what a difference a week makes

Last Thursday, I found out I will not be cut back to two days a week at work. The previous Thursday, that's what I had been told. Since we're putting out so much new music this year, it obviously costs more to produce it. Well, until we can make that money back from sales, the company is a bit short on cash to meet payroll. So two Thursdays ago, I was told some production people were being let go and I would only work two days a week. That would last maybe a few months, and if sales improved, they'd put me back to full-time. If I found a new job in the meantime, they'd understand.

So my first step was to start looking through the help wanted ads and make sure my resume was up-to-date. I started making plans for my newfound unpaid time off, namely putting my latest graphic design stuff on my website and finishing up those things from my vacation list I didn't get done (especially packing up the Snoopy collection). I was actually looking forward to the prospect of having more time to get things done and finding a higher-paying job that would allow me to move out of my parents' house. This time around, I'd have a much better portfolio, more experience, and could be more picky about pay instead of settling for whatever I could find (ideally).

The following Monday, we had a company meeting and discussed other ways the company could reduce costs and increase sales. After a weekend of actually looking forward to being part-time, suddenly I was afraid my plans would be crushed. And they were, Thursday, when we met again and came up with a new proposal. Thanks to a good week of sales, they were more optimistic about the cash flow. If necessary, everyone will be cut back to four days a week. It won't be quite as much of a savings as the original plan, but it will retain people who already know how to do their jobs. That is, they won't be getting rid of people for short term gain, only to hire new people later that have to be retrained.

So, for now, I'm still full-time. But unless I can get a raise (unlikely, since they had to resort to this plan in the first place, and the president and business manager both took paycuts), I will still be looking toward finding a higher-paying job. As nice as it is, I don't want to live with my parents for the rest of my life. I won't be moving out at my current pay rate, if I can avoid it.

I think the Avenue Q song For Now applies here. :)