Terminated!

On Friday morning, A colleague and I were informed we were terminated from our jobs effective immediately. We were then given thirty minutes to clear out our offices and leave the building. Our crime? We make too much money and the agency is in fiscal decline. Now let me assure you, I didn't make a great deal of money (social workers rarely do). The plan is to have one person do both of our jobs for less than one of us earned.

What bothers me most is that we were treated like criminals. We both ran efficient programs which exceeded their goals and objectives every quarter (in my case, every quarter since starting this job 2.5 years ago). If I had been told I was being laid off for the same reason, I would have been able to accept this as a sign of the economic times, but get out in thirty minutes? Much of this treatment is easily attributed to the management style of the two individuals who kicked us out stone faced. Indeed the fiscal decline of the agency is attributable to the inaction of these two and that of the board of directors.

In my anger at such treatment, in parting I got off the zinger "Between the two of you there isn't one human soul". A bit strong? Now two days later, I feel I was given a prophetic word to speak to anyone who so little values the dignity of any human person. By the look on their faces, I think it made it's point.