Well...after 12 years of service and nothing to show for it, I've moved on to new horizons.
I called in sick Thursday to attend a second interview. Within 30 minutes of leaving the interview I was called, and an offer was made. After discussing it with my wife I called them back and accepted the offer.
I went in to work Fri. morning @ 6:30, before anyone else, and cleared out all my stuff, and especially, to clear out 12 years worth of personal files on the server and my PC (I burned everything to DVDs months ago). After clearing out all my stuff I took my key off my key chain and went to go get my time card to have them both in my hand to turn in once the new VP arrived. When he arrived he asked me to come to his office and called in a secondary support person. I knew something was up, but had the biggest smile on my face. I was informed that, for completely bullexcrement reasons, I was going to incur a two day suspension without pay. They claimed I showed my pay stub to other employees. This was completely false, any exchange of pay rates were done verbally...idiot. Four days prior to this, when this new VP took his position, he had a meeting with every employee. In my meeting we discussed money and policy and he told me, "Keith, you've been here 12 years, you're not going anywhere." Well, when he told me I was suspended and handed me my suspension notice, I held it up in the air and let it drift back on the desk in front of him without looking at it. I then tossed my key in front of him and said, "no thanx, i'll just go." He was completely shocked and speechless. I then said, "If you have any information you want out of my head you better get it now because I won't be coming back." After some back peddling and hemming and hawing he asked me if I needed to get my things out of my office. I said, "nope, done that months ago." He knew then that I didn't just quit on a whim, but had been planning to go for quite some time.
Funny thing is the people that he was trying to put in line by making an example out of me knew what I was going to do that day. They were on a job site and receive a call from the VP after I left. He told them he had to let me go. Later that day when they got back from the job site they confronted the VP and told him he was liar, and that his strong arm tactics aren't going to work, and that he needed to face the fact that he got OWNED.
The company is about to lose four to six more people and will probably implode soon. The company only has 12 employees total. The VP tried to enforce large corporation strong arm tactics on a small group of underpaid employees and will end up clearing the place out.
I start my new job on the 28th and will enjoy my week vacation. Wish me luck. After 12 years this is a tough move. An increase in pay of 20+K is certainly great motivation!
WOOHOO!!!
BTW: This means I no longer work at the relaxed place I once did, which means I won't be on IRC or the site, during the day like I have been for the past years.
