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I disagree entirely that offering to go part time (or contractor) leaves
you vulnerable to the perception that you were under-utilized in the
first place. Your'e saying, "I know you want to reduce the cost of the
docs. I can participate in that reduction by going part time. If I go
part time, here's what we can accomplish." What yopu can accomplish
may be less than previously done.
If you can indeed accomplish the same thing that you always did in fewer
hours, then I guess you *are* showing that you were under-utilized. In
the first place, that isn't necessarily your fault - it was your mgmt
that hired you, that planned your projects, or at least planned the doc
dept. (one lonely writer - is that the situation here? That's how I
understood the original post.) and its relationship with the company,
etc. If that planning was indeed flawed, then maybe they're right - you
*could* accomplish the same on a part time basis. If they're planning
to reduce doc costs by cutting writers, they likely see it that way.
Pretending it isn't so will not change their view.
Another point to consider. Managers generally don't like to lay people
off. Even the horrible people are hard to lay off for some (if not
most) managers. It just doesn't feel good. Usually, a manager is given
a quota to fill - lay off x amount of people in y depts. If you can
work with a manager to make it less painful, that will be appreciated.
Consider the manager who is *required* to lay off the lone tech writer
- but will still be responsible for the docs! Double the pain in that
case. I'm not saying we should weep for the manager (although the
manager is usually human, too), but I am saying that honest, human
communication is what works best.
I'll say it again - work *with* the mgmt. here.
--
Chris Despopoulos, maker of CudSpan Freeware...
Plugins to Enhance FrameMaker & FrameMaker+SGML http://www.telecable.es/personales/cud/
cud -at- telecable -dot- es
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