A bit of thread creep here. But other threads have pointed out how HR Dept. is there to protect employer, not the worker. So, yes, companies today have become quite astute at practicing discrimination and managing to stay within the law, or at least make a lawsuit difficult to pursue.
Have you ever been fired (lower case)
- Thread starter Mr._Graybeard
- Start date
A bit of thread creep here. But other threads have pointed out how HR Dept. is there to protect employer, not the worker. So, yes, companies today have become quite astute at practicing discrimination and managing to stay within the law, or at least make a lawsuit difficult to pursue.
GalaxyBoy
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
One of the megacorps I worked for had a “hire and fire” mentality. You could always tell when the layoffs were coming because the HR person would have one of the conference rooms reserved all day. When the day came you would hear each victim being paged to report to the conference room one by one. For some reason HR thought nobody knew layoffs were going on.
One of the times I fired my employer I gave the standard two weeks notice but the boss wanted me to stay a month. I refused so he told me to pack up and leave by end of day. I busted tail turning stuff over to someone and didn’t get home until late. I later found out that person never did anything with what I left him.
One of the times I fired my employer I gave the standard two weeks notice but the boss wanted me to stay a month. I refused so he told me to pack up and leave by end of day. I busted tail turning stuff over to someone and didn’t get home until late. I later found out that person never did anything with what I left him.
Major Tom
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I'm not sure whether this one counts as being fired or not.
In addition to my main job as a DJ/presenter and commercial producer, I used to have a small number of regular voiceover gigs on the side. One of them was narrating a weekly TV show that aired in the UK. The production team spent all week putting the show together and writing the script. I would visit once a week and, for an hour, sit in the voice booth, read the script to video, and leave.
I was never very good at voiceover. If my natural voice didn't exactly match what the client was looking for, I had limited ability to change my delivery in order to match what the client wanted. In this case, the client in London wanted a punchier delivery than I was capable of. I was always aware of this. Occasionally, they would encourage me to "amp up" my delivery a bit. I would try, but just didn't have it in me.
One day, after my regular weekly VO session, the director called me into her office and gently informed me that my services were no longer needed. She went out of her way to soften the blow by telling me that, were they to need me in the future, they'd be certain to call me back. As I walked out of her office, several of the producers offered their condolences, and told me they were so sorry. I assured them it was fine, and I didn't really mind, which was true.
It wasn't until some time later, that I realized I had been let go. It never felt like that though, because it wasn't my main gig, and I didn't rely on it for my livelihood - it was all extra income. Furthermore, a lot of voiceover jobs are one-off. You audition for a bunch of jobs and, if you get one, you do it, then it's back to searching for more work. It's like acting in that respect. I was tickled pink that I'd landed a regular, recurring voiceover gig. I was always aware that I wasn't really giving them what they wanted. Every week that I went in and got paid for reading a script into a microphone, I considered a bonus. I had just bought a house and incurred quite a lot of extra expenses. That 18 months - 2 years of extra work paid off all my debt at the time (apart from the mortgage). It was all upside.
It wasn't a bad thing when that gig ended. It was one less thing to think about - one less commitment. I guess, in a way, I was fired, but it didn't feel like it.
In addition to my main job as a DJ/presenter and commercial producer, I used to have a small number of regular voiceover gigs on the side. One of them was narrating a weekly TV show that aired in the UK. The production team spent all week putting the show together and writing the script. I would visit once a week and, for an hour, sit in the voice booth, read the script to video, and leave.
I was never very good at voiceover. If my natural voice didn't exactly match what the client was looking for, I had limited ability to change my delivery in order to match what the client wanted. In this case, the client in London wanted a punchier delivery than I was capable of. I was always aware of this. Occasionally, they would encourage me to "amp up" my delivery a bit. I would try, but just didn't have it in me.
One day, after my regular weekly VO session, the director called me into her office and gently informed me that my services were no longer needed. She went out of her way to soften the blow by telling me that, were they to need me in the future, they'd be certain to call me back. As I walked out of her office, several of the producers offered their condolences, and told me they were so sorry. I assured them it was fine, and I didn't really mind, which was true.
