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Getting fired? It absolutely sucks

A real sad boy

A real sad boy

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,146
I got fired earlier today. Which really fucking took me by surprise because I just missed the last week of work being sick, finally came back in still feeling like garbage, and I worked for two and a half hours before being called into an office and being told I was terminated.

Why even wait? Why not fire me as soon as I walked in? Or better yet, the day I first called off?

What exactly was my offense?

On the 14th of December, I gave our stores cleaning person the company discount which is 25% because I was told that she had been given it by all the other managers previously and at my last store, the cleaner was given the discount, so I thought nothing of it.

The total amount she saved was less than $6

I was informed after the fact by our new SM that this was not something I should do again, I apologized, and thought nothing of it for almost an entire month.

Today, I was fired for it. They waited an entire month of me working before I was fired. I spent a year giving everything I had to this company.

There have been multiple days where I worked 7AM to 11PM. Weeks where I've gone without a day off. Promised days off that were taken away from me with less than a hours notice at times. I've had a SM walk out of me. A fellow assistant manager too.

I've even had my entire closing staff walk out on me (due to issues with another manager that left shortly after) and I still got things done.

Never missed a day unless I was physically too ill to come in. Never complained. Always flexible. Always willing to accommodate those around me. Your kid has a school function? I'll take your shift. Gotta get your car inspected and tomorrow is the last day? I'll give up my day off this week so you can do that.

Definitely not feeling the best today. Definitely taking a moment to complain. I feel absolutely miserable and the worst part is how unbearably embarrassing I feel. I've never been fired before. It feels so shameful.

I'm mad too since they waited so to do it. Like, goddamn.

Literally waited almost a full month to decide that $6 was worth more to them than everything I'd given up for the job. How savage. Use me for the holidays and then dump me once they're over.

If you've ever been fired, share your stories so we can all be miserable.
 
HotHamBoy

HotHamBoy

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
16,423
Outside of the immediate stress of the situation it sounds like you are better off not working there in the long run
 

cecilpaladin32

Member
Apr 24, 2018
3,605
HotHamBoy said:
Outside of the immediate stress of the situation it sounds like you are better off not working there in the long run
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This.

Sorry what happened to you, OP but you'll be better off for it in the long run. A place dumb enough to let someone that dedicated go for an honest mistake (6$...seriously?) does not sound like it has a bright future ahead of it.
 

Deleted member 60295

User requested account closure
Banned
Sep 28, 2019
1,489
I know this is difficult for you in the short term, but the embarrassment will hopefully soon pass. Cause I'm sure you're aware to at least some extent, that American retail treats employees of all types as interchangeable and disposable. (Remember that Kroger just laid off thousands of managers across the country late last year, just so they could replace them with people that they could give less pay and benefits. And that's just one example of this never-ending race to the bottom in retail.)
 
TheMadTitan

TheMadTitan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
27,208
File for unemployment ASAP. They'll "investigate", and then you'll start getting money by the end of the month. Next step you should do is update your resume ASAP. In my experience, now isn't the time to say that you are no longer employed at this company on your resume, just make sure your skillset and daily tasks are accounted for.

Then, apply like fucking mad. Take some times to sulk -- you'll need it -- but make sure you don't sulk too long and get back on the hunt. The last thing you want is to end up in a situation where unemployment runs out and then you start racking up debt.

First time I got fired was for very much the same reason as the loss prevention woman in Hawaii did for stopping a shoplifter at Best Buy, except I didn't tackle him to the ground. A manager did, but since I "instigated" the situation apparently, I was held responsible and booted. Was unemployed for ten months. Sucked, but I didn't get any debt and got back on my feet. Next job had a significant learning curve for me since the manager and their manager were inconsistent with each other and it took a while for me to catch up to their flow and work in between them. Then I got saddled with a co-worker who sucked so much ass that trying to compensate dragged me down. Waited too long to complain about them, and by time I got the buffer I needed to insulate myself from their mistakes, I already had too many writeups save myself from a minor gaffe.

That one took me two years to bounce back from into a job where I'm comfortable, excelling, and finding clear and obvious paths of promotion.

Getting fired sucks, but work quick and work fast so that the hit to you isn't as significant as it was to me. Hell, even I worked fast, but you pretty much have to make it a 24 hour a day mission sometimes.

