Fired - I'm a victim of nepotism

[VenusInFurs]

A month or so ago I was offered a job working five hours a day (with the promise of overtime) as a receptionist for a prestigious private medical practice. I was over the moon (after enduring a long three-four months of job hunting). I worked my arse off everyday, was never late, and put in a lot off effort to bond with my co-workers and to make the patients feel comfortable and looked-after.

 

However, a week ago the girl who does the other reception shift fractured her foot on the way to work (the job means you HAVE to walk a lot, there's no buzzer to let people in, you have to answer the door).

 

So this other girl is told not to come in for a few days as her working there would be a liability. My manager asks me if I can work full days until she is back. I of course happily say yes, and it's confirmed that I will be working eight hours a day for the rest of the week.

 

I work the first eight hour day with no problems whatsoever. Before my manager finishes her shift she tells me something unsettling. The boss's daughter (the boss being the professor who owns the practice) has finished uni, wants to work, and is coming in to cover fractured-foot-girl's shift and do other generic admin work and my manager asks me to train her on reception.

 

I think 'shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.'

 

At the end of my shift that day, I go to the Practice Manager and subtley raise my concern. He sort of assures me there's nothing to worry, but doesn't seem to listen or care that much.

 

The next day I meet Daddy's little princess. The typical sheltered rich girl type that speaks like the Queen. Despite my resentment of her I treat her very nicely and help her to learn the ropes on reception, all the while ignoring the screaming voice in my head saying 'SHE GON' TAKE YOUR JOB FOO'

 

I suppose I was in denial.

 

Anyway, it's obvious she will make a **** receptionist as she talks SO quietly. I really don't know how she expects people to hear her, or why she's not sick of people saying 'what', 'pardon', 'huh?' all the time. You need to be loud and assertive for the job.

 

I also asked her how long she was working each day, to my astonishment she said she was working 8am to 8pm. I would kill to work that shift. The place pays £8.23 an hour, which is about $16.46 for those on the other side of the pond.

 

She explained she was working those hours because she "really needs the money". Yeah bitch, so do I. I don't live with my parents anymore, I need to support myself entirely.

 

So the week finishes, and I haven't been fired yet, I start to feel a bit safer, and think maybe the daughter was really just there to cover fracture-foot's shifts. Fracture foot is due back next week.

 

But the daughter comes in the next week, and on Monday I find her newly written guide to her new job daddy gave her. Including information on how to do everything on reception. Meanwhile my boss and co-workers are all fake smiles to me and 'hi how are yous?'

 

On Tuesday they wait UNTIL THE END OF MY SHIFT to fire me. The professor doesn't do it, they get the new girl in the office to fire me while my manager sits in the corner covering her face. They make up some bull**** reason why I'm fired, something like "It's not working out blah blah blah your work ethic isn't at a satisfactory standard blah blah blah". They gave me no notice and tell me my employment is terminated from NOW. The consolation prize is that they'll give me a good reference. Oh joy *SARCASM*

 

I stare at the floor, tears run down my cheeks, I say nothing but "I'll guess I'll be off now then". My manager leads me out the back entrance and says "I'm sooo soo sorry" about five times. I say nothing and don't even look at her.

 

What takes the ****ing biscuit is I had to train that bitch.

 

I don't know if they have/will fire the fractured-foot-girl but I wouldn't be surprised if they did since Princess wants to work full time and there isn't much to do in the secretary's offcie since they're fully staffed.

 

*Losing faith in world*

 

Thoughts?

[Art_Critic]

Thoughts?

 

First off.. I'm sorry that they fired you the way they did.. no excuse for that..

 

I think working 5 hours a day makes you a part time worker so they don't have to pay you severance and as a part time worker you are subject to be let go at any time.

 

A couple of things.. while they should not have fired you the way they did it seems to me that they did it for reasons that they didn't tell you..

 

For instance.. I'm sure you made comments about Daddy's little girl or Princess..

The reality is that comments like that are disrespectful to her father.. the BOSS.

As the boss he gets to run his company how he sees fit and the comments you made about her or just your general attitude about her must've gotten back to him and he figured he needed to nip this in the bud..

 

See.. the issue isn't the snitty princess that is now doing reception.. the issue was how you handled working with her..

 

She was the bosses daughter... right or wrong you were victim of not keeping quiet about your feelings about her.

