It's all about context.
| ax, boot out, boot, bounce*, bump*, can*, cashier, deselect, discharge, disemploy, displace, drop, fire, furlough, give notice to, give the ax, give the gate, give the heave-ho, give walking papers, give warning, kick out, lay off, let go, let out, oust, pension, pink-slip, sack, send packing, shelve, suspend, terminate. On 2 July, upon returning from vacation, I was summoned to the human resource's office and informed that the decision had been made to downsize the anesthesia department. Since I was the last hired I would be the first to be let go. My end date was to be 5 Aug. 2012. Since those anesthetists still retained would require coverage when they were to take time off, I was offered choices: I could take a part-time position with a guarantee of 18 weeks per year work, a position as a per-diem, or apply for unemployment. I chose the part-time offer and so even though my last day of permanent employment was 5 August I have continued daily employ, covering other anesthetists time off, 'til yesterday. Today I'm starting my first day of employment and it feels strange. Of course technically I'm still employed, I'm not working. And with the exception of covering an anesthetist for his Dr. appointment Monday, I don't return to the OR 'til the 17th of Sept. That's a good thing because I need to train for a canoe race the weekend after Labor day. Plans to attend an anesthesia conference in Nov. will get me to Dec. when I'm scheduled to cover Christmas week. My plan at this juncture is to continue this situation 'til the new year at which time I'll return to traveling locum work. (Although many have voiced hope that I'll be rehired, I'm not counting on that.) Maybe with all this unplanned time off, I'll get back to writing more on this here blog. Of course I've made that resolution repeatedly since the inception of this blog. Plans are good, but never set in cement: expectations is the root of all disappointment. Take it as it comes, or as Kurt Vonnegut would say: "and so it goes." |
posted by rel at 7:06 AM
3 Comments:
You're putting on a very dignified front with all this Rel, but I never looked upon you as anything but a gentleman anyhow! ☺
My oldest son is part of the new hospital SERCO company and the changes to the staff, including doctors, midwives and anesthetists, never mind menial porters like him, are being mucked about something rotten.
You deserve to spend a little more time on you, so fingers crossed it eventually all fits in.
Until this post, I never knew you were an anaesthetist, Rel, that's knockout! *groan*
Regardless of how and what is offered, it's hard but I'm heartened by your positive attitude and future plans. I'm facing retirement much against my will at the end of the year. I have been in this post and run the department since we opened our doors on the 1 August 2004. My old Department Head went away in 2009 to do his Doctorate and I got a new one in January 2011. Although we do get on, we have not always seen eye to eye. he says I have to retire, HR says that unless the position is made redundant (which is won't be) there is no reason why I cannot go onto contract even though the Archdiocese now has a policy re retirement. My department Head won't see it which makes me think all sorts of things but am trying to remain positive whilst I weigh my options which at the moment are nil!!!
We do expect a running commentary of your canoe race!!!
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