Separation Anxiety

It was last night around 12 am when we received the communication from our call center director regarding the “All-Hands Meeting,” where all employees are invited and the site will be closed for at least 3 hours. According to the communication, we will be receiving very important company information during the meeting.

Shutting down site operations seldom happens. It happened two years ago when our site celebrated its 7th anniversary. I could not recall any other instance from that time until this one. So I told myself, I guess this is it. Remember about the “rumors” I wrote in Distrait? Perhaps, this is the day everyone is anticipating, or should I say have been expecting ever since the rumors broke out.

So today, me and my wife Lorie May, who also works in this company as a billing consultant, left home past 3 pm to join the meeting at a convention center here in Clark. Along the way, I felt mixed emotions. It’s a mix feeling of excitement and anxiety. A lot of questions were also tripping my mind. I guess, almost everyone is feeling the same as I am. As we arrive at the venue, we went straight to the convention hall after the registration. I saw some of my former teammates in the morning shift and joined them. We enjoyed a few chitchats before the meeting started.

Our attention was called when our call center director started greeting everyone. At first, it looks like we’re launching a new product where everyone is excited to see. But there was a moment of silence when they finally revealed the acquisition of our company by another leading BPO provider. Well, it’s a no surprise. Everybody is expecting this news. After almost a year of speculations, the moment of truth finally came. There were several presenters and the meeting went fine. We got the chance to see a welcome video from the CEO of the new company. We were assured that all employees are guaranteed with continuous employment and tenure, same salary and benefits we are currently enjoying as part of the acquisition deal. The quiescent crowd suddenly went lively when one presenter showed some of the perks that the company is offering to employees.

But despite of all the nice things we’ve heard, I can still feel disappointments and emotional distress from my colleagues. Most of us here have invested a certain degree of emotional attachment with this company. So you can’t blame anyone to feel the separation anxiety. Though we’re still going to work with same people, same team and same schedule we have right now, but for sure changes will come sooner or maybe right after the transition. It’s business as usual.

But I’m very thankful that we still have our job. Who knows, a better opportunity maybe waiting for us with this new management?

I just hope for the best.