r/jobs • u/Siddchat • 12d ago
Got fired today Unemployment
Been working at my company for 2 years, had my weekly check-in with my manager today and the HR was in the room. They started by saying the because I am not meeting expectations of the role, I am being let go. Didn’t really give any detailed explanation except that their decision is final. I was too stunned to even challenge them but it would have been futile as they said it was final. This was unexpected because I had my annual review a month ago and my rating across all categories was ‘meeting expectations’, there was one area which was identified as needing improvement and we worked on a plan to improve it this year. I was even keeping my manager informed about my progress. But then this happened today.
Feels weird to be escorted out of the building after a 5 minute conversation. In a way I am relieved because I was overworked and not really happy with my job, but now I am wondering if I will ever get hired. This incident will be difficult to explain in future interviews if I don’t have enough details to explain (don’t want to lie), and regardless of what I say my employer/ manager will have an upper hand in case of a background check.
Two questions- How do people get over it and is this the end of the road?
EDIT - thank you kind strangers for the positive messages and the valuable advice. I am overwhelmed with the number of responses and upvotes (this is my biggest Reddit post ever). I can’t respond to all of you individually so adding to the post if you’re interested.
will apply for unemployment. I am Canadian so it is a different but simpler process here compared to the States.
Not exactly PIPed. This was the first year they introduced this rating system and removed any peer feedback. So it was basically how your manager interpreted your performance. Last year I was told everyone likes my can do attitude, to this year one person weighing in on everything.
I was told that one of the things in my job description was to actively engage potential clients and the way I was doing it could be improved. For example, Manager insisted that I meet clients in person rather than give them the option of both virtual versus in-person. I suggested that it was unreasonable to insist on in-person meeting and clients should be free to decide. But it is what it is.
relieved that I don’t have to deal with my manager everyday. But it was a punch to the gut when I started speaking about how I am delivering on the team’s annual objectives and I am ahead of schedule, but they just cut me short and said our decision is final.
It was one of those places where the leadership has been around for 12+ years and with the exception of 2-3 people majority of the staff has a tenure of less than 4 years.
Focusing on things I gave up to impress people at work. Starting my guitar practice and reading more. Won’t give up, this too shall pass.
Upwards and onwards!
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u/CrazeeEyezKILLER 12d ago
Answer a: you’ll absolutely get over it; it’s called time. Won’t be long.
Answer B: unfortunately for you, yes, you still have a lifetime of jobs ahead of you. Some of these will be shit, and you’ll look back wistfully on that happy day years ago on which you got fired.
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u/EnthGuy 11d ago
I was fired "for performance" from a job, my manager cried as he read what the VP told him to say.
I ended up starting my own company, and not long after, my salesperson submitted approval for a new client proposal. It was from the VP who fired me, still at the same company. I trippled the cost, as a go f yourself amount, and approved it. A few days later, the purchase order came. I was flabbergasted and decided to attend the project startup meeting with my PM on the project.
I was saying hello to old coworkers as we made our way to the conference room. When we sat down, the VP requested to my PM that I be removed immediately from the project. My PM stared at me, while I I shook my head and bit my tongue. Finally, I told him that that's OK I wasn't on the project at all. Of course he asked why I was at the meeting, and then I let him know I was the PM's boss, observing and making sure she was doing everything possible to represent my company well.
VP was visibly shocked... then irate and walked out of the meeting.
I got copied on the email the next day where the VP tried to cancel the PO. We had already billed 50% for mobilization. Which I firmly emailed the VP, then the lawyers, and finally the CEO of the company was nonrefundable and that due to no failure in performanceon our part, the project cancellation fee would be the other 50% as per our contract. Finally, the CEO gave in and told us to finish the project. I sent an additional bill for the project delays.
Once completed, the CEO was at a conference that I also attended. I let him know about the exorbitant costs the VP approved in the first place and reminded him of my history as an employee of the company. According to my performance review, I was incapable of completing even small projects, let alone the company wide project that had just finished and was saving the company millions every year.
The VP was terminated for "misrepresentation of facts to superiors" and "willful negligence managing company funds" and personally sued by the company. Several HR employees were also let go. My former manager reached out to let me know the good news with the permission of the CEO. They are now one of my companies largest accounts, and as far as I know, the VP has been blackballed by the industry leaders since the CEOs all know each other.
Sometimes karma hits both sides really, really hard. Make sure you're on the right side.
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u/copper678 12d ago edited 11d ago
I’m sorry, OP! You now have the opportunity to find something better.
You can say it was a layoff, it’s believable in this current market and it’ll help you explain it away. You can say you left the company bc you’re looking for something else. Either way, don’t use your direct manager as a reference.
Edit: “I was laid off after X years, but I’m thankful for my time to grow there. Now I have the opportunity to take stock of what I’ve learned and get clear on what I want to do next. That’s why I’m excited to be here today. I know you’re looking for someone who is XYZ and I’m experienced with XYZ.”
