Kevin leaned over his desk, pushing the remaining half of his chicken sandwich to the side, once he saw the title of the email he had just received. "Cutbacks and Downsizing," the subject line read. Rumors had been circulating for weeks, amid the common knowledge that sales were down. But, as the office manager, his email was the first official communication from the corporate office regarding this hotbed of speculation. As he scanned quickly through the email, he learned that four of his sixty employees needed to be let go; two sales reps, a mailroom clerk, and a secretary, or "administrative assistant," as corporate called them. He hated that term, and never used it. He looked out through the open blinds over the glass windows of his office, looking over the two secretaries on the phones out in the lobby. A third was scheduled to work the evening shift. One of the three would have to go, he realized.
While most bosses would dread news like this, Kevin secretly didn't mind it. Although he wouldn't be high handed or vindictive when giving out the news to those being let go, there was some rush that he seemed to get from having the power to control his employees' lives at times like this. He thought about the choices that would be before him, running his fingers through his short, sandy blond hair. Recently divorced, he had been the office manager here for three years. He was in his late thirties, and felt that his career was on the right track now that he was established in his position. He usually sported a relatively dark complexion, from mornings spent out jogging as the sun came up. He never seemed to run out of energy, often working twelve to fourteen hours a day after his early jogging sessions, and usually not heading home after work either. Evenings were usually spent either at the gym, or at the bar with some college friends. A few hours of sleep suited him just fine. This schedule, of course, was primarily to blame for his failed marriage, but he got over the breakup after only a couple of months.
He stood up from his deck once he had read the news, stretching out his six-foot, two hundred pound frame. He walked towards the door of his office, peeking his head out the door to see if one of the secretaries was off the phone. It wasn't his style to announce the news, but he wanted everyone to squirm a little bit. If he were able to give a hint out to a secretary, who would spread it throughout the office, that would suit him perfectly.
While most bosses would dread news like this, Kevin secretly didn't mind it. Although he wouldn't be high handed or vindictive when giving out the news to those being let go, there was some rush that he seemed to get from having the power to control his employees' lives at times like this. He thought about the choices that would be before him, running his fingers through his short, sandy blond hair. Recently divorced, he had been the office manager here for three years. He was in his late thirties, and felt that his career was on the right track now that he was established in his position. He usually sported a relatively dark complexion, from mornings spent out jogging as the sun came up. He never seemed to run out of energy, often working twelve to fourteen hours a day after his early jogging sessions, and usually not heading home after work either. Evenings were usually spent either at the gym, or at the bar with some college friends. A few hours of sleep suited him just fine. This schedule, of course, was primarily to blame for his failed marriage, but he got over the breakup after only a couple of months.
He stood up from his deck once he had read the news, stretching out his six-foot, two hundred pound frame. He walked towards the door of his office, peeking his head out the door to see if one of the secretaries was off the phone. It wasn't his style to announce the news, but he wanted everyone to squirm a little bit. If he were able to give a hint out to a secretary, who would spread it throughout the office, that would suit him perfectly.