 

The boss's daughter (the boss being the professor who owns the practice) has finished uni, wants to work, and is coming in to cover fractured-foot-girl's shift and do other generic admin work and my manager asks me to train her on reception.

 

I think 'shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.'

 

At the end of my shift that day, I go to the Practice Manager and subtley raise my concern.

 

The next day I meet Daddy's little princess. The typical sheltered rich girl type that speaks like the Queen. Despite my resentment of her

 

 

Anyway, it's obvious she will make a **** receptionist as she talks SO quietly.

 

 

She explained she was working those hours because she "really needs the money". Yeah bitch, so do I. I don't live with my parents anymore, I need to support myself entirely.

 

What takes the ****ing biscuit is I had to train that bitch.

 

I don't know if they have/will fire the fractured-foot-girl but I wouldn't be surprised if they did since Princess wants to work full time and there isn't much to do in the secretary's offcie since they're fully staffed.

 

 

Clearly you didn't like her..

 

I'm sorry they fired you the way they did.. they obviously aren't very good people to work for but it doesn't seem to me that nepotism was the real reason you were let go.. you were let go because you weren't flexible and working for the ideas that the boss put in front of you. You made comments to other employees about her and I'm sure the temperature of your words was noted by someone who went to tell the boss.

[VenusInFurs]

Trust me, I did keep my feelings about her to myself and treated her very nicely. And I only really loathe her as much now because I'm bitter about this whole thing. I mean, she was never someone I'd want to be friends with, but I didn't HATE her until I was fired. Give me a little credit for being pissed off about this.

 

And I NEVER acted like or told anyone at work I didn't like her.

 

When I spoke to the practice manager I only said I was a little worried how the reception was going to work while the other receptionist was off, since they were relying on me to train someone new when I'd only been there for three weeks, and plus it's gets so busy on reception you hardly have time to breathe. It wasn't a formally arranged talk with the Practice Manager, I said it as I was filing, not that he particularly paid any attention.

 

Anyway, my gut told me I was fired as soon as she showed up on the scene. Especially since hardly anyone there seemed to like my personality.

[MaxManwell]

Nah its obvious you've been fired for no good reason. Don't worry about it there is nothing you can do.

 

Not liking someone seems to be a good enough reason to fire a person and deprive them of their livelyhood I don't agree with that people should act more professionaly.

[Art_Critic]

Maybe they never intended to keep you around and never told you that..

 

The reason I mentioned the whole they knew how you felt about her is this part of the post.. it clearly shows you disliked her from the get go..

 

How can you resent someone after just meeting them ?

 

The fact that you resented her most likely came out even if you think you were being nice..

Those type of things are hard to hide..

 

The next day I meet Daddy's little princess. The typical sheltered rich girl type that speaks like the Queen. Despite my resentment of her I treat her very nicely and help her to learn the ropes on reception, all the while ignoring the screaming voice in my head saying 'SHE GON' TAKE YOUR JOB FOO'

 

Having grown up in a family business myself and today I own a business with my brother.. one of my sister's even works here I can tell you that nepotism is real..

We do look out for our own blood to a point.. here we don't show any favoritism but behind the scenes there is some nepotism that happens.

 

Any nepotism that happens here would never affect the moral of the other employees.

[Art_Critic]

Anyway, my gut told me I was fired as soon as she showed up on the scene. Especially since hardly anyone there seemed to like my personality.

 

It seems like they did you a favor in the long run then..

 

Why work in a place that people don't get you and don't like you ?.. you can't work as part of a team in that type of situation.

 

I certainly wouldn't work with someone or people that didn't like me.. that seems self defeating..

You have every right to work somewhere where you can work and be respected and happy..

 

Cheers

[VenusInFurs]

it clearly shows you disliked her from the get go..

 

How can you resent someone after just meeting them ?

The fact that you resented her most likely came out even if you think you were being nice..

Those type of things are hard to hide.

 

I resented her because I KNEW before it happened what was going to happen and that there was no way, no matter how hard I worked, that the boss would ever favour me over the daughter, OBVIOUSLY. I knew I was ****ed as soon as she entered the workplace.

 

She was also generally a complete spoiled twat and I always rely on first impressions because I'm usually right about people.

 

And Art Critic, you're probably right, although I thought I could hide my feelings about her they must have been on display despite my efforts to be friendly.

