I'm
the first to admit it, I'm not easy to get on with; a bit
opinionated, to be honest. Mouthy, my mother used to say. Still, we
all have our little quirks, don't we? Well, don't we? Do you want to
tell me you're perfect? No, of course not.
They're used to me at work. I've been there since I left school, when God was a boy himself, my missus says. It's been good. Changed a bit of course. We haven't got a canteen any more. People bring in sandwiches and sit out in the smokers' shelter. We don't all smoke, only four of us actually, but I don't see why they should separate like, just 'cos it's not allowed indoors. Fancy making it illegal. Never heard the like. Never upset me and I'm the first to moan about anything.
Anyway, it seems I'm not flavour of the month with the new boss. The old one, well I say old one, but he's only been here ten years, he's decided to step back from the day to day running of the place and he's brought in somebody to run it for him.
We'd never seen the bloke, let alone talked to him before the first day he started. Notice on the wall, says “Peter Vergard is the Managing Director as of today's date”. So this Vergard comes round all the departments shaking hands and weighing us all up. Yes, well we were weighing him up too.
My office deals with the maintenance contracts and engineers. First thing he says to me is “I'm arranging an engineers' meeting at the local Travelodge. They'll all be here Thursday and Friday, so don't book them any work for those two days.”
Yes, without a “By your leave” or “Is it convenient?” He calls MY men in.
Well, I wasn't having it was I? I've got service schedules booked in for months ahead and that's without the call-outs. “Can't be done,” says I.
“Oh no?” says he, “I'm saying it can.”
So it was. I wasn't even invited to the meeting and had to stay behind fielding calls from angry customers.
God knows what Vergard said to my blokes but, by Monday I'd had three resignation e-mails and another from him to say two others were sacked and one was on notice. So yes, I saw red.
I marched into his office and that's the last thing I remember.....
©Avril King
They're used to me at work. I've been there since I left school, when God was a boy himself, my missus says. It's been good. Changed a bit of course. We haven't got a canteen any more. People bring in sandwiches and sit out in the smokers' shelter. We don't all smoke, only four of us actually, but I don't see why they should separate like, just 'cos it's not allowed indoors. Fancy making it illegal. Never heard the like. Never upset me and I'm the first to moan about anything.
Anyway, it seems I'm not flavour of the month with the new boss. The old one, well I say old one, but he's only been here ten years, he's decided to step back from the day to day running of the place and he's brought in somebody to run it for him.
We'd never seen the bloke, let alone talked to him before the first day he started. Notice on the wall, says “Peter Vergard is the Managing Director as of today's date”. So this Vergard comes round all the departments shaking hands and weighing us all up. Yes, well we were weighing him up too.
My office deals with the maintenance contracts and engineers. First thing he says to me is “I'm arranging an engineers' meeting at the local Travelodge. They'll all be here Thursday and Friday, so don't book them any work for those two days.”
Yes, without a “By your leave” or “Is it convenient?” He calls MY men in.
Well, I wasn't having it was I? I've got service schedules booked in for months ahead and that's without the call-outs. “Can't be done,” says I.
“Oh no?” says he, “I'm saying it can.”
So it was. I wasn't even invited to the meeting and had to stay behind fielding calls from angry customers.
God knows what Vergard said to my blokes but, by Monday I'd had three resignation e-mails and another from him to say two others were sacked and one was on notice. So yes, I saw red.
I marched into his office and that's the last thing I remember.....
©Avril King
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