Gainful and safe employment

As much as we may joke about winning the lottery and countdowns to vacations or retirement, most of us appreciate holding down jobs, particularly for the regular pay cheques and health benefits to keep bills at bay.

That’s the gainful employment part. For the safe part, I don’t mean a secure job for as long you want to work; we all know that no longer exists.

No, I mean not worrying about being abducted and forced to work in unsafe conditions for measly pennies, in the sex trade, or in other undesirable situations under threat of death. Is this the 21^st century or not?

By safe, I mean we enjoy the freedom to:

• walk in public without the danger of being hauled into an unmarked van and whisked off against our will to serve someone’s bidding;
• have jobs that don’t jeopardize our physical safety;
• make mistakes in a role without worrying that we or anyone with whom we associate will be severely reprimanded or tortured; and,
• accept or decline a job offer without fearing repercussions.

Working for Vader takes workforce stress to new heights.

Thanks to the talented seemikedraw.wordpress.com
for this strip and happy 35th anniversary to Star Wars.

Heavy topic, I know, but we shouldn’t take these liberties for granted. At a time when there are scary job cuts and much uncertainty, it's easy to lose that perspective. The trick is to step back and think of the bigger picture. There are people who are worse off. Even if your job is affected, remember that the slashes aren’t personal and they don’t signal the end of the world.

These measures, no matter the label―layoffs, strategic review, downsizing, workforce adjustment, restructuring, cuts, refocusing―are about finding efficiencies and saving money.  



Talented and good people are forced to seek different jobs or adjust to an earlier-than-planned retirement, because sadly they were caught in an economic crossfire.

It’s upsetting, disruptive and deflating, but at least it’s a figurative crossfire. We should thank our lucky stars that we live in a part of the world where firings don’t involve actual weapons.

No matter how grim a particular work day may be, remember to keep it in perspective. You aren’t a stormtrooper who fell under the spell of the powerful Jedi Knight Obi-Wan (see comic on right).

You have gainful and safe employment…

      AWESOME!!!