Recently let go from job and need advice

[joecaf53]

First off I want to say that I live in Massachusetts which is at will employment.

I accepted a position 9 months ago, since I was unemployed and needed to get something. The pay and benefits weren't that great. After about 3 months, I wondered why I was hired since I was not very busy, even if I worked part time, there was not enough to keep me busy.

This a small manufacturing company and I worked in the office with about 6 people and there were about 20-25 in the production department.

Here is what happened:Over the last few weeks, one of the women started to give me the cold shoulder and I don't know why and didn't inquire about it.
She started about 4 months before me. Things were tense and one day before I was let go, I asked her something and she grunted at me and I said nothing.

The next day, Friday, is when the incident happened. This occurred about 1/2 hour before the day ended.My boss is Rick, his boss is Ted and Ted's boss is Bob. Ted was not in, Rick and Bob were.
Without going into detail, she annoyed me, I said in a loud voice, I am sick of playing games, she muttered something, I said F*** You, then said to my boss, aren't you going to say anything. Then Bob came out and told me to quiet down and I said, what about talking to her. Again, he told me to quiet down.
He went back to his room and I went back to my desk. After a few minutes, I went into Bob's office to apologize and I could see that he was upset and said that something like this has not happened in his 26 years. I assumed the worst would happen.

On Monday morning, I went to my bosses desk and said I want to speak with him and Ted. I then went into Ted's office and stated that I'm sure that Bob told you what happened and started to explain my behavior. Ted very politely stopped me and stated that this has nothing to do with what happened Friday and that since business was slow, I would be let go.
I knew this was not true and that Bob wanted me gone, but I didn't want to call Ted a liar. (I went into Ted's office on my own, I was not called in.) He said you will get unemployment and that for references, it is company policy to just give dates, salary, title etc.
On that part I tended to believe him since a couple of months earlier I heard him say something similar about a past employee.

My question is why didn't they just tell me the truth? Is it because I could sue them? Do I have any recourse, should I consult an employment lawyer?

A few months earlier, there was yelling going on in the production department and one of the workers then came into the office and yelled about his boss and wanted to see Ted, but he wasn't in that day. Nothing happened to him.

I feel I was let go for yelling, but this other person wasn't and maybe it was because Bob never heard this person.

Were they within their rights?

Thank you.

[pb4uski]

Yes they were. You screwed up by swearing at a coworker even though she was annoying. Not saying you deserved to be let go, but you made it easy for them.

Time to move on.

[Papa bear]

Sounds like they did you a favor. Getting termed for lack of work is better than misconduct. Harder to collect unemployment with misconduct.

[Lazarus]

Possibly you were hired to replace the woman. She got wind of it and began to ice you out. Unfortunately they could not let her go after you mouthed off at her. It would not look good. Possibly setting them up for lawsuit.
So now you are gone.

Better work on your temper.

Just my speculation based on your post. May be completely off base.

[ChiliPepr]

Because Mass is an "at will" state, they can let you go for any reason at all. As long as they do not try to stop you receiving unemployment you have no grounds to complain.

Accept them at face value that it is because you were slow (you were) and move on.

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus ... Better work on your temper.... .

You would have scared the crap out of me if I were your former coworker. I don't imagine most companies would want to keep a hothead around, especially if there wasn't enough work to keep busy. Former coworker maybe could claim workplace hostility or something, too, and had witnesses.

[timo2]

I agree with bestewifeever. Also, if I were a witness I would have been watching for you to say something like 'I'm going out to my car..I'll be right back!'. I have worked inplaces where we had to be alert for that, and it makes for a very uncomfortable workplace. Like papa bear said, they did you a favor.

[Grigori]

I have experienced several similar things in another at will state - Texas. There's little you can do, but let go and move on.

Unfortunately, you don't have a lot of control if you don't own the company.
For me, that in itself is a great reason to pursue financial independence.

It isn't pleasant, but at least you don't have to hang out there all day anymore. Think about what you learned. The next place you are at will be different, and there's a very good chance it will be better.

[brewer12345]

G collect unemployment and leave it be. Next time, use the inside voice.

[Calico]

I thought the OP's post sounded very, very familiar. There's a reason for that - OP's previous posts.