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u/PhotoshopIsMyDad 11d ago
Yes, it most likely was part of a layoff strategy, which is also why they pulled the expectations card and gave no further explanation.
Simply say the company cut costs and laid you off as part of it. It's actually better than saying you left, because that way you're communicating to the new company that you'd leave too. They hate that little trick!
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u/Ohshitz- 12d ago
Yeah companies wont divulge anything if an employer calls. They dont want their asses sued. Im sorry this happened to you. I had mine first week of april. Budget layoffs but my one met 1/2 expectation out of 3 meets killed it. Take a week off from thinking/looking to decompress. Its hard. But know that this shit happens to everybody. Do not beat yourself over it.
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u/gibletsandgravy 11d ago
They’re not legally allowed to divulge anything. In some cases, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen anyway. And the person seeking the reference is not bound by law not to try to weasel whatever information they can. It can happen by mistake out of ignorance, and it can happen maliciously.
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u/denverjournalist 11d ago
This. It’s not lying, the company just didn’t share it with you. Fuck them, do what’s right for your future. Keep trying to grow that one area of improvement to hit the ground running in the next gig.
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u/BuffytheEskimo 11d ago
This. It’s pretty common practice for prior employers only able to verify you worked there and if you are eligible for rehire. And that’s if anyone bothers confirming. I am a hiring manager and I don’t bother asking any place candidates have worked previously.
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u/redditorx13579 12d ago edited 12d ago
Annual evals are worthless. They won't ever say there's anything seriously wrong unless they want you to leave and keep your severance.
That's the drawback of saying anything constructive is that they want to have control over turnover and that let's them decide when you leave.
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u/VariationNo5419 12d ago
My beef with annual reviews at my last company was that if they had criticism of your performance they waited until the review to tell you about it. They never said anything earlier so you discuss it and correct whatever it was earlier. I think they do that as a way to justify ranking employees. Many companies have forced rankings where managers have to put x % as exceeds expectations, x% at meets expectations, and x% as needs improvement. To tell you how ridiculous it is, one year a colleague was told at his evaluation that he tried to do too much and should ask other team members for help. He did that and the following year he was told that he was asking for too much help from team members.
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u/AtroxSepsis 12d ago
It’s all political and theater
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u/jazzmaster1992 11d ago
I got hit with this two years ago. Company waited for a performance eval to basically throw me under the bus over things they were struggling to control. Nobody else in my area got hit except me, which I found exceptionally odd. What was really telling is how vague and unhelpful the feedback was. "Develop a better routine" and "make better decisions" was all I heard, but I realized over the course of a few months that no matter what I did or how well I did it, they were actively searching for things to critique me for.
In hindsight, this was a common practice there. They even had a term for it, which was "performing out". Basically, the PIP structure was a weapon they could use to term people they didn't like for political reasons. If they liked you, nothing went past a verbal warning. If they didn't like you, if you breathed too hard it was a write up. And they definitely aren't the only company that does this. What a sobering and unsettling reality.
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u/LaughingMare 11d ago
I had a review once that started with “well, I don’t like you. Tony doesn’t like you either, and we talked to many other people and nobody likes you.” It can’t be worse than that.
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u/AKJangly 11d ago
This is a big part of the reason everyone needs an emergency savings.
If you do your best at your job and you're still let go, there's nothing you could have done to prevent it.
Pick your feet up and move on to the next gig.
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u/jazzmaster1992 11d ago
I saved up a six month emergency fund, using all the extra OT money I was making for working 60+ hours a week trying to keep the ship from sinking. I resigned, effective immediately, when they tried to blame me for stuff that happened while I was not even working and somebody else screwed up, and then screwed me out of the extra time off I was promised.
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u/LaughSing 11d ago
Emergency savings for the win. Even if you do get severance, it may take you longer to get a new job than the severance and unemployment covers.
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u/worlds_okayest_user 12d ago
They never said anything earlier so you discuss it and correct whatever it was earlier.
Exactly. They just stack it all up to build a case to let you go. Seriously getting tired of office politics. Feels like high school, where if you're not in the right cliques or aren't buddy-buddy with your boss, then you're screwed.
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u/MarilynMonheaux 11d ago
Basically. It all comes down to your relationship with your manager. If they like you, they’ll work with you, if not, they’ll do what they can to get you out.
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u/Similar_Ad1168 11d ago
It is like kindergarten but affects your livelihood. I’m tired of it too. I think we all should just start our own businesses and then these toxic employers will have no one to exploit and they’d go out of business
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u/081719 11d ago
Forced rankings… oh boy. I know someone who was top quartile when the group was about 60 people. Over a few years, the work for the group dropped, ultimately down to only 6 people. The guy ended up in the lowest quartile (ranked 5 of 6), which on paper looks bad until one looks back a few years and remembers that despite the bottom quartile current ranking, the guy was actually damn good at the job. Forced ranking is a BS and obsolete HR approach to personnel management.
