Do you feel threatened at work?

[giacomini]

Not physically threatened or bullied, it is more about dealing with constant changes.

OK, so here's the deal.

I'm a civil servant in the legislative assembly of my state, so you might guess that top posts are assigned by the 'congressmen'.

***I am stating this just to illustrate my workplace situation, not trying to start any kind of political discussion***

Every two years there are big changes in all departments, mostly because one legislative period ends and a new one starts and usually the new president wants his people in charge of strategic departments.

2013 is one of those years. We're 2 weeks from coming back to work from vacation and we know that we'll have a new director and coordinators might change, too. I was talking to a coworker about this and he describes it as having butterflies in his stomach or a fear of the unknown.

We mostly feel uncomfortable about the changes. I can't really know who's coming to be my new boss, might be a jerk or somebody that doesn't have a clue about what they're doing (had one like this last year, believe me, they are the worst kind).

Anyone experience this too?

[MatticusMania]

Our company recently went through a change in upper management, and we're also now completely employee owned.
There have been lots of shifts in positions, lay-offs, and restructuring.
Every now and then I feel like Im a dispensible employee and I prepare myself for a lay-off.
Then I remember that Im the only person here who knows how to use a necessary program and the company paid upwards of $3000 to have me certified.
Then I get called into meetings regarding huge upcoming projects and such and I feel secure in my job again.

I think the insecurity comes as a result of how much free time I manage to have, but I cant help it if I finish my work quickly, and to perfection. It won't be long before I have more responsibilities once again...

[jmattbassplaya]

When threatened, always threaten back with the use of your bunghole:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoPVC4YxDlI

[Jim Nazium]

I'm not in that situation right now, but I've been there before, and will be again. I'm in the private sector, so it doesn't happen on a regular schedule like it might in a government job, but otherwise it's really no different. The Senior VP leaves, a new one comes in and rearranges the department, suddenly I have a new manager, or the project I was working on gets dropped, etc.

I've learned to roll with it. High commitment, low attachment.

[giacomini]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Our company recently went through a change in upper management, and we're also now completely employee owned.
There have been lots of shifts in positions, lay-offs, and restructuring.
Every now and then I feel like Im a dispensible employee and I prepare myself for a lay-off.
Then I remember that Im the only person here who knows how to use a necessary program and the company paid upwards of $3000 to have me certified.
Then I get called into meetings regarding huge upcoming projects and such and I feel secure in my job again.

I think the insecurity comes as a result of how much free time I manage to have, but I cant help it if I finish my work quickly, and to perfection. It won't be long before I have more responsibilities once again...

It happened something like that here in 2010, some communication services (specially TV) got outsourced here and many people got fired. Some came back as employees of the outsourcing company. This is not uncommon to happen and people get insecure about it a lot, specially the ones we know that don't take the job that seriously

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

When threatened, always threaten back with the use of your bunghole:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoPVC4YxDlI

That's an option!

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

I'm not in that situation right now, but I've been there before, and will be again. I'm in the private sector, so it doesn't happen on a regular schedule like it might in a government job, but otherwise it's really no different. The Senior VP leaves, a new one comes in and rearranges the department, suddenly I have a new manager, or the project I was working on gets dropped, etc.

I've learned to roll with it. High commitment, low attachment.

Yes, we've dropped some projects half way through and sometimes it is frustrating, but like you said, high commitment, low attachment <-- great advice, gotta work on that!

[alembicguy]

Sorry but no never.

[Mound of Sound]

Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Do you know how much I make a year? I mean, even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it.

Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop going into work? A business big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ goes belly up. Disappears! It ceases to exist without me.

No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger! A guy opens his door and gets shot and you think that of me? No.




I AM THE ONE WHO KNOCKS.

[giacomini]

Originally Posted by Mound of Sound

Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Do you know how much I make a year? I mean, even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it.

Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop going into work? A business big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ goes belly up. Disappears! It ceases to exist without me.

No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger! A guy opens his door and gets shot and you think that of me? No.

I AM THE ONE WHO KNOCKS.

Thought you were talking about Chuck Norris...

[Pilgrim]

TO the OP: That's basically a condition of the job. Not a good condition, but it is one.

I'm an at-will employee on a research campus, but I don't worry about it - I just make sure to do a great job and be recognized for it. That's my job security.

