There is a lot of turmoil at work right now. An attorney and a law clerk were let go, and then our accountant. I was going to tell the stories about what happened, but I think I’d better not. Since everything I know is second hand info and inference at best, better not say something. Loose lips sink ships, and all that.  

But some of this is also about the status of the company right now, and there are purportedly a few more layoffs coming. 

Now I’m aware that I’m a luxury hire at the company. At a law firm, there are people- attorneys, paralegals, etc that bill hours. There are also adjuncts that don’t directly bill for their time, such as receptionists, accountants, etc. Those people may be necessary, but they can’t bill clients directly for their time. 

For anyone to be considered profitable, they of course have to bill for more than just their own salary: they have to bill enough to cover their salary, benefits, their share of the overhead, and then some more that can be added to the profit.  

I’m in a middle category. I can bill for some of the work I do- the patent drawings, but it doesn’t cover all of my salary. I’ve been aware of this, and as a result, I’ve always done my best to provide whatever is asked of me as immediately as possible, and I put myself in front of the boss and others as much as possible so they can see me here providing whatever value I can provide. Even after the first covid lockdowns, I came back after a month so that I would be in front of the boss every day. That just seemed like the smart thing to do in my position. 

But now, knowing my position is somewhat of a luxury, I’m aware that if costs need to be cut, I would certainly be on the list of considerations. 

Add to this the fact that my wife started working here at the end of last year, and her position is a support position too, we have all our eggs in this one basket. If this gets removed, we are effectively both unemployed, at around 60. I was hoping to hang on for as long as possible and see this out. I love the job here, and I love the company and the people I work with, but I also get that the business has to remain profitable. So if I get cut, no hard feelings. And thank you for the opportunity because this job has been a true blessing to me and my family for the last five years. 

I absolutely believe that IF it does get cut, the Lord will provide for me. He always has, and I’ve learned over the years to not panic so much when things look glum. That said, it IS unnerving to be in this position at this age. So I’m praying things will look up.