The “People’s Department”

After my blog posting last night about not coming out at work, I get to work this morning and receive the below, very pleasing, email from my new employer. I thought it was very nice and thought I might share…

From: The Office of the Secretary
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 5:55 PM
To: ALL-[Omitted for blog]
Subject: The Secretary's Civil Rights Policy Statement

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF [omitted for blog]
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250

Civil Rights Policy Statement

As Secretary of [omitted for blog], I fully support the Department of [omitted for blog]’s civil rights, equal employment opportunity, and diversity policies. I am firmly committed to ensuring that we treat each other and all of [omitted for blog]'s customers with respect, dignity, and equality. This is my commitment, and I expect all [omitted for blog] employees to do their part in translating this commitment into meaningful action.

To help us achieve our mission and live up to the high standard of being known as the "People's Department," we must work together. I take responsibility for leading the way, and my policy is simple and explicit - zero tolerance of any unlawful discrimination, harassment, or reprisal. All [omitted for blog] employees, applicants, customers, and stakeholders must and will have equal access to the opportunities, programs, and services offered by this great Department.

I expect our executives, managers, and supervisors to lead by example and to effectively embrace, manage, and leverage diversity within the Agency. Recognizing that our employees are our greatest asset, we must strive to reflect the diversity of American society at all levels, and cultivate an inclusive workplace environment where the uniqueness, background, and experience of every employee is appreciated and valued.

[Name Omitted for blog]
Secretary

Who I am, not what I am

It’s been three weeks since I started my new job. This job really is going to be great. I am already feeling that it is so much more fulfilling. Instead of sarcastically helping people in the sense of providing that momentary high, or remorse, from them buying something they really enjoy at Macy’s, I am actually truly doing something good.

As much as my friends might give me shit for moving to Mankato to work with farmers, it is becoming much much clearer as to why I was fortunate enough for this opportunity to cross my path. With every passing day things get better here in Mankato. I have a lot to learn in the job, but I am meeting new people and it is nice to be so close to home where I can just go home and help on the farm at almost a moments notice. I will obviously always miss my friends who live in Minneapolis, but being in this community is starting to feel more like home. I mean, I grew up here. At one point recently, I had to ask myself, “What was I doing in the city anyway? This fits me better anyway. Was it that I just felt more comfortable there because of what I am?”

That leads me to another point. So, I do not plan on telling anyone I currently work with that I am gay. Instead, I plan on living my life outside of work as I would normally, but never saying anything at work. I feel like this way, my co-workers will get to know me for WHO I am instead of WHAT I am. I am not saying that they will have a problem with it, but I do know that there is a higher percentage of people here who are much more close-minded and I am not going to give anyone ammunition for disliking me just because they don’t agree with who I might be outside of work. I figure down the road if I get found out, then they will truly know me for WHO I am rather than WHAT they perceive I may have been previous to truly getting to know the real me. Good idea or bad? I donno, but that is the way it will be.

The bright side

This is a little message I posted on our work blog today. I should note that others were posting some things that obviously were coming from disgruntled employees. I guess I have a different view on things since I have something lined up, but I still would not be rude about it.

As much as this whole lay-off deal really, well...sucks for everyone we need to think about it positively too. I mean, yea it really hits home that in 3 months many of us will not have a job. Some of us maybe sooner, and some of us later, but we are all in the same boat and yes, it is not a pleasant feeling. We thought we were stressed when the responsibilities of those recently let go were placed on our plates. Now you can look at it as most of these extra responsibilities will soon be going to someone in NY and we can then concentrate on the new stressor of not having a job in the near future.

However, with severance and the option for unemployment benefits, it might not be so bad. Look at the bright side, you may have a few weeks of vacation. Plus, if you really want, you may even get a chance to move to a city that you have always wanted to live in. New York would be fun. San Francisco would be a blast. Atlanta...at least it is warm and cheap to live there! All I can say now is hang in there and Good Luck to everyone!

