Margins

This story was originally published back in March, due to a glitch in Blogger when you edit stories they sometimes go to the top of the pile. 
The reason I edited this story was because of this article
For today’s story click here.

Gerwyn didn’t have a clue why he’d been called into the boss’s office but he had a funny feeling it wasn’t good news. His stomach felt heavy as he knocked the door and entered the stuffy room. Lewis nodded at him to sit. He settled in opposite Mr Lewis trying to read the look on his boss’s face while the clock ticked on the wall filling the loneliness of the office.

Lewis looked at Gerwyn and then began.

‘As you know there’s a recession on.’

Gerwyn hated that express, a recession on, it sounded like a sale or a circus, like someone had planned it, for three weeks only.

‘And times are hard, our orders are down for the next quarter and things do not look promising.We don’t know what’s coming next.’ 

Gerwyn knew exactly what was coming, his P45.

‘That means the company needs to make some changes and we are restructuring.’

Lovely thought Gerwyn, they’re restructuring, it used to be called being ‘made redundant’ but now it’s ‘being restructured out’.

‘Because of this we have to let someone go, after much consideration and soul searching…’

Gerwyn was pleased they had at least put in some thought and not picked a name from a hat,

‘we have decided that unfortunately we will have to offer you redundancy.’

Offer that was a joke, what if he didn’t accept?

Gerwyn composed himself. To be honest he didn’t mind, the job was shit, the pay off should be okay and he should be able to find something sooner or later. But something trouble him, what he didn’t know was why him? His results were as good as the others, he was punctual, smart, maybe they had picked his name out of a hat.

‘Mr Lewis, can I ask why me? Why not one of  the others.’

Lewis shifted uncomfortably; he hadn’t been expecting such a direct question.

‘Was it something I did? Were you unhappy with my work?’

‘I’ll be honest with you Gerwyn, it’s your name.’

‘My name?’ Gerwyn couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

‘Yes, in hard times like these we are always looking for those extra 1 percents.’

Lewis was back in management speak.

‘Those little things add up to make a lot of difference. and quite frankly Gerwyn Whatkins-Roberts your name gets in the way.’

‘My name gets in the way?’

‘Yes, I mean for a start we have to pay extra for your business cards, such a long name, they charge per letter you know and then there's all the misdirected emails because of that damn ‘H’, who the hell spells Watkins with an H?’

Gerwyn crossed his arms and let the boss continue with his rant.

‘And then there is the waste of time. I’ve seen you spend time on the phone spelling it out to customers, let alone the time you spend signing it. Small margins Gerwyn, small margins, that time you spend spelling and signing could be time spent selling.’

‘So you’re firing me because my name is too long.’

‘Yes, sorry Gerwyn that’s about the long and the short of it.’