Hopefully, today I'll write both Day 2 and 3, so I'll get up to date with my crises. But, this one is about yesterday as well.
I've ended my post yesterday before answering to the email I got. I did so and I've got a pretty fast answer to my requests. One down, one up. Some policies were quoted for rejecting one of my requests, but the same policies made me eligible for the other request. So, with a 50% rate of success, "it's a very good". I got something and it seems that for what it's worth, the company CAN stand where its words are. A plus. Some other stuff was quoted as the truth, but it made me laugh. Subjective stuff can't be true forever. People change and things change. Some things and people change slowly, some other decay very fast. Assuming that a subjective thing will be forever positive just because it was at a certain point in the past is an often mistake that most people do. I'll detail this in another post, when the moment will come.
The funny thing is that some things I said have proven to be true. There was a list and yesterday two more people were kicked out, in less than 5 minutes. I'm in a decent company with a manager and a smaller manager joining the 'gone in 5 minutes' club. Keep your personal stuff close guys, you never know.
Needless to say, the morale trend went down, down, down. The so called 'syndicate' (or group of good guys) had another 'meeting' yesterday, same hour, same place. It's unbelievable how much fun can things like this bring to people :). We had a good laugh at the last events and it either proves we are good or that people are very stressed :). I assume the first. People was asking me if I've found a job already and if I've heard about anything that would suit them. Don't worry guys, you'll be the first two know. I'll help you overboard on the first occasion.
Ok, what else. Right. One of my best friends (who I decided not to tell what's going on) called me on day 2 (yesterday). 'So, how are you?'. Damn, someone must have leaked something, so I had to tell him. Of course, I got another job offer from him (thanks!) but I think he knew he doesn't stand too many chances. I hate that city, period. Sorry.
Wife of another friend gave birth to a healthy boy. Of course, I forgot the weight and other stuff that I've been told about, but the mom and kid are both ok, that's the most important thing. Welcome little joy, life sucks, I hope you'll learn this in the most distant future possible.
I think that the question about why ain't I pointing at specific things (like giving names for the people I'm referring to) exists. Well, yes, that's the answer, I'm waiting for things to be settled first (read, get my money) and then we'll see. I know, I'm a low life form but you can never know. Anyway, whoever would read this and know me will know who I am talking about. It's just that I don't want things to slap people in the face without me knowing about this.
Seems that day 2 was pretty boring, at least on things that I can write about. More has happened but this blog will never know ;) I think.
vineri, 16 ianuarie 2009
joi, 15 ianuarie 2009
Day 1
Well, day one was yesterday but I couldn't be bothered to write another post yesterday. Should get this habit of writing the daily post on the specific day.
This comes to the reason I've started this blog. I thought it would be interesting to write down what happens during the 'crisis' period that I am going through. What I do, what I think about, what happens with or without my participation. Something that I would go back and read sometime in the future.
So, what happened yesterday. Not too much. I've started this blog, wrote a shitty first post and then went back to what I usually do when I am bored or have nothing better to do. Playing World of Warcraft. I've spent the entire day alt-tabbing from WoW to the TV tuner to various YM windows. Lots of people felt the need to comfort me and ask me what happened and what's going on. Guys, thanks a lot, I know that somehow this affected you all, it would be pretty sad for me as well to hear that one of you was kicked out the way I was, BUT, what I really don't need is to hear 'sorry'.
I need to explain this. What happened is sad. It's sad that companies such as the one I've worked with the past five years exist and they treat people like this. But for me it's a step forward, it's a relief that I am finally out of there. I already miss my mates and going out for a smoke with them, but this is how life goes. You have to move on from the worst moments in your life. This is definately not my worst moment in my life, thank you, I had 'better'.
Going back to yesterday. I've spent some time talking to various people that are supposed to do something related to my departure. There are a lot of papers to sign, and things to straighten. Most of them are not meant to make my life easier but to make their (the company) life 'lawsuitless'. Lots of people asked me why I won't take any legal actions about the way I was fired and even told me I'm stupid because I signed some papers that would mean that me and the company parted ways in a friendly manner. Well, I really don't give a shit about getting back to the company. Or certain people that played a role in this sudden episode in my life. They suck, they know I know they suck, I am just letting them think that at some point I will tell them 'you suck!'. I won't, it will be funny to watch how they are embarrassed in my presence, if time will bring us together at some point.
Some technical stuff. The company I worked for had some kind of loyalty programs for the employees. After three / five years of working for the company, they used to reward the employees with paying a trip for them, up to the value of x and y respectively. I've never used this since the rules for this required me to pay the money in advance, take a receipt and then file for a reimbursement. It's a fact that most of the locations you can go to in a trip won't give you receipts and altough I traveled a bit around Romania I never bothered (again, it's hard for me to be bothered :D) to make an effort to take a receipt.