[UncleFluffy]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

I'm an at-will employee on a research campus, but I don't worry about it - I just make sure to do a great job and be recognized for it. That's my job security.

That's half of it. The other half of job security is thinking of each job in terms of "what can I learn here that will help me get my next job?" and "what will this look like on my resume?" Cynical, admittedly, but the world is what it is.

[Smokin' Toaster]

In this day and time, I would not want to work for the government in most any capacity. The government is an over-inflated balloon and it will soon have to be deflated or it's going to burst. Neither is a good scenario if you are in it's employ.

Your situation sounds particularly bad, considering that management changes every two years.

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by giacomini

Not physically threatened or bullied, it is more about dealing with constant changes.

OK, so here's the deal.

I'm a civil servant in the legislative assembly of my state, so you might guess that top posts are assigned by the 'congressmen'.

***I am stating this just to illustrate my workplace situation, not trying to start any kind of political discussion***

Every two years there are big changes in all departments, mostly because one legislative period ends and a new one starts and usually the new president wants his people in charge of strategic departments.

2013 is one of those years. We're 2 weeks from coming back to work from vacation and we know that we'll have a new director and coordinators might change, too. I was talking to a coworker about this and he describes it as having butterflies in his stomach or a fear of the unknown.

We mostly feel uncomfortable about the changes. I can't really know who's coming to be my new boss, might be a jerk or somebody that doesn't have a clue about what they're doing (had one like this last year, believe me, they are the worst kind).

Anyone experience this too?

I believe there is some research in the organizational theory and public administration literature that discusses this type of thing. Government work is interesting from an organizational perspective, because you often have career bureaucrats working alongside people whose tenures are generally ephemeral due to their posts being tied to changing political tides and administrations. It's part of the reason why government can be slow to react to things. I suppose that's the trade off we deal with for having democracy.

Regardless of sector, I think many people experience that feeling sometime in their careers. There's going to be that time when you know some sort of pressure is being exerted on your organization - a pressure that it totally out of your hands to control - that may result in things like restructuring, lay offs, or demotions. I remember my first "real job" was working for a very small IT firm. We were still in that start-up phase, and I knew losing even one major client at that point could easily sink the company. I got laid off around Christmas, and wouldn't you know it, never got called back and the company floundered. It sucked at the moment, but it helped me realize that I really didn't dig working in IT and I made a quick career change before I got too deep in.

[spade2you]

Next round of layoffs is in May. We're a tad overstaffed and there are no jobs in my field locally. Yeah, a little nervous.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

In some regards I'm anxious, have the transition from university to taxes coming up and with nothing set in stone, income over the coming few months is a bit of a worry.

[Munjibunga]

... or maybe the new boss will be better than the old boss. Maybe you'll get promoted.

[MadMan118]

With my employer I am in a different facility every 2-6 months and as such I have to adjust to the way the management team functions in each one, some I have loved and some I have hated. Just as i'm sure some loved me and some hated me as their new boss.
My girlfriend however is one of only 2 neurologists where she works, so there's almost no competition except a rock paper scissors game to decide who's doing ER on calls.

[Indiana Mike]

I wouldn't feel threatened unless I had no skills or certifications in the field I am working in .

Or

No skills or certs at all.

I have worked since 13, actually earlier if you count paper routes and cutting grass.

I have never had to draw unemployment benefits and have never been without a job fot more than a week.

I guess I'm lucky . I actually think it was the fact I was willing to take a crap job until I found a better one and so on and so on. I never sat around and cried the I can't find a job blues . I have had the current job for 17 years . Up until that I had at least a new job a year on average .

Can't be scared...

[Jonyak]

Constantly, all the time.

My job has become more about constantly giving the higher ups a reason to keep my department and less about actually doing the work.

I have had 4 different bosses in the last 6 months, and our big boss just recently quit.

Morale is at an all time low.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

... or maybe the new boss will be better than the old boss. Maybe you'll get promoted.

Eh... there is a reason the USA went to "civil service" jobs and (mostly) did away with patronage positions.

Patronage changes are generally about the political views of the employee, not the quality of job they do.

[zachoff]

I'm bummed I have little say in what goes on in my day to day. Other than that, I kinda thrive on change.

When it comes to the IT/Programming world... If you're not changing you're stagnating.