NORMAL LIFE: Is It Time To Leave The Firm?

I near the end of the first month of a new year in frustration. Sometimes I wonder: how can I be working for one of the largest companies in the world when it seems to be falling apart and full of such shit? I mean, it just frustrates me to read articles written about how fantastic the firm is week after week. I challenge one of these arse-licking journalists to come and work in my department for a couple of days. Trust me, they would get their act together and start slandering the place without remorse!

Let me give you some examples to prove that I am not exaggerating. Admittedly, it is all too easy to disrespect an employer. Even good ones. This all came to the fore in the last couple of days after the firm announced yet another cost savings initiative which resulted in my manager asking me if I really needed my not-yet-paid-for ergonomically designed chair, recommended by my doctor after my bicycle accident two summers ago. Talk about counting the pennies!

I simply explained to my boss that I was off work in my last place of employment due to my back condition, which, unfortunately, is hereditary. “The cost of paying me to be on a possible future two weeks of sick leave versus the cost of a poxy chair,” I pointed out in disbelief, before suggesting: “You decide!” He did his usual bit of mumbling before backing off!

The day before, something even more pathetic ticked me off. A group of around fifteen people, constituting the so-called cross-functional 'team’ from six parts of the organisation gathered for our bi-monthly meeting. Towards the end of the one-hour meeting, which ended at mid-day, one guy asked, rather casually: “Can we have this meeting earlier or later so it doesn’t clash with lunchtime?” My jaw dropped in disbelief! Once again, my acting boss started his mumbling so I butted in: “I think our boss is trying to say no!”. It’s a cultural thing to have lunch at 11am, but I was thinking to myself: why don’t you just eat a bigger breakfast? Or chew some gum!

The group disbanded with no decision having been made (another Finnish habit, funnily enough), but I was shocked when I got a 'Meeting Rescheduled' notice in my email this morning giving into the guy’s unprofessional request. I was thinking to myself: who is the manager in this place? The ironic thing is that when the guy had made the original suggestion, everyone in the room had nodded in approval, indicating that it was soooo wrong to have a meeting during the nation’s lunch-hour. Get over it, you lunch freaks!

Cultural differences aside, the American’s have been fucking me off too! Forever obsessed with revenues and investor return, the last year has seen some ridiculous restrictions. For example, due to cost issues, all Marketing personnel are forbidden from undertaking training – and therefore professional development – as well as any visits to customers and industry-related fairs, even when there is a strong rationale for doing so.

In the last two years, I have had a manager for eighth months of that time: we can’t replace our last boss due to, you guessed it, funding limitations. Last week, we received an email from the big boss that we are, one year on, in ‘choppier waters than ever'. And this week, we receive a notice saying that all company credit cards have been ‘made inactive with immediate effect’. Of course, this is probably a wise precaution given that America is heading towards spearheading the next global recession. But come on!

How can a company known for developing and challenging its personnel get away with denying each an every request for training, customer exposure and industry-related fair participation? Just like the world still believe that the Brits feast regularly on Fish & Chips, the world’s perception of the firm is so unaligned with the reality. I wonder if other global companies such as Apple and Microsoft have the same internal strife as we do?

What makes it all worth it is the people. I work with some fantastic people and, as a foreigner in a room full of Finns, I fit in rather well. Unfortunately, I am starting to reach my limit – no professional development and a never-ending feeling of non-achievement are killing my interest in the business. Of course, my planned travels to Australia have perhaps accelerated – and added flames – to my frustration. However, the fact remains: nothing looks like it’s going to change.

Today, I organized a telephone conference with the big boss. The big day is February 8th, a so-called Day-of-Reckoning, shall we say. My boss basically has a simple choice to make: let me work from Australia during the year that my visa is valid, or I walk away. Given that my boss may welcome another cost saved, my departure would spell disaster for a team that is already incredibly under-resourced. And here’s the bargaining chip: anyone who leaves cannot be replaced because, you guess it, there is a hiring freeze too!

If my boss says I can work from Australia that will be fantastic. Then I run the risk of not benefitting from opportunities that might otherwise present themselves to an ambitious, keen-to-perform individual such as myself. Perhaps it’s best if I just leave the company, but it will be interesting to see how she reacts to this situation. My boss’ decision-making uptil now has been bordering on bizarre so I’m not holding my breath. The question remains: is it time to leave the firm?