It wasn't until some time later, that I realized I had been let go. It never felt like that though, because it wasn't my main gig, and I didn't rely on it for my livelihood - it was all extra income. Furthermore, a lot of voiceover jobs are one-off. You audition for a bunch of jobs and, if you get one, you do it, then it's back to searching for more work. It's like acting in that respect. I was tickled pink that I'd landed a regular, recurring voiceover gig. I was always aware that I wasn't really giving them what they wanted. Every week that I went in and got paid for reading a script into a microphone, I considered a bonus. I had just bought a house and incurred quite a lot of extra expenses. That 18 months - 2 years of extra work paid off all my debt at the time (apart from the mortgage). It was all upside.
It wasn't a bad thing when that gig ended. It was one less thing to think about - one less commitment. I guess, in a way, I was fired, but it didn't feel like it.
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leftcoastjayhawk
Dryer sheet aficionado
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2018
- Messages
- 26
I was once involuntarily hired away from my dream job and forced to go to work for another organization. It was the summer of 1970 and I'd just started my dream job working as an aerospace engineer on a Big Rocket. One fine afternoon I opened a letter. It began: "From the President of the United States: Greetings..."
I'd been drafted! (that is sorta like a layoff, isn't it?) Since I did not want to dig foxholes in Vietnam, I joined the Navy and got sent to Vietnam anyway.
But on a large aircraft carrier instead of "in-country". Spent over 10 months of 1972 mostly off the coast of North Vietnam with a Navy attack squadron.
I did not want to go, but it turned out to be one of the great experiences of my life and I'm very glad it happened. I got to do some exciting things, met some wonderful people that I am in touch with to this day, and got to see the world. (Its mostly water, but I saw it. And I did get back to the big rocket (they have to hire you back into the same position if you leave for military service) but the Aerospace business was too boom or bust, so I left on my own for greener pastures a couple of years later.
And now when I get my 10% veteran's discount on purchases at Home Depot, I can say "I knew getting Drafted and sent to Vietnam would pay off big someday!"
To keep this sort of relevant, I've never been fired, but in my 28 years at my Megacorp I did have to find new jobs after many reorganizations. But always found something I liked, except for the last position. It was no fun so I retired happily at age 57. Still happy.
I'd been drafted! (that is sorta like a layoff, isn't it?) Since I did not want to dig foxholes in Vietnam, I joined the Navy and got sent to Vietnam anyway.
But on a large aircraft carrier instead of "in-country". Spent over 10 months of 1972 mostly off the coast of North Vietnam with a Navy attack squadron. I did not want to go, but it turned out to be one of the great experiences of my life and I'm very glad it happened. I got to do some exciting things, met some wonderful people that I am in touch with to this day, and got to see the world. (Its mostly water, but I saw it.
And I did get back to the big rocket (they have to hire you back into the same position if you leave for military service) but the Aerospace business was too boom or bust, so I left on my own for greener pastures a couple of years later.And now when I get my 10% veteran's discount on purchases at Home Depot, I can say "I knew getting Drafted and sent to Vietnam would pay off big someday!"
To keep this sort of relevant, I've never been fired, but in my 28 years at my Megacorp I did have to find new jobs after many reorganizations. But always found something I liked, except for the last position. It was no fun so I retired happily at age 57. Still happy.
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Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I'd been drafted! (that is sorta like a layoff, isn't it?) Since I did not want to dig foxholes in Vietnam, I joined the Navy and got sent to Vietnam anyway.
Welcome home!
Brat
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I remember that place! I always wondered what happened to that instrument.
I was never fired but did briefly have a job that I was awful at - operating a keypunch machine for Standard Oil processing charges for a few months before starting college. When I asked my Mother about that office later she told me that Standard Oil had closed it to shake off senior employees, moved to the Bay Area. Mom told me that was a pattern of SO management.
What that experience did for me was to develop great 10-key skills. When I went to work for USDOL my manager was impressed that I could calculate back wage worksheet quickly and error-free. Unfortunately when computer spreadsheets came in to use that skill did not migrate.
Have you ever been fired lower case
Once. Worked for 2 or 3rd biggest mega corp at the time. Immediate boss
great guy and leader. His new boss doing anything to get VP position. We had
50 offices nation wide. Monthly results for all offices, sales, volume, profitability,
ROI, collections. We always came in from 3 to 7 one time 8. Bosses boss came
in one time they called me in office BB went off on me. Got to tell this part.
He started ranting and raving literalling jumping up and down shaking the floor without bending his knees (haven't figured out to this day how he could do that). BB was shortly moved to a position lower than mine and get his full
retirement in.
About 2 weeks later went in office and Boss was gone and BB had a lackey in place.
