 |
|
        |
|
Stories"Excuse me Peter,
but I didn't get my bonus in this months pay check." Suddenly everyone in the open plan office is a busy as you've ever seen them. Complete silence erupts. "You just can't
do that, and especially without even telling me!"
I am a little amazed at this conversation. I've been with this company for over 2 years now. I've done well for them, increased their turnover by a decent percentage, tripled their advertising coverage without it actually costing them more money and put in a hell of a lot of hours. And all this single handed. Now this new director is out to get me, he doesn't like me, but that's OK, I don't like him much either! "Well, Peter, I do not accept this, I am owed my bonus and I'm going to be paid it" The impossible silence in the office deepens. "This is not the
time or the place to be discussing this, Ian" I turn & walk away. I am absolutely fuming! The bonus that I am owed is for selling advertising space. I get a fixed rate for each page I sell. It's in my contract. As I walk away someone under there breath tells me to "Go for it!" Bloody right I will! Everything I've doing for the last 6 months since Peter joined the company has been wrong. I'm being pushed more and more into admin, which is not what I am good at, and not what I really enjoy. I'm good at sales and negotiating. That should be obvious! I go into the office and sit down opposite Peter. "So tell me why do you think we should pay your bonus?" "Well, a) I earned it, and b) it's in my contract" "And?" "No, Peter, no 'and'. a) it's in my contract and b) I've earned it. That is enough" "Well we have made a decision and we are going to stick to it." "OK, I may be late in the morning as I have to see my lawyer" At this he stops and looks at me. He is not sure if I would do that or not. I get up to leave and tell him again that I will see my lawyer because he would not have a leg to stand on, if he refused to pay me. I get called back into
the office later on by Peter, he has relented and has said that I will
receive what I am owed and will continue to be paid my bonus in the
future. I've been working since I left school at the age of 16 and worked my way up the ladder into management positions. I am very ambitious; I want to achieve more, get promoted more and be successful.
In the last 6 months I've started to get a bit fed up with my job. The treatment I have had from Peter has made me start to believe that maybe I'm not so good at my job, and if I quit, would I be able to get another? I'm low on self confidence and not really that happy. Apart from work, I have a pretty good life, I have a great family who have always been there for anything and I have some great friends too. I'm not short of money because (even without my bonus!) I get paid a good wage. I buy what I want, I go to the pub regularly (maybe too regularly!), play golf, or as my mate and I prefer to call it, "Swish, fuckit!". Much better description of the game we play! I have a house in Slough - what a dump! Why I bought a house there I will never know, but I did, and in the last five years I have only been burgled six times - twice while I was in bed! Sarah, a good friend of mine, had been talking a while back. She and her boyfriend, Tim, had been off traveling in Asia and were thinking of going back again. "Why do people do that, why do you want to do that, why not just get on with your lives & start making a good career & some good money" I could understand going on a holiday, but quitting your job & just taking off - weird! Every year on the nearest Saturday to May 8th I'd have a party - it to be a bit of a reunion thing, people that I haven't seen for ages come along & everyone knows everyone. It's a good night, beers & buffet down the Farnham Pump and then back to my place to carry on where we left off. I'd normally have a few people stay the next day too for a big fry up & then maybe lunch back at the Pump. This year Sue & Martin are around, I've known Sue since I was about 14, she's a great girl, head firmly on, doing well for herself and has found a good man in Martin. I'm talking about quitting my job because of this guy I have to work for and she is actually agreeing with me. I´m looking through the Sunday Papers & see some adds for 'round-the-world' air tickets. "Why don't I just
do that", I say I start to think! Well, I suppose I could just go for a few months & chill out, get a job when I get back. My friends & family will still be there! I ring up a couple of companies for some brochures. The brochures arrive a few days later and I start to read them. They make everywhere sound so exciting, and it all looks so easy. I look through at the various destinations and I think, Africa, always fancied that; lions, elephants and giraffes, that's what Africa is all about - go on a safari - cool! Asia, sounds cool too, why? No idea really, but I've heard people say they had a great time there! Oh and I have some friends in Hong Kong so I will visit them & maybe even work there for a while. Australia, yep - kangaroos, 'put another shrimp on the barbie, mate', Fosters (how was I to know no one drinks it out there!) and that big rock in the middle - I can handle that. Maybe some tropical paradises in the South Pacific on the way home too! What a holiday.
