Job Security

This week I found out that my raise will indeed be coming through. The cap for a merit increase at Nationwide Health Plans is supposed to be 3.9%. I was awarded 8.5%. This is information I am sworn not to share, but there it is. Also, due to my evaluation rating (exceeds) I will be getting a minimal (approx $200) bonus. After the 40% tax, this won't be much, but it's far better than the $20 that most people are getting.

I did not go to work today. I was not feeling well, I have not been sleeping, and I just needed some stress free rest.

Around 3:30 my supervisor called me and left an ominous voicemail about an all-employee meeting that took place today. She just asked me to call back to 'inform me of the feedback.' Sometimes I hate the apparent empathy or whatever psychic equivalent I am blessed with but I knew this was not to be good news. We don't have spur-of-the-moment employee meetings.

After speaking with her I learned that a huge portion (my best guess is 60-70%) of our company was given the news that they will be laid off effective June 1st. The entire Customer Service department, Claims department, Special Investigation Unit, Provider Maintenance Unit and who knows who else are going to just be gone. Jobs moved to Ohio. Only the Underwriting department and Member Services department survived the ax. That, and somehow my little Records and Mailroom group. Though we have technically reported to the Customer Service Manager for lack of any other direct leadership we have proven to be a self-sufficient unit.

The Mailroom has survived because they can service the entire building we occupy, which is now full of other Nationwide companies, not just Nationwide Health Plans. I am still not sure about the Records department, which basically consists of just me and the Document capture tech. Our jobs -could- technically be taken over by Ohio, but...it would be insanely difficult. So for now, I still have a job. But, my manager does not. I will be reporting to the (former?) Operations Director of Claims and Customer Service. I don't know what her new title will be.

So I'm obviously upset. I can't imagine how I would have reacted had I been present today for this news. I was told that most of the people were crying and upset. Many of these people have worked for this company for more than 20 years. I feel betrayed and angry at this stupid mega-corporation and at the same time I am so glad that it's not me. Not yet.

I wonder how many people will bother coming to work anymore. I'm not sure what to expect tomorrow and I'm really worried. Now is the time to put my best effort forward I suppose. I haven't had to look for a job in a long time. This job, I did not look for, it just found me and I accepted. I'm not even sure how to do it. Rest assured, I will probably be on the look out for anything better than can come my way as soon as possible...

Fuck.