Melancholy and infinite sadness

On July 19, he received a phone call from the COO’s personal assistant to come into the small room beside the big boss’s office.
He knew what awaited. After twelve months of killing himself in the office, his contract with the company is about to end in a few weeks. Deep down his heart he knew that his performance has got nothing to do with it. He is working harder than anyone else in the company. He even stayed back late at night and came over in the weekends to complete any unfinished tasks.
Still, for Bob bin Marley (not his real name), the announcement of another one-year contract renewal with Downfibre Sdn Bhd, was hard to take.
Instantly troubled, Bob, who has been at Downfibre for almost a year, immediately wanted to know what his job options were. But Downfibre manager spent much of the three-hour meeting singing the praises of their RM 1 million, 100-employee world-class company.
"Sounds like a great recruiting pitch for college students," Bob recalled thinking. "Stop telling me about everywhere I can go. Tell me where I will be now."
He took his blue red Downfibre jacket on his chair, which he got it from the last Family Day outing and drove home, angry. A separate meeting was held for the remaining staff whose services weren't needed anymore to break out the tragic news.
His expression towards this contract situation matter is very typical like any other contract workers at first, but he knew that he soon will be facing a chaotic months of a changeover. The only thing that the employer is trying to bribe him with is that his pay goes up a little, benefits get trimmed but very little and off course, the funniest statement is that he will be confirmed, soon. And only God knows until when…
He has to learn to accept the bad news. He still need to crack his brain for the job, meeting manager’s expectation and datelines, and also continue to improve his performance, while at the same time his emotions are all zigging and zagging.
But the cold hard truth is that no matter how much the employer is trying to tell him that he is performing well or how his skills is necessarily needed, he still feel betrayed. It's a pattern akin to grieving. Denial, anger, and bitterness, are blazing profoundly. Acceptance may come for some, but it's not assured.
He suddenly lost part of his identity: the place where he spends 90% of his life and time- at work. He didn't ask for this to happen.
Within a year, he guesses either him, or anybody else with the same fate will no longer be here. To be under contract is very difficult psychologically to take.
That left Bob, and his co-workers with a difficult choice: Take the contract job with it’s a small increment changes and a markedly different career path, or quit.
Sept. 11, 2003: Morale is very low. Frustration is rampant. Bob’s morale is getting worse...
Downfibre has been a great place to work with its family oriented environment. Even though Bob knew about it before the real assessment session with his manager last month, there are still a lot of difficulties for him to digest the dreadful notion. He hasn't yet fully absorbed the truth. Bob spends a lot of time comforting himself saying that his future will be OK in Downfibre, but sometimes he feels that this contract issue get beyond his feeling like he has suddenly lost control of his career.
Bob, however, isn't waiting…He will not be defeated by something which goes beyond his control. He must prove to the world that there is another organization out there that will appreciate his talents a little bit more.
He started to open the Job search engine’s page everyday, looking for another job possibilities and will decide before the fasting month. He is searching for his true market values…he is still searching…