Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. The new year is not starting out very well…not counting the big drop in the stock market (thank goodness I moved all my stuff into fixed income investment), we had a layoff at work. Never a pleasant event, even if you are not one of unfortunate souls who were walked to the door. I, unfortunately, have had to make that walk in the past and it is not in the least any fun. In the past they would at least wait until Friday afternoon…call you in for a late afternoon meeting, and let you clean out your desk when everyone else had gone home for the weekend.
Today, they walk up to your desk at any time of the day, give you the news, and stand there as you fill a small cardboard box with a few of your personal belongings. Then if that was not enough, one of our major machines went down for unexpected repairs and we had to send most of the work force home for two days while we waited for a part to be shipped in from Europe. Then, as icing on the cake, we came to work this morning with no internet service. This is not good since most of our ability to contact vendors, contact other employees, extract data is tied to the Internet, leaving us to go “old” school. Yea, we had to actually use our phone or text to contact our vendors, plus we had to get up from our desk and walk across the hall to talk to one of our co-workers. Imagine that! I do pray that the bad stuff has finally taken its course and we can settle down to going to work without looking over our shoulder every day.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“Give a man a job and you have an employee. Teach a man how to shift blame and you have a manager.” – Unknown
(Not that I agree all managers are that way, but I have met a few that would lend truth to this statement).
DESERVING REWARD
My boss called me into his office today. “We both know you are not the brightest light bulb in the office or the sharpest pencil, but over the past five years you have never called in sick or been late. I think you deserve a reward. So, how does a brand new car sound?” “Vrooom! Vrooom!?” I replied. (Dang! For some reason he went back on his word.)
That is all I have for today. As always be good, do good, play safe and remember work is not a bad four letter word.
JR