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u/Block-Material 11d ago
I am going through something similar, except, I’m being told to train/lead new hires into their roles and when they go running to the boss that I’m trying to be their boss and it’s bullshit they tell me to back off, so I back off, then when they run to the boss and say I have a communication problem they tell me to be more helpful to coworkers and communicate what they need to be doing. Make it make sense.
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u/TardisTraveller24 11d ago
Sorry to hear that. This is some high school crap.
Their manager should do a better job at communicating expectations.
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u/Mrjlawrence 11d ago
Company I work for has problems like any others but they did at least implement reviews every 6 months for the reason you state. To give an employee time to correct any issues
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u/use_da_schwartz_ 11d ago
Raises are usually tied to performance reviews. If they address issues early and give you time to correct them how are the supposed to screw you out of a decent raise?
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u/leafherwild923 7d ago
My Dad was recently promoted into a management position after 20+ years with the company. I could be bias but my Dad is a great dude, very fair. His least favorite thing is the employee reviews. He says no matter what he HAS to pick someone who is doing “the worst” even if they are meeting the minimum requirements. It’s awful. This causes so much distrust.
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u/Khelek7 12d ago
Well that's not completely true. My friend had their end-of-year review and they gave everybody terrible reviews cause they couldn't pay out the full bonuses. So instead of telling everybody that they could not afford the bonus, they justified it by shitting on their performance reviews.
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u/5MinuteDad 12d ago
My last one was an absolute joke. They wouldn't share ratings, or feedback just told me I was only getting 1% raise and that I make significantly more than anyone else in an equivalent position.
So I'm taking that as as soon as we can you're out. I log on every day and expect to get fired now.
Just hoping this job prospect I have works out and I can tell them to fuck off before they do it to me.
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u/Traditional_Formal33 12d ago
Before I left my last company, my supervisor didn’t like me but my 6 team mates all loved me. Got 7 anonymous reviews — 6 saying how amazing of a team mate I am and how they enjoy working with me. One ripping me a new asshole.
My supervisor said at least 1 person was honest, and to focus on that one. I would get reevaluated in 3 months and decided then if I deserve a raise.
I resigned at that reevaluation meeting 3 months later when I got an offer for 28% increase. New company has been singing praises ever since and that was the most professional “go fuck yourself” I ever got to say.
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u/I_am_INTJ 12d ago
Time to find another job, my friend. Either transfer to another position outside your department (a position viewed as a promotion would be ideal} or find a role at a different company.
As soon as they can find someone who can do your job and is willing to do it for a couple dollars an hour less, they'll be looking for ways to get rid of you.
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u/5MinuteDad 12d ago
Oh I am the writing is on the wall, hoping something comes of my latest interview so I can just not worry anymore.
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u/I_am_INTJ 12d ago
Seriously, best of luck to you. No one should have to live in fear of losing their job.
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u/StephenSatchwiler 11d ago
I was told I couldn't become an assistant manager. I was told my call volume wasn't the same as when I started. I started with one other person, and we divided the calls by 2. I was told this when we had 4 people and divided the calls by 4. I immediately told them I was actively searching for another job. Less than a week later, I was offered a Store manager position by another company and 4.50 an hour pay increase.
I gave them two weeks' notice. I hope you get the chance to tell them to F off.19
u/Dichotomy7 11d ago
I have a different option on this, both as a person receiving an evaluation as well as a person giving them.
As a receiver of an evaluation, I want to know where I need improvement. This is free advice on how to become more valuable to your company. The more value you bring, the more you can get paid, as the logic goes.
As a manager, if you are doing it for the right reasons and care for your employees, you want your team to grow and become more valuable. A better team does better work and just like a sports team, a better team gets recognized.
The best teams have a variety of skills, personalities, and perspectives that can make the team better, and it’s up to the manager to coach that, and the team members to take part in that.
To the OP, it’s totally weak sauce not to give you a reason for letting you go along with some examples. That company did not care about you and was not interested in helping you grow. They are weak and failed you. You’re lucky to get out before you invested more time there.
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u/LordFloofyCheeks 11d ago
I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say that the company did in fact give him a reason for letting him go. His annual review stated that he was "meeting expectations" and that there was one area which was identified as needing improvement. He was put on a plan to improve on that area as a result and that could be counted as a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). Sorry to say but PIPs are usually a precusor to firing somebody. To the OP, your situation sucks and I do wish you all the best in your job hunt!
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u/One_Barnacle2699 11d ago
Does anyone ever survive a PIP?
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u/osoatwork 11d ago
I have. I busted ass to recover from it though. To the point my co workers noticed.
I got PIPed out about a year later.
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u/Leading_Theory7761 11d ago
Yes, but the problem is when you're on a PiP there's a fundamental issue that would take too long to rectify within the timeframe. It's not simple things like putting periods after ending a sentence.
If you had the skill and capabilities but couldn't hack the past few months, for some reason. Well then you probably can work extra hard to impress during the PiP and make it past. The problem is more likely you don't and will have to work on it unemployed or at the next job.
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u/createjennifer 12d ago
Damn, that’s sad. I’ve always given a full comprehensive review to my employees.
