the most wonderful time of the year

Another year comes to a close, and -- once again -- the Information Technology Gods have descended upon us and requested their yearly homage in the form of budget reductions. After over 10 years in the field, I'm almost immune to the whole process as we sit around tables and talk about eliminating positions as if we were trading baseball cards. "I'll trade you a Don Mattingly rookie card for a handful of your Topps Jay Bruce. The Mattingly is worth a lot right now, but the Bruce cards are less expensive and have the potential to go way up in value."
Almost two weeks into the last month of our fiscal year, and management starts throwing around phrases such as "30% reduction" and "we're doing everything we can to avoid cutting headcount". But the realists in the group understand the largest company expense is its people. Very rarely, if ever, can you achieve such a large reduction without eliminating positions. I reflect on all of this as I look out the window, watching 1/4 of my team drive away, having left early for personal reasons. Meanwhile, 200 yards away, someone is losing their job only because they have the shortest time-on-title.
And why? Because somebody in the company suddenly discovered they weren’t going to “make their numbers” for the year? Aside from wondering how one does not make that realization until 49 weeks into the year, I’m curious as to when the company will hire new employees to replace those being let go. Typically, positions are eliminated in November and December to improve the proverbial, infamous bottom line. But then, towards the end of the first quarter the following year, companies start hiring again in order to handle the “huge influx of work”. Wash, rinse, repeat.
And so I try to keep my head down and work hard while I listen to one of my managers on the phone talking about hamsters. I ignore the person who sits behind me making travel arrangements for a girls volleyball team all day. I pay no attention to someone across the way who is watching YouTube and doesn’t realize the headphones aren’t plugged in. When I go to the printer and see the stack of receipts from someone doing their online Christmas shopping, I merely set them aside and walk away. I’m sure the person spending all day downloading applications to their new iPhone has not a single ticket in the queue, so I’ll commend them on their diligence and be on my way. I will just be happy I have a job and am not one of the tens of thousands who will spend Christmas praying for employment. My card is in the stack somewhere, of course, but hopefully I’ll at least get fair market value when I become a free agent.