Sunday, October 07, 2007

So Much For My Brilliant Career!

I didn’t tell you about it, but this has been brewing for at least the last 6 months : the organization where I work has been planning to cut its staff by a third. Since it’s an international non-profit organization, the reason for such a drastic move is not a drop in profit, a slowing demand or obsolete products that nobody wants to buy. No, it’s simply because : a) some poorer member States haven’t paid their contributions for years, so now that the contingency fund is exhausted, there's not enough money to cover the operational costs and b) member States who could afford to pay their contributions are getting tired of paying and decided that some cuts have to be made. I work as a translator/reviser in the Language Branch. The French Section has nine Professional staff, five of which will be fired, among them yours truly.

I received my pink slip last Friday. I was told that my post has been abolished and I will have to leave at the end of the year, with three months of compensation. Since I have a signed contract until the end of August 2008, I told them that I will appeal the decision, but that didn’t seem to bother them too much. After all, 110 posts in total will be abolished, so I guess they are used to hear the word "appeal".

My friends and colleagues in the French Section were very upset at the news and supportive of the five "firees". Everybody came to see me in my office to cheer me up, most of them asking why they didn't fire X or Y, instead of me.

They invite all the firees to lunch that day. So I’m still out of a job, but at least I’ve got a free meal out of it, hehehehe…


My colleagues


My thoughtful and mature reaction to the news

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Et tu as un plan de rechange pour 2008?

Anonymous said...

Ah oui au fait, pour le majeur pointe, cette fois ci je te l' accorde.

Buddhist with an attitude said...

Ben mon plan A, c'est de gagner mon appel. Le Plan B c'est de faire de la pige. Je ne suis pas (encore) au désespoir, mais le majeur pointé, c'est parce qu'il me restait 15 mois avant la retraite, et ils ne pouvaient même pas attendre.

Anonymous said...

Plan C: retour au pays ou pas?

Buddhist with an attitude said...

Trop tôt, je crois. Je me donnais 10 ans pour un retour en douceur.Sinon, ce serait comme l'hélicoptère sur la terrasse de l'Ambassade des É.U., mais j'y atterrirais au lieu de décoller!!LOL!

Au pire, je pourrai toujours aller loger chez toi un mois ou deux, en attendant de retomber sur mes pieds, n'est ce pas? Oui?... (bruit de criquet..)

Anonymous said...

LOL! :O)

Si tu me promets de traduire mon blog en anglais... il faudrait que j' y reflechisse alors! ;)

Mais franchement le retour en douceur est plus doux que tu ne le crois, c'est juste une question de preparation.