Things will not change until....

So here I am again.


Looking back it has been over 5 months since my last entry. I realized that I have not been able to really give myself to writing anything at all.

I have been really unhappy at work for these past few months and I finally am able to accept the fact that things will not change until I take action towards making changes.

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Late last year, I received a letter from HR informing me of my transfer to a new department tasked with planning, creating and delivering products and services tied to the impending new Airbus 380 fleet. It came as quite a surprise really. Out of the blue while I was enjoying a short holiday with Mom in Muar, I got the e-mail through my Smart phone (a cautionary tale to NOT link work emails to a personal device!).

Excited about the potential and challenges in this new department, I accepted it. I knew that it would mean a financial impact to me as I would lose a significant amount of allowances being no longer on 24 hour shift based work. I shared this concern of mine with my new leaders with the hopes of them being able to do something about it.

Work then ensued and we threw ourselves into the A380 project. The A380 is to be the savior of the company and we had to devise a multi-prong approach towards winning back the love and support of our customers.

Weeks on end, it was discussion after discussion, meetings after meetings, sometimes to the point of shouting matches to get things done. Most of us acquired tunnel vision, so engrossed were we in the multitude of tasks.

Personally, my task was to create new F&B service offerings in the KLIA Lounges. As it were, we had to slog through budget constraints, rehash and revamps of the facility, identification of new technologies and equipment and the formulation of new menus for both beverage and food. Interestingly, this was for the same department I was in before I was uprooted.

As we got closer to the deadlines, things got even more frantic. The work hours grew longer and longer as we tried to close the various process and service gaps. Training sessions were mounted and we literally downloaded everything we could to the new team in the Lounges.

Thankfully, the new Lounge was finally opened to the customers as planned. Many of our customers were pleased and some others did not take too well to the changes we made in the refurbishment. I am happy to note that most were very pleased to see new offerings for them.

Then it was about review activities, where any incorrect or lacking procedures were revised and amended. Now we are on to making changes to our other sister Lounges within the network so as to ensure a consistent service offering across the brand.

It is true what they say, work never ends!

During the same time, I was under the impression that my new management were working on my concerns about my allowances. I was assured and promised that they will look into it, and if my allowances could not be reinstated, they would attempt some other manner of suitable compensatory remuneration, either by dispensation of a special allowance, or a promotion.

In my mind, I knew that it was going to be difficult for the management to deliver anything at all, as the company was on a company wide cost mitigation exercise. Still, my heart of hearts hoped that something positive will come of it.

Then I got the news, that nothing could be done. No former allowance, no special dispensation, no promotion. Nada.

Heartbroken, I continued to slog with work. I told myself it would not be professional conduct to let it affect me. However, the reality of earning less than what I was used to was surely affecting me. Sacrifices had to be made, to scale back my spending.

What this meant was that I had to give up things that made me happy, buying leisure books and professional tomes, trying out new restaurants on my culinary jaunts, experiencing new service offerings and such. It also affected my ability to keep Mom happy by taking her out during weekends. GF just suffered as we were not able to kill time the way we usually do.

And all this time I got progressively angrier inside but I managed to keep it in check in the name of being civil and professional.

Then mid May, the company sent out a notice offering a voluntary leave program (VLP) for either 12 or 24 months. I considered this intensely and decided that it would be perfect opportunity to take it up and try new things with other establishments. It was perfect timing as I was seriously run down and emotionally ragged. Colleagues posited that this would be the chance to market test my F&B knowledge, service competencies and culinary training.

I submitted my application on 26 June 2012, days shy of the launching date of the new KLIA Lounge. The primary reason was that I did not wish to suggest that I wasn’t committed to the A380 projects. I would stay until all projects I had been assigned was successfully delivered.

Alas, again my management became a stumbling block and decided to reject my application, using my colleague as an excuse. This colleague, the only other person with F&B background had also submitted his VLP application, as both of us felt that we were being mistreated and marginalized by the same people who promised the sun and the moon (of course in hindsight, I should not have been such a child to believe).

I made several appeals and finally it was approved by my division’s No 2. There was a catch, my direct manager (the same person who summarily rejected my application despite my pleading), would actually get to decide when I can leave. I had wanted the start date to be 1 August so that I have a long break (to rediscover myself, as it were!) before I start employment with an alternative company but now I have to re-plot that date.

There is good news in this though; I had managed to acquire a position managing F&B operations and I would start on 1 September (which is looming closer by the day).

My current superior has yet to sit me down to finalise my VLP commencement date, yet another delay tactic on top of other delay tactics. I have a good mind to just storm the bitch (Sorry, I run at the mouth sometimes), but I know I wouldn’t be true to myself I did that. Un-gentlemanly conduct is not something I wish to add to my list of accomplishments and I had promised my self not to over-react.

But something needs to be done. I hope to god to give me the patience and foresight to stay calm and deal my exit.