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Got Fired Today - Feeling Very WTF


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I think I just got fired by the most passive aggressive boss... I'm all sorts of emotions: Disbelief, contempt, shock. "WTF" sums up my feelings quite nicely, though.

 

A month shy of working at The Place for 3 years. Every annual review was positive. Got my raises and additional benefits.

 

Always positive weekly meetings with the boss. Occasional "Hey, I noticed this, could you do better next time?" but no one is perfect, and he never made a big deal of anything. Weekly meetings for almost 3 years, getting awesome reviews.

 

Flash back to a month ago, I get pulled into a meeting with him and HR. A laundry list of "problems" that must be fixed "immediately". 2/3 of them we'd never discussed, and as a result, he had the wrong idea on a few of them - If he would have asked, I would have told him. I took ownership of some of the issues, but others I can't do myself. I say "Hey, I would love to take care of A, B and C, but I can't without resources D, E and F. Help me get these, and I can get everything done as you like."

 

A few more weeks go by, a few more weekly meetings - "You're doing a good job, great improvements." Awesome. Starting to feel secure again in my job. Still don't have all the resources I need, but I'm doing what I can, and discussing with him how we're going to get them.

 

Last week, we finally get a plan in place to get me everything I need.

 

Then I'm pulled into another HR meeting. Another laundry list. Mind you, we've met every week and have been talking about the FIRST laundry list, and everything is "yeah, you're progressing." Then WHAM! Whole new list. My boss really seemed to suddenly think I just suck. Why not mention ANY of this in our WEEKLY meetings?

 

I was dumbfounded. Talk to HR separately to kinda let them know how my boss hasn't followed through with promises made in the last meeting. I try to ask what I can do about not getting what I need, and they have no answers.

 

Meanwhile, my boss tells me to let the second laundry list "roll off" of me. Are you kidding?! Two written warnings in a month, and I'd never had one before. I was freaking out. Convinced that I was basically just being set up to be fired.

 

And so it was. Today - fired. Again, all this week my boss and I were working on "fixing" some of the issues with my position and resource needs, even integrating my job more fully with the rest of the team. Why add me to processes, if they knew they were firing me? Why bother having "Get to know you" meetings with new employees if they were just going to fire me? Why invite me to meetings next week if you're firing me this week? It was totally "business as usual".

 

So nice to my face, every day. Glowing, positive reviews. Then two meetings of nothing but piles of negativity. How the heck am I supposed to do a better job if I'm not even told what I'm doing wrong. In the exit interview, the HR person basically said "I've heard of your performance issues for a while now." And I said "Well, you knew about them longer than I did."

 

I'm just so frustrated. It seems so sudden and out of the blue. More than 2.75 years of "Everythings cool" then suddenly it's a month of "You suck" and I'm gone. My boss was like a perfect actor, never letting on that I was getting canned. Had me utterly convinced I was adding value to certain projects. We even all went to a happy hour together last night and things seemed fine.

 

I don't know what happened, but in my gut, I knew at the first HR meeting that this was the start of a paper trail so they could "fire me right." My brain didn't want to admit that, though, so I really tried to do better. Now my brain is saying "Why? Why? Why?" and yet part of me completely expected it, like "I told you so."

 

I don't know what the heck changed my bosses mind about me so completely and abruptly. But once he decided, there didn't seem to be changing his mind.

 

Or I wonder if he ever liked me at all? Maybe he always had these issues with me, despite giving me raises, but was just too weak to say them. Problems with confrontation?

 

Just needed to vent. It's midnight and I live alone, most people I know are sleeping.

 

Gah. I want to break stuff.

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Speak to a lawyer. Almost 3 years of good employment, a dedicated employee, you got raises etc., yet in a month they started writing you up for things that isn't worthy of firing an employee! It does sound like they were setting you up and had a game plan.

 

WTF is right!

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Is his job on line and you were his replacement that he eliminated you to secure his paychecks ???

 

I know a similar incident happening in my company.

 

On a curious note what is the size of company???

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Seems pretty clear:

 

 

New Hires

You had several raises

You met with (and trained?) the new hires

 

It sounds like you got too expensive and they figured they could get more bang for the buck with some new hires to replace you.

 

So... they kept you feeling ok in order to transfer your knowledge over to the new hires working at less pay, then built up a list of vague complaints against you, logged with hr, to make it cleaner to let you go.

 

That's my interpretation.

 

I was fired once in my life.

 

My boss was scared I'd take his job, so he did something similar. Without any attorney involved, I pointed out what had happened and got a couple months pay as severance.

 

You should do the same, possibly with an attorney.

 

Then, be thankful you're out of such a stupid place, recharge, rest and look for your next step.

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I am so sorry this happened to you.

