This is an excerpt of a post I came across on one of the blogs I follow. It was a text message sent to now ex-bank workers who had until the time of receiving it, been full time employees of one of the commercial banks in Nigeria. Unless you have been living under a rock you would have heard of the current financial 'restructuring' that has been going on in Nigeria. A few mergers and acquisitions have also taken center stage and as usual, the 'grass' is suffering.
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The ethics of the whole exercise may be appalling but I cant say that we didn't see it coming. Fool us once, okay....but fool us twice...hmmm. I don't know if its fear or some form of misplaced hope that somehow employers will come by some money tree and all will be well. Even when history has proven otherwise time and time again. For the 'lucky' ones who are still in paid employment in any sector of our present economy. I honestly congratulate you for managing to hold down your job in these trying times. Keep your head up!!
I hate to be the carrier of bad news but there are quite a few reasons why the employed should be very very worried.
1. People with regular jobs are fast becoming the minority and that alone comes with attendant pressures. In other words, you will soon be viewed as the stingy thrifty family member who never 'helps' anybody. Climb a little higher up the corporate ladder and you just might be labelled a fraudster. Go figure!
2. The number of 'supporters' have decreased and the number of dependents are increasing; and the rate is skewed slightly to the dependents side. If you were only worried about fending for your little cousin in University, you are suddenly saddled with trying to 'help' your 'brother' or 'sister' who is married with seven children!
3. Unless you have an additional and steady income source, you probably have a blood pressure monitor stashed in your bedside drawer. As you go to sleep remembering that your colleague who won 'Employee of the Year' three times in ten years found out he was fired when he couldn't log on to the office network in the morning. You shudder as you remember how it almost destroyed him and how he is still trying to come to terms with it.
4. You become the fountain of all knowledge and are suddenly looked upon as the one with all the answers even if you only just started up your career ladder two years ago. You are suddenly the one that must have an opinion and put forward some cash to 'support' it.
5. All companies will do what they usually do in hard times; hold their cash tight!Your bank will no longer have a 'friendly, open-door policy' to high-risk loans as they would much rather deposit with the Central Bank and get their guaranteed percentage. So no cash to even pump into that big project that is supposed to be worth millions!
In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't look good for the employed either.
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I can guarantee you markets will fail, financial crashes will happen and will continue to happen for a very long time. Unemployment will go up and more people will be looking to receive as opposed to giving of themselves. You will begin to know your real friends and you will understand when it is said that in life 'you are on your own'.
The majority of the problems we face is a result of a false sense of security, from a job, from friends, even from family. Yes I said family, because they already have countless responsibilities you wouldn't be aware of. Even if they really would want to help out with all they have, there just isn't enough to go round all the 'urgent' needs that have to be met.
What to do, what to do.....
Look for other sources of income that can support you. Start a home-based business that you can manage alongside your regular work hours. Broaden your horizons and look for creative ways to invest and grow your finances. Study the world trends in business from the micro scale to large scale and find out what they say. As you create options for yourself, carry as many dependents as are willing along and teach them the ropes.
Be careful though. Understand that you do not have to leave your job to have other sources of income. Don't let anyone lie to you and convince you otherwise. The world needs workers; there has to be a labour force or there would be no activity, economic or otherwise. Don't leave a job unless you are convinced that its the right decision to take. The idea is to take risks and add more value as a result; not to live in regret and grumble the rest of us to insanity.
Here's to the gainfully employed: I doff my hat to you all! Remember, don't just work hard, work smart! You will find that when you create options, you sleep a little better, breathe a little easier and aren't scared out of your mind when a text message comes in!!!
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