Was fired immediately got a couple weeks of severance.
Best job related thing that ever happened to me.
Been self employed for more than 40 years and done good. The only goof I
worked for now is myself and a couple customer and not for long.
Once. Worked for 2 or 3rd biggest mega corp at the time. Immediate boss
great guy and leader. His new boss doing anything to get VP position. We had
50 offices nation wide. Monthly results for all offices, sales, volume, profitability,
ROI, collections. We always came in from 3 to 7 one time 8. Bosses boss came
in one time they called me in office BB went off on me. Got to tell this part.
He started ranting and raving literalling jumping up and down shaking the floor without bending his knees (haven't figured out to this day how he could do that). BB was shortly moved to a position lower than mine and get his full
retirement in.
About 2 weeks later went in office and Boss was gone and BB had a lackey in place.
Was fired immediately got a couple weeks of severance.
Best job related thing that ever happened to me.
Been self employed for more than 40 years and done good. The only goof I
worked for now is myself and a couple customer and not for long.
Truly fired once in an after-school work job. Never told why, but I was told I could quit or be fired. Sensed it was more of a "layoff" since there were likely too many people on the payroll.
Once I started my after-college career, I managed to stay layoff-free until my early 40's.
1. CEO Fired from a small company & replaced by CFO and his best buddy, the COO who liked me not (mutual feeling) There was of course a "tell". Couldn't find anybody one day and my admin got onto outlook and noticed that everybody I was looking for was in a meeting except myself and one other exec. Oops. By the time of the event, I already had the interview scheduled for what was my next job. Got a decent severance too.
2. Layoff was coming and my peers and I all sent our boss the names for the upcoming event. Got strange because usually after we send in names, there's a horse-trading meeting to reconcile everything. I asked about it a couple of times and was told it's coming. Then there was the "tell". I got an email from random HR person that they were doing a survey about who may have taken advantage of a paid sabbatical benefit and who might still have it on the books. Ooops. Only one reason to ask that. This one was handled via WARN act so was paid for 90 days as an employee after notification, just couldn't come into work. I had worked at this company twice and got a year's severance due to 22+ years of service. Sweet. By the time the 90 days was over, I had already accepted the next gig.
3. Started work at new job after #2 above and build a local team (HQ was in San Diego). Had a great boss, but CEO had some personal issues. CEO fired, company going through changes and I was asked again to provide names. Since there were only a couple of us at our local site, my answer was "none". Then the "tell" that's too specific to state here. My team and I were let go after only 9 months. Boss really liked me and offered a larger role in San Diego. I passed. Managed to negotiate an OK, not great, severance. This was my longest time between jobs at 10 months. Too early to retire and was starting to consider a career change or perhaps a relocation when I found the next gig.
4. Found the next gig in my usual industry, but not doing my usual job. I was a PM here and was customer facing for a well known, difficult-to-deal-with customer. The stress was beyond anything I had ever experienced before. After about 4 months, I called boss (based in Europe) and gave my resignation with nothing else lined up - it was that bad. He convinced me to stay but moved me to another program that was going nowhere. Got a bad review (first one in my career which was 30+ years by then). A couple of weeks later told I could look inside or outside for my next gig. Found something in the local office and did quite well before the local office shut down. To this day, I believe that the only reason to convince me to stay was to save face with the customer.
5. 3 years into the new role at the same employer above, we purchased another company on the same continent as HQ where employees spoke the same language. I had access to the budget and saw the obvious "tell" that there was a downward step function in salary budget coming in about 9 months. By the time we got official word that we were shutting down, I got the next gig (my current one), got a good severance from the previous one and couldn't be happier. 4 year anniversary will be this August. 99.9% likelihood that this is the last job before retirement.
Lessons
1. It happens.
2. If you're paying attention, there is often a "tell" that this is coming.
Cheers.
Once I started my after-college career, I managed to stay layoff-free until my early 40's.
1. CEO Fired from a small company & replaced by CFO and his best buddy, the COO who liked me not (mutual feeling) There was of course a "tell". Couldn't find anybody one day and my admin got onto outlook and noticed that everybody I was looking for was in a meeting except myself and one other exec. Oops. By the time of the event, I already had the interview scheduled for what was my next job. Got a decent severance too.
