redundant February 08

Am I redundant? So much has happened in the last few weeks that my life feels like everything is all thrown up in the air and I am juggling balls.

First of all I had a meeting with the Scarman Chief Executive for the ‘sorry, but you haven’t got a job with the new merged Novas Scarman group any more/ we are merging 2 regions/ Guy X is getting your job’, then a meeting on this where other colleagues were told the regions were merging and a new organogram was tabled with people’s names on it, then suddenly a formal letter from the Novas PR person inviting me to a consultation! As someone with recent experience of redundancy I know you are not supposed to tell people ‘who’ is getting their job without going through consultation – restructure – job recruitment phases even if the outcome is going to be absolutely the same. While Matthew was blasé about getting rid of me as in his eyes I have another job, I do feel a bit gutted, because I do use that money to pay J1 at uni, it looks good to have that kind of ‘consultancy’ role on my CV and it’s not good for my ego or wellbeing as the eastern region is the only one of the 9 regions who have surplus budget next year – the guy mooted to take over from me is way from breaking even and it just feels that I am being booted out for being female, part-time, old and not pet person. Still – I have got over the shock and am resigned to it, though I shall endeavour to make it drag out as long as possible. I have been on the ACAS website and yes, it ticks all the boxes for unfair dismissal, but I am not in a union and I am not sure I can cope with aggravation. If I up the anti goodness knows what blazing guns they will attempt to bring crashing on my head. FP’s post is not under threat at this stage.

Then, my other job, which I thought was secure until March 2009 is going through a restructure in April 2008 and moving offices to a much smaller place where we will be hot desking and working from home.

On the Home Buildings Project front, redecorating the hall has become exterior chimney knocking down, new window and window replacement, installation of three new bathrooms, major knock through of kitchen/ breakfast room/ conservatory to increase the family dining area and open up the back of the house with the lovely garden view. It will be amazing, but we are talking of a massive long term project I had thought initially would be 2-3 months starting April and now I think is more likely to be a year starting July. I have not won the lottery, but I do have an endowment coming out and I have decided to take a capital sum and extend my mortgage. I haven’t had any major work done on the house for the last 15 years other than those new front windows and porch a couple of years ago and I think if I make it beautiful now while I still have some energy to deal with it, it will see me for the next 10-15 years after which I will probably sell and downsize. I also spend a lot of time at home, so it will be lovely to enjoy it and have more space for grown up family entertaining.

So a lot of time has been spent visiting bath centres, kitchen show rooms, IKEA, getting people round for quotes etc.

Finally – and this has got me in a tiz – brother R has confirmed that he is leaving his American motor home in Arizona in June and we are invited to have it for a month to drive around the Grand Canyon, Monument valley, wherever. It will be SO exciting, but at the same time I feel horribly guilty about not taking J2. In reality, at his age, being stuck in a glorified caravan with me and FP for a month would not be ideal and I have to treat him the same as the other two who did not go on family holidays in the lower VIth. I paid for them to have a year’s car insurance and use of a car for a year instead. He also said to me that FH was taking him away this summer so he should be OK. Obviously I’m not arranging anything until I’m sure there is some responsible adult provision in place, but I also have to learn to let go. I’ve done my bit of putting them first all the time. It could be amazing! I have never been on a month long trip either!

No real news about J2 apart from in his last driving lesson he drove into a pot hole and burst both front tyres. J1 is back on the fizz and gearing up for officer recruitment. A* is still in love with work colleague James. FP and I have started dance classes every Thursday evening which are enormous fun.