He was told not to trust the boss and he told this information to me.

"How is that some sort of revelation to you?" I asked and he replied with a look of bewilderment. "Who up there can you trust? Anyone up there will throw you under the bus once you have outlived your worth to them. I wonder how this can be news to you."

I then asked him about the fate of a few different former co-workers all of whom busted their asses for the department and were all shown the door. I got no reply so I continued.

"That's why, if you bust your ass, bust it for yourself. Bust it for Mrs. Smith who calls and you can help her out but don't bust it for the bosses. The bosses do not care. You have to care about yourself. Do a good job because you want to do a good job, don't try to do a good job for the bosses because it will get you nothing. How is any of this a surprise to you?"