go ahead and utilise their services in the coming weeks.

If anyone wants to get married, now would be a safe time to propose.



In the short-term, I'm immensely fucking glad that I don't have to deal with my impossible workload anymore. It's been incredibly difficult to maintain operations since the last super-mega down-sizing and I don't envy the task ahead for my friends who are left there. New problems were cropping up daily. Just yesterday someone made a bad, uninformed decision that affected promises I made to one of my key accounts plus all the retailers and customers in their market. It was going to make me look like a idiot and make the company look totally incompetent (again) and I hadn't the slightest idea how to begin "damage control" this morning when I've done so much damage control already this year. Ta-ta to all that!

There'll be a whole lotta posting going on later - assuming I get out of bed, now that I don't have to...

14 Comments:

Blogger DrHeimlich said...

Well, it sounds like you've got a great attitude about the situation. I'm sorry this had to happen to you, and I know how you feel. I'm hope that some of the good fortune that came my way after my layoff blows your way. You deserve it.

16:56  
Blogger Major Rakal said...

I'm sorry to hear it, Marcus. I wish you the best of luck in dealing with the visa issues.

17:08  
Blogger thisismarcus said...

Thank you both. The last year has taught me the futility of getting worked up over stuff you can't do anything about.

I have a time-table now, and tools to help me move on. If all goes wrong, the company still pays for my flight home. That's eminently preferable to going to work one day and finding a closed sign on the front door.

In summary: it could be so much worse.

17:47  
Blogger Shocho said...

Interesting it seems, to me, that we received a list of positions and ages so that we can guess who got laid off at the same time. Even that becomes a game. Gee, but it's not really a fun game.

18:23  
Blogger thisismarcus said...

Shocho: I didn't get the information you mention, but I know two more names and how many people total. I don't have your e-mail. Can you drop me a line at mine (linked from my profile)?

18:28  
Blogger Major Rakal said...

Shocho: The only people who get that list are those who are 40 and above... it's a legal thing, so they can demonstrate they aren't discriminating by age. I know, because I was one of the three who got such a list in January.

Sorry to hear that you've joined this unenviable club.

18:35  
Blogger DrHeimlich said...

The "Guess Who Got Laid Off" game? Yeah... not so much "The Art of Great Games" I used to know and love...

18:52  
Blogger GiromiDe said...

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do, be it stay here in the Colonies or return to Britannia.

19:04  
Blogger thisismarcus said...

Thanks, G. BTW do I know you outside of blogdom? I've seen you comment in several places. Feel free to mail me too if you don't wanna spill the beans here.

19:08  
Blogger Shocho said...

Well, that seems dumb to me about the age list, Kathy. I guess you can't be discriminated against unless you're at least 40? WTF?

19:11  
Blogger GiromiDe said...

Chuck, the age of 40 is arbitrary, but I must say that I'm feeling dodgy about new jobs at 30, so maybe 40 has some merit.

19:16  
Blogger Major Rakal said...

Hey, I just know what I was told in January, which wasn't much. Evidently only people over 40 are "protected" against age discrimination in hiring/firing. By giving you a list of the ages and job titles, they're saying, "See? It's not your age... we're laying off lots of younger people too."

Chuck, could you please email me with your personal email address? Mine is the same as it was at work, except it's @cox.net.

19:18  
Blogger thisismarcus said...

I'm pretty paranoid about having any terms here that can link me to the company I used to work for (search engines are good) so I deleted your comment, Giromide.

Thanks for getting back to me though, and no hard feelings! Good luck with your blog.

19:23  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We'll always have the Lonestar Steakhouse. Good luck.

23:44  

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