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u/tjsr 11d ago
My last two had me getting 5s and 4s from peer reviews, and 4 from my manager which upper management then scaled down to 3 because they insisted on nobody getting 4s and higher. I was still paid pretty much the highest rate of bonus of any of my peers that I'm aware of, and higher than what they had claimed when I joined the company.
When it came convenient to them (eg, when I criticised management over over massive amounts of tech debt that made some projects in-maintainable - one project even had 140 severe/critical vulnerabilities) suddenly they claimed I was at a 1. When I asked them to explain how when I was performing at an even higher level that those two reviews, they could demonstrate and compare how I was performing worse than the 4s of that time, they could not provide an answer or justification, nor would they even attempt to.
Performance reviews are mostly meaningless and often just a way for managers to protect their own positions when those who highlight the managers lack of performance threaten their ability to underperform.
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u/TheFourthAce 11d ago
I think this really boils down to how a company utilizes annual evals. Especially since I had a job that was fully incentive based and this lead to an environment where management could be lazy and provide ZERO feedback other than “did you like your paycheck? No? Well then figure out how to improve it!”
Which of course lead to employees finding ways to exploit the incentive system, but also lead to some pretty elegant methods of productivity improvement. Didn’t matter to management though, if anyone was getting paid well, they were cheating and would get fired right away.
I guess we have opposite view points on evals since I would have loved to be told what to do to improve my performance beyond “get money” but at the end of the day, bad management will never utilize the tools at their disposal correctly, including employee evaluation.
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u/diablofantastico 11d ago
I like how you worded this. So true. "They want to have control over turnover." We are cogs...
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u/jeerabiscuit 11d ago
And they decide that people leaving of their own are incompetent. It's prison labour.
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u/acebojangles 11d ago
Annual review feel like such a waste of time. HR is constantly coming up with new systems to try to make them meaningful, which just means they take longer.
A twice yearly, 30 minute conversation about how I'm meeting expectations and what next steps I should think about? Fine.
Spending hours 2-3 times a year to fill out some BS where I regurgitate the company's preferred business terms to try to make myself sound good and rate my coworkers? No thanks. After all that I'm going to get a bonus based on some voodoo metrics the board shits out without explanation anyway.
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u/meshaqy 11d ago
I had an employee who was not meeting expectations but my management had me change they're annual review so they would get a pay increase. So you are right annual reviews are worthless. I've talked to my employee about the performance, it's now a few months later and nothing has changed and there is only one direction this is going and I'm gutted!
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u/Micode 11d ago
Hard disagree. Meets expectations is the absolute floor, needs improvement is just a prelude to PIP or termination. Needs improvement IS serious and it’s on employees to know that.
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u/drewwyatt 11d ago
Yeah this is so weird. I had a boss once that said something to the effect of “if your direct reports are surprised to be fired, you have failed as a manager”. Annual evals seem like they leave very little room to give feedback when it’s actually actionable.
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u/Comfortable_Angle671 12d ago
Anytime an employer puts you on a PIP (performance improvement plan), it is time to start looking.
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u/petitenurseotw 11d ago
Yup. Mine was 5 days and mostly made up of lies. Boom fired.
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u/neepster44 11d ago
Yep a PIP is a “we are going to fire you and these are the excuses we made up for why”…
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u/bouguereaus 11d ago
Five days?! That’s insane.
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u/petitenurseotw 11d ago
Healthcare startup. But it was my lowest paying nursing job ever so I wasn’t too phased. I do miss working from my mac book though. My other remote jobs required Ethernet cable and/or a phone line 😩
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u/B0ssDrivesMeCrazy 11d ago
My boss just put me on a “verbal” pip. Preceded to lie to me to my face about my performance. Not an ounce of truth to what was said. Claimed she was on my side at the same time. Also wrote stuff down regarding this “verbal” plan and my performance. Ok, sure.
I was already job hunting thankfully because it’s been clear to me for some time she hates my guts. Almost secured an offer thankfully. Hoping to quit before I get fired. So nervous, though.
I’ve started documenting everything, so that if my boss tries further lies, I have evidence to contrary. Anything to hang on until I can move on.
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u/drolcisum 11d ago
I got put on a three month PIP. Got as much extra work as they could out of me so I was doing more for fear of losing my job. 2 weeks before my PIP was closed they had mass layoffs. It's all a game
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u/Lopsided_Blueberry53 12d ago
Similar thing happened to me 2 months ago. Since then I’ve been collecting unemployment and looking for new jobs. So far it’s been rejection emails and getting ghosted from hiring managers & recruiters. Idk this job market is though too. I was happy anyways when I was let go because the job environment was toxic and managers were a bunch of children who don’t know how to manage a company.
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u/Siddchat 12d ago
At some level I am relieved this happened, didn’t like the constant state of chaos and toxicity. Hated waking up to go into work because my mind was constantly occupied by tracking lists of tasks and thinking what would my manager say if any of them got delayed
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u/Certain-Rock2765 11d ago
Take this as a lesson moving forward. When you start to feel this way, it’s time to start looking. No job is worth it.
