Job cuts... part 2

Surprise!!!

I thought (and so did many others) the cuts would come Dec 15. It came early.

Today, a few colleagues (some of them I do count as reasonably close friends) were fired. All of them from sales and structuring. Quite a handful of them.

Its a sad day.

How it happens:
- Usually happens in the morning.
- You don't see the managers.
- Person gets a call to go to a meeting room.
- Person gets into room, sees manager together with unknown third person, from HR.
- Unknown third person delivers the news.
- He tells you that a) nothing has changed - you're still being employed b) you have been made "at risk of redundancy" c) hands you a package of sorts explaining your redundancy package and other employment opportunities d) mentions that you have a month to look for another opportunity within the bank and finally e) tells you that your login will be deactivated and "suggests" that you collect your personal items, leave your pass, and that you'll be "escorted" out of the building.
- meanwhile manager's boss summons your team to a room and delivers the news.
all very short and sweet.

Some exceptions. Today, somehow, they were more humane. They allowed those cut to come back to the floor and say their goodbyes. Freakin upsetting I tell you... what the hell do you say to a colleague, a friend, that has been let go?

I recall this morning....

"Where's Mika?" I ask, in a chatroom.

"In a meeting probably", another friend answered.

Half an hour later, he says, "now I'm worried for Mika."

A few moments later, Mika comes to me, with his jacket on, with very sombre, sad eyes. I look at him, raise my eyebrow in a quizzical look.

He nods.

I don't know what to say! "Well... lets meet up for coffee sometime... Take care..."

"Yes. Or maybe football. Or maybe some other bank, sometime, somewhere..."

I patted his arm and repeated, "take care, all the best", then turned away and pretended to work. I could see tears welling up in his eyes and I am ashamed to admit tears were welling up in mine as well. I couldn't say anything anymore and I didn't want to look at him or listen to what he had to say. He squeezed my arm, then took off, leaving me struggling to contain my emotion in the fckn "my d*ck is bigger than yours" trading floor.

Today the sales and structuring teams were cut. Rumours are that the cuts for trading will happen tomorrow. If you don't see a post from me tomorrow, don't fret, most likely I'm just celebrating my continuing employment.

Fingers crossed...