OK so I´m going to do it! I make the decision and prepare my letter of resignation. God, this feels weird, but I have enough cash to last me maybe 5-6 months and I reckon I deserve it. I go into work the next day, ask Peter if I can have a word with him and tell him I am going to quit. He is a bit shocked and straight away asks me what I am going to do. I tell him I don´t know yet - just to keep him on his toes. That night I get a phone call at home from the Chairman, Mark, who has put his faith in me over the last couple of years so that I could set about and achieve the things I have. He is concerned and wants to know why I´ve quit. I tell him I will talk to him in the morning. When I do so, I give him my reasons and he asks me to think about my decision. He also asks me if I will work out my 3 months notice period. I was kind of hoping they would just let me go, but well, it's a few more quid in the pocket. Three months is a long time when you have a plan like mine, but I did find that I actually started to enjoy my job again, I get phone calls from other companies asking me what I am going to do, and if I have nothing sorted how about coming in for a chat! Wow, these are my customers and suppliers, maybe I am not so bad at my job after all! My productivity goes up, and I'm a lot happier, maybe because Peter is pretty much leaving me alone now! In the last few weeks before my departure I have a great time, it's a great excuse to catch up with all my mates, get drunk, party lots and dream about what I am about to do. I expect lots of negative reactions from people and I am really surprised at the support I get. Mum: Dad: This quite shocks me, I get similar responses from my friends and I'm even told that it will do me a lot of good. I think I am the only one who doesn't realize the stress I've been under and how I have changed and am now so focussed on my 'future' that I am blinkered and can not see anything else. I start to prepare for the trip, I buy the biggest, most expensive rucksack I can find, Mel & Pete, some great friends of mine, donate me a really good sleeping bag. I buy everything, including one of those tiny towels that are supposed to soak up three thousand times their own weight in water or something but are actually bloody useless! I buy a compass, a first aid kit that an ambulance driver would be proud of, two torches (and a small spare) and some guide books I see in a bookshop, Lonely planet or something, never heard of them, Oh well, might come in handy I suppose. When I try to pack my backpack it is bulging, and it weighs an absolute ton! Still, better to have too much than not enough. I spend a couple of weeks with my mate Neil and his girlfriend Angela. I have known him for over 20 years and he is my best mate, we see each other regularly, and get on amazingly. He works for Westminster Abbey as an accountant, is doing well and good luck to him.
We go out to celebrate and get drunk, I love English pubs, they are great, and I always have a great time when I there, especially with Neil. He can drink Guinness like a fish and I'm always struggling to keep up! The next day Neil takes me to Heathrow, drops me off at the terminal, we do the quick good-bye & good luck thing and off he goes. I feel quite sad now. Still I know another friend/drinking partner of mine, Jenny, is going to meet me at the airport so I check in and then wait around at the bar for her. She turns up, we have a few beers & then she goes, after a big good luck hug. I walk through customs, sit down at a hot dog stand and all of a sudden I have never felt so lonely or scared in my whole life. What the fuck am I doing? Am I crazy or what? Still, my flight is called and I board the plane. I sit down, look out of the window. I'll be home within three months, I know, maybe sooner. Do I really want to do this? The plane taxis down the runway and we are airborne. I look out of the window and from the air I follow the M4, locate the Slough turn off and then can see my house by following it back from the Farnham Pump, my local, wish I could be having a beer in there right now!
©Ian Picken 2004
Click on a continent to see if Tommy's been there...
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Proud Supporters of:
Site Designed and Developed by Beewebbed.com |
Photos and travellogue also featured on www.mywoollyhat.com |
