Layoffs Suck

In 2001, I was layed off twice in six months. The first time I had an idea it was coming, the tech company I worked for was having serious financial problems and needed to get rid of overhead, which meant employees. There were 300 of us let go that day with a decent severance package and sessions at learning how to promote ourselves. Since I knew what was going down, I had been actively searching for a job and cleaning out my desk. Since I was smart in preparing for this, when it happened I already had a job lined up.

At the new job I knew something was "off" the day I started. They were sending me to classes to learn Macromedia Director - I thought cool, something new. Also in the classes where the web designer and the owner of the company. At lunch, the owner dumped the web designer and I to go eat alone - odd... After the first week of working there, I discovered the owner loved to pit people against each other. Nothing was ever peaceful, he loved conflict and would do anything to see people miserable.

After being there three miserable months, he decided the company was moving to a nicer building. Appearances were everything to Jeff - a nice house, two new vehicles, season hockey tickets for 4 in the Igloo Club, and of course new offices. Since this was a small company, he didn't want to pay a moving company to move all the computers and servers from one office to the next - he made us do it. Needless to say the day we moved the computers it was pouring down rain and none of us were to happy with him. He decided he wasn't going to be around when we were doing all this moving - what an ass...

September 11, 2001 - I remember driving to work hearing about the first plane to crash into the WTC. I remember thinking it was Osama Bin Laden, but then pushing that thought aside as this was probably a freak accident. When I walked in the door at work, everything was as normal could be there. Someone was listening to the radio and heard a second plane had crashed into the second WTC building. I immediately became concerned and we tuned into CNN on the internet for more information. By 10 o'clock, the entire staff was huddled around a single computer watching the events of the morning unfold. At this time, Jeff, the owner left the building with his wife - no one knew where they were going and when they would be back. Tony, the VP told us to go home, to be with our families. I stuck around for a bit, but headed home around noon. Everyone else left soon after I did.

When I got to work the next day, I found out Jeff had come back to find everyone gone. Being the kind hearted person that he is (sarcastic) he called all the people at the help desk back to work. Of course the whole nation was at a standstill and no one was working, the help desk didn't log a single call that afternoon. When I turned in my timesheet for that day, he wanted me to use vacation time for the period of time Tony told us to go home. I knew at that point I didn't want to work for someone who had no regard for anyone but himself.

Business had been slow after 9/11 so in true business fashion, he layed me off. I think I cried for an hour, then rejoiced. This was a way for me to get out of a bad situation, look for another job and collect unemployment.

It took me four months to have the job at TrueFit land in my lap, and I thank the good Lord above he sent it to me.

Fast Forward to last week... At TrueFit, I work with the "Lilly" team. Lilly contracts TrueFit to develop and test some portions of their software. I work on a .Net project called Exchange which moves data back and forth across development platforms. It's actually a pretty cool thing. Some of Lilly's development team was based in Cranberry Township and we shared office space with them. Since my project exchanges data between different systems, I worked with the Lilly team that is in our shared office space.

Anyway, Lilly was purchased last week by a company that is much larger and looks at the bottom line more than Lilly did. This company came in and decided which products they wanted to keep and which ones they didn't. One of the ones they didn't want to keep was the one being worked on at Lilly in Cranberry Township. The big boss came into town on Friday and layed the entire Lilly staff off at their Cranberry Township office. I had to watch as these people packed up their stuff and left the building. I didn't know how to feel, I had always been the one leaving and never thought about being one of the ones left behind. Friday, we were left to wonder if we would have a job at the end of next week. I started cleaning out my desk - the guys think I'm crazy - I am just trying to emotionally prepare myself like I had before. The big wigs called a meeting to let us know that the new company was still going to use us, but they weren't sure at what capacity. I am sitting here worried for myself and worried for those people that may not have a job at the end of next week. I think about the guys whose wives don't work, how will they support themselves? I know from experience that it always seems like the sun will never rise in the morning, but when it finally does, it always shines brighter than ever before.

Things always happen for a reason, as I learned. The first layoff didn't affect me, but the second did. I questioned myself and my abilities as an employee. I also questioned whether or not I deserved to have another good job. I really had to take a step back and evaluate myself before I was able to take a step forward.

This coming week is going to be a test, one which I hope I pass. Either way, the trip has been fun. Will I continue down the path I am on, or will I be lead down another path? Each path will make me stronger, I am sure of that. I am fortunate in that I have two careers I can fall back on, Marketing and QA. Some people don't have that sort of opportunity and I am blessed that I do.