Today....

...today I began to notice a bit of a change in the atmosphere at work. People went about their business at a much slower, more gentle pace and showed each other a little more kindness. Not that my work colleagues are unkind at all - but from the looks and glances around the room, and comments from people I don't normally speak to, I think we have begun to see a much more caring attitude evolve towards each other. Everyone is hurting. Even those who thought they would love to be made redundant and escape have been caught up in the surge of emotion at the moment. I spoke to someone yesterday who described it as a grieving process, and we should expect to experience a range of emotions over the coming months. A lot of us have "grown up" at work, having been there since we left school. Friendships and marriages have flourished, it's a bit like having an extended family at your fingertips, which is sadly slipping from our grasp. At least we have the luxury of up to 2 years to plan our futures, unlike some redundancies which are imposed almost immediately. I'd like to think a lot of us will manage to stay in touch for many years - this has been an incredible support network for so many people.