Completing several years at a stretch while working with the same organization is generally viewed as a milestone of sorts by any employee.
Most, if not all, organizations recognize their employees for long association by giving out long service awards.
Award for completing 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years and even more are quite common and popular in the corporate world.
However, from the standpoint of career growth, whether getting long service award is really an achievement or not is a matter of debate.
If you are working in a professional company, then there are high chances that this milestone will be an achievement too.
And if you have worked with a high degree of passion and diligence, you will see some career growth.
However, if you are working in a lala company, then the story is going to be entirely different.
An employee may have stayed very long in a lala company simply because she had no other option.
In several cases, an employee in such companies will end up becoming "unemployable".
And would not be competent enough to get another job outside in another organization.
In fact, the employee might have gotten herself into a cookie jar which is about to get empty.
She may now be the proverbial rat in the rat race with additional complications:
- She has crossed the point of no return in her career and her speed is so high that aborting take-off is no longer an option available to her
- She is also fast approaching the end of the runway of her career and she is rapidly running out on the length of the runway!
- She will eventually be reaching a position where she can't get anything outside and she can't leave, and hence, she is totally stuck.
So, she will gradually accumulate years.
First, she will get 3 years’ service completion award.
Then 5 years’ service completion award.
And then 10 years’ service completion award.
And then also some more.
This will go on and on till she retires, or the company shuts down or the lala company owners shunt her out unceremoniously.
Getting long service award in a lala company is nothing less than a grim reminder.
Grim reminder about the fact that:
- Your career is stuck and there is no scope for any further real professional growth
- You will need to tolerate the lala and his stooges for several more years to come
- You are now totally unemployable and need to hold on strongly to what you are doing
- You are in a precarious situation as far as attaining financial freedom is concerned
- You are going to live for some more time at the mercy of the lala and his stooges
The funny thing is, you need to react to them with forced happiness.
You might get into a meeting with the top lalas and his stooges where everyone congratulates you.
You say thanks for the wishes and all.
However, you are not happy.
Not at all.
You have no choice either.
You show you are happy.
You have no choice on that either.
And even if unwillingly, you have to become a part of the drama played out in the name of longevity and loyalty.
That’s the true hallmark of a lala company.
Longevity and loyalty only matter.
Drama around longevity and loyalty matter the most.
That’s a sad thing.
But that’s what it is.
Take it or leave it.
You collect the award even as you look at it not as an award.
It is nothing short of a curse.
The curse which is but a grim reminder.
You also realize you are stuck and you not getting out or going anywhere.
You gather yourself.
And you get ready and mentally prerpared for the next one.
For the next long service award.
For a bigger curse.
And a bigger grim reminder the next time.