Since you worked retail, migrate to hospitality. Check out hotels and resorts for positions. Talking to people is an easy skill to drag multiple places, and a lot of people have the misconception about hotels that working the front desk means you are going to be scheduled for graveyard, which isn't the case. They have specific job postings for the graveyard shift if you want to avoid it. So if you don't apply for it and get hired, you're not going to be assigned it unless it's to cover a shift, unless you specifically want to be the night person.

Unless the place is significantly understaffed, however. Retail to working hospitality was a move that worked for me best out of everything I tried after being let go. And once you have your foundation set, you can look elsewhere without worrying about the fact that you have six unemployment checks left before you get no income.
 
turbobrick

turbobrick

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,063
Phoenix, AZ
HotHamBoy said:
Outside of the immediate stress of the situation it sounds like you are better off not working there in the long run
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This, sounds like they didn't care about you, and finding somewhere else is better in the long run.

Failburger said:
Never give a company your all.
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Also this. My shitty job has been much nicer since I stopped caring at all about it. Why would I put in effort for an underpaid position, where I'll most likely be let go later this year anyway.
 
Dremorak

Dremorak

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,691
New Zealand
I had been working for a place for 5 years waiting for a promotion and working on a single project for the last 2 years of it, only to have the higher ups shut the whole branch down. I had a 2 year old and 3 year old at home and was stressed as all hell.

4 years later I'm in a MUCH better job, better pay, better hours, we bought a house, etc etc.

It took 6 months of stress and worry to get that job tho, so it won't be fixed overnight OP, but things always get better. Hang in there
 

Brandino

Banned
Jan 9, 2018
2,098
Everyone gets fired at some point OP. Roll with the punches, file for unemployment, and do some job searching after the shock wears off. You will probably come out better for it at a better job for better money. That's happened to me each time I've been fired.
 
sangreal

sangreal

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,890
You were fired because you were sick and took time off. They just dug up that month old shit to make it more palatable

Assuming you're in the US (because obviously) you can get fired for being sick anyway though so it doesn't make a difference
 
weekev

weekev

Is this a test?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,213
That sucks OP but sounds like the companies loss. Keep your head up. Brush up your cv and something better will fall into your lap.
 
weekev

weekev

Is this a test?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,213
Zoe said:
Goes in the other direction too though, an employee can walk out whenever they want.
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That's the same for pretty much the rest of the world. Workers rights in most other countries mean that employees can't be fired without due cause though. It's actually really difficult to fire someone in the UK. I don't think I've seen an employee tribunal find in favour of a company when I've experienced it and every time I've seen a case go to tribunal I've thought "surely they can't overturn that."
 
VariantX

VariantX

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,880
Columbia, SC
Nude_Tayne said:
hahaha, you're a funny guy.

OP, somehow I get the feeling that was just an excuse to get rid of you. It doesn't even make sense.
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Sounds like exactly what it is. They just needed something, anything to point to as a reason to terminate someone so they can avoid a potential wrongful termination suit. The flimsiest excuse. It could be because of something you legitimately did that could result in termination, someone in a position may not like you for whatever reason, could have been because you were sick too long for their tastes, or they just needed to cut costs and that was the easiest method they could think of. Never been fired myself, laid off plenty of times due to things that happened to everyone at once though. If we in the US had rights or unions were more commonplace, they'd have to build a rock-solid case against you before firing you.
 
OP
OP
A real sad boy

A real sad boy

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,146
I did apply for unemployment in the great state of Indiana and plan to apply to just about every single job out. Literally will take anything at this point.
 
Tokyo_Funk

Tokyo_Funk

Banned
Dec 10, 2018
10,053
I've been fired for -

- Complaining about being sexually harassed
- Complaining about being set on fire after being sexually harassed
- Saying "Hello". I shit you not.
 
Tokyo_Funk

Tokyo_Funk

Banned
Dec 10, 2018
10,053
Heroicpiglet said:
what
sounds like India.
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Basically a girl I worked for slapped me on the backside and I told her to never do it again, she said she could "Do what she wants". She must have seen my response as a challenge because she came up to my workstation and started rubbing my leg. I told her to stop and go back to her work so she got mad, pulled out a butane lighter and burned my right leg. When I put in a complaint, they said that "I was making it up" and "I burned my leg on purpose". The only person who saw it happen said he would not say anything because she has a kid and she needs to support it and "That's just the way the world works".

