Letters to the Editor

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I know I should probably do something. But I don't.
  • Been there too.

    I had a job at a smallish (20 person) company that got gobbled by a much larger (3000 person) company, although our 20 person company still ran largely autonomously. As a result of the purchase, due to a layoff and someone quitting, my office went from three people to just me.

    For about a year, my work dwindled, less and less. I wasn't given any work, but I didn't really ask for any either. I was the only person who did my job (computer programming) at the 20-person company, so it's not like other people were picking up my slack. There just weren't any projects and I wasn't helping them come up with any (which I probably could've if I'd cared).

    For the last six months I was there, I realized the futility of sitting in the office by myself all day and just forwarded my office phone to my cell phone, and eventually stopped even bothering to stay near home during working hours. If I got a call (maybe three times a week) I'd just call back when I got to the next quiet place. I can't possibly imagine that they didn't know. "Sorry my office landline is cutting out and there's occasional traffic noise... how weird!" Never even had to say that. No one ever asked.

    Anyway, it became totally demoralizing. Collecting full paychecks every day to hang out with friends was AWESOME except that I just started to feel like a scammer and kinda useless. I finally gave them two months notice and felt better immediately. I felt so much better at my new job and I didn't even really mind not getting to hang out with friends all day. And it was enough of a change to reset me back into a habit of actually doing work.

    I'm not saying you should quit before you find another job, but I definitely think you should be looking. The change very well might help you get the kick in the ass you need to start working again. Plus it will probably be hard to be such a slacker as a new person in a different environment.