The day we sign on the dotted line for a permanent job, especially in the public services, certain surreptitious things begin to happen. Like a worm, knowledge of our new situation embeds itself ominously into our consciousness until the final acknowledgement that our salary is there for life, or as long as we want it, and we don't have to worry for a long time. The plans begin in earnest. Lots and lots of plans to get the house, the car, the freezer, the personal yacht and helicopter! - anything that will confirm our new status while anchoring us firmly to new contractual knots. Expectation is high and ambition has few limits.

Gradually, as we become weighted down by responsibilities and bills, we realise that we do not have to do anything fantastic to stay in the job. Barring any catastrophe, so long as our work is acceptable, we are protected from the storms of deprivation and worry, shielded snugly from any occupational winds of anxiety, except on a domestic level, and, without increasing our effort one bit, we can acquire even more trappings of success while suiting output to match our leisurely pace. However, something else has been happening while we have been blissfully settling in to our situation. The basic need for stimulation, responsibility and recognition is getting stronger, but is perhaps not being fulfilled and begins a painfull plunge into feelings of nothingness.

There are three stages to every new job: (a) Introduction and initiation, (b) task familiarity and (c) full experience. Depending on the number of aspects involved, and the complexity of the tasks, all three stages tend to take between three and five years. The first stage of being inducted is always novel and interesting, especially if it is something we really want to do. Second stage familiarity boosts our confidence and self-esteem by confirming personal capabilities while adding new knowledge and skills to our repertoire. If this stage has been a success, the final stage marks us as a kind of expert, well versed in all aspects of our job description, and ready for greater responsibility. Add another two years for luck, and the employee is ready to move on, hopefully, to better things. However, it is this last stage which causes the most difficulty because it sets up expectations, especially around promotion and greater recognition and reward, which are often not forthcoming.

Low Morale and High Stress
If we do not move on to something completely different, preferably

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