Not the thanks we were expecting

I've just lived through the most anti-climactic release of my tech writing career.

For the last year, my company has been working on a large release that would update and integrate most of company's existing standalone software. I was assigned to the project in December, and I've tackled a steep learning curve in the last nine months, necessitating a shift to full time. The release date slipped, as release dates will, from June to July to August.

Everyone looked forward to the day the project would wrap up and we could breathe. Stretch. Clean out the email box. Celebrate.

Instead, just as I finished posting my doc set, my boss called a "quick update" meeting and told us that the company was laying off 60 employees, including one writer. (Not me.) More details to follow Monday.

Nothing says "thanks for the hard work" like pink slips, eh?

Now, in the company's defense, they were a bit between a rock (the slipping release date) and a hard place (needing to plan for our fiscal year, which starts October 1). Officers and managers have admitted that the timing could not have been worse for those involved in the release. And it seems they are treating the departing employees well.

Still. Not quite the release party we were expecting.