The Machine

 This is a blog that I wrote a couple of years ago, in 2009, I believe, after I had already been laid off twice, and a couple of months before my third layoff.  I think the message still applies in 2012...

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I have realized that if you work for a Corporation, no matter the size, that Corporation will inevitably attempt to control every aspect of your life.

For a year-and-a-half I worked for a major Corporation in the housing industry, where I loved all my co-workers, the family atmosphere, and the close-knit work environment. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to be around all day. When it came to the upper management, however, I quickly discovered that "the best and brightest" that the company had to offer had their heads so far up their rear ends that they could see their own tonsils.

The smaller Corporation that I'm at now isn't much better.

For the last 6 months there have been so many layoffs in the building and housing industry, and every time that it happened, management would send one of their "suits" give the "we're 'right-sized' for this market, now" speech. I think that this was little more than a [poor] tactic used to prevent morale from sinking too low, even though speaking from first-hand experience, I can tell you that morale did get very, very low. Even after their speech, they would come back two or three months later, and lay off even more people. Followed by the same speech again. And don't forget...they expect those that remain to do twice the work for no extra money. They better be glad they still have a job! Or so they would say.

You realize that these big companies do not care about the little guy who works long hours to keep the place running, and who relies on his comparatively meager paycheck to put food on the table, to pay bills, to buy the gas that he uses to get to work and to keep clothes on the backs of his family. The company is only looking out for the high-salaried Executives who are supposed to know how to properly manage a company to prevent such layoffs from happening in the first place. They have their BMW/Mercedes/Giant GMC truck paid for by the company, they take "business trips" on the company dime (which amount to little more than a company-sponsored fishing vacation). They don't really DO anything.

So, the point in all this is this:

Don't give a Corporation any more loyalty than they are going to give you...none. If a better offer comes along, snap it up...they would do the exact same thing. Keep your eyes open and keep your hook in the water. Look out for yourself.

Go well, my friends.