Fired in Slow Motion

Apeweek submitted 420 days ago

I work in the TV production industry, where it's quite common to freelance around instead of being hired in as an employee. This means I'm hired by the day, or by the job - but in this case, it was a 'full-time' freelance arrangement, in other words, a lot like a job. In fact, I had worked for this company, as a video editor, 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year in this arrangement for almost 20 years. My whole department was, in fact, freelancers, some of whom even had titles and acted as managers.

The trouble started when a new freelancer-manager was brought in, who took away my editing department supervisor title and gave it to another editor he was friends with. Then, at a meeting, I hear the two of them discussing some projects that our company had to pass on because they were too complicated for us to do.

This was when I made my big mistake. I pointed out that I had done many projects just like these in the past, and would they just make sure to assign them to me?

Not only did I not get the 'too complicated' projects, but all my other work started disappearing, too. Producers and directors who had worked with me in the past were told strange stories about me - like how I couldn't learn some of the latest technology (profoundly silly; I am a member of Mensa.)

Over the course of 1 1/2 years, my work gradually disappeared - until there was nothing to go in to work to do anymore. I was fired in slow motion.

Needless to say, I am now working elsewhere - and taking on some of those 'too complicated' projects my former employer can't do anymore.