There appears to be some sorrow among the laid off Sears employees who “feel” betrayed by a company in trouble. I have news for all employees.  You have a “job” and you serve at the pleasure of your employer.  By pure definition, if you decide to take a “job” you are giving up some of your autonomy.  If you should so choose to have a portion of your pay handled by a private pension plan, what gives you the right to think that there is no “risk” in having a third party manage those funds or to think that the company will be financially fit to make ongoing company contributions on your behalf?  In socialized Canada we are fed this line that you are marginalized if “self employed”.  I have news for those who believe that your company will be there for you.  You are one bad relationship or two bad performance reviews from the exit sign and if you think you have “job security” think again in the context of a financial system teetering on the brink.  If you worked at Sears and have witnessed a steady decline in retail traffic over a period of years, you should have taken a look at the competition or at the least upgraded in the evening with some career changing course work.  Now is not the time to be looking to a bankruptcy trustee for answers or the CBC for sympathy.  There is nothing more defeatist and sad than the state of a workplace in decline with hangers on sinking with the ship believing that the company will throw a life vest last minute in the form of a “severance”.