My desk phone rang just after 10am this morning. It was the Human Resources Manager, calling me over to the meeting room. When she spoke, I immediately knew what was going to happen. In the meeting room was the Human Resource Manager, the Partner I worked under & my Team Manager. The Partner explained that the global financial crisis is affecting many firms, & unfortunately the company is not immune to the financial crisis, so for that reason, they couldn't offer me a permanent full-time position. I was still under probation, as I had only just joined the company in August 2008 (my probation would have been due in February 2009). They said they looked at another division in the Brisbane office & elsewhere in the company's offices in the other state capital cities for openings that I may slot into. But there weren't any - except for an Assistant Manager position in the company's Perth office, & they gave me the Perth contact details if I was interested in applying for that position. I wasn't interested, because I wanted to remain in Brisbane.
So there, just like that, I'm gone from the company. Kicked to the sidelines. I had to leave this very morning. The standard procedure is to leave office effective immediately after being laid off, though I got a little time to gather my belongings. By 11am, I was out of the office. I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to my colleagues (I was told not to say anything to anyone), except for 2 colleagues who I bumped into outside the building. I told both of them what happened, as they were curious as to why I was out of the office carrying lots of things.
How different things change in a few months. When I joined the company in August 2008, things seemed all good. Then things change drastically & I find myself running short of work with alarming regularity, especially over the last couple of months. I did voice my concern to the Team Manager at the staff review in November 2008, but was told that this is a normal thing & that I need not worry. Nevertheless, I was still a little skeptical & felt a little insecure at times. After returning from the overseas holidays, work continued to dry up & I began to suspect that my days at the company might be numbered (can't keep me, if they got no work to give me). That suspicion was further reinforced during the last couple of days, when I saw meetings held behind closed doors between the HR Manager, the Partner I worked under & the various Managers within my division. The phone call from the HR Manager this morning confirmed that my concerns were very much well founded.
I wasn't the only person laid off; there were 4 others from my division alone who were laid off also. The difference is that those 4 were permanent full-time staff; I was full-time but not permanent as I was still under probation. There could well be more people from different floors who were also retrenched - I won't be surprised.
I wasn't the only person laid off; there were 4 others from my division alone who were laid off also. The difference is that those 4 were permanent full-time staff; I was full-time but not permanent as I was still under probation. There could well be more people from different floors who were also retrenched - I won't be surprised.
I took the retrenchment pretty well, actually. No outward display of emotions. There is some sadness & disappointment over losing the job - but I wasn't surprised at all, because I really did see it coming. When I was told of the retrenchment, my reaction was along the lines of "yep, just as I thought". Anyway, to be absolutely honest, more than feeling sad & disappointed is the feeling of being daunted & overwhelmed at the prospect of having to do the job search all over again. Aaaarrrrggghhh!!!!
An English football manager once told a player said that disappointment is part of life, prior to dropping that player from the starting line-up. Well, disappointment is part of every facet of life. Because today, I just tasted disappointment in the form of job loss. It is time to move on & look at new opportunities. Only God knows where all this will lead me to.
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