“Slaves can’t be fired: they get sold”
As I mentioned in my latest blog my company is cutting jobs. This week, thursday the 26th to be exact, it’s “bijltjesdag” as they say in Dutch. Roughly translated this means it is the day when people will get ‘the axe’ – a nice euphemism for saying they wil get a pink slip. As I explained before I can’t be ‘fired’ in the legal sense of the word. They can just say they will not extend my current contract. In which case I will not get any unemployment benefits and will roughly have a month to find another job.
Because of this sword of Damocles hanging above each and everyone’s head (in some departments every 1 out 2 people will be fired) the mood at work is all but great. I have great difficulties – like my collegues – to motivate myself to go to work every day. Off course I have been looking around for another job ever since they announced the restructuring, but so far I had only 1 job interview and the sorry bastard never ever called me back (the guy was supposedly from a professional head hunters & recruiting firm but turned out to be all BUT professional).
Today’s newspaper alone reported of more then 9100 lay-offs at the Dutch defense department (our ‘army’). And another 6000 jobs will be cut at some IT-firm here in Holland. Let’s face it: the Dutch economy is in bad shape and it’s not going to improve soon. That’s for sure! The outlook isn’t that bright and since I’m 36 I better find something with a future soon! I do not feel like job-hopping till I’m ready for my retirement (“pensioen” in Dutch).
Oh well. Recently I got some money from my savings account from the last 6 years at Netcast and Lost Boys and I’m afraid that I will have to use that as a buffer untill I fiend something suitable. In between my girlfriend is trying to buy a house (which I finance a little as well), I’m trying to get set for our vacation in July (we’re going to Paris) and I am contemplating of buying a digital videocamera (which off course I will or will not do if the 26th truns out bad for me).
But enough of the complaining: at least I will see my girlfriend again in a few weeks time! Tomorrow I have to bring my car to the garage for its first 20k tune-up. For now I figure I might watch some TV of play SOF2 for a few hours… Anything to escape the thought of losing my job…. Escapism at its best (or worst).
Keep you guys posted!