How I Became Unemployed

I've been toying with whether or not I wanted to share this. I've decided to tell my story. Names have been omitted to protect the guilty and the innocent. If you know me in person, you'll know where I worked, but probably wouldn't know the people anyway. I've left that information anonymous too.

In April, while I was at the main offices for my quarterly visit, a meeting was called for all in my department. We were told we would be merged with another, given a new director, and our current director was going to be a part of a new team with a different title. The how’s and why’s were not really discussed. Neither were the details on how it would all come into play and when the official change would be made. The VP of the whole would be gone for two weeks and the former director and new director were to work out the changes to be put in place when the VP returned.

FYI – here is the old organizational chart:

          VP

o   New Director (who’s been under VP as long as old director)

*  Supervisor 1         

·         Team

o   Old Director

*  Supervisor 2

·         Team

New organizational chart:

          VP

o   New Director    

*  Supervisor 1

·         6-7 from team

*  Supervisor 2

·         6-7 from team

Two days later, another meeting took place with the new director and her team, the old director and his team. We discussed how we did things and what would need to change. The two teams were re-assigned to the two supervisors. There would be more meetings to come with individuals to discuss how they would now be utilizing their positions and changes to their duties.

Friday of that week, my last day before going home, I met with the new director and two supervisors. I was told, by the new director, that she wasn’t sure she wanted me on the team because I do not live locally (with the changes, I was the only person on her team that hold the title “outside rep” because I do not live local to the main offices) and that hasn’t worked well for her in the past. I was asked if I would relocate back to AL/FL. The answer was “no,” even without consulting my husband. I was then told that she would need to discuss with the VP what would need to be done.

For two months I was in limbo. No new trips were approved and anything beyond what was already booked was cancelled…for the new team members. The old team members were still “business as usual.” I was back in CA by now. I had a phone conversation in May with the new director. I was no closer to an answer on my status than I was in April.

In May I made arrangements to visit my husband, who was in Andalusia to train a new call center. There was also supposed to be a team meeting at the main offices. So, even though I was on vacation, I made arrangements to drive down so I could be a part of that meeting with my full team. Honestly, the day ended up being a waste of time and nothing was accomplished that was supposed to be accomplished. But I made the effort and I wanted that on record to the lady who was trying to get rid of me.

In June I was finally able to get a trip approved. It ended up being my last.

On Monday morning, July 8, at 8 AM, I got the phone call that I knew was coming. I was being let go. I think my favorite part of the call was how the director used various excuses that were never an issue before that phone call. But I have a feeling she couldn’t fire me because she didn’t want me on her team. “Having a remote rep hasn’t worked well for me in the past” is not a valid excuse when firing someone, so you must come up with other reasons that have never been addressed in the past.

* Low productivity – my job had never been about numbers. There was never a quota to be met at any event. They had just started looking at numbers in January, but there still was never a quota for trips.

* Not finishing my Bachelor’s degree – I was never told I HAD to have it or given a time frame to complete it by, even though the position technically required one for all new hires.

* Lack of initiative – I’m sorry, who took a day from her VACATION to sit in on a team meeting that she hadn’t been required to be a part of?  (FYI – this reason makes me mad more than the others do)

Those were the three reasons she actually gave, along with the term “various other reasons”.

So there you have it. The story of how I came to be unemployed.

Oh, and FYI – I had been with this organization for ten years!

I'm currently on the job hunt. I had two interviews last week and I had a call back for one of them. I go for my second interview for one of the positions tomorrow afternoon.

And, thankfully, despite the pressure of being jobless, I feel so much less stress in my life now!