Friday was a weird day. As mentioned before, this is my first corporate job. First time at an international company. First time dealing with an HR department. What can I say, I've enjoyed being in quirky jobs.
At 1:30 our creative director (who was up from LA for the day) called us all to join him in a conference room. Emergency meeting. It was the whole design department, plus the VP who supervises our creative director. The only person missing was Stressed-out Eeyore. I was a little confused and right as I was about to ask, "Where's SEO?" our creative director, Big Man announced that as of that instant, SOE was no longer with the company. She was in with the HR woman finding out the details. We all had to stay in the conference room while she was given privacy to clear out her space. We don't have cubicles in our department, everything is fairly open so the only way to guard her dignity was to make us all leave. After an hour and a half of chatting, brainstorming some stuff, we HAD to get back to work. I came back in to send an email and she was still here.
I made a sad scrunch-face as I passed (she was on the phone) and she teared up a bit. She pulled it together and kept tidying up as many loose ends as she could in a couple hours. It's a sign of her character that she was more worried about leaving us in the lurch than about being fired. We all did hugs and exchanged business cards before she left.
That being said, I was happy as I looked ahead to work today. As much as she had a generous, care-giving heart, it was covered up by a very abrasive personality. I don't have to worry that every time I get up from my desk someone will bark, "OTRgirl, what are you working on now?!" I'm sure my work-load will increase, but I'll take it for the overall peace that will be in the department. Yet I feel guilty for being relieved she's gone.
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In other sad news, on Saturday I found out that Aunt Ruby's husband died of a massive heart attack. Of all my seven uncles, he's the one that I personally knew the least. As we all know though, funerals and memorials are for the living as much as for the dead. Aunt Ruby came out to help while my Mom died of cancer and I want to go to the funeral to thank her for that and to see her kids. Her daughter is the cousin closest to me in age. In the midst of tragic circumstances, it will be good to see my family again. As Aunt Bird said, "The next time we all get together it better be for a wedding! I can't take anymore funerals for a while!!"
7 comments:
I understand your ambivalence about your co-worker. It is a shame she lost her job, but at the same time, it sounds like the managers made the right call. I hope things run more smoothly in the office, and maybe she will find something that's a better fit.
I'm sorry to hear about your uncle
Sorry about your uncle. Reconnecting with family at my grandfather's funeral was definitely the silver lining in that cloud for me. May it be the same for you.
What made your company decide to fire SOE? How did they know?
Damn, another funeral... sorry about your uncle. I agree with your Aunt Bird - somebody better get married soon!
Wow. I've heard about corporate firings... where I work, it's virtually impossible for anyone to get fired so I've never experienced that kind of emotion... it'd be weird. I am echoing Rachel and hope that things will be more peaceful for you at work and that she'll find something soon.
my office mate is going through an "eval" right now and she'll probably be let go.. it's just a really awkward situation.
I'm glad you are going...I looked into flights and it was out of my range. My mom, Aunt Bird, and Aunt Country Signer are driving down thursday. Give extra hugs for me :)
I'm sorry to hear about your uncle, and I definitely hope the next time your family gets together it's for a much happier occasion.
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