Tuesday, February 26, 2008

This economy stinks!

Okay. I've been pretty quiet about what's been going on in my life the past month but it's time to rant a little bit. Please bear with me... but before I start I'll let you know the story has a happy ending (sort of).

The end of last month I was brought into a meeting with my boss and our HR person (not a good sign). "First quarter earnings...... tightening the budgets.....blah,blah,blah....you're position is going away.....blah,blah....severance pay......" I ended up with a month's notice and due to my length of time at the company 8.5 years I had an okay severance package. After 2 weeks of looking around for something else in my pay/skill level I decided an extended "vacation" may not be so bad. Just as I got used to that idea and figured out I had enough savings to see me through the rest of the year, the resource center (copy/mail in our building) supervisor gave 2 weeks notice.

The same day that manager came over to me and said he would offer me the position however - it's 3 grade levels below me and the pay scale was below mine. By the end of the day my manager called to say they worked out a deal so they would pay me 90% of my current income for this position. However, that's over the top of the scale and that means come April I won't be able to get the annual increase. But - and here's where they got me - if I don't take the position I lose the severance package because they have offered me a job at 90% my pay scale and I do know how to do the position (after all I trained the last supervisor). I accepted figuring at least I have my benefits and any position that comes up in my grade level I can go for without having to be at this position the usual "at least 1 year".

I should spent the past week and the rest of this week clearing up my current projects and started this new position Friday this week. Life has been playing fun little tricks with my life lately so naturally the supervisor quit early - last Thursday. I was going to work with him this week to get passwords, supply ordering information, billing procedures, etc. I got NADA! I walked into the center Friday with no help (the help was pulled to another site because of an emergency there). Friday, Monday and today have been, to say the least, crazy. We got more copy jobs and projects than normal. One job was 16 cases of books to cut down to 6x9" and 3-hole drill. At least I hunted up some help for this and he's been great. I'm just not used to doing anything like this any more. I've become a desk jockey. Give me a spreadsheet, word document, etc. and I'll make magic happen. Collating 12 documents into one bigger document with slip sheets in between (25 times) and my shoulder muscles will complain!

In the middle of all this I keep getting phone calls from people wanting me to do my former job - the one I thought I'd have until Thursday to clear up. I still have to write the monthly newsletter and update several of the websites for our other sites. ARGH!

Okay - rant over......... I'll survive and I do have a job so I can't complain too much.

Now to make me feel better I'll work on my baby sweater and if I get bored of that I'll work on my socks. At least my off time is still the same and the boys will always give me a good purr!

1 comment:

Toni said...

Well, I thought my husband's company asking him to train his replacement at the outsourcing company that is being hired to eliminate his entire department was the real low point of corporate America. NOPE. I think you have him beat. If it were me, I might have to avoid taking sock needles anywhere near work for a while--the temptation to jab someone might be too great....:)

Hang in there!!!! I think the economy will pick up after the election. No matter who wins, exactly how much worse could it get????