There is a practice at my client to go out for lunch when someone is leaving. So far, in the past 2 months I have attended 3 such lunches. In fact, the most recent lunch, last week, was for a guy who was contracting, and was ‘leaving’ the company just to come back on Wednesday as a full-time employee.

So now that I am leaving, I saw an email for going out for lunch, but the email clearly said that it was ‘self sponsored’. There is another guy leaving from the team, and it was a combined lunch, and not company sponsored.

My first reaction, of anger, was to decline the invite. I replied with a suggestion that we go for a happy hour on Friday, and maybe watch the Red Sox kill the Yankees. Then I replied saying it was ok, and that I will go for lunch, since I know the other guy who is leaving.

But what is causing me pain, is the fact that even though I have worked for 4.5 years in this company, they are cheap enough to not pay for a freaking lunch. Its not the cost that matters more here, it is the thought. And I have got a very clear signal of this company’s pathetic management about where their priorities are with respect to me. They don’t care about me and they would rather have me out of here.

Fine. That is ok with me. Just don’t expect that I will be doing any work today or tomorrow. Also, don’t expect to get a return call from me when I am on vacation and things just fall apart. I have had a very good experience interacting with the business folks here and if that is all I can take away from this experience, so be it.

Could not be happier about getting out of here.