Thrown out

Tuesday

Head of my departments books a flight to Wrocław for Friday (he travels there in business).

Wednesday evening. A fake meeting with fake agenda, yet real participants is called for Thursday morning (8 a.m.).

Thursday morning. The head of my department turns up to attend the meeting and is given a sack with immediate effect (his job contract formally will be terminated in 3 months with regular notice period at the end of which he will get a severance package due under an ongoing layoff programme). He manages to return to his desk and write a farewell e-mail to his subordinates before his access to computer is cut off. I pass him by while walking to the office. I am astonished to see him carrying a cardboard box. He thanks me for good service and seeing me speechless for a while he admits he is equally surprised.

Being made redundant in a corporation is similar to sudden decease. The pace of both processes is horrifying and so is the shock afterwards. Recent goings on in the New Factory bring to mind several waves of layoffs I endured while at the Employer’s.

On Thursday afternoon a short meeting is called to comment on the situation. The explanation what the reason behind the move has been does not hold water. The (former) head of department’s boss tells us the intention was to reduce number of directors in the division, therefore… the vacancy after him will be filled shortly. Then, as always in such situations, the team is instructed to carry on business as usual (adore the phrase which lacks a Polish equivalent).

With hindsight I realise the dismissed director had not lived up to a new chief officer’s expectations and a seasoned observed could have noticed that. Nevertheless, during several talks (face to face and during exchanged of plenty of phone calls, e-mails and messages) with my workmates I was asked the question “why”. The official version remains that it was a bolt of the blue (I would not tell anybody he failed to deliver).

The earthquake is over, now time to pick up the pieces and wait for the new nomination which is to be announced with days rather than weeks. Despite having worked in the ruthless industry for nearly a decade, I still feel disgusted by the style in which wicked corporation reduce headcount and how FTEs disappear suddenly nearly like in Stalin’s Soviet Union in 1930s.

The payment for the return airplane ticket to Wrocław has not been recovered by the New Factory.

Good to have the comfort of running the blog anonymously and feeling free to post such defamatory stories…