Journal: March 7, 2009

[kalinda001]

Second day of journalling. Yesterday I talked a bit about my obsessive writing habit. Today, since it's Saturday and a weekend, of course the topic would be about...work.


How many people would love to retire right now, raise up their hands? But of course that is assuming that we have enough resources to retire on, which sadly, I don't yet. What I would love to be able to do is to quit and just do what I love for a living, which would be writing. But as that is not about to happen any time soon, I'm stuck with working.

I've long been thinking of quitting and going onto a new job. But of course that was before everything blew up. Now, I'm just resigned to have a job at all. Which is really not a happy or satisfying reason to stay anywhere. I really emphasize with how Avon felt. Which may be why I keep making plans to leave and do my own thing. Though if this company keeps pissing its employees off and showing us how little we matter to them, then I might reach that 'last straw' stage.

There is one thing that they have done right recently which is really out of the blue. Hardly in character for them. Rather than deciding to lay people off, they've made a decision to cut salaries across the board, the percentage depending on your position. It doesn't cover the other less-than-stellar policies but it is something. SIgnificant during this economic climate. Doesn't make me trust them that much more - I'm sure they weighed their bottom lines first before deciding anything - but there is an uneasy truce of sorts for now. It still doesn't make it a happy place to be but at least there is a place to go.

At the moment, as some of you know, I'm really bored at work. Just came off a project and am waiting for the next one. Been doing make-work training but pretty much finished that. So I'm basically twidding my thumbs. At least I do have internet access at work and have been able to do some writing. That explains my increased output lately.

That's it for today.

Comments

[debris4spike]

Decisions. decisions ... being self-employed. I have other problems in my working life ... So, thanks for sharing.

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

I imagine that there are many things you have to take care of being self-employed that I wouldn't normally have to think about.

[debris4spike]

I think the things I notice are lack of holidays ... sick pay etc.

I suppose both have good and bad points, and depending on our mood of the moment is how we see the day.

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

I've been wondering whether I should quit and go the contracting route. Many of my colleagues have. The pay is much better at the expense of stability, benefits, etc. But I guess at the moment, stability is a concern.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I've long been thinking of quitting and going onto a new job. [...] I might reach that 'last straw' stage.

That's what I did a few years ago, wanting a complete change of direction, and again last year when they pissed me off too much for me to stay. This did not turn out well. If things don't improve, and I don't think they will, I'll have to write and/or sell hand knitting and jewellery.

Here they're thinking of going to a 9-day fortnight which means a 10% cut in salaries across the board. I'd had jumped at that back when I was a programmer.

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

Yes. I hear you. I think if it had been before the big meltdown, I might have chanced it. I had reached that pissed off point and had already brushed up my resume and was looking for opportunities.

It's good that you have skills that you can use to make money with.

A 9-day fortnight is a good idea too. It's too bad that more companies don't do that.