Sweet Defeat

It has been a 6-year 4-month battle. Battle that involved financial woes and emotional investments between me and my former employer – name withheld to put off extra profit-making exposure.

Six years ago, they deliberately took away my security of tenure and my 14th month pay. I tried raising the issue but I was instead reprimanded. 3 years after, they again took everything else leaving just my basic pay, I was devastated.

Three months prior to the Project’s actual closure, we were briefly informed of our imminent predicament that was known as the infamous September 30. I was at the threshold of putting off to waste the dozen years I have spent with them. A group of friends and colleagues came together to come up with an inquiry letter for the company on our employment status. A number of agitating written exchanges came up that caused unwanted drama on my part, being the group’s designated email sender and receiver. If the company’s stand on our claims was unyielding, ours was unwavering too. It was such an upsetting period that it scared me even just to wake up, until I woke up 1 day and was verbally offered a 6-digit so called “end-of-project-bonus”! Why the sudden change of strategy? Were they finally bothered or alarmed of what we legitimately claimed that now they’re trying to buy us out? “No, no, we’ve been working this out for the last 2 years.” – says the boss. Oh how ungentlemanly of you to own up all the credit that comes with all these obviously deceiving intentions.

With the sufficient amount being offered, I was already about to concede if not for another blunder coming from them. They wanted us to sign a quitclaim/waiver that totally eliminates our previous lawful claims. If that is the case, then it wasn’t really a “bonus” after all. We had no choice but to go on with the battle, legally. It was also at this point that true colors emerged from so-called “friends”. As one colleague puts it – “money changes everything”. Sad but true.

We are still in battle. From the original group of 6, now remains only 3 determined persons. Bargaining is still being worked on for the next 2 weeks. Bargaining that have somehow optimistically resulted to:

1) unexpected “bonuses” for the majority of the staff;
2) an unanticipated budget cut from the company;
3) quite a large sum of unpredicted legal fees; and conceivably
4) an apparently stressed-out management team.

Perhaps in due time, I might get my own share too. It may not be as much as I originally estimated but what the heck, it could still be more than enough for me to get by until I find myself a decent new work. I may never be able to buy that expensive Macbook Pro or even that Pab Der Uomo loafers I’ve been drooling on for months but who cares? My colleagues’ accidental bonus, the unforeseen budget cut, the hefty lawyers’ fees and most of all, the annoying stress we have created for the management – all of these can never be replaced by any amount of consumable cash. This, for me is the sweetest thing despite not winning all of it.