Love your JOB

Love your job, not your company,
Because you never know, when the company stops loving you.

I think these were the words of Mr N R Narayan Murthy, not sure though.. Hmm...

I just wanted to write about an incident that happened to me some months back. Not sure whether it relates to the above quote. But never the less, worth a read.. Of Course..

The day was 3 March 2008. It was my last day @ one of my workplaces. I was working out of [***** content supressed*****] Campus. I guess last day @ an office is always crucial.

You need to get relieving letter, experience letter and some info on Full and Final Settlement, and as usual Form 16.

So I was also trying my level best not to mess up things over there, since my joining date in the other company was [***Content Supressed****].

Well.. I was done with most of the necessary things . There was this point of time where in I needed to submit my ID card and access card back to the security. Here was where I messed up and landed myself in an embarrassing situation.

One of my friends who earlier had quit the job, had surrendered his ID card, taken a temporary employee badge and entered the building to say goodbye to others. I thought of following the same way.

Here s where the real story begins.

I left my baggage in office itself.

I surrendered my Id to the security guys and signed in the registry saying I am done with it. I asked for a temporary badge, to my utter display the security said, we have stopped issuing those kinds of badges and you need to get a visitor pass.

Though it was my last day @, I am still the employee the EOD, and I am being paid for that, you see. But naaa, the security guys would not budge. I assume they did not want to give me the Employee Badge.

Btw, How can I be a visitor when I am an employee ? Is there no differentiation between an employee and a visitor. If an employee forgets to bring his Id Card will he be granted Visitor Pass ?

This is #1, I feel it was utterly humiliating and disappointing.

Here starts part 2 of the story.

I said OK.. Let me get a visitor pass at least. I need to get my baggage back and I am out of here. When I entered the room where visitor passes are issued, I found a lady who was issuing passes. As usual, she asked me who are you, I said " Today is my last day @ [***********] and I have surrendered my Id card, I need a visitor pass to get in and bring my baggage out ".

Guess what the madam says, " Why can 't you bring out your baggage and then surrender your card, why did u leave it inside the office campus ? ". This shows your actual worth. Till yesterday, the company was ready to send late night cabs to your house. Within 5 mins of you surrendering the ID, you are not even allowed to enter the campus. You need to face embarrassing questions like " why you left your baggage inside?". And guess what for a visitor pass you need a person whom you are going to visit, right ? I needed a person who could come and say yes, this ex-employee is going to visit me. I called my friend, and everything was done , I joined the other company on [**************] and the rest is history.

But now you can recollect how true is the saying
" Love your job, not your company,
Because you never know, when the company stops loving you. "

( 5 mins after surrendering your Id card, on your last day, you are a visitor to the company).
I dont call it disrespect. Its there, since the security level is so so high. But still its embarassing, you have worked there for 1.5 years and all of a sudden you are in the middle of no where. Phew.