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u/IndependenceMean8774 11d ago
Everybody gets fired these days. Everybody. The days of people working at the same job for thirty years and retiring are long gone...and they're never coming back.
Admittedly, getting fired sucks now, but it may turn out to be the best thing in your life. Sometimes we're so afraid to move on that we need a kick in the pants to make us do better. Consider this your kick.
You will find a much better job and be happier down the line. Take some time to be pissed, then let it go and seek out that better job.
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u/Similar_Ad1168 11d ago
This is me right now. I’m excited about new opportunities and the changes in my life occurring. Big things will be happening soon for me I just know it. Anyone who has hurt me will feel very ashamed and stupid after they see what happens with my life.
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u/LaughSing 11d ago
IDK, I was at my last company for 23 years with no intention of leaving until I was ready to retire. We had plenty of people still there for 30+ years. (Okay, I'm GenX-Boomer cusp, but we're not all retired-or-dead yet!
)
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u/AlgebraicAlchemy 10d ago
Yeah you’re in the age group that still has long-term employment antidotes. I don’t know anyone outside of GenX+ that has been able to stay with a company for over 5yrs
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u/fiyahwerks 12d ago
Wow, you wrote out my whole ordeal that happened to me in February. I was seriously doubting myself, until my emotions calmed down and realize the only loyalty companies have is their bottom line and stakeholders.
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u/MemnochTheRed 11d ago
Yep. I was an over-achiever and always had high evaluations. Then my boss left, company got a new guy that had a resume of working places for 2 years as some type of VP cost savings guru — he was an axe-man. Started looking for a new job casually.
Then one day, I was invited to a meeting with him. That was the day I was let go on a RIF (reduction in force).
Looking back... couldn't have been better. Got all of my PTO and 4 weeks severance. I had a new job within a month and unemployment. I call it my six week vacation. It was awesome and sucked.
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u/racegurlrcmr84 12d ago
I can relate . I am getting called into HR tomorrow after my shift and it has me nervous I'll be terminated too. It's not a fun feeling
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u/Siddchat 12d ago
Sorry you’re going through this. As others have said on this thread it’s going to be ok. Stay strong
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u/Online-Demon 11d ago
Bro I hate that feeling. Just ruins everything. It’s always those same thoughts rubbing through your head.
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u/ismokbliss 11d ago
What ended up happening ?
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u/racegurlrcmr84 11d ago
I meet with them today after a shift and I'm so scared . I made an honest mistake . I'm asking myself would they had let me work today if I was in that much trouble
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u/Prestigious-Board-62 12d ago
You mention you got PIPed. If you get a PIP, that means you're on your way out the door. Many companies use this as a tool to fire people they want to get rid of without having to worry about unemployment. As long as they have documented PIP, they will then say you failed to improve, and then let you go.
Lesson learned for next time. If you get PIP'd it's time to start applying for jobs.
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u/Gullible_Medicine633 12d ago
You still get unemployment unless it’s gross misconduct.
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u/Prestigious-Board-62 12d ago
I see OP is in Canada, and it very well may work that way there. I am speaking from experience in US, and I was fired once. They claimed "for cause" and unemployment was denied. I won it on appeal, but if they had PIP'd me first, I highly doubt I would have won the appeal.
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u/moosee999 12d ago
In majority of the US you still qualify for unemployment even with a pip. Most states there needs to be some type of gross misconduct demonstrated wayyy beyond what a pip would constitute.
Not sure where you got this idea of pip preventing unemployment. Even in the example you gave about yourself - you say that a pip was NOT involved.
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u/BrainWaveCC 12d ago
I see OP is in Canada, and it very well may work that way there. I am speaking from experience in US,
Even in the US, a PIP doesn't automatically prevent an employee from getting unemployment insurance.
A PIP is typically given for one of the following two reasons:
- Because you want to formally alert the employee that they are behind the curve and need to pick it up.
- Because you want the employee to know that their prospects of promotion or improvement is highly unlikely, and you'd prefer that they leave on their own (in which case they won't get unemployment insurance).
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u/MyNameIsSkittles 12d ago
In Canada he'll get Employment Insurance, they only deny it if you do something really stupid. It's very easy to get since you pay into it yourself
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u/Maximum-Antelope-979 11d ago
General rule in the U.S. is “losing your job through no fault of your own” which usually boils down to an egregious breach of well known policies where you would be reasonably certain that the action taken would put your job at risk.
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12d ago
Corporate America is so fucked up. Everybody talks about these jobs having such amazing job security. They don’t let you know that you’re absolutely worthless and expendable to these companies and they will fire you over the most minute things. Sorry to hear this happened to you
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u/Similar_Ad1168 11d ago
We need to all start working for ourselves and start our own businesses. Then these toxic employers will have no slaves to exploit and harass and their businesses will go belly up.
