Changes

A few days ago my company sent out this press release. It seems to be rather unimportant, but for me it means changes.

I work for that specific business unit. I cannot write too much. Because I don’t know too much, but also because I don’t want to tell too much. But there are some topics I would like to raise.

In Spain, if your work is good and the company is doing great, whatever happens in between, has little importance. In the UK, it doesn’t mind if your company is doing well and your job is fine. Your business unit is not going as it is expected and you can be transferred to a different company, relocated inside the company or most probably made redundant. Maybe it is not the country, but the kind of business. Obviously that behavior makes easier for companies to react to the market (hiring when they need and firing when they don’t). We’ll see how it ends, but it does not help people to feel part of a company.
I haven’t been in this situation in Spain. But when something like this is announced to the employees, I wouldn’t discard uncomfortable scenes, bad temper, crying and shouting. Here, the only bad reply was from one of the people announcing the news. Sad faces, good questions and nothing more.Again, maybe is not the country but the kind of business.
After almost 9 months alone, my family finally came to London. My connections in London are minimal. My salary is the only income. I expected my English fluency would be better after 9 months here. And I’m the last in (so I might be the first out). My situation is not stellar, but others had difficult situations too (to name one example, one colleague was told a couple of days before getting married). Despite that, people have been surprisingly friendly and supportive.
I managed to learn a new expression: retention package. And apparently, when there is not going to be one, it is obvious you should be brushing up your Linkedin profile.

What will happen? I don’t know. Most probably, the business unit will be closed. And me? I’m concerned, but not terrified. At this moment there are several options. It doesn’t seem immediate. And apparently there are lots of jobs for IT people in London.

Let’s wait and see.