Thursday, December 11, 2008

Nerve-wracking week

This was a week of pulse-pounding, stomach churning, frayed nerves. Last week it was announced that due to the current economic climate my company, which I've only been with since late September would be letting 300 people go on December 9th.

Considering how briefly I've been with this company and that my pregnant wife is on my insurance-- needless to say it's not been an easy week for me.

On Tuesday, as promised approximately 300 people were let go. Many of them from my floor, 2 of them from my team. Given who was let go, their various levels of experience and/or seniority, no one has been able to make heads nor tails of what parameters were used to determine who stayed and who went. And yet somehow, through it all, I was spared.

And just so our team wouldn't be swamped from losing 2 people, one of the other teams on my floor had to give up one of their people to join our team... I learned yesterday he's actually been with the company for even less time than I have which leaves many of us further scratching our heads and further relieved that we survived.

On Wednesday the VP of our department gathered us all together and informed us that our company was done letting people go. Any that were going to be let go were gone, all of us still there could resume breathing and focus our energies on our work and not on whether or not we might be the next to go.

The past two days the floor I work on has been eerily quiet due largely to far fewer people being present and due partially to the rest of us still feeling some semblance of shock or "survivor guilt" over the events of this past Tuesday.

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Now playing: John Petrucci - Wishful Thinking
via FoxyTunes

2 comments:

Bar L. said...

Oh my gosh, Darrin! I am so glad you still have your job. May I be so bold to suggest that they kept the workers that they felt were doing a good job? Sometimes in layoffs they cut out the big paying positions, sometimes the last to be hired is the first to go...whatever their reasons, you proved yourself to be someone they want and need...so keep up the good work and congrats.

awareness said...

I am going through the same anxieties....the functions and responsibilities tied to my job may be considered redundant. I'll know early this month. What I have been told by a friend who is involved in the budget process is that to expect deep deep cuts and to get my ass in gear just in case. Not a great feeling, eh? So, it is "programs" they are cutting and not specific people here.....that way no fuss can be made by unions or ombudsmen.

I'm really glad it worked out for you Darrin. (oh, and i havent written this on my own blog because everything is still very much up in the air)