Free at Last
Much as I may have emotionally quit a long time ago, the decision was made final this Monday. I am no longer employed at the thankless job that I’ve held for the past year. I can’t help but be reminded of the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. quote, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
I was actually surprised with how the whole thing happened. They let my supervisor go earlier that day on some bogus assertion that he was running his own competing company on the side. I know the man and respect him, and I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as bad as they put it. More than likely, he did some pro bono work on his grandmother’s online photo album and they freaked out.
Whatever the case, the whole of my department was on the verge of quitting the moment this happened. It had long been established that I was next in line for his position (yet another thankless, low-pay job that I didn’t want). So I decided that afternoon to let them know how I had been looking for another job and that I would only continue working there until I received a better offer.
Granted, the whole point of this was to scare them into promoting me. The end result was my dismissal within the hour. I should have expected as much, I suppose. As expected, my “good cause” contract didn’t stop them from doing this. The letter of termination I recently received listed their reason as being that I was working on my own projects at work. Nevermind the fact that experimentation and self-tutoring are part of the job, especially during the sort of lull we were in at the time. Nevermind that every last person in my department does exactly what they terminated me for. Of course, I very much doubt that they’ll have any department left by the end of the week.
Whatever the excuse, I expected the reason to be as insubstantial as it turned out to be. No, I’m quite certain that I was fired from a paranoid corporation that can’t stomach the thought of its employees wanting a better lot in life. I certainly hope that their workforce doesn’t turn out to be as disposable as they are treated. As I joked with my coworkers, “Today’s program is brought to you by the letters S, L, A, V, and E.”
I am, of course, enjoying some time off to spend with my family and look for a new job. My wife and I are pretty stringent with our budget, so I’m sure we’ll be able to manage for a few months. I only hope that my next employers appreciate me more than my last ones did.