 

As soon as she turned up the whole atmosphere changed, and everyone was painfully arse-kissing this girl. I don't think I would've enjoyed working there any longer anyway because the threat of being fired would always be looming, as well as having to see the cringeworthy fakeness of all the other staff whenever they talked to the daughter.

 

The guy I worked for had a reputation of being grumpy and unreasonable though. I was told he fired a previous receptionist within a week because once when he came out of his room she said "alright Dave?" He found it disrespectful... or something... to call him anything other than Mr *surname*. That is just snooty, but it was a snooty place on a famous upper-class road in Central London.

[MaxManwell]

Maybe they never intended to keep you around and never told you that..

 

The reason I mentioned the whole they knew how you felt about her is this part of the post.. it clearly shows you disliked her from the get go..

 

How can you resent someone after just meeting them ?

 

The fact that you resented her most likely came out even if you think you were being nice..

Those type of things are hard to hide..

 

 

 

Having grown up in a family business myself and today I own a business with my brother.. one of my sister's even works here I can tell you that nepotism is real..

We do look out for our own blood to a point.. here we don't show any favoritism but behind the scenes there is some nepotism that happens.

 

Any nepotism that happens here would never affect the moral of the other employees.

 

The only thing worse than a small business owner are the sons and daughters of a small business owner.

 

I don't think there is a clearer example of nepotism ! look at the facts ! the bosses DAUGHTER arives on the scene and a week latter you get fired !

 

In this situation 95% of the time this situation will be nepotism.

 

Ofcourse this poster is going to be taking the businesses side ! She probably wants to justify having done the same thing to someone just like you.

[Art_Critic]

The only thing worse than a small business owner are the sons and daughters of a small business owner.

 

I don't think there is a clearer example of nepotism ! look at the facts ! the bosses DAUGHTER arives on the scene and a week latter you get fired !

 

In this situation 95% of the time this situation will be nepotism.

 

Ofcourse this poster is going to be taking the businesses side ! She probably wants to justify having done the same thing to someone just like you.

 

..... I run a very strong business.. my company is just finishing it's 30th year in business and I can tell you that I have never fired someone in that manner.

I also gave my reasons why I feel it wasn't nepotism..

 

I find it funny that you are to lower yourself to take pot shots at me and my advice and business rather than give the OP good strong advice...

 

Cheers...

[a4a]

The only thing worse than a small business owner are the sons and daughters of a small business owner.

 

I don't think there is a clearer example of nepotism ! look at the facts ! the bosses DAUGHTER arives on the scene and a week latter you get fired !

 

In this situation 95% of the time this situation will be nepotism.

 

Ofcourse this poster is going to be taking the businesses side ! She probably wants to justify having done the same thing to someone just like you.

 

Dude you just gave me another reason to only hire family or close friends... people like you are probably "sue happy"....

 

Many family members or friends would actually care that the business succeeds.

 

You know more of their history and background.

 

So yes as a small business owner I would so hire a good family member over a stranger. It's my business and I can do what I please with it. If you don't like it, start your own.

[MaxManwell]

Dude you just gave me another reason to only hire family or close friends... people like you are probably "sue happy"....

 

Many family members or friends would actually care that the business succeeds.

 

You know more of their history and background.

 

So yes as a small business owner I would so hire a good family member over a stranger. It's my business and I can do what I please with it. If you don't like it, start your own.

 

 

Exactly ! that I can respect, what I hate is these people who try to pretend it is a level playing field.

[Lookingforward]

Sorry Venus. It does suck royally to be fired and find you trained your replacement and as Art said, being part time you probably aren't covered as far as being given notice goes. Not sure what the labour laws are in the UK.

 

You obviously weren't entirely happy there though, so hopefully the next one will be better for you.

[Trialbyfire]

The next day I meet Daddy's little princess. The typical sheltered rich girl type that speaks like the Queen.

 

Anyway, it's obvious she will make a **** receptionist as she talks SO quietly. I really don't know how she expects people to hear her, or why she's not sick of people saying 'what', 'pardon', 'huh?' all the time. You need to be loud and assertive for the job.

 

The guy I worked for had a reputation of being grumpy and unreasonable though. I was told he fired a previous receptionist within a week because once when he came out of his room she said "alright Dave?" He found it disrespectful... or something... to call him anything other than Mr *surname*. That is just snooty, but it was a snooty place on a famous upper-class road in Central London.