Long story short, yesterday I asked for what it is mine, starting with the lower levels of the administration, meaning local administration. As expected, they are puzzled when they need to give an answer to such problems. Anything that can be classified in the 'company has to give some money away' is beyond their level. So, next step was writing to higher levels. I was not surprise when my first email was returned by the mailing daemon with a 'marked as spam' label. Yep, that's right. Five years of spamming their local mailing lists from my company email account won my personal email account the 'marked as spam' status. After crying for several hours about this, I've sent an email to the personal email account of one of the people that have something to say about my loyalty program rewards, asking for a chat. While writing this post I remembered that I haven't checked my email today to see if I got any answer. I am still surprised, I actually have an answer. He wants to chat with me and I will let you know about how things go.
Other than that, nothing much was done yesterday, but I have several other things to share. I've took the decision of not telling my sisters and several other people that I am unemployed now. Wow, sounds cool, I am unemployed, reminds me about the "what's long, black and smells" joke. The unemployment line would be, just that I am not black and I don't smell. Usually. Not now, I even sniffed the air a bit, I'm fine. Anyway, it's easy to understand why I don't want some people to know, I don't want even more comforting and definately I don't need the hysterical reactions that my sisters would have. And even if I am often told I am selfish, the fact that they would worry for me makes me trying to save them the concerns. Two things related to this: one of my sisters was at some point reading my other blog and I'm a bit worried she will somehow find this. Don't call, wait for one hour, calm down, if you still want to call me, try to have a normal voice or I'll hang up. The other thing is that the lady I'm referring to in my last phrase called me yesterday. While chit-chatting, she asked me "when did you come home from work today?". This means yesterday. Sounded a bit wrong and it took me 5 seconds to answer, but she hasn't noticed anything wrong. I think.
Ok, enough with the long post already. I have an email to write.
This comes to the reason I've started this blog. I thought it would be interesting to write down what happens during the 'crisis' period that I am going through. What I do, what I think about, what happens with or without my participation. Something that I would go back and read sometime in the future.
So, what happened yesterday. Not too much. I've started this blog, wrote a shitty first post and then went back to what I usually do when I am bored or have nothing better to do. Playing World of Warcraft. I've spent the entire day alt-tabbing from WoW to the TV tuner to various YM windows. Lots of people felt the need to comfort me and ask me what happened and what's going on. Guys, thanks a lot, I know that somehow this affected you all, it would be pretty sad for me as well to hear that one of you was kicked out the way I was, BUT, what I really don't need is to hear 'sorry'.
I need to explain this. What happened is sad. It's sad that companies such as the one I've worked with the past five years exist and they treat people like this. But for me it's a step forward, it's a relief that I am finally out of there. I already miss my mates and going out for a smoke with them, but this is how life goes. You have to move on from the worst moments in your life. This is definately not my worst moment in my life, thank you, I had 'better'.
Going back to yesterday. I've spent some time talking to various people that are supposed to do something related to my departure. There are a lot of papers to sign, and things to straighten. Most of them are not meant to make my life easier but to make their (the company) life 'lawsuitless'. Lots of people asked me why I won't take any legal actions about the way I was fired and even told me I'm stupid because I signed some papers that would mean that me and the company parted ways in a friendly manner. Well, I really don't give a shit about getting back to the company. Or certain people that played a role in this sudden episode in my life. They suck, they know I know they suck, I am just letting them think that at some point I will tell them 'you suck!'. I won't, it will be funny to watch how they are embarrassed in my presence, if time will bring us together at some point.
Some technical stuff. The company I worked for had some kind of loyalty programs for the employees. After three / five years of working for the company, they used to reward the employees with paying a trip for them, up to the value of x and y respectively. I've never used this since the rules for this required me to pay the money in advance, take a receipt and then file for a reimbursement. It's a fact that most of the locations you can go to in a trip won't give you receipts and altough I traveled a bit around Romania I never bothered (again, it's hard for me to be bothered :D) to make an effort to take a receipt.
Long story short, yesterday I asked for what it is mine, starting with the lower levels of the administration, meaning local administration. As expected, they are puzzled when they need to give an answer to such problems. Anything that can be classified in the 'company has to give some money away' is beyond their level. So, next step was writing to higher levels. I was not surprise when my first email was returned by the mailing daemon with a 'marked as spam' label. Yep, that's right. Five years of spamming their local mailing lists from my company email account won my personal email account the 'marked as spam' status. After crying for several hours about this, I've sent an email to the personal email account of one of the people that have something to say about my loyalty program rewards, asking for a chat. While writing this post I remembered that I haven't checked my email today to see if I got any answer. I am still surprised, I actually have an answer. He wants to chat with me and I will let you know about how things go.