 

Some of what you said really hit home. I have been at my current position/same boss for almost 6 years.

 

No real problems, not saying I never made a mistake but always something we talked about and no big deal...until about 1-2 months ago and now it seems we're having a meeting once a day about something I did wrong.

 

Some of it is because all of a sudden things she never had a problem with she now has put an end to. I can't figure out why if it wasn't a problem all of this time, why now? I used to have no problem talking about this with her, but it just seems as if something has changed.

 

She still compliments me on what I do and confides things about work to me (I have never shared these with anyone at work), but something is different.

 

She accused me the other day of going over her head about something and wanted to know why I couldn't talk to her, I explained that I was having a conversation with another manager and these things came up (it has nothing to do with her at all), but I thought would I complain about you with is in such close quarters). Once I explained it all, she apologized (sort of), but it still bothered me that she thought so little of me after all of this time.

 

She said she feels things have changed, well, yeah.

 

I do not want to quit, I have a great commute and she is very understanding if I need to leave early or come in late (which is done rarely) to handle something with my parents. They are elderly and with medical problems.

 

I don't look forward to coming to work anymore, I feel every question she asks me will lead to how I'm not doing something right.

 

Yet, she talks about projects she wants me involved in in the future, I have always been able to take her at her word, but reading your post.......

 

Reviews come up in a couple of months, before now, no issues at all, but this time..............

 

It's like someone flipped a switch and everything changed.

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MightyQ,? How are you doing? Its been a few days and hopefully the sting is gone...Sorry that Business''s are like this.....

 

Let us know.

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I was fired once in my life.

 

My boss was scared I'd take his job, so he did something similar. Without any attorney involved, I pointed out what had happened and got a couple months pay as severance.

 

You should do the same, possibly with an attorney.

 

Then, be thankful you're out of such a stupid place, recharge, rest and look for your next step.

 

Thanks for the response, and the "confirmation" that this situation sounds like it sounded to me. They did give me 1 month's severance, which was appreciated. No attornies, though - Where I live is an "at-will" employment state, which means I could technically have been fired for no reason at all (that happened to one of my friends, once).

 

Is his job on line and you were his replacement that he eliminated you to secure his paychecks ???

 

I know a similar incident happening in my company.

 

On a curious note what is the size of company???

 

It was about 200 people when I started and 400 people when I was gone. I think they expanded too fast, plus they made some bad decisions in the last half of last year. Even more convincing that this was not a "performance" issue. They don't want to have a "layoff" so I think they're finding reasons to fire people.

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MightyQ,? How are you doing? Its been a few days and hopefully the sting is gone...Sorry that Business''s are like this.....

 

Let us know.

 

The sting has diminished some, but now the anxiety is setting in. The "I don't have a paycheck, but the bills are still coming" anxiety. Where I live has a ridiculously low unemployment rate, it was about twice as high the last time I was job seeking. Also, since I was 16, I've never really gone more than 2-3 weeks between jobs, so I have high hopes... But I'm a realist, my optimism isn't without limits, and it doesn't make me immune to doubts.

 

I've probably applied to 20 jobs already. I've had 3 phone interviews, and had a face-to-face interview with a recruiter today. Realized just how rusty I am at interviewing, and glad that the first one was with a recruiter, so now I can hopefully do better, should i end up interviewing with an employer.

 

On the plus side... I've lost my job before, and this is probably one of the least stressful times of joblessness I've had so far. I had a good-for-nothing ex-hubby who used to make these times so difficult for me. I always made more money than him, so I ended up being the primary support for both of us. When times were tough, he made them tougher. Now not only do I not have him dragging me down more, the New Guy I've been dating has been a fountain of positivity and support. That's making me feel a bit better, like "Oh wow, is this what supportive, healthy relationships feel like?"

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I am so sorry this happened to you.

 

Some of what you said really hit home. I have been at my current position/same boss for almost 6 years.

 

It's like someone flipped a switch and everything changed.

 

Sorry that you're having a poor experience as well. A lot of this does sound similar to me, especially with "all of a sudden things she never had a problem with she now has put an end to." That last part about someone flipping a switch, that's how it felt to me, too.

 

Everything did change, and after the two meetings I had, but before the actual firing, I wondered if there was any possibility for the relationship with my boss to be repaired. It almost seemed like something had broken, and I was dealing with an entirely different person than I believed my boss to be. Being the optimistic person I am, I thought we could move forward, but I don't think she ever had the intention of keeping me around.

 

I hope that you're able to repair things with your boss, or if you can't, that you're able to find a new job quickly.

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fitnessfan365

It definitely comes off like you were set up. The "all of a sudden" routine is a tactic used by employers to cover their ass w/paperwork so they'll have a seemingly "legitimate" reason to fire you. This also lets them avoid having to approve unemployment. However, three years of positive reviews and raises speaks for itself. You really should pursue a wrong termination lawsuit.

