The short-timer

Time is winding down, and I'm feeling more and more like a short-timer. My last day is a week from Friday, and just like any assignment, my Last Project is to tie up all the logistical loose ends of leaving. Hoping to avoid the ignominious plight of hauling all my belongings in a sad Last Day trek across the campus, I'm gradually day by day removing my personal effects. I'm collecting the names of whom I want to send my Farewell Note, trying not to forget anyone important. A poignant finalcy characterizes the Last Project.

One of the most important loose ends is the infamous Severance Package, supposedly due two weeks prior to my last day, but naturally nowhere to be seen. How classic that the terminated employee himself has to grovel to find out the details of his dismissal. Of course in a perfect world HR would assist you at every point of the way, trying to find another position, and, if failing that, at least providing a compassionate end to your employment. In the real world, I e-mailed my HR guy Monday about this problem and have yet to receive a response.

Fortunately, I saved the number of the "Transition Team" woman that helped me with my premature April dismissal. She was plainly taken aback that after all this time I had not received any severance materials whatsoever. They will be following up tomorrow; hopefully I'll get something FedExed to me shortly.

I suspect that my severance pay is conditioned on signing their paperwork, so this is not a trivial exercise.


Technorati Tags: layoffs, outsourcing