Other than that, nothing much was done yesterday, but I have several other things to share. I've took the decision of not telling my sisters and several other people that I am unemployed now. Wow, sounds cool, I am unemployed, reminds me about the "what's long, black and smells" joke. The unemployment line would be, just that I am not black and I don't smell. Usually. Not now, I even sniffed the air a bit, I'm fine. Anyway, it's easy to understand why I don't want some people to know, I don't want even more comforting and definately I don't need the hysterical reactions that my sisters would have. And even if I am often told I am selfish, the fact that they would worry for me makes me trying to save them the concerns. Two things related to this: one of my sisters was at some point reading my other blog and I'm a bit worried she will somehow find this. Don't call, wait for one hour, calm down, if you still want to call me, try to have a normal voice or I'll hang up. The other thing is that the lady I'm referring to in my last phrase called me yesterday. While chit-chatting, she asked me "when did you come home from work today?". This means yesterday. Sounded a bit wrong and it took me 5 seconds to answer, but she hasn't noticed anything wrong. I think.
Ok, enough with the long post already. I have an email to write.
miercuri, 14 ianuarie 2009
Day 0
Day Z(ero) happened yesterday.
It was the normal Tuesday 13, things were so-so. I was smoking a cig waiting for my 15:30 bi-weekly meeting. One minute before the meeting, I put off my cig and head to the video conference room. Turn on the VC and the computer, remotely log on to my desktop, there was a message window blinking in my taskbar. Short message from my boss: "today's meeting will be in the Interview Room". Hmm, ok, 'be right there', I said.
And I was right there. With my local Human Resource gal. On the other side of the table (read 'video conference system' or 'on TV') were my boss and his local Human Resource asshole. With an equal voice, my boss lets me know that "your position will be relocated to QA, this being based on the company (global crisis) policy of cost reduction and your low performance". I was a bit surprised, but not too much, counting the presence of "my friend", the HR.
All in all, a 'great' experience. After more than 5 years working for that company, they almost literally kicked me out of the company and the company premises. I was not allowed to send a farewell email to my fellow colleagues, still they made me the 'favor' of giving me the opportunity to take any personal files I would like to. Right. Try saving lots of Gigs of pictures (both only personal and company events related), personal (copyrighted or not) music and hundreds of personal documents in 5 minutes, on your... well, always keep an external harddisk on your desk for those special occasions. I wasn't, so I left with no files. I even left there personal belongings like my motorbike helmet, my snowboard boots (don't ask me why they were there, they just were) and tons of other stuff.
I even had a bodyguard, the local system administrator, on specific orders that I don't send any email and I have to leave in 5 minutes. He stood there, looking over my shoulder to what I am doing on my computer, yelling "No email! No email!" as I was trying to send a 'Thank You' message to my boss. Really, the guy was a great boss and we got together pretty well both work-related and on personal relation. No, I was not allowed to send this. After 5 years, they made me the great favor of letting me take what is mine.
As for the others' experience, I've only heard that all my work mates were astonished. Puzzled. Silenced for some time. The managers even had meetings trying to calm down the others. "There's no list!" they said. Sure, there is no official list, but I'm almost sure that there's a small blacklist some people carry around, waiting for opportunities.
I silently left. No big scenes. No tears. No handshakes. No 'goodbye, take care'. Good job, HR.
It was the normal Tuesday 13, things were so-so. I was smoking a cig waiting for my 15:30 bi-weekly meeting. One minute before the meeting, I put off my cig and head to the video conference room. Turn on the VC and the computer, remotely log on to my desktop, there was a message window blinking in my taskbar. Short message from my boss: "today's meeting will be in the Interview Room". Hmm, ok, 'be right there', I said.
And I was right there. With my local Human Resource gal. On the other side of the table (read 'video conference system' or 'on TV') were my boss and his local Human Resource asshole. With an equal voice, my boss lets me know that "your position will be relocated to QA, this being based on the company (global crisis) policy of cost reduction and your low performance". I was a bit surprised, but not too much, counting the presence of "my friend", the HR.
All in all, a 'great' experience. After more than 5 years working for that company, they almost literally kicked me out of the company and the company premises. I was not allowed to send a farewell email to my fellow colleagues, still they made me the 'favor' of giving me the opportunity to take any personal files I would like to. Right. Try saving lots of Gigs of pictures (both only personal and company events related), personal (copyrighted or not) music and hundreds of personal documents in 5 minutes, on your... well, always keep an external harddisk on your desk for those special occasions. I wasn't, so I left with no files. I even left there personal belongings like my motorbike helmet, my snowboard boots (don't ask me why they were there, they just were) and tons of other stuff.
I even had a bodyguard, the local system administrator, on specific orders that I don't send any email and I have to leave in 5 minutes. He stood there, looking over my shoulder to what I am doing on my computer, yelling "No email! No email!" as I was trying to send a 'Thank You' message to my boss. Really, the guy was a great boss and we got together pretty well both work-related and on personal relation. No, I was not allowed to send this. After 5 years, they made me the great favor of letting me take what is mine.
As for the others' experience, I've only heard that all my work mates were astonished. Puzzled. Silenced for some time. The managers even had meetings trying to calm down the others. "There's no list!" they said. Sure, there is no official list, but I'm almost sure that there's a small blacklist some people carry around, waiting for opportunities.
I silently left. No big scenes. No tears. No handshakes. No 'goodbye, take care'. Good job, HR.
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