 

But here's what's funny. If they would've done things honestly - downsizing for cheaper workers and letting you keep good standing, your unemployment would've lasted six months (they got rid of extensions). However, a wrongful termination lawsuit can pay serious damages and effect their reputation negatively in the process.

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Sorry about what happened, MightyQuinn.

 

ALL states (except Montana) have “at will” employment. I worked for a few law firms, and I’ve known people who were fired, and I’ve been fired myself. It’s natural to feel angry, bewildered, sad, betrayed, and a lot of other things. It’s also natural for people to tell you to see an attorney.

 

Of course, circumstances vary. But unless one is a member of a protected class and can PROVE discrimination, or PROVE extreme harassment, there is no case.

 

Even if a person has a case, others who are still employed there know what side their bread is buttered on. Your “friends” who work there won’t back you up. Some of those “friends” might have had something to do with you getting fired. Don’t ever kid yourself about that.

 

You got severance, and you should ask for a reference letter. You should also file for unemployment benefits RIGHT AWAY – now. You might not get payment for awhile because of the severance pay, and the process takes awhile. But you’re entitles to the benefits. Hope you find a comparable or better job real soon!

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So sorry you had to go through this. It sounds like a nightmare. Kudos on rolling with punches, since you've already landed some interviews. Best of luck! I hope you find something a lot better and more rewarding than the position you just left.

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Did you get fired or laid off?

 

Big difference.

 

Fired is being released because of alleged wrong doing or incompetence, and you're not usually eligible for unemployment or severance and forget about a job reference from your former employer.

 

Laid off means they have too many employees and you were let go, usually along with several other people at about the same time. There is no alleged wrong doing, and you will get a good reference from your employer who will also provide severance and unemployment insurance.

 

For the most part you can forget about wrongful termination suits. Employers can usually terminate any employee for almost any reason, and even if you win you might get 6 months pay, but these things tend to be found out about within an industry and it can make prospects for rehire somewhat more elusive.

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File for unemploy money. Even if the company wants to deny it you have all those positive reviews. You just tell the state UI office what you said happened and you should be able to collect for 26 weeks.

 

 

As to why you got fired. I can write a possible list:

 

 

1- You were to ugly :laugh:

 

 

Ahhhh, forget about the list, for it does not matter why. It could be from your boss felt threatened and feared losing his job to whatever. They are never going to tell you the truth.

 

 

I will say this employers do not want to hear I need this to get the job done. If it is their judgment that the work should be done without any changes then they will look to change that employee.

 

 

I have been made redundant enough times to be embarrassed. To be, actually I am embarrassed to be honest. Also seeing what happened to others along the way employers never tip their hand when they are going to dump you.

 

 

What I do not like is how employers complain that when employees quit they did not give notice. Yet they have no problem telling you ten minutes before time to go home to clean out your stuff you are done here. And do not give you any severance.

 

 

The sting wears off. Just a reminder why people need to save enough money to get through one year of being out of work. Important to not get evicted, hard to look good for job interviews being homeless. Car repo, makes getting to interviews and work difficult.

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employers never tip their hand when they are going to dump you.

Sometimes they do, though the signs might be subtle (leaving you out of meetings, not giving you important projects, isolating you from others). I remember one situation where boss moved persona-non-grata out of her office, gave it to someone he liked better but was lower on the totem pole, and gave persona-non-grata a small desk and partition (work space the size of a closet). She found another job and gave her resignation to HR.

Just a reminder why people need to save enough money to get through one year of being out of work.

That would be nice, but most people can’t afford to save up a year’s salary to use as a cushion or anything else. I agree it’s important to have some emergency savings, pay bills on time, and maintain good credit, though.

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Sometimes they do, though the signs might be subtle (leaving you out of meetings, not giving you important projects, isolating you from others). I remember one situation where boss moved persona-non-grata out of her office, gave it to someone he liked better but was lower on the totem pole, and gave persona-non-grata a small desk and partition (work space the size of a closet). She found another job and gave her resignation to HR.

 

That would be nice, but most people can’t afford to save up a year’s salary to use as a cushion or anything else. I agree it’s important to have some emergency savings, pay bills on time, and maintain good credit, though.

 

 

No one said it one year salary must be saved in six months. Though it should be part of one's retirement savings. Eventually there will be enough to cover a big emergency.

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I took ownership of some of the issues, but others I can't do myself.

 

As hard as it is, you'd gain something from this by taking an "areas in which I need improvement" list away from the experience. And while it doesn't seem your company treated you fairly, most companies don't casually or needlessly fire top performing people. The replacement and turnover costs are very high.