Macy's North has been Elminated

Wow...so today was a bigger day than I thought it was going to be. Last night about this time I was thinking I would go to work, prepare for my 9am meeting, go to the dentist at 11, meet Ben for lunch, give my two weeks notice, go to my MBA happy hour, then finish the day out with a game of broomball. Is this how the day went? Nope! No, instead I get to work early to prepare for my meeting, people start rolling in around 8am and I notice a lot of closed door conversations and also noticed two pretty important people in the hall whispering. Once I noticed this, I knew shit was going down sometime today.

So I told myself I should hold off on giving my notice because if this is what I think it is, I might be getting a severance too. Anyway, I go to my meeting and two of 8 people show up. I look at them, and I say, I think we should reschedule because I think there might be a meeting that we will be required to go to very soon. Sure as fucking shit!! I get back to my desk and there is the meeting notice. The auditorium...we only have meetings in the auditorium when the whole headquarters has to attend. Interesting!! I knew it!!

So the meeting is set for 11:45, but my dentist appointment is at 11am. I am like SHIT, I am not going to make it! I go to my apt and finish up at 11:40. Thankfully the dentist is just a block down the street, so I am running down Nicollet Mall to try to get back in five minutes. Remember, the meeting is in the auditorium, but the auditorium is on the 8th floor. Also keep in mind that this building is a huge department store in the heart of downtown Minneapolis with 2 restaurants on the 12th floor and a huge cafeteria in the lower level. Where do many of the dwtn working population go to eat on a given work day? And especially when I have to get to a huge meeting? Macy's, of course. And where are they all at? The elevator bay!!! Let’s just say I was a little late, but thankfully I didn't miss anything.

A chairman from corporate gets on stage and starts out by saying "I wish I were here to deliver some good news, but this is a sad day, and it is not a good day for Macy's North." OH.....fucking wonderful!! GASP!!! I have to play it off like I don't have a job lined up already, right? I knew this shit was coming though. I knew it! I have told people (not work people) this was coming and I said it was going to be soon. Sure enough!! Here we go!! Of course, it doesn't really bother me. However, how do I work this so I can get a severance too? Not a freaking clue folks!!! If the out date for everyone was sooner I might be able to push back the start date with the new job, but 2 more months (out date is currently set for May 2nd and the start date for the new job is March 3rd)....not so sure it is going to happen and I definitely do not want to shoot myself in the foot. How do I work this?

So yeah, needless to say, I did not give my two weeks notice. Instead, after the meeting the whole organization went home or for drinks. I went to eat with Ben, then Kevin and I went for drinks, then I went to my MBA happy hour, and finally to my broomball game.

I am not going to want to get out of bed, but...tomorrow it is "business as usual!" YAY!!! I am soooooo excited to go to work tomorrow!!

Nervous about giving two-weeks notice

Ok….the long awaited beginning to me posting on Blogger! YAY!! Wow, so I have a friend that has bugged me for months about getting signed up for this Blogger thing rather than posting on Live Journal. He says, “nobody uses that anymore!” Whatever!!! So here we go!! I will have to link to my old Live Journal blog because I don’t want to entirely give it up yet. I have a lot of info on that blog. Sad!! :-(

Tomorrow is going to be a VERY interesting day. I say this because I will be giving my two-weeks notice at work. This new job has been 5 months in the making and is a great opportunity with the federal government. I am soooooooo nervous and unable to sleep because I just wrote my resignation letter. This is going to be sad really. I wanted to go in today and tell them, but I can’t as I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at 11am and they have been known to make people leave right away when they give their notice. Not everyone, but those who leave for competitors, or those who have access to such confidential information, such as myself. I guess they are afraid that someone might share this info or some shit. I donno! I mean, I really like my job and will be sad, but this new position is going to be great. I will have to post about the position next time. Until then…g’night!!



This is the new addition to my Old Blog, which can be found at: http://mnuptowner.livejournal.com/