Getting the boot
I want to share with you the day I got made redundant and the following few days. Many people before me have been made redundant, and many others will get made redundant in the future, so what happened to me is not out of the ordinary or unusual. A lot of people will tell you it’s just a part of business and not personal. But when it happens to you, damn, it’s personal.
This is the first time I’ve been made redundant (I guess try everything once). Back when I was a trainee solicitor I was told I wasn’t going to be retained, but I did have about 3 months to find another job, so I had time to prepare. I’ve also been in companies (including my most recent company) where other staff have been made redundant. My last three job moves have been on my own account.
Anyway, the day it happened. I was due a regular check in meeting, which all staff have to take part in. This was towards the end of the day. I had prepped for this meeting but was apprehensive and was expecting a rough meeting, because my numbers were not great. This was not a great surprise with the way the market was in February 2025. Before the meeting I had jokingly told my wife hopefully I still have a job after the meeting, or something like that.
When I walked into the meeting room I saw our HR sitting in the meeting room with my managers. At this point the penny dropped. My managers read from a script and explained that I had been made redundant, it wasn’t me, it was the market, etc etc. HR then set out my legal rights and the procedures for the redundancy. They did ask me if I had any questions. From what I recall I was quite numb and responded something about some work that needed to be done.
My former employers did want me to stay for a week to hand over matters. With other redundancies in my old company had asked people to leave the same day and deal with collecting their items on the weekend.
I then had a private chat with the head of our firm (who was one of my managers) in his room. He apologised for the situation and explained that the firm’s performance was suffering and cuts had to be made. Our team had already lost half its staff, so I already knew things were bad.
That night I didn’t sleep. My mind was just spinning.
I did however make it into work the next day because I had some personal things to deal with near the office. The next four days were actually quite therapeutic. I didn’t really have any work to do, apart from sending off emails to hand over matters and let people know I was leaving the firm. I spent the time cleaning through my office, things accumulated over nearly two decades. So much stuff to give or throw away. Rightly or wrongly (we will find out in the future) I decided to throw away all my old know how and precedents. At that point I was done with offshore law and law in general.
I also spent time with my direct reports and other close colleagues for coffees, lunches and chats. Everyone was in shock and very surprised.
During the week I caught up with friends for dinner and drinks (this was pre-planned before I had found out I was getting the boot). The reason I share this is because just a few tables away was my soon to be old boss!! I don't know if he saw me, but if he did, he did ignore me. Personally I wasn't in the mood to speak to him in any case.
On my last day there were more goodbyes, the sending of my last email, exit interview and handing over my computer and mobile phone. Last thing to be done was to hand over my security pass, and then I left the building. Done. Well not quite.
I had leaving drinks, which were great. Was good to catch up with my now ex-colleagues and have a few drinks and food, and everyone was very relaxed letting their hair down. Some of them did have to unfortunately go back to the office to deal with some work, which wasn't the case for me.
For me it was no more work, no more emails, no more late night, weekend and holiday stress dealing with work. It felt strange, different. Not liberating, not sad. Maybe unusual?
Anyway that's how I got the boot.
