An elderly man burst into tears when his employer unexpectedly laid him off as part of a mass layoff. Little did he know that a month later, the situation would be reversed and he would become the owner of the company.
Edward was a diligent employee. He and his colleagues knew it. He had worked for the company since its inception, and although he was past retirement age, he still completed his work like clockwork, which was greatly appreciated by all.
But much to Edward’s disappointment, one day everything changed.
“The purpose of this notice is to inform you regarding your position within the company… We regret to inform you that there will be a significant reduction in the workforce due to the restructuring of the company.”
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Edward stared at the words in the email. His fingers, which had been moving quickly across his keyboard, were now still, and so was he. Tears streamed down his eyes as he saw several people around him with the same shocked look.
He hated that look. He’d ended up among the unemployed. But what stung Edward most was that he’d spent his entire life working for the company, and yet he’d been fired. How could they do this to him?
Still shocked, Edward scrolled to the bottom of the email to see if his layoff would be permanent, and that’s where it appeared. The answer to his question. Below the list of questions and answers.
Being old or young is a matter of mindset.
“Unless otherwise advised, you should consider the layoff permanent.”
Edward slumped into his chair. He suddenly felt tired. He’d never felt so tired in his entire career. But now he did, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the computer screen, which displayed the notification of his dismissal. And suddenly, he noticed something on the screen—the real reason for his dismissal.
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The company’s founder, Rick, had transferred the company to his only grandson, Dan. The young man began his tenure by restructuring the workforce and, according to him, Edward was too old to work in the company.
Dan felt the company needed brighter minds and more talented people who would meet monthly performance metrics, not a bunch of lazy people who warmed seats, did nothing, or were too old to be considered employees.
So he made the decision and forwarded the termination letter to Edward and the other employees.
Edward’s hands shook as he emptied his workstation and piled everything into an ugly brown banker’s box. He’d seen people in movies do this after they’d been fired. He’d never imagined he’d ever do it.
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After leaving the office, Edward went straight home. He lived alone, so there was no one with whom he could share his worries. His only son had moved abroad, and his wife had died of cancer years ago.
All alone and without work to keep him busy, Edward was broken inside. For some, their job is everything. Edward was one of those people. He knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy for him. He would need something to keep him busy.
Could he perhaps work in the garden every day or start his own YouTube channel like Gen-Z? They quit their jobs so they could live on their own terms! But Edward knew he didn’t like that idea. He wanted to go back to his office, doing his job, creating reports and charts like he’d done his whole life.
To Edward’s surprise and shock, his wish was granted a month later. He was having breakfast when he received a call from an unknown number.
“Am I speaking to Mr. Edward Morales?” a calm voice asked him on the other end of the line.
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“This is Edward speaking to you. What is this about?”
“Good morning, Mr. Morales. I’m Andrew Hoffman, Rick Benson’s attorney. I’m calling to inform you that following Mr. Benson’s death, you are the new owner of his computer company; therefore, I would appreciate it if you would come to my office to finalize the formalities.”
Edward’s phone almost slipped out of his hand. “What? Are you sure this is the right Edward you’re calling? There might have been a misunderstanding!”
“If I’m not mistaken,” the lawyer continued, “you and Mr. Benson were best friends since childhood, and he admired you greatly. He often mentioned the fact that you had left the management of the company to become an ordinary employee, even though you founded the company with Mr. Benson.”
“Yes, that’s true, but…”
“In exchange for leaving, he asked a favor of his close friend, and I’d like you to be in my office when you find out. We’ll be there to welcome you. I’ll email you the details as soon as possible,” he added before hanging up the phone.
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Edward was both sad and confused. Rick was gone, but why had he left him his business? Hadn’t he made Dan the owner a month ago? And what did the lawyer mean when he said, “We’re waiting for you?” Who was “we”?
To get answers to his questions, Edward went to the lawyer’s office as soon as he got the details. There, he met Dan, who explained why his grandfather had left him the business, and things began to make sense for Edward.
“Grandpa wanted me to learn everything about running a business because he wanted me to become a good businessman like him. That’s why he entrusted the business to me. But I made some terrible decisions and fired many people who were essential to the running of the business,” he admitted regretfully.
“I admit I haven’t been a good boss. I don’t mind Grandpa appointing you as general manager. He knew that if anyone could take care of the company after him, it was you. I’m sure you’d fire me in retaliation. But I apologize for what I did…”
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Edward was in tears. “He entrusted me with this business, so I won’t disappoint him,” he said. “But you need to toughen up, young man, because I won’t go easy on you. Yes, you heard that right! I’m not going to fire you! You have a lot to learn, and I’m sure Rick would have wanted me to help you. If I’m not mistaken, that’s the favor he asked, isn’t it?” he asked, and Mr. Hoffman nodded.
“All right, then,” Edward sighed. “Fasten your seatbelt, Dan, because this is going to be a wild ride, boy! You’d better be ready.”
After taking over the company, Edward worked selflessly, focusing only on what would help the company grow and improve, while taking Dan under his wing. He showed Dan how difficult it is to achieve anything worthwhile. Years later, when Edward was confident that Dan was ready to take on greater responsibility, he appointed him CEO of the company.
“I was hurt when you fired me,” Edward admitted to Dan the day the young man took over as CEO, “but it’s true that I’m getting a little old for these monthly numbers. Now, while I enjoy my retirement, make sure you don’t disappoint your grandfather or me. We expect a lot from you, Dan. Really!”
Dan promised he wouldn’t disappoint anyone, and he hasn’t. The company is doing fantastically well under his leadership, and Rick should be proud of his friend and grandson.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
What can we learn from this story?
- Nothing in life comes easy; you have to work hard to achieve something. Dan realized this when he worked with Edward, and it helped him become a better employer.
- Being old or young is a matter of mindset. Edward was old, but he offered stiff competition to much younger employees, all because he never believed he was too old for his job. His positive attitude kept him going until he realized he needed time off to rest.
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Also read: Waiter fired for stealing unused food for elderly neighbor, later offered restaurant management job
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