I told the company the beef was between me and her, but they saw that as me dragging them in so they fired me instead. I took it to the workplace ombudsman who basically kissed their ass and made me sign a waiver to say I was in the wrong. This was a government agency also.
 
Spenny

Spenny

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,541
San Diego-ish
I've also been fired for something I was told was okay. They kept me on for two weeks as it was the busy season then handed me a cut check when I walked in one day. Shit sucks, dude.
 
Joni

Joni

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,508
Untzillatx said:
Isn't that just professional courtesy? Here (Spain) you cannot be fired for any reason but you can quit without much hassle at any moment, it's not mandatory to give a notice (unless mandated in the contract)
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In Belgium it is mandatory unless you mutually agree. And with my 5 years of experience in my current job, that is already 10 weeks or so.
 
amanset

amanset

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,577
Untzillatx said:
Isn't that just professional courtesy? Here (Spain) you cannot be fired for any reason but you can quit without much hassle at any moment, it's not mandatory to give a notice (unless mandated in the contract)
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No. In many countries it is a legal requirement. I signed a contract saying that both sides have to give three months notice. Sometimes you can negotiate leaving earlier, but it really is at the employer's discretion. At my last job I had like 20 holidays saved up. I wanted to take those during my notice period to give me a break between jobs. My employer refused as they didn't have anyone to replace me and really needed me to do the work, for them it was better to pay me off for the unused holiday (which due to Sweden's tax laws were taxed at over 50% IIRC).
 

vrietje

Member
Dec 4, 2018
889
Company once fired me because I had to ask to much help. But it was something we agreed on during the job interview. At the start of the week of the probation period of my contact they let me know that. But if I improved before the end of the week they might not terminate the contract. let me work the whole week and almost the whole friday about an hour before my workday was over they told me that they would terminate contract. It was shit of them but it also gave me a week more pay.
 

DeltaRed

Member
Apr 27, 2018
5,746
It's not the same thing but I have twice been made redundant unexpectedly, arrive like normal then a few hours later being booted out, and both times ultimately led to something better. Hopefully you move onto something better.
 
Untzillatx

Untzillatx

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,375
Basque Country
Joni said:
Looking up some other countries, I have the impression Spain is rather the exception than the rule for the EU.
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amanset said:
No. In many countries it is a legal requirement. I signed a contract saying that both sides have to give three months notice. Sometimes you can negotiate leaving earlier, but it really is at the employer's discretion. At my last job I had like 20 holidays saved up. I wanted to take those during my notice period to give me a break between jobs. My employer refused as they didn't have anyone to replace me and really needed me to do the work, for them it was better to pay me off for the unused holiday (which due to Sweden's tax laws were taxed at over 50% IIRC).
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It seems like I'm wrong. According to the Spanish Work Law you need to give a 30-day notice for a voluntary termination of the contract, although there are not any per SE legal consequences if you do not, but your former employer may sue for economic damages if there were any.
 
3bdelilah

3bdelilah

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
1,615
It sucks, but I also hope you'll learn from the experience that employers aren't your friends 99 out of a 100 times. Judging by your story, it's probably a big corporation, which all the more just sees you as a number, as an expendable wage-slave. You're nothing to them. And as such, never give them your all.
 
Murdock

Murdock

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
486
Orlando
User Banned (3 Days): Hostility
Brandino said:
Everyone gets fired at some point OP. Roll with the punches, file for unemployment, and do some job searching after the shock wears off. You will probably come out better for it at a better job for better money. That's happened to me each time I've been fired.
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No, no they don't. My pops worked for over 40 years and retired on his own terms. Never fired. No one in my family has been fired. Then again none of us have called in sick for a soild week.
Some of yall think work is a joke. Something yall feel like doing when its convenient for u. But bitch and whine when yall get fired.
 
Truant

Truant

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,758
That sucks. If that had happened here in Norway the State/Government would have destroyed your employer. But it would never had happened, because you'd never been let go for such a tiny mistake.
 
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