2. Layoff was coming and my peers and I all sent our boss the names for the upcoming event. Got strange because usually after we send in names, there's a horse-trading meeting to reconcile everything. I asked about it a couple of times and was told it's coming. Then there was the "tell". I got an email from random HR person that they were doing a survey about who may have taken advantage of a paid sabbatical benefit and who might still have it on the books. Ooops. Only one reason to ask that. This one was handled via WARN act so was paid for 90 days as an employee after notification, just couldn't come into work. I had worked at this company twice and got a year's severance due to 22+ years of service. Sweet. By the time the 90 days was over, I had already accepted the next gig.
3. Started work at new job after #2 above and build a local team (HQ was in San Diego). Had a great boss, but CEO had some personal issues. CEO fired, company going through changes and I was asked again to provide names. Since there were only a couple of us at our local site, my answer was "none". Then the "tell" that's too specific to state here. My team and I were let go after only 9 months. Boss really liked me and offered a larger role in San Diego. I passed. Managed to negotiate an OK, not great, severance. This was my longest time between jobs at 10 months. Too early to retire and was starting to consider a career change or perhaps a relocation when I found the next gig.
4. Found the next gig in my usual industry, but not doing my usual job. I was a PM here and was customer facing for a well known, difficult-to-deal-with customer. The stress was beyond anything I had ever experienced before. After about 4 months, I called boss (based in Europe) and gave my resignation with nothing else lined up - it was that bad. He convinced me to stay but moved me to another program that was going nowhere. Got a bad review (first one in my career which was 30+ years by then). A couple of weeks later told I could look inside or outside for my next gig. Found something in the local office and did quite well before the local office shut down. To this day, I believe that the only reason to convince me to stay was to save face with the customer.
5. 3 years into the new role at the same employer above, we purchased another company on the same continent as HQ where employees spoke the same language. I had access to the budget and saw the obvious "tell" that there was a downward step function in salary budget coming in about 9 months. By the time we got official word that we were shutting down, I got the next gig (my current one), got a good severance from the previous one and couldn't be happier. 4 year anniversary will be this August. 99.9% likelihood that this is the last job before retirement.
Lessons
1. It happens.
2. If you're paying attention, there is often a "tell" that this is coming.
Cheers.
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OP
OP
Mr._Graybeard
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2011
- Messages
- 2,981
Some jobs are discharge-prone. CEO, football coach, voice-over talent are among them. I worked in radio as a young man and saw "personalities" bounce from market to market. It was a feast-or-famine business, mostly famine.
The editorial side of the newspaper business was also a band of gypsies, especially at the bottom of the pyramid. But even the top of the chain was not immune. I saw a publisher and top editor come into a merger situation, do the dirty work and then get bounced themselves. I don't think they saw it coming.
Asabino
Dryer sheet aficionado
Worked for a megacorp bank for 10 years- - SVP level. Merged with another megacorp and was layed off. "Only need one SVP for this division" was the message given to me. The real reason: my EVP was making in appropriate racial comments to my subordinates. In my position, I was obligated to report the EVP to HR. Since we were in the middle of merging the two banks, I was "layed off". Best move in hind sight. Received a nice package and retired at the age of 46.
OK, I'll go. Hired at 30 to run/direct one of largest water, sewer, and solid waste utilities. Never expected to last, it was an appointed position subject to strong mayor. Really enjoyed it, was an incredible challenge and lots of fun fights. Took a strong position against a major corporation trying to get into the city's landfill business; got threats of personal lawsuits and all sorts of fun goings on. They eventually went bankrupt, probably as a result of the loss, but a new allied administration saw to it I was not reappointed after 15 years of that. Struggled through some mis-matched employments for a couple of years, ended up in another city. City manager, not strong mayor, and it was incredible the improved conditions and respect.
In retrospect it all was a great experience and opportunity. I had never expected as an engineer to end up in a government position, more admin than engineering. But it didn't last, was a rough road, and then things got much better. In second government career I concluded that many people could benefit from getting fired at least once. People who seek the security of government work can assume a comfort level that stifles productivity. OTOH there are many who thrive on the idea of public service and seek to do great work. But yeah, I was let go and have no regrets....
In retrospect it all was a great experience and opportunity. I had never expected as an engineer to end up in a government position, more admin than engineering. But it didn't last, was a rough road, and then things got much better. In second government career I concluded that many people could benefit from getting fired at least once. People who seek the security of government work can assume a comfort level that stifles productivity. OTOH there are many who thrive on the idea of public service and seek to do great work. But yeah, I was let go and have no regrets....
