Another Sad Song...

Everybody has got their's from one point in their life or another. My most recent one comes from work.

About 10 months ago, my employer added a new word to my vocabulary. Corporate Consolidation. I am sure if you look it up in good ole Webster, you will see the following description.

You're being downsized, you silly stupid girl.

Last October, we were told that our office was being closed and we were merging with our other office in town. No one was really too concerned at the time because we all had been there longer then anyone at the other office.

I worked in a small office with 3 other women. We were close, we had no choice. Our office was tiny and there was no way to not be in each other's space. We had to make it work.

Well, the next bomb they dropped on us, took all of us by surprise. One of us would be stepping down into part-time and one of us would not be returning after the 1st of the year. This was a heart breaking blow. The reality of being replaced after 3 1/2 years by people who hadn't been here even 6 months yet, was a hard truth to swallow.

We started the grueling task of re-applying for our jobs. If you haven't had the joy of this, count your blessings. The interview was worse. What do you say to make your self look better knowing that the more you say, the more you may possibly be taking from someone you know very well. How do you administer that blow and still sleep at night? Well, it turns out that none of us really did.

The end result of the interview process was that they could not in clear conscience let one of us go. They offered our two veterns their same positions, and myself and The Grinch were offered part-time positions. The downside to being offered a lesser position is that you aren't really being offered anything. It's a take-it-or-leave-it situation. You take what they are offering or leave.

Well, there aren't a whole lot of jobs here in Nowhere, what's a girl to do? I took my part-time offering with a resenting heart and a grain of salt. In my meeting, they did offer up one little ray of light. The magic word was Unemployment Compensation. They were not going to contest any claim that I made for lost hours.

I have been part-time now since January 1. Times have been tough, but I'm still living. I got to know a few people along they way and I am glad things turned out they way they did. I have been lucky along they way to benefit from other's misfortune (as bad as that sounds).

Back in May, one teller went on medical leave. I picked up hours to cover her slack. I was working almost 40 hours every week for 13 weeks. Then, our vault teller went on medical leave. Not only was I getting 40 hours, but I was filling in for her.

Life was good. And reality is a bitch.

September's schedule just came out. Wheat Thin pulled my aside to tell me that she is going to get me as close to 30 hours as she can. The expression that came across my face must have really been something. Because she was forced to remind me that 'after all, I am only part-time'.

Sometimes, I guess you just have to learn to take the goood with the bad.

I don't know why I felt compelled to tell you my story this morning. Maybe I just needed to get it off my chest.