How I Got Laid Off (.com)
September 16, 2009Jon Brooks Comments OffThere may be no good way to fire somebody, but bad ways abound. Remember Alec Baldwin’s Glengarry Glen Ross speech, for instance?
“The good news is you’re fired. The bad news is you’ve got – all of you’ve got – just one week to re-gain your jobs…Oh, have I got your attention now? Good. Because we’re adding a little something to this month’s sales contest. As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anybody wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you’re fired. You get the picture?”
The end-of-the-line tales recounted in How I Got Laid Off don’t reach that level of raw capitalistic dehumanization, perhaps, but they’re no odes to empathy either. The site describes its mission as “capturing and chronicling the stories of the people who have recently been ‘let go,’ including the often despicable methods in which they were dispatched.”
With the number of unemployed pushing 15 million, there’s certainly no shortage of material to choose from.
Examples:
Outstanding review—you’re out of here
On the morning of my review…(my boss said) “I’m going to have to let you go.”…I was told I had until Friday to return my equipment and clean out my office. I cannot begin to describe the cold, detached way in which my removal was described. I was to report into the office on Friday, with my laptop, and any other company provided equipment, clean out my desk, sign my termination papers and leave immediately. It was as if I was speaking to a completely different person then the boss I had come to admire. What made things worse was when I was informed that, per company policy, management was unable to give me a letter of recommendation. I could not ask my present or any previous supervisors for any kind of letter detailing my work ethic or performance.
Several days passed, and I was called by HR because there had been an error in my termination papers. Apparently they had miscalculated my severance pay, and I would be receiving about $3000 less than I had expected. I was asked to resign the new termination papers and send them back in to the company. When I objected I was informed that my check would not be sent until the newly signed papers had been received by HR.
Is it a pat on the back or a slow stab?
I come in to work April 29th, first one there. I have a fourth and final deal coming together that day. My computer won’t let me log in. As soon as I’m scratching my head my boss comes (over) and says can you come to my office. Confused I walk in and he says “Tim this is the hardest thing to do for me but I am being forced to do this…Pack your belongings, leave me your key, and please don’t make a scene.” He told me his boss wanted to fire me at the end of the day so I could get that last deal for them. He decided to do it first thing to give me the rest of the day…
Perhaps this could have been handled better
My mom and I had just landed in New York. In baggage claim we learned the news (that my father passed) and immediately flew back home. I was out of the office for a week (for) the funeral. The management team and HR Director knew why I was out… The day I returned…I was informed my position had been eliminated. No one said a word about my father. Business is business but the utter lack of human kindness and compassion from a company that actually prides itself on valuing its employees’ wellness was appalling. The owner had even met my father. I will move on to bigger and better things, but I must say I will never forget how incredibly badly this situation was handled.
I was on a scheduled day off for a Doctors appointment when I came out of my appointment I had a voicemail on my cell phone from my manager asking me to please call her as soon as possible. Well rumors of layoffs had been floating around for months, but of course the official company line was “we know nothing of any cutbacks or workforce reductions at this time.” I called my manager and she read to me the script that she had been given by HR. That due to the current economic situation and blah blah blah, my position had been eliminated. After 10 years of honest and faithful service, one would think that she could have waited to tell me face to face.
“You have nothing to worry about”
I was concerned that my job may be at stake as so many of our clients were conducting layoffs…At this time I was also searching for an apartment since I was making a killer commute, and naturally I thought that I would not commit to a lease if there was a chance of layoffs. I was repeatedly told: “You have nothing to worry about. Our company typically does well during tough economic times. We’ll be okay.”
Senior leadership also made an effort to diffuse any (layoff) rumors that might have been circulating. So, I went ahead with my apartment plans and signed a lease. One month later, I was called into an office (and) told my position was being eliminated and to leave immediately, (and) to (only) return the next morning to hand in company equipment. I tried to explain (the apartment situation) to my unsympathetic manager—not allowed to sublet, not allowed to break the lease—but had no luck. So here I am, watching my savings deplete, having terrible luck finding another job and paying a pretty penny for an apartment I don’t even want, all because I was told that I had nothing to worry about in terms of job security.
Dial in for a conference call…
We were told to meet in a conference room and we would all listen in (to a conference call in which) we were told by our CFO, who claimed to be out of town and we later found out was sitting in a hotel room 5 miles away, that our office was closing. The kicker is we had to come in the next day to find out when our last day was and if we left prior to that we got no separation benefits…Now we have to train people from San Antonio and India to take our jobs. All while keeping a smile on our faces because they’ve implemented a zero tolerance policy and if we are fired we get no separation and can’t apply for unemployment by state law.
When I walked in it was an ambush. The GM, my boss, and the director of HR were all sitting at a table waiting for me. I had barely sat down when the GM blurted out “Just so you know, Today is going to be your last day.”…I was in shock. The only real reason I was given was that the performance of the whole hotel was not what it should be. They felt it was my fault. My fault? I’m just the Assistant Front Office Manager and the whole hotel’s performance is completely dependant on me?…(J)ust the month before the front office had received a perfect score…and I was the one reviewed for that inspection. I also had (upped) the enrollment for the hotel’s Reward program by 263%.
Just like that I was escorted, like a criminal, to my office and given a box to pack up all my things. I wasn’t able to say goodbye to anyone; they even walked me to my car to make sure that I left the property. It was the most humiliating day of my life.
My husband was laid off while waiting to complete his Chemo treatments. He had been on unpaid medical Leave since March. They extended his leave, by certified letter, to October 31. On October 14 his employer cut 5 staff members from his department. This is understandable, due to the economy and we we’re fine about the lay-off. (But) on December 1 he received a letter from his employer… “due to an administrative error, your employement is terminated effective September 5th…
What is the world coming to? Does anyone care about anyone anymore?
We’d utter an “ouch” here, but that obviously wouldn’t suffice. These tidings of discomfort and joylessness, however, don’t mean happy endings are non-existent. Check out the post called Win in the end:
I had never been fired in my life. (But) within six months (my boss) lost the entire equipment line that had been so profitable (and) went out of business… As for me I started my own company. The first year I grossed 1 million dollars and within 3 years I was grossing over 10 million. Two years ago after being in business only six years I sold my company and retired at age 43. So yes getting fired happened to be the best thing to ever happen to me in my life. Now the thing I like most is watching. Now the thing I like most is watching other people succeed. Good Luck and don’t be afraid to roll the dice!
Amen.