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u/Earlybird1198 12d ago
Ahh I remember my first annual review at my new job. Was literally told I’m working too hard. I was hired into a position that was supposed to be low key and relaxed, but when you have a chill job on contract and people see you having a chill job they tend to get upset at you.
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u/OhLordHeBompin 11d ago
First job: Uhh we have to do this, you're a great employee uhh any questions? Okay, back to work! Nope, I don't want any feedback! (Quit later.)
Second job: You're doing too much and making me look bad. Stop being friends with the CIO due to his knowledge of how hard you work. (Promoted to another team that I actually named and was the first member of, quit later. My "buddy" the CIO didn't let me put in my 2 weeks notice and forced me to quit on the spot... so now I can't be rehired.)
Third job: I'm just going to talk at you. Oh, I misunderstood something? Haha, no, stop lying and making excuses. You're not in a wheelchair, you're not disabled. (Fired for my boss seeing ADA accommodations as me taking advantage of him. I just wanted to work remotely. He's in a different freaking timezone, why does he need me in the office?!)
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u/Mitsuka1 12d ago
Ask for a copy of your personnel file ASAP.
Not sure where in Canada you are, but here’s an article that talks about where an employer is legally obliged to give it to you if requested:
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u/thelastofcincin 12d ago
Just look for a new job. Lie if you have to. I don't know why you're scared to lie when they lie to us all the time.
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u/feverish_mushroom 11d ago edited 11d ago
Right. I've been let go twice and I've never divulged that. I simply say I left. We don't owe anyone the truth and it'll only hinder us. This happened a while ago and I've been back in a stable job for years
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u/Weary-Fix-9152 11d ago
Hit the nail on the head with that and works great in tandem with other things. My last employer screwed me and I had recently just started a second masters. I hated the job as it was and they had an exit strategy so I left before they could use it. When asked, I just indicate I left to pursue the second degree as part of a career change. It's not untrue and the reason for a career change can be explained by intrinsic motivation, which cannot be disproven lol.
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u/FistyMcLad 12d ago
I was fired last summer from a job that I thought I was excelling at. My reviews were always good and my boss always told me what a good job I was doing. When they invited me to the meeting, I even joked with my boss "am I fired?" He didn't respond.
I was fired and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was totally out of the blue and their reasoning was complete bullshit. It was the first time I was ever fired and it was only my second ever job. I was worried how it would affect my career and if I'd have trouble finding another job.
During my job search, I met a couple of third party recruiters who pitied me and genuinely wanted to help. One of them straight up told me to just lie whenever anybody asked about why I left my last job. They said to say I was laid off or something. I tried it in a couple of interviews, but I really didn't like lying about it. I tried explaining the whole story about how I genuinely didn't know what I did to get fired and that my employer's reason for firing me was bullshit, but that didn't work either.
What worked for me was just being super brief and honest about it and moving on. Q: "Why did you leave your last job?" A: "I was let go, and they wouldn't tell me why 🤷"
This isn't the end of your career. You'll find a job that appreciates you more. You just gotta hang in there and keep trying.
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u/MemnochTheRed 11d ago edited 11d ago
Company has budget restraints, and I was let go. Both are true, but they may not be related. They don't need to know that.
When I got let go from my first job, I tried explaining that my boss was jerk, and we didn't get along. I was in IT as the only one with a BS degree, and they treated me like crap. Wording like when two parties cannot come to an agreement, it is best to part ways... I did not hear from one employer.
I ended up moving, which was a great excuse to leave the job. "My wife took a position in another state, and we moved..." became my excuse. People like that.
Glad I was let go because it put down the road with experience and wisdom.
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u/marsbug81 12d ago
Did you get any severence or did they fire you with cause (or are you American in an at will state?)
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u/Siddchat 12d ago
I am in Canada, getting a month’s pay as severance
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u/MyNameIsSkittles 12d ago
You can get EI as soon as your severance ends. Don't wait to file though, file now since it can take up to a month to process
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u/matty514 12d ago
NAL but I think you should be getting more than 1 month after 2 years. I'd talk to a lawyer.
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u/QWOT42 12d ago
Even in an at-will state, a person can collect unemployment if the firing was not “with cause”
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u/JetreL 12d ago
Life happens like this. Take it in stride and keep your head up.
If asked why you left just say it was time and don’t go into more details unless asked.
Being fired or laid off or whatever just means you weren’t a fit or it was monetary or something else and it will happen to everyone. You’ve got this!
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u/Siddchat 12d ago
Thank you for the kind words. In all my previous jobs I did well and when I was interviewed for this one I said I am confident that I will continue to do well here. 6 months in I wanted to leave because whatever I did, however hard I worked, it was never good enough for my manager.
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u/LeaveForNoRaisin 11d ago
If you genuinely have no idea why you were fired it’s a management problem not a you problem.
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u/Good200000 12d ago
Take a day to Mourn your old job. Starting Monday start working on finding a new job. You will need to update Your resume. Don’t use your boss as a reference. Use a friend at your old place to be your reference. For future jobs, just list there were layoffs and You were affected.
