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Employer at the Gates… An Essay on Exiting the Workforce

The Pandemic Should Mark a Turning Point in Employer-Employee Relations Author William Craig’s Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad, details the German invasion of Stalingrad in 1942 during World War II. Invading forces believed overtaking the city post bombings could be done with relative ease; however, it lasted over five months, and almost two million lives were lost. Historians view it as a turning point of the war, a view I hope prevails after the pandemic regarding employer-employee relations. "The government and institutions will rain praise on first responders and everyday people for diligently fighting the virus." An article on Medium titled Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting by Julio Vincent Gambuto more eloquently detailed the gaslighting that likely ensues once the government and corporate America deem it essential the economy restart. Millions under stay at home orders, furloughed or outright laid off will be encouraged to go back to work. It is for the greater good as well as your wellbeing to reengage the workforce and stimulate an economic recovery. The government and institutions will rain praise on first responders and everyday people for diligently fighting the virus. Now is the time to put your best foot forward and bring back some normalcy to daily life. Right? Like many others across the country and globally, I was not immune to the pandemic and found myself unemployed. The more time that passes has led to self-reflection about what my life was before and where an idealistic version saw it as well as a more pragmatic assessment looking ahead. "Take some time to assess your life and the employer-employee relationship." I hope others reflect on their situations during this time, and something more comes of it, specifically the employer-employee relationship. For those of us out of work or remote, employers will be keen to have us back once the green light is given. Back to what? Did the employers care about my livelihood and work in my best interest during the pandemic? Before that, did they have my best interest in mind and provide livable wages while sufficiently saving for retirement? Were their actions before, during, and after the pandemic merely lip service to paint themselves in a better light? Take some time to assess your life and the employer-employee relationship. This situation is painful to many of us for various reasons, including the deaths of loved ones and those around us. I feel fortunate those around me have remained healthy or overcome the virus, but my circumstance of being let go still aches. The Invisible Hand Hurts Adam Smith wrote on the concept of the invisible hand in The Wealth of Nations in 1776, a metaphor on unseen forces that drive free-market economies. Freely exchanged goods and services allegedly bring value to the market. Changes in output, supply and demand, ultimately find a market equilibrium with time. As it turns out, the free-market economy determined my labor no longer held value several months ago as demand plummeted, and like many others, I was unemployed. In March of 2020, around lunch, I was called in my office to meet management in a conference room. During that initial call, I already knew what it meant, exclaiming, “well, this can’t be good.” The voice on the other end of the phone concurred, “you may be right.” Despite modest preparation, both consciously and subconsciously, since the day I started my career, it was still shocking.

Newspaper clipping highlighting COVID-19 Layoffs "My job had become my identity." The experience of being let go is demoralizing, hits you in the gut, and crushes your self-esteem. Sleeplessness persisted for several nights after. Over the following month, my mood would swing from the elation regarding the opportunity of starting a new chapter in life and drift back towards grief over the loss. My job had become my identity. Often, I still wake up early in the morning, nauseous over my job loss, with my subconscious still reeling throughout the night. A quote mistakenly attributed to Churchill said something to the effect of move past failures with no loss of enthusiasm. The point being, one must move on and try again while maintaining a positive attitude. I’m not there yet, but I am making a concerted effort to reassess my options. This is What I Know… The Rush Back to Your Identity Almost immediately after losing my job, I was trying to replace it. Within one day of leaving, I was upgrading to LinkedIn premium, shooting off emails to prior colleagues and people within my network. All of this, to fill the void, moving back to a position of normalcy in life. It feels off. Did I want to go back to that routine that consumed my life? Look, there was a lot that I truly enjoyed about my job. It was demanding and dynamic. Global news flow and the economic narrative driving the market keeps you on your toes. Colleagues were generally likable, many becoming friends of mine over the years. Those around me throughout my career were generous with their time, helping me and many others learn along the way. Conversely, there was plenty I came to loath about my position. Headcount reductions throughout the years pushed what seemed like a mountain of work on my desk. It evolved into a never-ending list of things to get done. I felt the need to be working on projects not only Monday through Friday, but also evenings when I would get home. Weekends were more often than not another workday, at least in part. My capacity was full, and I had no excess bandwidth to take on additional work without help. This situation gradually led to depression. No matter the hours of effort I put forth, I was unable to complete everything and felt increasingly despondent with the situation. Near the end, I felt like I was possibly turning a corner, getting some additional help, but still felt my career consumed my life. Beyond catching a movie at home in the evening, there was little else outside of work anymore, no semblance of work-life balance. I’m Not a Nihilist Donny… What Else Do I Care About? Several years after moving to New York City, around 2014, I became interested in my personal finances, specifically the lack of focus as well as a plan. An avid consumer of information, I scoured books on Amazon as well as articles online from business publications and blogs. One book, in particular, stood out, If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly by William Bernstein. It is free and worth the read. While I will not bore you with the details, needless to say, I did develop a plan to address my lack of financial wellbeing. Debts were repaid. An emergency fund was started. Over several years I continued to focus on improving my financial situation and research the subject. Personal finance evolved into a hobby of mine. "After leaving my job, I had to take inventory of my skills." This contrasted with my career focusing on helping others pick stocks, understand companies and their industries. These people were individual stock pickers; I became an index investor. I tend to agree that most investors nor funds beat the market over time. After leaving my job, I had to take inventory of my skills. Not all the day to day in my career contrasted with personal finance. I was an avid writer capable of distilling complex ideas and analysis into easily digestible content for people with minimal attention spans. It would be rare if I would finish a day without writing, often extensively. I found myself genuinely passionate about personal finance, improving my situation as well as helping others. Parlaying a Skillset, An Exit Opportunity

Letterbox sign stating Think Outside the Box "I have lower case f-you money, not upper-case F-you." Several holidays ago, I tossed around the idea of writing about personal finance. I went so far as to register a domain and began learning about publishing online. This initiative was thrown to the back burner during a prior round of layoffs. This was common within the industry and at my previous employer, not to mention nerve-racking. More work was placed on my desk. There the idea sat until a few weeks ago. First, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue a different path. I am not financially independent. I have lower case f-you money, not upper-case F-you. My safety net likely only lasts six to twelve months. While there was undoubtedly a significant amount of hard work and savings associated, many others suffering from unemployment are not fortunate. That does not escape me. "...my primary priority is improving financial literacy for others around New York City and elsewhere." Second, my next endeavor intends to help people across socioeconomic backgrounds become more financially literate, stabilize their situation, improving it, placing them on a path towards financial freedom and independence. Alongside this, I am setting forth some financial goals to keep me afloat. Through a combination of writing on my website plus other publications like Medium, potentially publishing a book, counseling others as well as investing and building my passive income and wealth. Is this a feasible exit opportunity?

Neon sign stating "Change" Who knows, but I feel it is achievable, and my primary priority is improving financial literacy for others around New York City and elsewhere. From an economic perspective, I aim to replace my lost income I would achieve reengaging the job market. Moving forward, I intend to provide frequent updates on my progress or lack thereof and hope we learn a bit along the way. I wish others will take some time and reflect on their careers if they are afforded the opportunity during this period and assess the employer-employee relationship. Question it and fight for equitable change that is mutually beneficial. Welcome to the journey, and stay safe!

Man dressed for work in sport coat, jeans with briefcase & book Read the full article