One of the jobs I have, my office in the basement of a building. When I started just a hair under two years ago, there was a library/Resource Center, the marketing department, the company learning program (”University” as they call it), conference rooms, video studios and the audio studio.

Then there was a notice that OSHA recieved a complaint about black mold somewhere in the basement. (Link:Toxic Black Mold Info.com) Great. I’m not here more than 12 days a month, not that it’s an excuse to not care or worry, but I’m not completely concerned. The next thing they did was remove the marketing department from the floor. Kinda odd timing, but they were shifting the departments around in order to keep alike departments close to each other. The next thing to go was the library/resource center personnel. I was told that the library was moving, but they weren’t sure yet so the people were gonna move first but none of the resources. Odd, but I guess it makes sense in the corporate world.

The next thing to go (in one swoop) was the coffee makers and soda/vending machines. They unplugged the soda machines and placed yellow “DO NOT CROSS” tape across the alcove that they sit in, and placed “OUT OF ORDER” signs on each of the three machines. The coffee makers were pulled out because the copany was switching from Green Mountain Coffee to Starbucks brand. I don’t care because I don’t drink coffee, but they ALSO removed the hot chocolate they were providing and since Starbucks doesn’t make packets of hot chocolate, I’m SOL on that. Bastards.

Then the computers that were placed in the hallway leading to my office/the “University” were removed. Since then I haven’t seen the rooms in use at all, and suddenly there aren’t too many video conferences going on in the conference rooms. At this point there were only 6 people on a floor that by an estimate I’d say housed 150 employees.

And then recently, the last straw, they turned out most of the lights on me. the hallway that leads to the office has 10 recessed lights, currently there are only 2 of them that are on.

So here I am, at work, down a dimly lit hallway, on an empty floor with a possible black mold outbreak. some other time I’ll have to describe my “office”.