Every Employee Is Dispensable

When he started work newly, Jimmy had promised himself that he would do his utmost to be the best at his duty post and to make his Employer hold him in such an esteem that it would be difficult to sack him.

He met a man who had worked with the Company for 20 years and still counting and he asked him the secret of his staying power.

The man gave him advise in bullet points

*Be the first in and the last out

*Mind your own business

*Keep out of the Employer's way

*Do your job like your life depends on it (cause come to think of it, it does)

*Keep office interaction to level 1

*Neither complain nor groan (and if you must, do that in private)

*Never argue with your Superiors

*Always say Yes (even when you mean No)

*Get the job done, on time and properly executed

*The Boss is always right

Jimmy thanked the man profusely and asked him if he had kept to that Holy Grail of Holding Onto A Job and the man replied Yes and always.

And Jimmy swore to himself that he would keep to the adivse with the last muscle in his body.

He reasoned that he had just been handed down the prescription for the Perfect Employee.

He worked on it for the first year, it was very difficult to take the abuses and insults from the Superiors, but he wanted to keep his job, so he swallowed them all.

He kept quiet when he should have voiced out his opinion

He went on errands that were not for his level just to please his Superiors

He did jobs that were not for him, just to keep up the appearances

He did not take part in the office gossip, and most times he was even the subject matter

Of course, he was the first to clock in both in the Company and in his Unit and the last to clock out even when he had no reason to wait until everyone else had left

His "hard work" was noticed by his Employer, who after 2 years offered him a raise.

Jimmy was beside himself with joy because of the raise and his Superiors and mates congratulated him and urged him to keep up with the good work.

In those two years, Jimmy had never missed a day of work, even when he was indisposed by reason of ill health, he would still go to work and won't breathe a word about his indisposition to any one.

He kept up the good work and after another 2 years, he received another raise and a commendation letter. Infact the letter was personally handed over to him by the Big Boss himself - the Owner of the Company - the Employer

One day in his 6th year at work, Jimmy had just walked into the Company - the first as usual and went to the Security Gate to clock in. And thereafter as he was about to leave the Security Gate, he felt a spin in his head and he fell backwards hitting his head on the hard floor and subsequently passed out.

The Security Guard tried waking him up but could not, and he thought of calling the Head of Human Resources but felt it was too early but all the same he had no choice but to do so. When he was reached, the Head of Human Resources asked the Guard to take Jimmy to the General Hospital without delay; the Guard told him that he had no money for the transport fare.

And so Jimmy lay on the floor, unconscious for over 2 hours before the Head of Human Resources came and made provision to take him to the Hospital.

At the Hospital, it was found out that Jimmy had suffered from a stroke due to high blood pressure. He was admitted and placed on certain medications.

The Company deposited N100, 000.00 (One hundred thousand naira) for his treatment pending when he would come out of coma.

3 days later, Jimmy was out of coma but it was noticed that his right arm and right leg were paralyzed as a result of the stroke; his mouth was also bent to one side and he had saliva dripping out constantly from the mouth.

In those 3 days before he woke up, the Nurses were the ones catering to him, not one friend had come to visit him, not one co-worker had come and no relative had surfaced.

When he became conscious, he was asked to call any of his relatives to come and be taking care of him when the Nurses are busy with other patients. He was assisted to send an sms to his younger sister to come over and tend to him. It took another 2 days before the girl could arrive the Hospital.

When his BP had been controlled and he was out of danger, Jimmy was discharged to out patient physiotherapy and regular check up.

His total bill was N375, 000.00 (three hundred and seventy five thousand naira) which the Company settled.

It was the hope of the Company that if and when Jimmy came back to work, an arrangement would be put in place whereby he would be able to refund the money through monthly deductions.

In 6 months, Jimmy had made tremendous improvement in his health, but he was still walking with the help of a "walking stick" and still could not really speak well.

On one cool evening, in the 7th month of his incapacitation, Jimmy received a couriered letter from the Company where he worked and when he opened it, he saw that it was a letter relieving him of his job and attached to it was a cheque for N225, 000.00 (Two hundred and twenty five thousand naira) as his severance pay.

Jimmy burst out crying and refused to be consoled.

He remembered that it was because of the work that he did not take care of his health

He remembered how he used to pretend to be well even when he was sick to the pit of his stomach

He remembered how he used to deny himself of sleep just to be early at work

He remembered how he used to bottle up his emotions just so as not to displease the powers that be

He remembered how he used to go without breakfast just so as to meet up with time

He remembered that even in the 7 months that he had been indisposed, none of his Superiors or even co-workers had come asking after him not to talk of the Big Boss who told him that his job was safe and secure

Each time he remembered anything, he would cry the more and infact he remembered so many things.

And when he was done with shedding tears, he concluded that it was useless killing oneself over job and work because even when the Employer cheers you on and tells you that you are indispensable, he's only massaging his own ego because no Employee is indispensable no matter how hard he works at his duty post.

If being a “perfect employee” means doing whatever you’re told, questioning nothing, going along with bad ideas, working so many hours that your health is affected, giving up your personal time for no good reason, and generally making your views, your life and your priorities secondary to your employer’s needs, then it’s not a good deal for you to be a “perfect employee.”