The Day I Gained My Independence

Have you ever been lucky enough to have a job that you really love? If you have, then you are among a lucky few.

I used to do something I really enjoyed, but as time went by, things changed. Now I don't know if it was the industry that changed, or if I had been the one that changed.

Fact is, it was probably a combination of the two. Either way, it didn't really matter. After eighteen years in the business, I simply wasn't excited about my career anymore. I felt like maybe I'd gone as far as I could.

Fast forward two years, and I'm working as the Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at a local golf resort. It's a pretty good gig, but after almost twenty in the hospitality business I'm feeling like maybe I should be doing a little better. In fact, I know that I'm overqualified for the position. They even told me so in my final interview, just before they offered me the position.

It's one of those situations where I've got a boss who doesn't really know shit compared to me. Of course, I can't say anything, because that would make waves and at this point, I'm just trying to get through my shift without any drama or other petty bullshit. The problem is that after I've been there about a year or so, people have pretty much noticed that I'm much better at my job than my boss is, and through the restaurant "grapevine," my boss has been hearing about this.

Well, she can't really confront me because I haven't really done anything wrong. It's not like I'm talking any shit. I'm simply coming to work, putting in my one-hundred percent for nine or ten hours, and going home. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Maybe not. I realized after a while that maybe it's best to just come in and give the minimum that you have to to get by. Complete the items in your job description, and nothing more. We'll get to that later, though.

Back to my boss. She knows she can't confront me or get in a verbal altercation with me, so she starts to exert her power to do anything she can to make my job worse. She changes my schedule. I get all of the undesirable shifts. Suddenly, I'm working every major holiday instead of switching off with her and working every other one. She's keeping a real close eye on everything I do or say, just waiting to try and catch me violating policy somehow. I'm starting to get annoyed at this point. Still, I just try to come in, do my job, and keep a low profile. I have to admit, I don't like going to work anymore.

A few months go by, and the economy is really bad, especially in travel and tourism. That means that we're selling less rooms, and less rooms means less customers. Still, we're skating by with some outside local business. The club lounge breakfast and lunch shifts are carrying all three of the restaurants. Without that business, we'd be losing money. Still, the resort reassures us that they are doing fine and that nobody will be laid off.

It's business as usual for a couple of weeks and one afternoon I come in and find out that a meeting has been called, and all resort employees must attend. Nobody has much information as to the content of the meeting. All we've heard is that the General Manager is going to talk about a few changes the resort is making "going forward," whatever the hell that means. Although, my instinct is telling me it's probably not good.

A few days pass and it's the day of the meeting. Up until this point in time, we've all been told that there aren't going to be any layoffs, so nobody seems really worried. In fact, most people are a little bit annoyed that they had to come in on their day off for a company meeting.

I attend the meeting, and the General Manager starts talking about the economy and some changes that are being made within the resort in order to make sure that "we" can get through until business gets back to normal. I think any educated hospitality professional understood that "back to normal" was never going to happen, but anyway, that's what the man was preaching.

One of the biggest changes "going forward" was that one of the restaurants was to be completely shut down. We would keep the lounge and the outdoor patio grille open only. Dinner would now be served out of the lounge. The thought crossed my mind then that some of the restaurant employees would have to be let go, but I figured I was still safe. The meeting ended up lasting about forty minutes, and we were dismissed.

I went to the restaurant office, got my keys and everything else I needed for my shift, and proceeded to make my way into the restaurant and start my opening routine. I was about halfway through, when the Human Resources assistant came and told me that they needed me back at the restaurant office. As I approached, I noticed that a hotel security guard was standing outside the door. I didn't really make too much of it, since the security office was located off of the service corridor as well.

Inside the office the General Manager and Human Resources Manager were seated at the manager's desk. I sat down across from them at my desk. The Human Resources Manager started out and basically explained to me that the company has decided to "eliminate my position" in order to lower the budget so that they could keep the lounge open BLAH BLAH BLAH... I realized that I was so shocked I had stopped hearing what she was saying. I could see her lips moving, but the sound was garbled. I began to feel nauseous. I felt like I had been kicked in the gut!

I managed to concentrate and made my way back to reality. Feelings of shock made way for feelings of anger. I put one of my hands up and said "Stop! Just stop. I don't need to listen to this shit any longer." They were a little surprised, I think, that I spoke up whereas the others had probably just sat there and said nothing.

The security officer poked his head into the room and looked to the General Manager. The GM shook his head slightly to indicate that the guard's assistance was not needed. I took the restaurant keys out of my pocket and took off my name tag. I stood up and threw them on the desk. "Can I at least collect unemployment?" I asked. The HR Manager nodded yes, and proceeded to hand me a letter to give to unemployment.

Here's where I get back to explaining why it may just be best to come to work and do the bare minimum. I busted my ass for almost two years for this resort, and I mean BUSTED MY ASS! The entire time I was employed there, I only took ONE sick day. I missed just one shift. I came in early and stayed late, even though I was a salaried employee. I came in on my days off whenever asked. I worked every major holiday. I gave one-hundred percent each and every shift. I could go on, but you get the point. Do you think any of that mattered? NOT ONE BIT!

Throughout her entire speech, the HR Manager never said "thank-you," or "I'm sorry." Now, I'm a man, and I'm not asking to be coddled, but a couple of simple words to make someone who is losing their job feel better surely can't hurt. What's worse, they posted a security guard at the door! After all this time as a dedicated and respectful employee, did they actually think I was going to flip out and assault them or something? That is RIDICULOUS! As it turns out, they did that with everyone. It was company policy. Still, I find it insulting.

Losing my job actually hurt pretty bad. I'm not going to try and minimize it. I felt really terrible as I was being escorted out of the building by a security guard. I think I was shocked more than anything. I mean, I didn't see this coming AT ALL. They had reassured us several times that there were no layoffs on the horizon. In the end, it was only a ploy to make sure they had the staff they needed for as long as they needed them. It wouldn't be convenient to have to hire a manager for two months because I found out about the layoffs and beat them to the punch.

I made my way out to the parking lot and got in my car. I sat there a minute and collected myself. That's when I came to one of the most important decisions I had ever made in my entire life. I decided right then and there that I would NEVER work for anyone else ever again. I made a vow to myself that even if I had to live out of my car I was never going to be an "employee" again. I was going to control my own destiny, whatever that was.

Suddenly, I felt GREAT! It didn't matter that I had just lost my job, and my income. I knew then I hadn't been FIRED, I'd been FREED! I could feel the weight lifting from my shoulders. I felt like I had a wide open future, and anything was possible. I hadn't really had that feeling since I was eighteen years old!

I didn't really know what I was going to do, but somehow I felt that things would fall into place. And they did. I ended up starting an Internet business, and while it took a while to get going, I made it happen. You know why I think I was successful? Well, because failure was just NOT an option. I HAD to succeed, or end up working to help someone else make money. No way! I was going to make it. And I did.

Today I can get up when I want, work when I want, go out when I want, and pretty much enjoy my time the way I want to. Sitting in my car in the parking lot on the day I lost my job ended up being a defining moment in my life. If you can, PLEASE stop and smell the roses. Enjoy life. Most importantly, BE FREE!

The moral of this little Sunday afternoon story is that working for someone else usually sucks. Working for a really big company REALLY sucks. Oh, and let's not forget that YOU can be your own boss if you really want to. Trust me. I'm not that smart, so if I can do it, so can YOU!

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