 

I've bolded somethings you posted. Is it possible they wanted someone who was less loud and assertive, to provide the public with a different front line perception? Just a thought.

[a4a]

Exactly ! that I can respect, what I hate is these people who try to pretend it is a level playing field.

 

 

 

This was an odd situation. But there are also two sides to every story.

Not saying in this case..... OP do not take offense.

 

But the OP could have walked around eye rolling, smelled bad, been overall imcompetent, loud, obnoxious.......

 

2 sides to every story.

[Tomcat33]

For instance.. I'm sure you made comments about Daddy's little girl or Princess..

The reality is that comments like that are disrespectful to her father.. the BOSS.

As the boss he gets to run his company how he sees fit and the comments you made about her or just your general attitude about her must've gotten back to him and he figured he needed to nip this in the bud..

 

Clearly you didn't like her..

 

I'm sorry they fired you the way they did.. they obviously aren't very good people to work for but it doesn't seem to me that nepotism was the real reason you were let go.. you were let go because you weren't flexible and working for the ideas that the boss put in front of you. You made comments to other employees about her and I'm sure the temperature of your words was noted by someone who went to tell the boss.

 

Oh please!! WHY are you SO SURE she did all those things?

 

Clearly what happened here is that those people are ARSE wipes for hiring someone to do something and then firing them when they want to employ their family. They should have used a temp agency if they wanted to hire someone just to fill in for a week or two, but prob being the CHEAP baaaastards that they are they didn't and just let some poor woman (the OP) get her hopes up about something that was premeditatedly NEVER going to be given to her in the first place. They were NEVER going to keep her and given how hungry she was to keep this job I bet she did EVERYTHING possible to do her BEST, but it didn't matter because they had other plans.

 

 

Venus I am so sorry you had to deal with such low class people, they may be educated but they have absolutely NO class and no scruples and THAT'S the bottom line here.

 

If you are hard pressed for finding work why don't you join a bunch of temp agencies, it is the BEST way to get your foot through the door in a company and you join several agencies so that they work for you to find you work. They do a lot of placements in admin work and reception. I am about to hire a summer temp to assist me in my posotion as I do every summer and sometimes these temps move on to get premanent work in other areas of the company.

[Tomcat33]

I also gave my reasons why I feel it wasn't nepotism..

 

 

 

It doesn't matter WHAT your reasons are the fact remains IT WAS nepotism.

[Art_Critic]

It doesn't matter WHAT your reasons are the fact remains IT WAS nepotism.

 

... I just gave my opinion as an employer who happens to work with his family...

 

I gave my reasons why I felt it wasn't.. I also gave my reasons why I feel she did the things I thought she did..

 

She posted that she had resentment for that person before she had even met her..there hadn't been any favoritism shown at that point..

 

I'm sorry that she has had this experience and do think they fired her harshly, I just think it was because of her negative attitude toward the bosses daughter.. a new employee that she was supposed to work with not against.

[VenusInFurs]

I've bolded somethings you posted. Is it possible they wanted someone who was less loud and assertive, to provide the public with a different front line perception? Just a thought.

 

She was LITERALLY so quiet no one could hear what she was saying, how would that work when dealing with the public in any sense? You get a lot of old men and women coming in with hearing problems and you need to speak clearly and loudly.

 

Also, I was told to be assertive and confident. YOU CAN'T BE SHY WORKING IN THIS ROLE, SERIOUSLY. You have to build a rapport with patients since they're spending so much money on this medical treatment.

[Ariadne]

Hey,

 

Yeah, that sucks.

 

It was obvious to me too that you were out the door the moment she came in.

 

What can you do, the professor owns the place, of course he wants to work with his daughter.

 

At least they will give you good references. That is pretty important.

 

Now you can get an even better job and say you have experience and use those references.

 

Good luck.

[VenusInFurs]

... I just gave my opinion as an employer who happens to work with his family...

 

I gave my reasons why I felt it wasn't.. I also gave my reasons why I feel she did the things I thought she did..

She posted that she had resentment for that person before she had even met her..there hadn't been any favoritism shown at that point..

 

I'm sorry that she has had this experience and do think they fired her harshly, I just think it was because of her negative attitude toward the bosses daughter.. a new employee that she was supposed to work with not against.

