The Korean gent who came into the office on Monday to give us the bad news about the dissolution of our department and the reshuffling of us team members said that we'd be getting an official announcement (via email or what?) about where we'd be going and on what date we'd be moving out. We've heard nothing so far, and now, it's Thursday. Are we moving on Friday? My cynical suspicion, based on years of learning how this company works, is that there will likely be no announcement. Instead, the team of movers will just arrive one day, and we'll ship out over the next few hours. "Ta-dah! We're here! Let's go!"
Another possibility is that the announcement will come today, and it will say that we're moving tomorrow (Friday). This would also be par for the course: big changes always happen on short notice—another sign of the chronic institutional unprofessionalism that is rampant in my company (see why I don't name the place?).
Meanwhile, the boss said he got word from the CEO that they're supposed to meet on Tuesday, but as I wrote earlier, if we proles move out before that day, there's no way the company will undo what it just did. Maybe the CEO will have pity and delay our move, but I doubt he's even really aware of what's going on here on the ground.
In the meantime, we've all packed everything but our computers and work-station partitions. I assume the moving teams will be transferring those things to our new places of work. In my case, I'm taking most of my stuff home with me since I'll be leaving the company soon. Rest assured: my stuff is truly my stuff, not company property that I'm stubbornly stealing. There are some mouse cords and other company doodads that I've left inside my work desk, but most of what I'm taking home is mine: a ton of cooking-related equipment, a big pile of books and printouts, and office supplies that I bought on my own dime. When the time comes to move, I suspect the movers will rapidly unplug our computers and either box them up or pile them onto hand trucks. Same with our work-station partitions and office chairs (the chairs can roll, but when one is carrying them down the stairs, there's a risk that lifting them up will mean losing one or more casters—the horror).
It's still a dick move to do this right around Christmas and/or New Year's. Were I a good little employee, I'd sit there and take it. Instead, I've decided to quit because I'm sick of all the power plays and oscillating circumstances. And thus we move into an uncertain future. For the moment, at least, that feels liberating. I'm pretty much going to ignore the next month. And I'm pondering whether I'm really ready to drop W20 million as a deposit for my apartment. My boss thinks I should just move out of Seoul to somewhere less expensive. I don't know what that would do to my job prospects. Ooh: what about moving to Andong?
Much still to think about, but for the moment, I have time.
What a cluster fuck.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, but I thought of you living in Andong too. That would limit your job prospects, though.
Good luck with whatever you decide. I don't envy you the current turmoil, but at least you have the right attitude going forward.
There are many newer, small apartment buildings around Daejeon that don't require key money one can rent for 350,000-450,000 won per month all around the city. Too many apartments and not enough renters as many move to Seoul or Busan. Hopefully, your boss can get you something in Seoul though. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason why so many people live in Seoul--it's where the jobs are. Unless you can find something you can do remotely, you're probably better off staying here. Some neighborhoods are cheaper than others, of course.
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