The ground is unsteady beneath me

[dorchadas]

Came in this morning to an email from the vice president that there were changes afoot. Several people were being shuffled around, new opportunities, maintain and expand our place in the growing market of you know how these things go. I read it because it's good to know what's going on--those who have not swords can still die upon them--and near the end was a notice that I was being directed affected by being moved to a different team.

It's not a major change, since my new boss sits in the same room as my old boss, I've worked with them before on another projectm and I don't talk or interact with my boss that much anyway, but it's a little disconcerting to not have any announcement made to me. Not an email from my old boss, not an email from my new one, neither of them mentioning anything to me... And coupled with the note at the end of the vice president's mailing that more people were being turfed out, though with "dignity and respect," well. It's hard to maintain a level head.

I remember not long after I was hired, my then-boss mentioned that the department I worked in was a good one because there weren't a lot of major upheavals. And then six months later the division manager and assistant division manager were suddenly fired, and then the biannual layoffs began and will probably continue until morale improves. It's like the best take on those millennial articles:

Pundits: "Why aren't millennials buying diamonds or houses?"
Us: "Economic precarity makes any long term planning impossible."
Pundits: "It must be because they're lazy and buying too much brunch."

I think I just heard my now-old boss mention that they were surprised by the changes too, which is a great mark of effective leadership and direction.

I really wish I were better at Japanese so I could just turf all this out and do what I've discovered I really enjoy.

In-progress Addendum: My now-old boss came over to chat while I had this sitting open in the background. They weren't particularly impressed with how this was handled--they knew it was coming, but though it would be more direct rather than being stuffed in the bottom of a generic update email--but said they'd be meeting with my new boss to transition things over and work out how my annual review would work since we're on a new system now with different metrics. They also said they'd approve all of my pending time off. So while I remain worried, I am no longer covered in a cloud of doom like I was when I started this post.

Maybe this is why I was stressed earlier? Displayed worry from the future?

Comments

[pshaw_raven]

Let's ruin the economy, make it impossible to find employment that's both meaningful and allows someone to sustain themselves, crash the housing market, destroy the environment, and then tell Millenials all their problems are caused by selfies and entitlement! - Boomers

[dorchadas]

I'm doing my part to support the economy by not buying brunch!

No, wait, that doesn't support the economy. It's the other thing.

[tilmon]

I just read where Millennials are directly responsible for Applebee's being on life support. It's probably all that failure to eat meals with names that aren't portmanteaued.

[dorchadas]

I mean, maybe if Applebee's made better food...

[tilmon]

What, you don't like instant rice? Dang Millennials will be the death of Rice-a-Roni and Shake-n-Bake next.

[dorchadas]

We have a Zōjirushi rice cooker, so I'm fulfilling the millennial stereotype of spending a ton of money on brunch while also not consuming enough and therefore killing capitalism!

(schoolpsychnerd is the one who buys the avocados)

[dorchadas]

Though I am considering a personal policy of not voting for any politician who isn't at risk of dying from climate change.

[tilmon]

So, what your saying is, let's imprison them at sea level? I like the cut of your jib.

[dorchadas]

I mean, according to them, they have nothing to worry about, so...