One Never Knows...

As I stepped in the elevator this morning a woman asked me if I was going "Up"....
I politely told her "No". 
She then proceeded to ask me if I was going "Down".....

Anyhoo.....the company I work for is laying people off in the dozens, and reorganizing and restructuring everyone else who's left.

They're also literally doing a "Ball and Chain" maneuver with some of the employees who've been here the longest, and I'm talking 25 years and up "longest"!

Call me naive but I've never heard of such a tactic....they've laid them off but they've asked them to work until the summer of next year!!!!

So...

• They can't look for another job because if they get the job and leave they don't get their severance.
• If they just quit and try to enjoy retirement (many of them are close to retirement age but are being laid off just before they meet retirement qualifications) they'll also loose their severance.

I call it the "ball and chain" because in my mind they must feel chained to a job that they worked loyally for over 25 years, who is now no longer loyal to them. And in all intents and purposes, is basically "forcing" them to work until someone in a third world country has efficiently learned to take over their job! (I'm not against outsourcing, but it just seems unjust).

Most of the people I've talked to about it (those who are NOT "ball and chained"), seem a little callous to me, but what do I know. Often commenting....

• At least they still have a job (Yes they have a job but now they come to work, bitter, mad and loathing the company that they gave 25 plus years to)
• At least they have until next summer to look for a job (Yes they can look until next summer for a job, but what if the right job comes along then what?)
• At least they weren't let go on the spot like most companies (Yes they weren't let go on the spot but now it just feels like a slow moving torture chamber)

At least, at least, at least.....I mean I understand where they're coming from, and I have to say I've never been in such a predicament to even empathize...but in my heart it feels wrong.

With all of the restructuring going on my co worker resigned a few weeks ago and took a great job in the city, though I don't envy his 2 hour commute!

Personally I got along fantastically with the guy and learned a lot from him, and admired his 100% dedication on all things he put his mind to.

I thought everyone around me felt the same, but I must have been working in my own little bubble where that's concerned. I don't think he was gone a day before I started hearing complaints here, complaints there, bitching here, bitching there to the point where I continuously found myself quietly removing myself from the conversation any time a bashing commenced.

It's not like I was oblivious to his sometimes bull headed nature, but I experienced a different more patient side of him when we worked together.

Now he's gone it's surprising to hear all of these feelings come out the wood work, it makes me wonder, what will they say when I leave?

Baby C and my ex coworkers daughter at his sons birthday party that we were invited to even after he'd left!

Well that's if the company is even still around for me to leave from....the way things are shaping up around here..... one never knows!