 

That is ABSOLUTELY hilarious. And there was favouritism before I got sacked, if you read, they refused me the overtime they promised and gave it to her! Kid yourself as much as you want, it was nepotism.

 

If I had a business and fired someone so my son or daughter could work full time I personally wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

[MaxManwell]

Hiring family and friends is one thing. Firing someone to give a family member or a friend a job is just plain wrong.

[VenusInFurs]

Hey,

 

Yeah, that sucks.

 

It was obvious to me too that you were out the door the moment she came in.

 

What can you do, the professor owns the place, of course he wants to work with his daughter.

 

At least they will give you good references. That is pretty important.

 

Now you can get an even better job and say you have experience and use those references.

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the support

[Art_Critic]

If I had a business and fired someone so my son or daughter could work full time I personally wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

 

 

I agree with that and feel the same way...

[thisishowitis]

A month or so ago I was offered a job working five hours a day (with the promise of overtime) as a receptionist for a prestigious private medical practice. I was over the moon (after enduring a long three-four months of job hunting). I worked my arse off everyday, was never late, and put in a lot off effort to bond with my co-workers and to make the patients feel comfortable and looked-after.

 

However, a week ago the girl who does the other reception shift fractured her foot on the way to work (the job means you HAVE to walk a lot, there's no buzzer to let people in, you have to answer the door).

 

So this other girl is told not to come in for a few days as her working there would be a liability. My manager asks me if I can work full days until she is back. I of course happily say yes, and it's confirmed that I will be working eight hours a day for the rest of the week.

 

I work the first eight hour day with no problems whatsoever. Before my manager finishes her shift she tells me something unsettling. The boss's daughter (the boss being the professor who owns the practice) has finished uni, wants to work, and is coming in to cover fractured-foot-girl's shift and do other generic admin work and my manager asks me to train her on reception.

 

I think 'shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.'

 

At the end of my shift that day, I go to the Practice Manager and subtley raise my concern. He sort of assures me there's nothing to worry, but doesn't seem to listen or care that much.

 

The next day I meet Daddy's little princess. The typical sheltered rich girl type that speaks like the Queen. Despite my resentment of her I treat her very nicely and help her to learn the ropes on reception, all the while ignoring the screaming voice in my head saying 'SHE GON' TAKE YOUR JOB FOO'

 

I suppose I was in denial.

 

Anyway, it's obvious she will make a **** receptionist as she talks SO quietly. I really don't know how she expects people to hear her, or why she's not sick of people saying 'what', 'pardon', 'huh?' all the time. You need to be loud and assertive for the job.

 

I also asked her how long she was working each day, to my astonishment she said she was working 8am to 8pm. I would kill to work that shift. The place pays £8.23 an hour, which is about $16.46 for those on the other side of the pond.

 

She explained she was working those hours because she "really needs the money". Yeah bitch, so do I. I don't live with my parents anymore, I need to support myself entirely.

 

So the week finishes, and I haven't been fired yet, I start to feel a bit safer, and think maybe the daughter was really just there to cover fracture-foot's shifts. Fracture foot is due back next week.

 

But the daughter comes in the next week, and on Monday I find her newly written guide to her new job daddy gave her. Including information on how to do everything on reception. Meanwhile my boss and co-workers are all fake smiles to me and 'hi how are yous?'

 

On Tuesday they wait UNTIL THE END OF MY SHIFT to fire me. The professor doesn't do it, they get the new girl in the office to fire me while my manager sits in the corner covering her face. They make up some bull**** reason why I'm fired, something like "It's not working out blah blah blah your work ethic isn't at a satisfactory standard blah blah blah". They gave me no notice and tell me my employment is terminated from NOW. The consolation prize is that they'll give me a good reference. Oh joy *SARCASM*

 

I stare at the floor, tears run down my cheeks, I say nothing but "I'll guess I'll be off now then". My manager leads me out the back entrance and says "I'm sooo soo sorry" about five times. I say nothing and don't even look at her.

 

What takes the ****ing biscuit is I had to train that bitch.

 

I don't know if they have/will fire the fractured-foot-girl but I wouldn't be surprised if they did since Princess wants to work full time and there isn't much to do in the secretary's offcie since they're fully staffed.

 

*Losing faith in world*

 

Thoughts?

 

Get a new job.

 

And one more point, don't let other people's weakness affect you.

[Ariadne]

.....................................