So I got sacked this morning. One of the most embarrassing, horrible days of my life. I had to pack up all my stuff in front of everyone, it just sucked. I am the only or was the only employee. I'm DEFINITELY 100% taking their asses to an employment tribunal. They sacked me one month before my one year Mark and have paid me a month in lieu. They've done this as after a year I'd actually have rights. No reason for the dismissal, no gross misconduct just that they don't think I'm suited to the job (took them a year to work it out). Anyway, basically they want to fire me so they can employ another intern who they can pay basically nothing.
Pity party at mine tonight anyway.

I'm with you in sprit, my jobs ends in one week.

What? They put you in a sack? That is awful. The worst thing an employer has ever done to me is fire me, but none of them have ever put me in a bag. That would be traumatic.

On a serious note, I am just trying to cheer you up. Good luck finding a new work, and just be glad that if you are in England that your health coverage was not tied to your employment status.

That stinks! Since I retired, the work place in the U.S. has gone from bad to worse.

Elaine,

Check out the ACAS website for some decent professional information on your situation. They also have a free helpline where you can talk to an employment expert.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2012 04:22PM by Stumbling.

My work is doing mass-layoffs today. Its 2 1/2 hours before I leave work today, and my boss still hasnt said anything to me! This day has been so tense for everyone... I hear you, Elaine! hang in there. We will be here for you.

Speaking of that, itsn't in dandy how they stand over you while you pack up?

When we've done mass layoffs here before you know if you're going to get the axe. Do you think I'd wait until you're watching do do damage?

It also sucks for the people near you because the are intimidated and scared to say anything at that moment.

Hang in there Elaine.

I'm super opinionated on this subject because my dad ran a business where he never fired ANYONE (except two people for which their personal situations were such that it was understood beforehand that the job probably wouldn't be waiting for them on the other side of the bars). Even if they struggled to show up, he personally challenged them to do better and improve their lives through working there. As a result, they became grossly emotional about working for our company and the customers could tell. People felt very loyal. Wide-scale speculative expansion never happened, because that is gambling with people's lives (and turns business from fun into horrible).

I find bosses who do things like that will be amongst the elect of hell, in a pit only above child abusers, murderers, and rapists. Or at least to have their memories soiled with post-mortem sordid tales and truths. I'm sorry Elaine. Hoping you find a better place real soon! :(

Contrast your father with someone who only looks at a business
as a money-making machine and gleefully fires people and even
guts the business in order to make quick money for himself.
I'm speaking of Mitt Romney, or course :)

Amen, baura. Amen.

Ach, poor girl! I'm so sorry. It is one of the worst moments in a person's life. Hugs from the Pacific NW.

And hey, at least you have an employment tribunal. In the less civilized American backwater states, we have "right to fire" laws. Don't like your hair in a bun? You're sacked! Overweight? Sacked! Detached earlobes? Sacked!

But they like to call it "right to work." Ha that's a laugh. It is right for the employer to terminate you for any reason. In the US the companies like to use "contractors" so they can fire them without technically laying anyone off, which could hurt their stock price.

Elaine, I am so sorry. You hardly needed one more big problem with your crazy family situation. Reminds me of the Mother Therese quote: "I know God won't give me more than I can handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much."

Elaine, I'm so sorry. I got sacked once (also at the one year point) and I have to tell you that it worked out for the best. I went from working for a crazy boss and a mediocre employer to working for a great boss and company. Keep your chin up. This too will pass.

It's easy to be harsh on yourself when you're sacked from a job. Don't fall into that trap.

The workplace is full of contrived events of humiliation. In my last job, I was asked to interview a new supervisor for the accounting department (who would supervise me). I recommended a fine lesbian lady who had a quick mind and a decisive air. One of the first thing she decided was that I "didn't fit in" and she told me that...which was a gift from heaven, because I immediately reported the incident as an ageism event. I was one of the original five employees in the whole company, was hired by the founder, and helped get it going.

How did I not fit in? I was older than everyone else. I ended up with a pretty decent settlement. Nobody watched me pack my stuff because I had the keys to the drawers where the boss kept his drugs, the one with his porn and the last one with his gambling sheets for the races. I matter-of-factly explained what each key was to the human resources manager and walked myself out while she sat there, stunned.

Corporations are self-serving. We all know that from TSCC. They will give you justice only if they have to.

