JobBlog: Welcome to Bollywood!

Thursday 9/04 10am
We had a meeting on the same floor as Human Resources (Bad sign #1). In the conference room are HR reps (Bad sign #2) and the Director of Operations (This can't be a good sign #3). Bomb drops: globally Customer Service is being restructured with E-helpdesk moving to St. Louis while Invoicing and Contract Management (my department) will be now handled in India. Shock filled the room, sighs and gasps are heard in the air. I smiled, trying hard not to jump out the seat and do a TD celebration. I chuckled because I had a feeling my job was in trouble. See, anytime I really hated a job, in due time I'm no longer there. So said. So done.

All of this will happen by the end of May so we have nine months to find other forms of employment. Two of my co-workers will be forced into retirement. My manager doesn't know because they didn't want to ruin his vacation. This should be fun

We later meet with reps to discuss the usual: severance package, COBRA, benefits, etc. Package is a joke: two weeks for each year you worked and you get a bonus if you stay after January. I will get six weeks in a lump sum, of course taxes will be taken out. I scheme.

One of my co-workers was extremely pissed off because he has been busting his ass on this job. Like dude would come to work on the weekends or when it was supposed to be his day off. Though I admired his hard work, I always wanted to tell him not to do that because, in my experience, your hard work don't mean shit. It's all about networking. He talked about hustling, which wouldn't surprise me because he's street. Like he's the real life G to Gent. I can see this being a turning point, you know like in the movies when the con comes out and tries to do good only to have it blow up in his face.

Funny thing, this was after my dude gave me breakfast (ie my week supply of herbals).

My co-worker lamented over this. His wedding is going to put on hold. He's on his own and this is bad timing. Blah blah blah. I do not want to appear mean, but sometimes I feel he says these things to show how he's the true definition of the American Dream and pulling yourself up by the straps. There's an ego there that I'm not feeling. He can't eat or think. I tell him to eat something because stressing isn't going change things and the company already showed how much they care. Also suggest he goes to the park to clear his mind.

No work gets done. Global email is sent. Phone calls and emails come through, some with sympathy, some with anger. I get a feeling we're going to be getting this for the next couple of days. I contemplate putting the out of office on. We take up the offer to leave after meeting with the HR rep. I mean...work isn't getting done after that bombshell so why stay?

I "ate" my breakfast and drink some beer when I got home, patiently waiting for the Giants/Skins NFL Kickoff Game. World Champion Jints wins. Today was a good day.

Friday 9/05 10:30am
We have a career seminar. I feel like I've heard of this before because the only thing I got away from it was there's money in IT. Some people feel a little bit better; the jedi mind trick worked.

11:45am
Manager of E-Helpdesk comes and gives us the don't worry speech. Fifteen minutes later, one of my co-workers responds with this link in the email: http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/05/news/economy/jobs_august/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories

2:00pm
I get an email from one of the account managers asking (well more like pestering) about the status of a contract. Not shocked, the AM never acknowledge the recent news. I feel...kinda pissed, but that quickly is replaced with "In nine months, I won't have to deal with yall. PRAISE JAH!". A smile came on my face.

Interestingly enough...
...I did more work today than I've done since...since...well shit since I came back from vacation two weeks ago

Saturday 9/06
Couple of thoughts:
-Are we still going to the Customer Service Appreciation Luncheon? I mean we were so appreciated they are relocation us to India.
-Same thing goes for the team-building activity planned for Oct
-Add the Holiday party to that list
-Do we keep working to have a good end-of-the-year review? What's the point? Our jobs are going to India. Raise? Ha! WE'RE GOING TO INDIA!
-I'm going to ask my manager if we still need to meet every two weeks. I mean what's the point? We're losing our jobs.

Amends "Don't Get Fired Before May" plan with "So I Can Get Some Laughs Because It's Going To Be An Interesting Nine Months"