Working in IT for the last 12 years layoffs have just become part of the atmosphere, something you take for granted...what's the current 401K match and what would my severance package be if I don't make it out alive? On one hand it's hard to know that at any given time they could just let you go (as if you were a fish hanging on a hook), but on the other hand people like me just get used to it. When one door closes another opens, it also helps that I have only been affected by one layoffs in all my years...spent one month looking for a new job and landed one that gave me a 25% raise. Needless to say I don't really have a bad taste for these RIF's (Reduction In Force, which is the new PC word for "you suck but we don't want to have to deal with firing you").
Even with my cheery attitude about these expected cut backs I have noticed an alarming new trend, one that I refuse to partake in. The complete and utter lack of motivation and pride in one's work. I take absolute pride in everything I do and couldn't imagine slacking off, what if today's my last day sucking air and I am remembered as the person that didn't care enough to do their best? Nope won't happen.
I bring all of this up because we have another round of RIF's happening on January 20th. When MCI was acquired by Verizon we consisted of 45,000 employees, which in comparison to Verizon that is 250,000 strong we were a small company. Of course there were a lot of overlapping personnel that didn't need to be around and I appreciate Verizon keeping their own and laying off us MCIer's. But to this day people like me that were included in the MCI purchase are still stigmatized...my name is Crystal Wells fMCI on all my paperwork, for former MCI. Our once 45,000 person staff is down to 1,800 and we are losing another 11% in two weeks. Like I said though, I am not scared of this but rather embrace the fact that my title could finally lose that stupid little "f" that I have carried around for years if I were to get laid off and find a new job.
With the pending layoffs coming up it's like my emails are disappearing into thin air, I send out one asking for testing or support and get nothing. I understand why people are reluctant to give it their all for a company that clearly wants them gone, but comon' people, I don't know about you but I am still getting a paycheck. Very frustrating.
1 comment:
It's like we've always said. People just skate by... even when I'm only working half-assed somehow I still end up looking like a star. That's how bad everyone else is, or how good I am depending on how you want to look at it. I'm going to choose to see it as how good I am. Me at half power is still better than most my co-workers at full strength. It's either really depressing or totally inspiring (for me of course, not for America).
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