Will the last inmate released please turn off the lights & electric shock chair!

The inmates at the Insane Asylum have just returned to their cells from a meeting with the Governor.  At this meeting it was mentioned that due to the current world recession, state of the UK’s economy, and the lack of incoming money, the Insane Asylum may have to drop to a 4 day week. With the inmates being let out on the 5Th day.

There are a couple of obvious problems with this plan, like the fact we are a service provider whose customers get upset when they cant get support at the weekend (let alone a three day wait).

The main problem I foresee is a catch 24 spiral to death problem. Let me explain.

To cope with the 1/5th cut in salary most the inmates will have to take a second job, (Or work on their own!). “What’s the problem with that?” I hear you ask. Well given the fact the Inmates are IT bods, then any second job, or cash in hand job will be in the IT industry. SO jobs we hear of that would normally be sent to the Asylum to be done may end up being done by ourselves. Then you have the fact that the area we work in, any second job would end up being for competitors or customers direct.

So the more work we do to make up the lost wage will cut down on jobs sent to the asylum, so it makes less money, meaning a 3 day week? so we have to do more work to cover loss wage, meaning even less for company, 2 day week, spiral… spiral…….

For example. take our development department. Which of our customers will pay say £60/hour for dev work when they can have same guy, using same machine do it on his second job rate of £20/hour?

so, as stated at the start of this post…. Will the last inmate released please turn off the lights!