I always wanted to work for small companies & apart from my first job which was in a hospital (the NHS being the largest employer outside the red army) I have managed to do so. Accordingly I have always reported to the MD or at most one down from him (or her it would be nice to say, but they were all him’s).

However my most recent small company was bought by smallish US company a couple of years back. As of this month I am now part of 150,000 employees as we have been acquired again.

The facelessness & pointlessness of it is terrifying. I’ve been “onboarded” in a session aimed at the sales team of company that acquired us before & that I never felt a part of, given a new pc totally inappropriate for the work I do & most galling told the office will close so I must become a home worker (without any consultation).

To work from home I need to do some conversion work to my house - about £15,000 worth. Do I get any assistance? No - they won’t even pay for a separate phone line! The thing is, money can’t really be an issue as I do have to have an approved ergonomic desk & chair costing around £1000!

In the same insane way I am no longer to contact customers directly but I now I shouldn’t need to travel I am getting a car allowance. I guess it’s all swings & roundabouts & I have to learn to take the rough with the smooth. Unfortunately the smooth of car allowance will take a while to pay off the rough of the building work.

The thing is, I’m used to my employer having some idea of who I am & what I do & so arranging things in ways that make some sort of sense.