End of an Era

Today is my last day at my job. A combination of circumstances made necessary some changes to the organizational structure that resulted in 14 of us, about 60% of the staff, having our positions eliminated. We found out more than two months ago, but publishing monthly products means you can't just announce cuts and send people home at the end of that day or week; due to advance production schedules, a handoff date has to be planned, and today is it.

(I apologize if I'm being somewhat vague about things, but I think it's safer not to discuss too much of the situation publicly.)

I've been here six years, and some of my coworkers who are leaving have been here for as long as 15 years. A couple are within sight of retirement, while others are under 30. People have kids, one is pregnant, one is getting married in a couple of weeks, and several have spouses that also are out of work. Some of us belong to a union, which means we have a sort of safety net for a couple of months while human resources helps us look for other job possibilities within the organization.

I have really enjoyed working here, and that's because of my coworkers. I've been very fortunate, and this is the most harmonious workplace I've ever been a part of. When you spend every day with a group of people, that makes a huge difference.

I hate looking for jobs, but it's just how things are these days. What's next for me? I don't know, but I guess I'll find out. In the meantime, I am looking forward to at least a few days of doing very little.