Still dealing with loss of job even though working somewhere else

les26

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I posted before how in March I was laid off from my shipping job of 21 years, was called back 12 times since then to work a few days here and there, took a part time job in August at the Center for Vision Loss as a driver/worker and really like it, but it is very different obviously from what I did, and I at times in my head and my heart wrestle with the emotional part of what happened, and I guess I always will. I keep in contact with a woman I worked with there for 20 years, she gets called back here and there to work for a few days so she keeps me updated on their situation, they are a jewelry/handbag store chain that had 35 stores when I left, they once had almost 100 but that dwindled down over the years to the mid 30's, she told me they are closing 3 of them soon so that makes it even less, they called one other person in to work just a few days a week but no one else has been called back, in fact several more have left, and they seem to be stuck in limbo, like a ship on the ocean with no motor or sail, they just drift here and there and at times not at all, I feel they are looking at an extremely long haul to make it back if they can even do so in this economy and times, maybe if they scaled back to about 20 stores that are somewhat profitable they might survive, and I know that had I not taken this job I'd be waiting for who knows how long to be called back if at all, and maybe not even full time, so I know I did what I had to do, the Center likes me, they are so glad that I joined them, we are a bit slow right now but had been busy before the Holidays but it is ramping up again and I know they all said once we get this Covid under control I'll have more work than I can handle and I do believe that, this will come back much faster than a jewelry business will, but I at times still have feelings about the old job, I guess because of working there so long, and the way that it went down thanks to this plague and all, but I know the chances of me going back there are very slim, I'm sure if they ever get up and running again that they would ask me if I want to come back as I left on very amicable terms, but I don't think that they could do better for me than this current job. And also I'm only on this job about 5 months so I have to remember that it is still very new and a change, and change sometimes is difficult, but I made the jump pretty easily, I think it just really hit me awhile ago as more time went on that "I don't work there anymore", sounds strange but it just really hit me. Plus Winter we are always more closed in with our thoughts and feelings, and the stress of Covid is still all around us, so I factor all of that in, and I realize that I had little control over the situation, but used what control I had to get out and get another job before the ship sank. And who knows, maybe I'll see something else and leave this job for something new too, that's always a possibility!

I guess it's kind of like being with someone for 21 years, they treated you so-so, then they dumped you, you found someone better for you but you will always have feelings for that one who let you go lol!!

Thanks for listening, not quite sure what I wanted to say or what I'd expect in return but it helped to get it out!
 

susanm9006

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A old boss of mine had a saying “every change is a loss, and every loss must be grieved”. And work is much more than just a paycheck, usually tons of relationships and interactions, casual as they might be. So pretty normal to feel sad over an ending that you didn’t have a choice to make.

It isn’t easy on the management side either. Some years ago I was part of the executive team that shut down an airline and put 1000+ people out of work. We did it as humanely as we could, giving 3 months notice, holding job fairs and providing generous severance but still ending a company was like killing something and was so painful and still is to me. Your former employers are feeling grief as well, for their for their former workers, for themselves and for their company’s future.

There isn’t an easy answer to moving on except just to do it as you have done, with grace, optimism and forgiveness.
 
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