 

You've had the pain, now gain something from this. Whether punctuality, work habits, productivity or interpersonal skills, address your weaknesses and build on your strengths. We all have room to grow...

 

Mr. Lucky

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MightyQuinn

Today, I found out what really happened. This might get long, and there are a few "moving parts."

 

In my job, I was a manager, and my underlings were freelancers. I'm "Friends" with one of the freelancers on Facebook. This freelancer also used to work at The Company, even was on the team with me, but he quit about year after I started for a new job. Later, he agreed to do some freelance work on the side for our company when I asked him to.

 

Today, I shared on Facebook an update about my job search progress - My phone has been ringing off the hook and 2 weeks after my dismissal, I've already had 10 phone interviews, 3 in-person interviews, and 2 more next week at some places I've been trying to get my foot in the door for YEARS.

 

The freelancer private messaged me to congratulate me on the interviews, and then proceeded to tell me how much they hated working at The Company and had been so much happier after he quit. I asked him if he still was freelancing for The Company. He said yes, and then inadvertently clued me in that one of the OTHER freelancers (We'll call him The Weasel) moved into my position 4 days after my dismissal.

 

I had been considering firing The Weasel because their work sucked. And they commanded the highest price of all the freelancers, but it wasn't worth what we were paying. I had to fix everything, every assignment was late, there were a million excuses as to why they couldn't do the thing on time. Me and the Weasel have similar proficiencies, and he has been working on these skills for twice as many years as me, and yet he sucks at them. I could run circles around him.

 

The Weasel was a friend/acquaintance/former-coworker-from-another-company of my boss. I shared with my boss that I was considering firing The Weasel, and described how shoddy their work was. It was a topic of conversation for about a week and a half before I was dismissed.

 

Now I find out that The Weasel is in my spot, "doing my job." It kinda sounds like a joke, but in my work, I've acquired a certain set of skills that aren't easy to find (probably the primary reason why my phone is ringing like crazy). He only has half of them, but you need ALL of them to do my job. And of the half of my skills that he has, he sucks at them.

 

I'm guessing The Weasel got fired from his other job (probably related to their shoddy, shoddy work), then asked my boss if he knew of open jobs. I think the boss basically gave The Weasel my job. Suddenly, everything makes so much sense - nothing I could have done would have made anything better. It REALLY WAS all a setup.

 

Unfortunately, I live in a place where employment is at-will, and the only way you can bring a lawsuit is if you belong to a protected class and were discriminated against (such as racism, sexism, religion, etc.).

 

But now I have "closure" on understanding WTF happened, and even more reason to be glad that I'm not there anymore. Passive-aggressive boss who apparently needs to have some kind of clique at work, as if we're in high school. Someone who was willing to cast me out after 3 years of good reviews and good work, just to give my job to a friend.

 

Onward to bigger and better things, screw The Company and my stupid boss

 

(I do qualify for Unemployment, by the way, to whomever was concerned about that - I applied and got benefits, but here's hoping I only need it for a few weeks)

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Today, I found out what really happened. This might get long, and there are a few "moving parts."

 

...

 

Nepotism is real. I had worked for many partners with my old firm most either don't communicate anything and do so behind your back to avoid confrontation, or they don't say what they mean ("It's just talk").

 

The real mechanisms happen behind the scene, and sometime come down to what the top bosses want of your supervisor.

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WaitingForBardot

How does the old saw go... "Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines!" ..lol..

 

I've not been fired, but I have been passed over for key promotions on two occasions. In both cases, the people that were promoted weren't incompetent, but I certainly felt I was more qualified and more likely to be successful in the positions. However, I always try to put myself in my manager's position and understand what it is about the other person that might lead to them being chosen over me, and make changes if warranted.

 

Sometimes this stuff just happens and you've got to deal the best you can.

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Bittersweetie

When I younger I was fired unexpectedly. Our very close-knit, successful group had just gotten a new manager, a woman I admired greatly. I even asked her to be my mentor and she agreed. A week later I was fired, and a month later half of the group was part of a layoff (still upset she couldn't have waited the month for me...I would've gotten much better severance). A couple of months later she filled all our spots with her friends.

 

I found out much later that she became very antagonistic and many people disliked working with her, including a peer who eventually became her boss. Then she was fired. So what goes around comes around...you handled yourself professionally and that is what matters.

 

It sounds like you have a lot of opportunities to explore, good luck!

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devilish innocent

The one time I got fired people did the same thing. They wrote me up a couple of times for things they'd never even discussed with me beforehand. Some of them were things I hadn't even been told were part of my job. If people really want to improve your work performance, I think they would come talk to you beforehand. Not put you into a tailspin of anxiety by writing you up the first time they have a discussion with you. Anybody who does that is just looking to cover their own hide. I'm glad you're getting a lot of interviews. I hope you find some place much better.

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