Get Back to Your Desk

It’s a quiet day at work.  It seems half the company is burning up their remaining vacation days before the lose them.  This is the first year we will not be allowed to carry over any vacation time.  That policy change is having an interesting effect on work around here.  Most folks toiled away all year deferring time-off because their projects and deadlines were too important to break away from.  Now with the year-end use-it-or-lose-it deadline looming, everyone’s changed their tune.   Suddenly work can be deferred and folks can take time away.  I’m not bitter – in fact – good for them!  It’s about time people strived for the work-life balance the company likes to brad about.  What it means for me, and the few others who used most if not all of their vacation days earlier in the year – are many quiet days and lots of great parking spaces!

This morning I stopped for coffee at our in-store Caribou Coffee then thought (since I had the time), why not take a look at the newspapers. 

We have a number of conveniences at my work place.  Along a stretch of our fourth floor we have a Caribou Coffee, a very nice cafeteria, a branch of US Bank, a convenience store, and a library-learning area used for training, etc.  This learning area also has comfy chairs, couches, and big windows.  There’s also an area with magazines and newspapers.  It’s really very pleasant.  I often stop by to check out the headlines on the Wall Street Journal or New York Times, or maybe a magazine.

But today I see this sign:  no more newspapers.  I suspect its part of our ongoing cost-cutting measures – or “transformation” as the initiative it’s officially named.  (We have a newly named Chief Transformation Officer.)   Last week we ousted the Presidentof our division (along with two other high level folks).  The high level replacements were meant to send a message to Wall Street that we are not satisfied with our growth so we are cleaning house. 

So measures are taken, big and small.  First the head-guy, then the newspapers; we are saving money where we can. 

I get the message, “Move along, nothing to see here.  Get back to your desk.”