GTFO

Over the summer, I learned that the company where I worked would be acquired. I did some checking into the big company that would buy the little company where I did my job. It didn't take me long to realize that I wouldn't want to work for what I percieved to be a big company where I wouldn't fit. As I started to interview for new jobs, I took to saying that by fall I would ". . . either be working at a different company (mine under a new name) or a different company."

The new management didn't take well to me from the start. They were told that my compensation was different from other people's who did the same job as I did. They were shown what the differences were. Initially, they said it was fine and that I was welcome to stay and do my thing. Time went by and new co. went slow about confirming my comp in a written agreement. Two lunch meetings were held. At each meeting, my old agreement (that was to be followed in my new agreement) was in my hand and the hand of the person with whom I was meeting. Did you see this, I said, pointing out a section? Yes, I was told, that will be fine. Yada yada yada, we had an oral agreement.

Weeks went by, no written agreement. I received a "on furhter consideration" phone call. We thought about it, I was told, and it's just not going to work for us. GTFO. I was accused of trying to get other employees to quit and start working for a company I didn't work for -- read that again, I was accused of recruiting for a COMPANY I DIDN'T WORK FOR. I said it was the worst kept secret in town that I had interviewed for other jobs while awaiting the outcome of my contract talk (I wanted to type negotiation, but given how this turned out, that would unfairly make it sound like I had a say in things that I didn't) Well, they didn't toss me then, because I was still making money for them. They changed their mind, sort of, and said, hey, agree to the agreement we typed up, even though it is not really your old agreement that we said was OK, and then everything will be fine. (Right, sure it will) They agreed to send over a contract for me to sign.

Weeks go by again, no contract to sign. I emailed my manager and asked him to get me a contract to sign (if I can find the email, I will post the text of it). He said it was coming, I think, I have to check that part. A few days went by, and now I was angry, not just frustrated by not having an agreement anymore, but actually pissed. I marched into my manager's office and made what turns out to have been an apparently inflammatory remark. I have repeated the comment to a few people. No one has said that what I said was a very smart thing to say out loud to the person I said it to. Live and learn.

BUT, and this is critical, I said it to my manager as a friend behind closed doors. That's right, I closed the door and then spouted off. I thought I was just showing how pissed off and frustrated I was. It turns out, I was ending my association with companies old and new. After the conversation, I had no way of knowing what was coming next. . .

A couple days later (a Thursday), I decide to hang out at home so I can take my bike in for some work. I drove my big kids to school and then my phone started to ring. It was the owner of BIG company, call from his cell phone. I didn't answer the first time because I was with my kids. He called about seven or eight times before I finally took his call.

I answered the phone and he immediately began screaming at me. He dropped F-bombs right and left. Then the name calling began. He told me just how little he thought of me and just how awful my remark had been. (As an aside, nothing waters down an angry diatribe more than to use superlatives, "this is the worst," "I have never", "that was the lowest, squirrliest," you get the idea). The yelling was such that Debbie could hear it from across the room. I tried to explain myself. I tried to apologize and I earnestly tried to explain my mindset at the time I made the fateful remark. No chance, pal, no turning back, GTFO. We don't want you here, we will pay you for your work (but, let's see if that really happens), but you are out.

How about a second chance, I asked. Lots of times a person who gets a second chance does great things. Oh, but you already got a second chance, he said, after I caught you trying to recruit people. What? I got a second chance after something I didn't do? Who says that sort of thing?

I said "don't form a negative perception based on something that didn't actually happen." Too late, the damage had been done. He did precisely that, decided I was a bad guy based on something I didn't do -- hard to fight that.

I was cut off from email and told to go clean out my office.

Next, 72 hours of hell. . .