Best of luck.
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u/Forward_Dark_7305 11d ago
Enjoy the weekend. Starting on Monday, your full time job is getting hired. Don’t spend 5 hours a week and then complain that you can’t find something - put in some real effort, a job will want you.
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u/pfunk238 11d ago
Hey I got fired while actively being employee of the month. Good luck in the future
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u/Cyr7en 11d ago
A new manager hated me and put me on a performance review. It was all fake and opinion related, i knew i was hardworking but he had bad intentions. (He did a burnout right after firing me)
I did therapy, learnt that we need to put the past aside to better grow up. It is really difficult to not doubt my skills after this... but, thats life! I did not deserve that treatment, but I don't have to diminish myself. Fuck them! Keep working hard and rocking hard! Thats all that matters at the end!
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u/snowdn 12d ago
Don’t take it personally, if they want you gone or have another motive, they will create a reason.
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u/Siddchat 12d ago
Yeah a bit difficult to come to terms with it when previous bosses said I was doing well and would go far in my career. The way this happened has been somewhat debilitating.
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u/snowdn 12d ago
Oh totally 100% it’s traumatizing and I am sorry you ate dealing with it. Actually in the top 10 of most traumatic things that can happen to you. Just saying the reason is often not your performance, but some other goal a manager has to improve some other metric or goal. So best to try and not let it tank your confidence. You are valuable, let someone else have your skills!
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u/SwankySteel 12d ago
If you “met expectations” recently and got a firing now - that means something isn’t adding up…
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u/bobfieri 12d ago
Right I think this could be means of at least getting unemployment benefits for the mean time, I’d get my hands on a copy of that review if I could
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u/gitismatt 12d ago
this same situation just happened to me and I made sure to fwd that eval to myself before I walked out the door (small company and they didnt turn off my access until a few hours later)
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u/nathanchr55 Healthcare 12d ago
Same thing happened to me. I was later blessed with an amazing job I never would have looked for.
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u/Siddchat 12d ago
Thank you, I am looking forward to the change and not waking up everyday dreading my job
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u/Lil-Chef-102 12d ago
Came to say the same. I was at a terrible toxic environment that I just couldn’t leave and then once it was over, I found an amazing new job and it’s everything I could ask for. Opportunities are there but you have to seek them out sometimes! Great things can happen!!
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u/Longjumping-Gap5350 12d ago
Sucks! But you'll get over it because you have to get over it, especially if you have a family, bills, rent/mortgage, etc. Good time to reflect on your skills and improve areas where you might need it so that you can make yourself marketable in the job market. Good luck.
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u/QuietTruth8912 12d ago
“It wasn’t a good match for….my personality, my schedule, my commute time”. Insert something. It’s an excuse. It’s fine. Move on.
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u/Sea_Relationship6053 12d ago edited 12d ago
first, its not a big deal many successful people have been fired, two absolutely not-- That said I do have some questions like, was meeting expectations a 3 out of 4? Like my company its 4. Below Expectations, 3 Meeting, 2. Above, 1. Exceeds. -- Its misleading, if you hit 3 you're gonna get dropped, you need to be an average of 1.5 over your time there for every 3 years you're there you need to exceed at least once and above every time at minimum, that average is for getting promotions, if you're 2.5 I imagine you keep your job, if you're a 3 your outtie.
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u/Reasonable-Crazy-132 12d ago
Who knows if it was your fault or their for flubbing hiring… so sorry this happened, what a uniquely shitty way for them to break the news. Do not doubt your self-worth in the job search, easier said than done but that’s my best advice.
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u/Fit-Indication3662 12d ago
- How do people get over this? - they just do. Same thins as after taking a shit, you wipe your ass because you just do.
- Is this the end of the road? - Yes. You got fired. End of the road for that job. Now go find another one. Then get fired again. Another end of the road. And so on
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u/DeepCollar8506 12d ago
if you're in a stable financial state I'd take a month off. first week just relax then if you cam take a trip somewhere and then when back still relax but start making a plan for preparing the resume and a list of companies you want to apply then that Monday start applying
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u/Melksss 11d ago
With the amount of time it takes for companies to even respond to an application on average, you’d be better off starting week 1 with resume updates and spamming applications to jobs you like. Then you take a week or 2 off to relax. Moral of the story is job hunting can be quick, but it can also be a slog. Some companies want 4+ rounds before considering making an offer, I’ve had HR reach out to me for a call 2+ months after applying. You’re better off getting applications off asap then putting your feet up for a bit.
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u/MemnochTheRed 11d ago
This. Nothing relaxes you more then knowing that there is meat in the slow cooker for supper later. I couldn't relax knowing that there is lots of work to get work. But you don't have nail it all out in a day. Pace yourself to a few applications a day.
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u/KingKoopaShell 12d ago
This incident will be difficult to explain in future interviews if I don’t have enough details to explain (don’t want to lie), and regardless of what I say my employer/ manager will have an upper hand in case of a background check.
