Potential work issue

[Deanne]

My work group is going to be reorganized. The official announcement is about a month away yet, but rumors are flying and some are unofficially confirmed: My manager will be moving to a different group and four of my teammates will be moved with him. I've heard where three others will be placed - they'll report directly to my manager's current manager. They're talking about letting go of the two people who work entirely from home offices in remote states. It sounds like they've heard about this and are trying to fight it while they look for other jobs internally. I haven't heard what the plan is for the rest of us (five of us). Besides not knowing what they plan to do with me at all, there are a couple of potential problems with all of this.

My manager is a great guy. I'm glad for him that he and four of my coworkers are "safe" and being moved. My manager's manager isn't such a great guy. He has sexually harrassed and intimidated some of his employees and those employees are afraid to say anything for fear of losing their jobs. I was in a meeting with him once when he blatently told us to disregard the non-exempt employee laws if we want to get ahead in our careers.

My manager knows I'm on the transplant list and is supportive. I work from home about half the time and this enables me to keep working full-time without an issue. I'm lucky in that I work in a corporate office, but remote from management, so *maybe* I can still get away with this if I have to report to the jerky manager's manager. Those who work in the office with him say he does "diaper checks" at 8:00 every morning. He walks around to make sure butts are in chairs. He doesn't like people working from home.

Since I haven't heard my name mentioned at all yet, I don't know if I should be trying to jump ship, wait and see what happens, or talk to my neph about the possibility of going on disability. She told me a year ago that she'd sign the paperwork whenever I'm ready. I can't imagine trying to look for a job at a new company right now. I signed up for enhanced long-term disability a few months ago, so if I go on disability, my take-home pay will be about the same as it is now. If I end up being laid off, I'm not sure what happens to this. I don't know if I'd immediately lose this benefit and I'm not sure if it's safe to ask right now. I don't want the powers-that-be to think I'm even thinking about the possibility while they're trying to decide who to cut. I don't want to go on disability. I think it would be harder to return to work later than it would be to just keep plugging away right now.

Like all things, I know this too shall pass. If I keep my job and have to report to the jerky manager, I know it's just temporary. Bad managers have a way of getting their due eventually. You just have to outlast them. The difference is that I don't have the energy to work it the way I used to.

It's going to be a loooonnnnnng month waiting to find out what happens!

[MooseMom]

I signed up for enhanced long-term disability a few months ago, so if I go on disability, my take-home pay will be about the same as it is now. If I end up being laid off, I'm not sure what happens to this. I don't know if I'd immediately lose this benefit and I'm not sure if it's safe to ask right now.

This is the crux of the matter, isn't it. 

I can see why you are so anxious.  I hope everything works out for you.

[Deanne]

Thanks MM. I appreciate your constant encouraging words. The disability benefit is important, but the truly critical part is probably what would happen to my transplant status without a job and the overall security in general. It's hard to wait for answers. I've never been good at suspense. I can't watch suspenseful movies and I open Christmas presents early.

My information source said this has been brewing for several months. We just didn't know about it in Oregon. Ignorance has been bliss. I found out what's going on because someone from the office where everything is happening has been in Oregon for a few days and we had a couple of long lunches. It turns out almost everyone else has been hearing rumors for a long time.

[M3Riddler]

My work group is going to be reorganized. The official announcement is about a month away yet, but rumors are flying and some are unofficially confirmed: My manager will be moving to a different group and four of my teammates will be moved with him. I've heard where three others will be placed - they'll report directly to my manager's current manager. They're talking about letting go of the two people who work entirely from home offices in remote states. It sounds like they've heard about this and are trying to fight it while they look for other jobs internally. I haven't heard what the plan is for the rest of us (five of us). Besides not knowing what they plan to do with me at all, there are a couple of potential problems with all of this.

My manager is a great guy. I'm glad for him that he and four of my coworkers are "safe" and being moved. My manager's manager isn't such a great guy. He has sexually harrassed and intimidated some of his employees and those employees are afraid to say anything for fear of losing their jobs. I was in a meeting with him once when he blatently told us to disregard the non-exempt employee laws if we want to get ahead in our careers.

My manager knows I'm on the transplant list and is supportive. I work from home about half the time and this enables me to keep working full-time without an issue. I'm lucky in that I work in a corporate office, but remote from management, so *maybe* I can still get away with this if I have to report to the jerky manager's manager. Those who work in the office with him say he does "diaper checks" at 8:00 every morning. He walks around to make sure butts are in chairs. He doesn't like people working from home.

Since I haven't heard my name mentioned at all yet, I don't know if I should be trying to jump ship, wait and see what happens, or talk to my neph about the possibility of going on disability. She told me a year ago that she'd sign the paperwork whenever I'm ready. I can't imagine trying to look for a job at a new company right now. I signed up for enhanced long-term disability a few months ago, so if I go on disability, my take-home pay will be about the same as it is now. If I end up being laid off, I'm not sure what happens to this. I don't know if I'd immediately lose this benefit and I'm not sure if it's safe to ask right now. I don't want the powers-that-be to think I'm even thinking about the possibility while they're trying to decide who to cut. I don't want to go on disability. I think it would be harder to return to work later than it would be to just keep plugging away right now.

Like all things, I know this too shall pass. If I keep my job and have to report to the jerky manager, I know it's just temporary. Bad managers have a way of getting their due eventually. You just have to outlast them. The difference is that I don't have the energy to work it the way I used to.

It's going to be a loooonnnnnng month waiting to find out what happens!

Sounds  like "workplace jibber jabber" to me.  I would not stress... whatever happens happens and you shoudlnt plan beforehand.  No sense on stressing out because of this. As long as you are doing your job correctly and get good marks on reviews, you should have nothing to worry about.

