Suppose I should have waited before pimping myself out yesterday because there actually is a decent post in this. And one that wouldn't have required me to walk that awkward line 'twixt soliciting the readers and trying not to appear desperate. Sometimes self-awareness isn't all it's cracked up to be.

As it turns out, the Hillbilly was part of a healthy purge at the IS department of his most recent Past Experience entry. They are ten-less strong today than they were yesterday. That includes someone who was going to be leaving in three days anyway which makes me wonder how much value the company places on goodwill.

And goodwill will be one of the topics of the day. A good chunk of yesterday's biopsy were employees. And did you know that in Alberta, employees that have worked 'twixt three and twenty-four months are entitled to a grand total of one weeks' notice. Or pay in lieu of.

Here's where the goodwill comes in. One of the victims told me that little tidbit. And as a general rule, when your recently laid-off employees are looking up labour laws right afterward, you probably haven't handled things in the best possible way.

As a contractor, I got nothing and I'm fine with that. It's in my contract so there's hardly anyone I can blame. I was hoping my VPN access would have lasted long enough after the "can we chat" conversation to at least check in the test I was working on but that's the nature of most companies. Granting access requires three signatures and just as many weeks. Revoking it requires a phone call and it's done before you hear the dial tone.

Justice has a good post on job security vs. career security (which is not the same as employee vs. contractor). Yesterday was a textbook proof of his theory that job security is a myth. There are some interesting comments in the post (and then there are the ones talking about the Mad Mexican rolling over for Sam Gentile). I particularly like Bil's comment that, whether employee or contractor, you have to be prepared for just the scenario described here.

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm cautiously optimistic about my own future. Such is my nature in general but in this instance, it's backed up a little by confidence but mostly with past experience when looking for jobs. (Man, I wish I was that subtle yesterday.) That's because I'm secure in my career, not in my job. Yes, it may not play out the way I want it to but my worst-case scenario, which I will leave to your fertile imaginations, is still pretty good.

And there are worse fates than being unemployed in the Bahamas.

Kyle the Silver-Lined