Emotion: disgust
Problem: ongoing depression
Situation: Removed from my job - apparently only because of my age - no longer doing meaningful work.

assistant: Hello, how are you doing today?

user: Not too bad, really. Just kinda pissed.

assistant: Sorry to hear you're upset. Want to share why you're feeling that way?

user: Sure, I guess "venting" is pretty much all I have that I can do at this point.

assistant: Do you feel like you can't take any actions in the situation?

user: Long story short - at work, a new boss pulled all the leadership OUT of the jobs they were hired for (some more than 12 years ago - so they have lots of experience) and shuffled them all around to new jobs - all that is except the 5 oldest employees - they got moved into "non-positions". No longer supervising anyone, only doing grunt work, etc. It ticks me off and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm working on a *possible* action - RETIREMENT from this job. Only problem is - bad time to be doing that; pressure to keep my income up until my daughter graduates college, etc.

assistant: That sounds frustrating, especially if you're one of the employees affected and when the new boss doesn't seem to know what he/she is doing with the reorganization. That's positive, though, that you at least have a strategy in mind with retirement, even if this may not be the best time right now.

user: She has a "plan", I guess, but it isn't being articulated that well, and these actions are demonstrating poor "people management" and seem to be both confusing lots of folks, and professionally insulting many others. Oh, and by the way, things are running WORSE than they were before, but it's being blamed on COVID Problem with the "retirement strategy" is that it means going out on a limb with no job with the holidays coming up, and with COVID with no end in sight. SO, just "muddling through" the days these days, hoping better times are ahead.

assistant: It sounds like you are not the only worker who is seriously questioning the changes being made.

user: Oh, no. 1 person outright quit immediately. 1 other has retired already. 1 more I know is retiring by New Years. Others are more "stuck", as they just CAN'T afford to quit OR retire. So, yeah, us "old folk" are not "happy campers"

assistant: Wow! From what you've said, it sounds like your coworkers feel much as you do about the changes.

user: Yep. We are sort of our own "support group", but since we are all 100% teleworking these days, we don't "see" each other, though we try to touch base through phone calls at least once a week.

assistant: That must be tough, but it must help to at least commiserate through the phone calls and be able to relate to each other.

user: Yep. Best I can hope for at this point. If I find another job to transition to, that would improve things. Until then, gotta just "keep on keeping on"

assistant: My former spouse works for a company that has moved him to departments he needed to retrain to work in, and he is considering looking for a different job, maybe after COVID is outta here. It sounds like you're determined to stay as positive as possible while considering other options, such as a new job. Doing something about it like this must feel a little better.

user: As good as it can. Thanks for your time and commiseration.

assistant: You're welcome! I also think that's wise to hold off on retirement until your daughter is through college. My oldest is ready for college and I don't feel ready to leave work, either.

user: Yep, and she's actually a senior, so she'll graduate in May. But I gotta keep my motivation up until then. ;)

assistant: You can do it!

user: Thanks! I guess we'll see. Have a great evening.