Dazed and Confused

This has to be a quickie, mostly because I just don't have much info. Tomorrow is looking to be a very interesting day. Or, better still, Monday, because as of right now I don't know where I'll be going to work that day. I still have a job...I just don't know where. I'm in IT, consultant for a company in the automotive industry (not one of the Big Three or Four). So, yeah, business is bad. And they're letting people go right and left. For now, my team is safe, because we're needed to do a lot of work that very few people can do (now). And, other than the commute -- which I hate -- I like my job. I like my boss. He's never threatened me, or even yelled at me once. He's also just genuinely nice and supportive. I also really like my consulting firm. It's on one of those "Top 100 places to work" lists (there are many of them, but it's the first place I've worked that was on ANY list), and I honestly get the impression that they care about their employees. It's been a win-win situation so far.

Except that the company I'm assigned to just decided to "consolidate" many of the consulting jobs. On Monday, I got an email telling me that my position was now "owned" by another company and I had a choice: I could transition to them (at whatever they offered) or I could leave. This happens, and I've not seen it happen well, although I have few details yet. (I feel like a football player that just got traded.) I do know that the new co. is not on any list, offers fewer vacation days out of the gate, and fewer paid holidays. All week long, it's been very strange, trying to figure out what was happening.

Today, I got a call saying that my firm has pulled me from my assignment, and that I'm to report to corporate on Monday to work directly for them. No loss in pay, benefits, vacation, etc. I'll work there while they try to find me another assignment. My boss didn't know anything about it, and insists that they're still trying to work things out. (What this means: they like me. They all like me. I guess I do good work.)

It's not a dilemma -- I'm not likely to have much of a choice if I want to keep my paycheck coming -- but it is still very confusing! There are people there that make me crazy sometimes, but I like my job. However, there is no guarantee that just because my team is safe that it will continue to be, and no guarantee that if I successfully negotiate a livable deal with this other co., that they won't wait a couple of months and slash it. In the end, my loyalty is to me; however, this has all come as a surprise.

I'm still going to work tomorrow and continuing as if nothing has happened. (I already packed my desk up and cleaned up my computer when the email came on Monday because I didn't know what it meant.) Think positive thoughts for me, please. It's hardly the end of the world -- people I met with on Monday are out of work now -- I'm just a little dazed (and confused).