It’s a pink slip X-Mas

COMPANY MESSAGE:

“Christmas time is a time of being with loved ones. Many companies know this and that’s why they’re helping you be able to spend a lot more time with your family by giving you the pink slip. No thanks are necessary, we know you’ve worked hard for the last couple of years with us. You’ve missed birthdays, anniversaries, ballet recitals, pee wee football games, movies and your parents, so as part of our thanks to you, here’s your liquidation, the minimum Christmas Bonus allowed by law and a Merry Christmas.”

If the above statement sounds troubling, disturbing, disgusting and repulsive, well I don’t blame you. What I can do however, is let you know that this is the reality of a couple of people I know from the banking, insurance, and advertising agency. Sure I could just focus my message on the Ad biz, but then they’d say I’m biased and bitter over all the fun I had when I didn’t work freelance and was an owner of my time. But that wouldn’t be accurate nor reflect the current state of various people we all know.

However, what I CAN do is focus on my experience in ad agencies during the holidays since we had such great fun and I was part of such wonderful experiences. I remember all those times I was told that we had to be thankful for having a job and how we held hands and ate some lame Christmas lunch all together only to have it surging back into my mouth by finding out two people from my department were getting fired that very same day. Oh and how could I forget that time Christmas bonuses were handed right along with termination letters? That was a beauty. And I almost forgot that one time when three people had to get crossed off the Secret Santa list, since their secret was that they wouldn’t have a job by the end of the month. Fun times people.

So am I writing this because I got the axe? No. But I do know five people that have, and I can’t help but look back and fail to remember one Christmas where this wasn’t the case. Pretty sad, but then again, such is advertising at some agencies I guess. Cheers to all those who have been lucky enough to stray away from the crap.