“What did I do wrong? What more could I have done? Why wasn’t I enough? Why is this happening to me?” These four questions spilled from my friend’s lips while her arms flapped in the air. “It’s not you , it’s them ,” I replied. “They’ll never find someone like me,” she spluttered.
Just like in personal relationships, the workplace can inflict its own brand of heartache. Credit: ISTOCK Despite sounding like a conversation about a romantic break-up, these words actually stem from the moment my friend was “let go” from her dream job. Usually so positive and glass half full, she was crushed.
It was a bad case of office heartbreak. Just like in personal relationships, the workplace can inflict its own brand of heartache – whether it’s the sudden blow of redundancy, the restructuring that leaves you adrift or being pushed out, aka quiet firing. If you’ve found yourself nursing wounds inflicted by your employer, rest assured, you’re not alone; this experience is more common than you think.
About 18 months ago, I had a lightbulb moment for my debut novel, in of all places, the shower. Sitting there on the chilly tiles – a quirky habit from living in a snug bathtub-less terrace in Sydney’s Glebe – I squealed “bloody brilliant”. I decided I was going to channel all the frustrated workplace venting of my female friends into something constructive.
Office heartbreak mirrors the emotional rollercoaster of romantic entanglements. The relentless b.