8/6/11 (Terminated for doing something stupid and need advice)
5/20/12 (Recently let go from job and need advice)
6/28/12 (Recently started new job and an issue developed)
Today (Recently let go from job and need advice)

I think the OP is very lucky to be receiving unemployment benefits this time around.

Some introspection might be called for.

[Silver]

I recognized the poster immediately from their prior posts. My thought was troll.....

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver .... My thought was troll.....

I think not - he's been around for a while.

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calico I thought the OP's post sounded very, very familiar. There's a reason for that - OP's previous posts. 8/6/11 (Terminated for doing something stupid and need advice) 5/20/12 (Recently let go from job and need advice) 6/28/12 (Recently started new job and an issue developed) Today (Recently let go from job and need advice) I think the OP is very lucky to be receiving unemployment benefits this time around. Some introspection might be called for.

Wow... kind of puts a different spin on it, doesn't it.....


Even without that, I thought OP was wrong and getting let go was OK...


To OP, the possibility is that they knew you were not doing a lot of work... but kept you on hoping that things would come around... they did not and you gave them a good excuse to let you go. But, since you are an at will state, you do not have a leg to stand on if you try and take it to court... their reason can be anything they want... even that they did not like your shirt... heck, they do not even need a reason... just, 'here is your last paycheck'....

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski I think not - he's been around for a while.

Some trolls are persistent, resilient and determined - except when it comes to holding a job.

[Amethyst]

Well, there is a pretty negative attitude toward "the workplace" running through the forums, so somebody who has persistent workplace issues may be forgiven for thinking he'll get a sympathetic hearing, here.

Thing is, another dominant forum theme is "Workplaces are usually full of cr@p, but you gotta suck it up, sometimes for 30 years or more, until you are in a position to stop sucking it up."

Amethyst

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Some trolls are persistent, resilient and determined - except when it comes to holding a job.

[timo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Well, there is a pretty negative attitude toward "the workplace" running through the forums, so somebody who has persistent workplace issues may be forgiven for thinking he'll get a sympathetic hearing, here. Thing is, another dominant forum theme is "Workplaces are usually full of cr@p, but you gotta suck it up, sometimes for 30 years or more, until you are in a position to stop sucking it up." Amethyst

I'd like to think that some of us enjoyed various jobs or parts of jobs or some of the people housed within a workplace. I have had some tremendous jobs. and some that are less than tremendous. But at some point, we all want to stop going from one circus to another. And for some people, through good planning and some luck, they can afford to get off the merry-go-round sooner than others.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Well, there is a pretty negative attitude toward "the workplace" running through the forums, so somebody who has persistent workplace issues may be forgiven for thinking he'll get a sympathetic hearing, here. ....

Perhaps, but I think in this case the negative attitude is toward the OP losing control and swearing at a co-worker in the presence of the rest of the office, which IMO is a whole different kettle of fish from a negative attitude towards "the workplace".

Where I worked you could probably get away with swearing at a situation or problem or a decision but when you personalized anger towards a person, particularly a colleague, in the presence of others it always ended badly (no matter whether the ire was well deserved or not).

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Yes they were. You screwed up by swearing at a coworker even though she was annoying. Not saying you deserved to be let go, but you made it easy for them. Time to move on.

+1. While I feel for you, seriously swearing at a co-worker is never a good idea, especially dangerous for someone relatively new. You really don't want to further antagonize a former employer while you're looking for another job. So I agree with ski, time to move on, and learn from the unfortunate experience.

[easysurfer]

The atmosphere at w*rk can be pretty crazy. As many here already know.

The incident reminds me of something I observed (but wasn't directly involved). The one woman who was at a higher level (she was a kind of a witch -- censored, I used the "w" word instead of the "b" word). This one time she left an irate message on the voice mail of another woman. The other woman then used the voicemail as proof about how mean higher level person was. I don't think things got to be point of her getting let go, but it was funny seeing her having to be nice (even if pretentious) for awhile as she learned the lesson that what you say can come back to bite you.

[obgyn65]

Wow. If this is correct, there seems to be a clear pattern.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calico I thought the OP's post sounded very, very familiar. There's a reason for that - OP's previous posts. 8/6/11 (Terminated for doing something stupid and need advice) 5/20/12 (Recently let go from job and need advice) 6/28/12 (Recently started new job and an issue developed) Today (Recently let go from job and need advice) I think the OP is very lucky to be receiving unemployment benefits this time around. Some introspection might be called for.