Anagrammy

PS. The boss's wife was furious that I was fired and replaced with a hottie from New York with stiletto heels and a walk which consistently distracted her husband's attention... LOL!

anagrammy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Corporations are self-serving. We all know that
> from TSCC. They will give you justice only if they
> have to.

This reminds me of the observation that organizations gradually
shift their loyalties from their goals to their structure.
This has definitely happened with Mormonism.

Sorry to hear that. I've been laid off twice, and thought it was distressing, both times it ended up being a better situation. I hope that is true for you, too.

But know it will probably open new doors for you. And consulting labour laws and a lawyer is never a bad idea when you think something is shady about you're firing.

I've been fired from 5 jobs, two of them illegally, the other three under shady circumstances. I've been forced to quit from 2 jobs because of hostile environments and abuse. If you are able, don't let them get away with treating you this way. I don't what it is with American companies, but many treat people like absolute shit. It can be hell to get benefits you are entitled to!

All of these are some of the many reasons I'm considering doing child-care until I can decide on a college plan. If I must put up with verbal abuse, tyranny, and shit, I can handle it coming from children.

Beef up your resume and keep your chin up.

Oh my god you just can't catch a break!! This sucks!! So sorry to hear it girl. It didn't seem like you cared much for that job anyway so hopefully you can find something even better that you actually enjoy...good things fall apart so better things can fall together!!

Let me know if there's anything I can do for you. *Cough* Tell your man you wanna move to Canada and I will hook you both up with jobs *Cough*
;)

Seems typical nowadays. It is humiliating. I worked for a company over 10 years and all of a sudden I wasn't good enough. I've been working for my present employer 8 months and they are glad to have me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2012 11:16PM by suckafoo.

Aww guys thank you all so much for the support. I love knowing I'll be able to come to rfm and have a wealth of knowledge and support from the sweetest, kindest people ever. I really can't thank you all enough. Every one of you is so amazing.

The worst times I've had in my entire life have involved me getting fired. Once it was my fault, and once it wasn't. It is heartbreaking.

On the other hand, having to go through that has given me perspective I've never had before in my life. It was crushing, but I wouldn't change those experiences now that I've gone through them.

One of my vodka and cokes tonight will be in your honor.

To be fired. I've been fired and I've also been laid off. Not what I consider the highlights of my working life. More like the lowlights ;-)

This is the job you've posted about previously, correct? You didn't like the job and felt overwhelmed because you weren't given sufficient training for it and you'd made a couple of significant mistakes on the job (I apologize if my memory is incorrect). I was fired from my first real job out of college after two months. They never should have hired me in the first place. In that job, education did not make up for a lack of practical experience and I didn't get much training on the job. I dreaded getting out of bed each morning that last month. I was utterly miserable.

Like my boss at that job gave me, your employer has given you a gift by letting you go (though it doesn't seem like it right now). Learn and gain insight into yourself from this. Do a self-assessment:

* Were there any aspects of the job you particulary liked?

* What were the parts you disliked?

* What parts of the job were you good at and what parts were you not good at?

* What could you have done differently at that job? (as an example, at my first job I didn't speak up to ask for help/guidance when I didn't know how to do something. I was very shy and also thought that admitting ignorance would be perceived as incompetence. Screwing up a project b/c of that reluctance to ask for help WAS perceived as incompetence)

* What type of company do you want to work for: large or small; formal or relaxed atmosphere, in a particular industry? Company culture is important - you want to "fit" and be comfortable with your co-workers. Skills can be taught but if your personality is not a good "fit" with the company culture, it's less likely to be a successful match.

You need to be brutally honest with yourself when you go through this exercise. If you're are, there is a greater likelihood that you will find a job more aligned with your skills and interests and be successful at it.

After I was fired, I got a job at a UK computer company that just opened a US office. I wasn't qualified for the job I applied for but the company owner said they needed someone to answer the phones and "we'll figure out what else to do with you". I took the job because the owner seemed like a really good guy. I was there 5 years before a bunch of us were laid off. In those years I learned: payroll & benefits, travel arrangements, accounts payable, how to create sales contracts, customer service and domestic & international freight. Since then, my career has been varied but mainly in transportation & customer service. And it came about because Dan said "we'll figure out what else to do with you". Sometimes the best opportunities don't seem like it initially.

Best of luck to you!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2012 10:20AM by liminal state.