A huge thanks to Lingus60 for your help.
I'd been at my job for three years working as an assistant at a big DIY store. I liked the job a lot. It paid well and for a 25-year-old I was slowly working myself up the ranks there. I was currently a store supervisor and had ten assistants to manage every day in a demanding position. My boss Luke Wilkins would help me when he could, but like most managers stayed in his office for long occasions, although I preferred it like that as he could be very forward with orders, and could be kind of bossy, but he oversaw six males and four females including myself. He wasn't a strict boss, but he demanded we wear the uniform supplied, and turning up for work and missing one bit of the uniform meant being sent home to get it. It was an ordinary uniform: Black trousers and a blue polo shirt and steel-capped boots to be worn as it is a DIY store. I didn't like the uniform, as having 36D tits, the top just stuck to me no matter what size I wore, hence why I would always get looks from customers staring.
On the Tuesday of the week, Luke had put a notice on the staff board for everyone to see, saying there was a staff meeting on Friday at 9 am and for everyone to try and attend. After reading it all sounded like something substantial. I thought to approach him about it as the staff had been asking me most of the morning about it. During my lunch break, I had eaten my food, had a drink and went to his office on the right from the staff room. Knocking on the door, he told me to enter, and I walked in to find him sitting at his deck as usual.
"Take a seat Lucie, let me just finish this ordering of materials but tell me what I can do for you."
"It's about the notice you put on the board. I've had the staff asking me what the meeting Friday is about." I said, shifting in my seat and getting comfortable.
He stops what he is doing and looks up at me.
"Basically, head office has told me to decrease the staff we have here I'm afraid."
Looking at him shocked I say:
"Wow, that's terrible. And I suppose I'm one of them?"
"All staff I'm sorry to say. The only person not to be is me. I know that sounds bad, but I have not made a final decision yet. It may go on how long people have been here. I don't know how I will decide." He says while looking at me, although kind of eyeing me up.
Feeling the unwelcome news and worrying about losing my job was something I couldn't take, thinking about the rent on my flat. I loved so much living there, and my precious car, let alone how I will live struggling for food and clothes amongst other things.
"Well, I'll do anything to keep my job. I don't want to lose it." I said hopefully.
"Look, wait until Friday.. I have a tough decision to make. If I had my way none of you would be told you're not welcome no more. Redundancy pay will be paid to those who are told the unwelcome news. That's all I can say at the moment. I will put another memo up on the board explaining what is going on, so they all know." he replied looking at me.
"Okay well I better get back to work but thank you for clearing that up."
I get out of my seat and walk to the door. As I open it, I look around and see him watching me and I walk out and close the door. Walking down the stairs to the shop floor I'm disappointed thinking surely if I were staying, he would have said. That day was so hard to get through constantly on my mind, and the new memo on the board stating what Luke had told me in his office just made my thoughts worse. The following 2 days went so slowly that every one of the staff was quiet and on edge chatting in the staff room about how they'll struggle if they are chosen.
I woke on Friday morning lying in bed thinking today is the day I find out if I am going to lose my job. I had a shower, breakfast, and finally managed to get into my uniform and exited my flat. The drive to work seemed to take forever, but I arrived and parked my car, got out and made my way through the staff entrance on the side of the building at 8.30 am, with the staff meeting due in 30 minutes. Quite a few staff had already arrived and were sitting in the staff room when I walked past to put my belongings into my locker. I made a cup of coffee, walked in, and took a seat next to my friend Stacy who'd been at the company for 5 years. She looked worried just like me.
"You ok Luce? This is going to be a day from hell don't you think?" as she turned to me and smiled.
"I don't know, we may be safe. We've both been here a long time Stace." I replied trying to sound hopeful.
"Well don't know about you but I will do anything to keep this job and I mean anything," Stacy says. I can't help thinking what she means by that. Then Luke walks in and looks around the room.
"Ok everyone. Just to say if you all finish what you're drinking or eating and meet on the main floor in 10 minutes." and then leaves the room.
We all soon made our way to the shop floor. There were sixteen of us all together standing while we heard Luke tell us the details head office had told him. Hearing that six members of staff will be made redundant and that either a phone call or letter will be given to those that are chosen, saying how hard and stressful it has been to choose with all of us so much valuable to him. And that decision will be made in the next 2 days. Most of the staff including myself took the last bit of what he said as a 'Show me how hard you work.' So, we were all hopeful.
That day's shift was long and what he said during the meeting was constantly in my mind. At around 3 pm Luke approached me and told me to find Stacy and tell her to come to his office which I did, thinking 'I hope he is not going to tell her that her job is gone.'
Around 30 minutes later I see her walking down the stairs to the shop floor and I walk over to her:
"Everything okay Stace? I said hoping for good news.
"Well, I still have my job so yes, I'm fine," she tells me smiling quickly.
"You don't look happy what's wrong?"
"I would rather not talk about it Luce. I'm only glad I still have a job." she says as she walks off to continue with her work.
Around an hour later I see Luke walking toward me. I look up and he smiles and says, "Lucie would you mind when the store is closed to come to my office for a chat about your job here?"
