Symantec
Some people have asked what is going on with Symantec. More specifically, with me with Symantec.
It's very smple. After getting half way thru an excellent performance review, and as I prepared to present some "critical" work, I was summoned to the local office and summarily dismissed.
It seemed a bit coincidental that I had just re-requested my medically-required flight upgrade (which had been taken off my record) just days before. it seemed even more coincidental that i had just booked my hotels and notified flights that i now would be traveling with my service dog, Bella.
in fact, it seemed so coincidental that i have to believe the reason they cut me was to cut the costs incurred in accomodating my disability. i was told as much by someone in upper management. it simply cost too much to fly me business class to the places i needed to go to do the work i was doing - work that no one else could do as well, but well, costs were costs.
this is just *wrong*.
i am not one to litigate. in fact, i hate such thigs, and would rather arrive at an agreement that avoided conflict. however, my requests to modify the severance agreement (requests that would allow me to work in this industry in a meaningful capacity) have been met with 'we aren't interested'. so, i didn't sign it.
so, i didn't get a severance package. yay.
its the principle of the thing really. promoting me as representing their committment to diversity, and then terminating me as soon as my accomodation cost them something is just not on. its one thing to talk about providing all of these things for employees; its another to actually do them. i needed some time off, for health reasons. i had put off taking it, for the benefit of the company, for months. project finally finished, things wrapped up, going to make use of those touted benefits and SLAM.
So that is what is going on. After being called to a meeting (a drive of over two hours) for what I thought was to finish my review, I was terminated. It was a long drive back home.
Now, I'm at RSA and I don't want to see anyone. Since this all happened, I have become increasingly distrustful of people in general. I just never expected this. I keep thinking it was some mistake, and that someone checked a box that got rid of my position without really knowing what I did, or that I really _needed_ that accomodation, I wasn't being whimsical. I keep thinking its all a bad dream. But I don't wake up.
I was told I did an excellent job - and I know I did. I was told I always delivered - and I know this is also true. I was told everything that said "i hate this, its wrong, i have no choice". Thing is, we always have a choice. Its just sometimes we have to choose to do things we don't want to do. I understand that.
We al have choices.
I, for example, chose to ignore a lot of inconsistencies. I can't do that anymore.
To everyone here at RSA who has asked me about the Thompson/Trilling act at the keynote: I had nothing to do with it. I don't work for Symantec.
Right now, I am a free agent.