Planned proposal

Two days ago I heard from a colleague that there was a mandatory business meeting for everyone in the office to attend. I was on annual leave though. So this morning when I got in, I was invited into a meeting room with two other colleagues who were also off yesterday, and we were told, that there are plans to close down the Glasgow office and shift the work to Poland. I won't mention my employer's name in this blogpost. The plans are still at "proposal stage" and nothing is confirmed. However, they want to give us all a heads up, because there are 91 staff members left here, after recent departure of another client group. Basically, if these proposed plans went ahead, we would all face redundancy.

When I heard the scripted official statement read out, it brought back a sense of deja vu for my time at Ford Customer Relationship Centre. I was only six months into the job when they officially announced the closing of the Glasgow office to relocate to the Midlands. My goodness, how devastated I was after hearing that. Back then I only had six months left before the changeover. Fortunately, the staff were all given lots of support to job-hunt and time off for interviews etc. That was how I came across my current employer, making it almost three years since I've been here. This time hearing the news, it was not as shocking or impacting as the first time it happened. Maybe because there were only five people in the room in contrast to the almost 90 people who would have heard it together yesterday. If the proposed plans go through the office will have until July/ August/ September 2010 to live before it goes.

Though my immediate future is planned out and I have job security, my heart goes out to those in the office who are feeling lost right. Those who don't know what to do, where to go and why this has happened. The unemployment rate is at an all-time high, so job competition will be fierce. I know that feeling from a few years ago. At least back then I was young and would be willing to take up any full time job to keep a living. However, there are more older workers here. Those who have dedicated their lives to this company, working very hard and learning processes, systems, IT skills etc in order to serve the clientele. What about them? Where are they going to go? They might question whether they are still employable, amidst the sea of youthful competition. It's sad, but I wish them all the best. Nobody could forsee this happening. Nobody has done anything to cause this either. It's cost-cutting, at it's finest. And it has happened so close to home!

Throughout the day my mind has been reflecting on how blessed and fortunate I am to have my driving instructor qualification now. I truly feel it has happened in God's time. Can you imagine me trying to sit an instructor exam with a cloud of sadness over me? Or with the feeling that my job/ redundancy/ future depended on whether I passed the exam? How much pressure that would be. I'm not sure how it would have worked that way, and I don't want to imagine it. Right now, I am very thankful to God for leading me to where I am today. Right at this moment, I feel God's love and care for me. I feel secure in His love and knowing that my future is safe in His hands. I will try to remember to pray for my colleagues as they start job hunting and try to find some security in life now. Not much more I can say here, but personally I am so thankful to God. =)

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