#024 Financial ConsideraShawn

You know what really grinds my gears?  

Upper Management types; in particular, one in my office. The General Manager and CFO for our division.

Under her 2 years in these roles we have seen the largest decrease in sales and profit, the most lay-offs in the 5 years - except for the Finance Dept which has doubled in the last 3 years. I'm not sure how one can rationalize doubling the department that controls all the money when said money has decreased annually during the same period. 

What’s even more of a joke is we have a client that owes us close to a  million dollars. Her brilliant solution is to open new accounts and provide new products and services to this client. Oh, and sending a far too politely worded email every 4-6 weeks kindly asking for a bit of the outstanding balance. I have more than once suggested we withhold all products and services from this client for one week.  As a private medical clinic group, they would soon buckle and pay up. But no, due to a culture of appeasing clients at any cost, regardless of the negative impact to OUR company and employees, we continue having to cut corners and people to make budgetary minimums. 

The latest lay-offs (which I mentioned back on Jan 7th) included 3 extremely hard working individuals. In the case of the individual that worked 2 desks away from me, the hole her lay-off has created now means that the remaining employees in the department have to pick up her tasks, including but not limited to her direct Manager (who knows NOTHING about the task involved) and one of the Finance Dept. employees, who fortunately knows more than the Manager (as she once worked daily in our Dept..)

I'm not saying I'm a financial whiz, but I know when someone is not paying up, or when you have an employee that is as useful as a superfluous nipple... Cut. Them. Off.   What amazes me is that those with any position to do something don’t see this or are afraid that acting on it now would bring them down too.  In the mean time, it’s denial as usual at the office… 

For now, I'll cling to T.G.I.F...  

#007 Corporate Re-organizaShawn

Dodging the Corporate Restructuring Bullet is not easy. I was successful today. Thankfully.

I've seen about a dozen small to large lay-offs in the company I work for, in my 7 1/2 years so far. Knock wood, I've made it through all of them. 

When you see a couple upper management types walk into your department and close the door, you know the axe is falling. The question is 'where'?

As much as you feel bad for those that are gone, you have to hold on to the fact that you're still there, you still have a job. And you have to not dwell on the nagging question that want's your undivided attention... 'could I be next?' 

The truth is, any of us could be next and there's very little you can do to be avoid being one of the next unlucky drones. You can pour your heart and soul into your job, be a model employee, be with the company for 3 years or 18+. It makes no difference. I've seen that today.

Most cuts, when you really look at it, make sense. Today was not the case. I'm sure if you did a poll in the office, no one that was escorted out would have been on the list. Not that you would wish this on anyone, but knowing looks and water cooler fodder quickly provides an alternate short list.

But for now I'm going to have to put all that behind me, as I'm being called into Mr Vodka's Office...