OFF YOU GO!

Well, your service is no longer required. Off you go!!

For those salaried employees (like yours truly here), we are always complaining having to do the job yet, at the same time worrying that we might lose it. It was like, “Hey! If you hate your job so much, why are you worried that you might lose it? Why can’t you just change your bloody job and move on?”

I used to have the habit of quitting my job as and when I feel like it as I fully abused my advantage of being young and available. I was never afraid of losing my job till lately.

A colleague of mine, let’s call her Ms Stiletto, (she wears a 5 inches stiletto to work) who had been with the Company for 7 years, was suddenly asked to leave. She was the President’s Personal Assistant. She had been with the Company and started off as a PA to the Deputy President, then slowly climb the corporate ladder of secretary ship to where she is now.

She was seconded to be a Customer Service Consultant (a de-motivating demotion) as the President thought her service is not needed. How could a president not have a secretary? We all know, most of the time, secretaries or PA to the President/ CEO/ MD are quite important, as they are the people who would be the mediator between the management and the VIP himself (And some really rotten ones too, who are out to give you a shitty working life). For your information, Ms Stiletto not only act as a PA to the President, she is also reporting to an Executive Director and another General Manager. The dismissal, whatever the reason is, I guess is totally befuddling and cruel. It is not misconduct for sure.

Instead of being seconded to Customer Service, she insisted to stay on and boldly demanded for other valid reasons, as the first one – service is not needed is totally absurd. He made a sweeping remark that there isn’t much work for her to do from his side and other directors as well. How could you even make a statement on behalf of other people? This is insane. This is unfair. The other deputy, who shared the adjacent room to Mr Xmas was furious as he had to share the same PA with him. Downsizing? Cost cutting?

Instead of getting an explanation, all she’s gotten is an alternative. She could pack her bags and leave. She opted for the latter, with a heavy heart.

Today is her last day, and I am very depressed to see her go.

How would you feel if you had been working and slogging your ass off for the Company and towards the end, all you get is this?

Life is cruel, whether we like it or not.

How do we safeguard ourselves from such pitfalls?

Venturing into your own business is risky, and you need loads of capital. You can be either very lucky or very unlucky. Marrying off to a rich man/woman would temporary solve your problem, but would the marriage last? A friend of mine married a rich bugger and hesitant to leave, even if the husband abused her. Reality can be so harsh.

Well, all I can say is, probably one need to have a buffer even with a good job – it might be gone tomorrow. Nothing is permanent.

I am already in the midst of contemplating to take up a teaching course (My first ambition when I was a still a child, was to be a Cikgu). Some friends commented that I would be a good Cikgu – since I am so garang. Ha ha. That is not the case now, you smack the child a bit, you would be seeing the spoilt brat’s parents at the headmaster’s office. Sigh. Not a good job prospect for someone who already has hypertension, I think.

There are a few jobs which one can do, with almost surety, that you won’t get fired - doctors and nurses, unless you commit grave misconduct – but doctors and nurses have professional negligence insurance….

Ah.. and Sekinchan Boy should consider being a padi planter, as everyone still needs rice, unless everyone is on Atkin’s Diet.

Like the old Cantonese saying, "If cannot work in the East, we can always go to the West." As long as we still have the ability to work, just slog on and be hopeful that tomorrow will always be a brighter day.

Good luck, my dear Ms Stiletto.