[Deanne]

Sounds  like "workplace jibber jabber" to me.  I would not stress... whatever happens happens and you shoudlnt plan beforehand.  No sense on stressing out because of this. As long as you are doing your job correctly and get good marks on reviews, you should have nothing to worry about.

In many places, this might be true, but I've seen it happen time and time again where I work. It's fairly common to have groups entirely restructured and good people lose their jobs. They call it "going into the 'pool.'" Or they offer a voluntary separation agreement. Voluntary separation agreement = they pay selected people to leave. Pool = redeployment pool. They sometimes give people a window of time when their full-time job is looking for a new job, either inside of the company or outside of it. I've dodged being put into the pool a couple of times before. Once was deliberate - I heard a risk was coming and was able to get a new position. The second time, I'd just taken a different job and then heard it hit the group i'd just left.

But still, you're right in that worrying/stressing about it won't change anything. I think I'll be proactive in updating my resume in case I need it though.

[MooseMom]

The disability benefit is important, but the truly critical part is probably what would happen to my transplant status without a job and the overall security in general. It's hard to wait for answers. I've never been good at suspense. I can't watch suspenseful movies and I open Christmas presents early.

Oh, duh, what's wrong with me?  I didn't even think about how this would affect your transplant status!  It's just immoral that anyone's employment status can directly affect their health status.  I feel another rant coming on...

You'd think that all of the experience we've had awaiting lab results would help us cope with general anxiety, but I've found the opposite to be true.

I agree with you in that you could be doing a great job but still find yourself out of a job.  Companies are constantly trying to cut back costs in any way possible, and these days no one's job is secured in concrete.  "Workplace jibber jabber" can be a valuable source of information, actually.  Forewarned is forearmed.  My experience tells me that if everyone else has been rumors for a long time, then something's afoot. 

You are right to take your stress and turn it into pro-actively preparing for whatever might be coming.

So, you're going to have to wait a whole month before you know anything for sure?

[Deanne]

It sounds like I'll have to wait another month before anything is officially confirmed. The woman who was in Oregon the last couple of days is back home today. She said our manager is likely to spill some of the beans to her.

[Deanne]

Yay! It sounds like jobs are safe. I got some dirt from one of the guys who's involved with the reorg. The icky manager thinks there are too many of us, but there aren't plans right now to cut anyone. Since two people are nearing retirement, I think they'll just reshuffle all of us and let the dust settle.

[MooseMom]

Oh gosh, I am so relieved!     I've been checking this thread a couple of times a day, hoping you'd share some info sooner rather than later.  This is just great news!!

[Deanne]

Welcome to the loony bin!

S left our team about two months ago. J became my manager. J is a great manager!  He's leaving now, too.  He was only my manager for a month when he found a job opening in a different group. C seems to be driving people out. I don't know why. Our remote people are laid off as of June 7. They had all been on this team for many years and were high performers, including my team lead. Other people have found jobs in different teams. Everyone just wants out now. Our team of 18 will be at 4 people in a few weeks. I'm keeping my eyes open for other opportunities, too. Someone told me of potential openings coming up in her team that would be a good fit for me, so I'm watching for the posting. S and J are also back on a team together and their goal is to build a team. If/when that happens, they would probably let me come work with them. I don't know if that'll happen in a couple of months or a couple of years though. It's a new group with no guarantees so I'm not going to wait. It'll be hard to come up with the energy to interview and learn a new job while I'm just a couple months (hopefully) away from transplant, but it'll probably be even harder to stay where I am.

[MooseMom]

Oh man!  What a time to have to be dealing with job issues!  Transplant plus a new job; that's the very definition of starting a new life!! 

If anyone can pull this off, it's you!

[Deanne]

Thanks MM. I think your name is next to the words "empathy" and "support" in the dictionary. I don't know how you do it, but you always say just the right things.

[MooseMom]

Well, your story kind of mirrors my own.  Diagnosed with fsgs decades ago and having to just sit there watching your kidney function crap out on you without being able to do much about it.  It's a particular kind of horror.  So, I try to keep my eyes out for your posts.

[Simon Dog]

Took me about 17 years circling the FSGS drain.

Can you tell us about the dog in the avatar?

[Deanne]

I've been circling the FSGS drain for 41 years. I was diagnosed when I was 9 and I just turned 50.

I have two dogs. Tigger is in my avatar. He's more photogenic than my dachshund. Tigger is a 12-pound yorkie-mix, I think (not sure of the breed). He's blind-from-birth due to neurological issues. My vet said he probably didn't have enough oxygen at birth. He's mostly a good little lap dog, but he thinks he's a guard dog and I have to either hold him or pen him whenever someone comes over.

[Simon Dog]

Tiger looks like a Mini Schnauzer, however, 12lbs is a bit on the light for a fully grown one.   If one has to put up with the big D, it does not prevent enjoyment of having a 4 legged best friend, though I am not looking forward to the talk with mine when I get my Baby K in a couple of months and tell him he will sleep in a dog bed every other night.

[Deanne]

I had a miniature schnauzer when I was a kid. Tigger's face used to look schnauzer-ish but he doesn't have the beard & eyebrows anymore. Until about 5 years ago I had him grooomed a couple times a year when his fur reached about 3 inches long and his eyes disappeared under the fur. He didn't shed. Then when he was about 4 years old his fur stopped growing and he started shedding. He looks a bit more terrier-ish now and he isn't stocky like a schnauzer. His body type reminds me a bit more of a poodle, and before he started shedding, I thought he might be a yorkie-poodle mix since poodles are pretty commonly used by BYBs to create "designer" dogs and his coloring is black & tan like a yorkie, but neither poodles nor yorkies shed.