Beneath the depression that is dulling my senses, only two things break through the blackness. Anger. And panic.
I am angry at my company for leaving me adrift in a depressed job market and angry at my government for facilitating the importation of skilled workers who will work cheap — and who are taking my job.
Panicky that this about to be unemployed middle-aged man may never find another job, let alone earn what I was making before my company outsourced my position.
Even worse, I was forced to “re-earn” my severance pay by training my replacement. Legalized corporate extortion to obtain my hard-gained knowledge through coercion.
Almost unbelievable, I learned that my company was always honest with me. I’m the one who told lies to myself; bypassed opportunities to feather my own nest in a grossly mistaken sense of loyalty. Worse, far worse, this is all my fault.
Once Upon A Database is truly an unhappy story with a happy ending. A short story well worth reading for both information and inspiration in this brand new age.
An age where profit appears to be the only valid metric for running a company and people are expendable commodities.
EXPOSED: Indian Bodyshops: The Pipeline of Mass Immigration and Visa Fraud
How "consultancies" mass import Indians to take American jobs
If you’ve ever wondered why so many Indians are in the U.S. right now and they’ve colonized entire sectors of employment like IT, the phenomenon of “bodyshops,” or consultancies, is a major reason why. Consultancies are firms that specialize in providing foreign contractors to American corporations on short-term contracts, primarily workers in the IT field. The vast majority of them are based in India and recruit Indian workers, and major ones include Cognizant, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and HCLTech. [Source]
ABOUT ONCE UPON A DATABASE: AN UNHAPPY STORY WITH A HAPPY ENDING
Once Upon A Database: A Darkly Humorous Tale of Jobs, Employer Loyalty, Outsourcing, Corporate Chaos, and One Employee’s Spectacular Revenge
In a world where loyalty is temporary and jobs are expendable, a group of skilled office workers faces the ultimate irony—they must train their replacements. Foreign hires, automation, and corporate restructuring threaten their positions, but the humor (and the absurdity) never stops.
Perfect for tech workers, anyone who has endured office politics, or readers who simply enjoy seeing the madness of modern employment exposed with style, it also includes bonus “Red Flag Warnings” to help spot the next wave of impending corporate doom.
Once Upon a Database is a bingeable, darkly funny workplace satire short story that delivers:
Sharp, relatable corporate layoffs and dark comedy
Witty office humor novella, perfect for lunch breaks or commutes
A satirical look at outsourcing and job replacement in the modern tech industry
Quick, punchy chapters ideal for fans of short, funny work stories
Bonus: Red Flag Warnings of impending corporate chaos and doom
This novella is for anyone who’s ever worked in tech, survived office politics, or just wants a laugh at the absurdity of corporate life.
IF YOU THINK THAT THIS STORY IS NOT BEING REPEATED WITH MORE FREQUENCY, HERE IS DUSTIN HEINER'S RECOLLECTION ...
The walk down the familiar hallway felt longer than I remembered.
As each footstep hit the ground, I got closer and closer to my boss's office. The doorway of his office looked small from where I was, but it was getting larger and larger as I got closer. As I walked through the hall of the office where I had worked for 9 years, I knew this was the day.
The closer I got, the more I realized that all the rumors were true. Once I arrived at my boss's office, his secretary, a lovely lady, motioned for me to sit down on one of the uncomfortable chairs he had outside his office.
"Have a seat, and he will be with you in just a few minutes," she said to me in a soft and reserved manner. Her face was sad and consoling. It was as if I were a lamb being led to the slaughter, while she could do nothing to help, but was reserved to just stand there and watch.
Sitting outside of my boss's office, I knew what was about to happen. Minute after minute went by, and all I could do was wait. After about five minutes, I heard voices coming from his office as he and another one of my co-workers neared the door for them to exit. The door opened to my co-worker exiting the office with a manila envelope in her hands. This was one of many that were on my boss's desk that he was giving to about 10 employees. I knew that one of those envelopes were for me.
It was 4:30 pm on a Friday afternoon. The rumors, signs, hushed conversations, and a meeting with my boss all pointed to one thing.
I was being laid off.
Dustin Heiner’s story is quoted with permission from: “Successfully Unemployed: 16 Real Life Lessons You Must Learn Before You Quit Your Job and Live the Life of Your Dreams.”