Schadenfreude is like a heavy pie. A small piece, with a glass of cold milk: perfection. A big piece: sits in your stomach like the rock of judgment.
Go pour yourselves a glass of cold milk before you read this.
I just read the post about the boss who deactivated a coworker's email when she quite, and in doing so deleted the company calendar so all the events for the next three years are gone.
I'm getting to do something similar.
The church where I worked as administrator and (in addition to my regular work) got them caught up on a two year backlog of work caused when the previous administrator developed lung cancer and was just too weak and too sick to do the job, so she showed up and did the bare minimum;
and the day I finally had everything caught up, the minister scheduled a staff meeting and terminated me, stating they were going to use unpaid volunteers from the church to do the work;
and even though I was told the job was permanent when I interviewed, she confessed that they told me that (even though it turned out the job was not permanent) because they were afraid I wouldn't take the job —
well, that church is now financially bankrupt (remember: churches in the U.S. are run like, and function like small businesses), and they'll be having their final service soon.
In addition to losing her church, and losing her income — because of “separation of church and state” ministers and church staff members are not eligible for unemployment, so when the church stops meeting, that's it — she has no more income. She hasn't worked there long enough to qualify for a pension. There aren't a lot of pastoral positions open in that denomination.
The Spanish-speaking church, a separate church which shared the facility, and is far more progressive and far more focused on outreach and serving the community and the neighborhood at large – will be taking over the building.
Am going to take the “high road”? No. A Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm attending that final service at the church where I was terminated; and I'll be sitting in the front row so the minister will be sure to see me.
I plan to make that day one that minister will remember for the rest of her life!