Extremely busy day at work today. I didn’t even get to work on any of the large issues. I spent most of the day triaging interface issues that should have been simple for the users to correct themselves. And yet.
Most of the people who were released from their positions mid-month have their last day and exit-interviews tomorrow. All of my co-workers seem more than a little annoyed and stressed. Some of it is just because it’s hard to lose co-workers like this, but a lot of it is just undue stress thanks to the way the company is managed. Our HR director is incompetent, dogmatic, and apparently cruel in her own right.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m aware that HR is a crappy job, but a lot of people seek it out. I suspect the people that are attracted to HR are often the same people that are attracted to police work. Petty tyrants with barely enough brains to remember their computer password with fair consistency. I’ve worked with exactly one HR rep who was friendly, courteous, and helpful to me. One. I’ve actually had more positive experiences with police officers than with HR.
I’m having second thoughts about my decision to stick it out in my current position. One of my coworkers who lost her job just received an offer that is very substantial. Another has potential employers caught in a bidding war over her. The market is good for my skill set and presentation ability.
I’m not going to bail just yet. I want to see how things flow once the reduced team is up and running. I’m particularly interested in how flexible and comfortable the work environment is. Hopefully things will work out well.
I keep telling myself that money isn’t everything, that there are many other more important things to concern myself with. It’s true, but a large part of me keeps coming back to how much easier some aspects of my life would be if I commanded a salary more in line with my intelligence and skill-set. I do realize that I’m underpaid for my abilities and performance. Underpaid by quite a bit. I won’t accept that forever, but for now I have enough. I suppose I’m not mercenary enough. Perhaps loyalty is a mistake when it comes to business sense. I’ll find out soon enough.