I went into work earlier than usual today, at 7:30 a.m, so I could leave early to get the house ready for my cousin who is visiting from England. My boss had told me yesterday there would be an impromptu all-staff meeting at 10a.m. and to make myself available. When I got in, I accessed my machine but Outlook was down. That had never happened before and as time went on, I started to feel sorry for the tech guy. He was going to be getting it because the clock was ticking and people were just standing around not doing any work.
At 10 a.m. the HR lady came to get me. "Didn't Susie (not my boss' real name) tell me about the meeting? Come on," she said. I followed. I sat down. I wondered where everybody was. The computers weren't working so nobody had any excuse to be late. Usually, the conference room was packed for the staff meeting and folks had to bring in extra chair, but today there were only a handful of us.
Anyway, I sat down and cheerfully said hello. No one responded. "OK," I thought.
The interim Executive Director starts to speak and she's not looking like her usual exuberant self. She says something about having to read what she has to say so she won't miss anything.
Something, something, something, economic times and difficulty, shifting resources, something, something and then the bomshell: "your positions have been eliminated."
WHAT????
Hello? My husband and I just spent a fortune fixing the house. My son just started a private preschool. What the hell do they mean my position has been eliminated.
Then the HR lady begins to explain benefits and letters we have to sign if we want to accept whatever severance package they can afford to give us. Blah, blah, blah.
At this point, I just wanted to get out, get my music and my kids' pictures from my computer and leave. Someone asks if she can retrieve her resume and contacts list. The HR lady says No. They ;ater allow us to get our stuff, thank God for that one woman who kept crying otherwise they probably wouldn't have.
We eventually get out and go round saying our goodbyes. The other workers have been told that the privileged few who got the invitation to the staff meeting had all been laid off. Some are waiting in tears to receive us and wish us well.
And that was it. A chapter of my life closed. I truly loved that job.
What did I do? I started my weekend early. I went home and made jollof rice and chicken stew.
Reality will set in on Monday morning when my ass has nowhere to go.
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