Take Some Time Off
My name was listed on a list of mass layoffs. I received an inside tip from HR. My return date and my vacation of a week were scheduled the day before I was told layoffs would be taking place. My boss was enraged that I had taken a vacation. She told me I wouldn’t advance in the business if I took a vacation during a crucial time for a project.
She said I would never become an executive producer in television if I took a vacation prior to launching a project (even though I couldn’t touch it during the week that I was on vacation) and I would be forever known as “lazy” by the industry. I relaxed, went on vacation and came back. She said she was angry with me because I left.
She claimed that I had “made” her take care of my work for me, and then chewed me in front of everyone in the company’s conference room. I didn’t mind, because I knew the perfect way to retaliate: Aren’t you going to lay off a lot of us tomorrow?” “I’m waiting for you so that I can get unemployment”. The whole room was literally in a panic and I left.
