When I Left Microsoft

It had occurred to me that it’s been ten years since I was an Microsoft FTE. (Full Time Employee) Or in my case must have been a (Future Temp Employee).  What the hell what’s in an acronym anyway?  Washington state is an at will state for employment https://hkm.com/employment-blog/washington-at-will-employment-state/

The Year 2009

In 2009 I was an FTE at Microsoft. Well, that is until January 22, 2009. You know that big announcement where up to 5000 people were to be laid off.  https://techcrunch.com/2009/01/22/sad-day-for-microsoft-5000-laid-off-earnings-and-revenues-down/ Yes, laid off. Not furloughed as in the recent government shut down but laid off, fired, so sorry Charlie. Well, I mean Joseph.

Good people, working class people. Many older Americans like myself. Oh fuck play the old timers card why don’t you? It’s not like that at all or is it? I was told later of a simple timeline of departures.

I might add that some had disabilities. Oh yes they did. But, a big company like this for the time frame seem to have ways to get around that small bit of information and was never found in the news.  Was it?? Nope.

OK, get rid of the oldest guy on the team (me), next the Chinese American who had diabetes and a kidney transplant, and then the black guy who helped establish and was in charge of the incident response team. Others who were with the team for one reason or another slowly were let go.  While the so called managers stayed and from what I’m told worse for those who stayed on.

I’m Truly Not Bitter

I’m not in the slightest way bitter about any of this.  However on that day in January. The 22^nd day in fact was my granddaughters first birthday. Such a sweet present. Let me explain, I got to leave Redmond and not be stuck in traffic and make it to her birthday party.  And, what was to me the biggest loss of the year. My wife died 8 months later.  In spite of all that I’m still not bitter.

And, on that day, January 22^nd, 2019, Right after him and the HR person told me the news in his office. I shook the dudes hand and said “Damn “S” I thought this was going to be something worse.  

I came in the next day and backed up my machine of personal stuff and departed the building. Never to return except….

The Year 2019 Ten Years Later

Well, this is the tenth year since I’ve left Microsoft which actually prompted this little posting.

Last year 2018 I had an opportunity to do a contract for my old team. Well, the group name that is.   Some of the former team was still in the same building I had left in 2009.  Not one of them even thought to come and say hello. Go figure. Not very friendly then so why would they be now? 

My Last Project Day

However, on my last day with the project, I visited a couple of the old team members that I had liked and said hello/goodbye.  (The Beatles – “You Say Goodbye and I Say Hello”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rblYSKz_VnI

It was both perfect and serene that this project just might be my last.  Yes, old guys do have trouble finding gigs and because of that I’m contemplating retirement.  Well, at least for me it has been. I wish the team continued success.

The office I was assigned to on this contract was right around the corner of where my old office was.  I thought that was pretty cool.  And just out the door of my new office  was a big cutout of the 3 stooges.  Now it’s the four stooges with one perhaps two of them saying:

Yunck, Yunck, Yunck.

Joseph Kravis

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Thoughts & Ideas, Joseph Kravis 🙂

Categories: Thoughts and Ideas

Tags: Employee, FTE, Microsoft, Programmer