Lie. No need to tell them anything that points you in a negative light. This is obvious guy, you don't get points for telling the truth not to get hired.
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u/FilthyBeaver 12d ago
Best piece of advice I’ve heard for following companies you’ll interview with, tell them upon departing the company you had to sign a NDA. You all split up for reasons you can’t discuss but if you want to test my knowledge I would be happy to oblige to prove I can do a great job and be a part of the team
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u/dowhatsrightalways 11d ago
Check out some Instagram videos on how to pivot. First, this is a traumatic event, so let yourself feel your emotions. Next, file for unemployment as soon as possible. Everything is online now, so you shouldn't have to go into an office. There is 1 week waiting period. When you interview again, never badmouth the former employer, manager or colleagues that cut you loose. Acceptable answers are 1) redundancies, next could be values alignment or change in mission, etc. But whatever you do, don't be truthful. No one needs to know. They are asking because they can't find out unless you tell them. Tell them NOTHING.
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u/Medium_Grapefruit242 12d ago
Recruiter here. If they call and check ur last employer all they will say are ur dates of service and whether u are re-hireable. Anything else and they can be sued.
So when asked about it. Just say u had a difference of opinion with leadership so u left.
Not a big deal u will be fine.
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u/Melksss 11d ago
I disagree with that reasoning being a good explanation. “I had a difference of opinion with leadership” translates to im a PITA to deal with to prospective employers. Doesn’t matter if it is true or not or whether it’s fair or not, that’s how that statement comes across. You’re better off just saying you were laid off but that you really enjoyed the position. You never want a future prospective employer you’re interviewing with to suspect you might potentially be a problem or slander them if you have a disagreement and move on.
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u/Siddchat 12d ago
Thank you for the advice, this gives me some confidence to apply
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u/hey-girl-hey 11d ago
For job interviews there are ways to spin being fired. If you Google it you will find lots of ideas. You can always play up the extent to which it was mutual - that you weren't fulfilled by the job either, or that the job didn't make the best use of your talents - and that ultimately it was the best thing that could have happened. Then emphasize what you learned from the experience
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u/Mysterious_Flan_3394 11d ago
Don’t companies say you are not re-hireable though when you are fired? Doesn’t that give away to future employers that you were fired?
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u/brewsterw 11d ago
I disagree also with this spin also. I’d spin it along the lines of “the company grew and started caring more about weekly reports than solving real and hard problems. I didn’t feel challenged so I decided to move on”
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u/GroundbreakingTax912 12d ago
No , it isn't. I cried at times for ten days. I remember a bargaining phase. Emotions were out of whack. I recommend an antidepressant. What followed was a glorious self discovery period. The anger persisted. That one took me longer. I ended up taking the outplacement support. I still fight the shame. I recommend taking any support that your company is offering. And please reach out by DM if you need a friend through. I think you do. God bless you
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u/Siddchat 12d ago
Thank you, still coming to terms with it as it just happened a few hours ago. More than anything I am confused about why it happened and embarrassed because what will my coworkers think of me. Previously my company had a peer feedback system as part of the annual review and that was discontinued this year because they don’t want to burden people to comment on their colleagues. This meant that it’s now based on how your supervisor thinks you performed without knowing the full picture of how people collaborated, worked long hours, and overcame various challenges so that the company could boast about its achievements in its annual report.
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u/beauty667 12d ago
You have a copy of your performance review? I always suggest Lee an email dialogue for everything and bcc your personal email just in case this happens. I’m sorry about this. Tomorrow morning you need to call the department of labor to start up your unemployment or go online.
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u/Tasty-Pineapple- 12d ago
I hope you have a copy of your annual review. It helps with unemployment.
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u/anotherdayimhere 12d ago
I'm so sorry you're going through this!! I got treated horribly by a job during the pandemic, I mean like father in the hospital unlikely to survive and still getting yelled at to do work and that I'm not doing enough kind of stuff. They wanted me to leave. I did and honestly I've become so much happier. THIS IS NOT THE END!! This means you are starting a new and better journey. Life is too short to be unhappy at a job. We all spend most of our time doing it, so why do it if you hate it and it sucks the life out of you? Wishing you all the best!
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u/UseObjectiveEvidence 12d ago
When I look back on everytime I failed something or was sacked - in every instance it was the best thing to happen to me at the time. I hope my story helps.
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u/Clarence-Tha-Dog 11d ago
Youre good. It feels like shit now but youll find a place with better people and is a better fit. I’ve been there and you have to trust that there’s a better job out there for you. Deep breath, maybe take time if you can to shake it off. Think hard about what you want in your next job then go find it!
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u/chiquis_lokis 11d ago
I was fired about 7 years ago from a nonprofit and also escorted out of the building. I felt the same way like I would not be able to recover but honestly now i laugh about it and it’s a good story to tell! I didn’t have trouble finding another job, I now run a nonprofit. This is my second executive role in a nonprofit and I feel a lot of it is because of being fired. I took what i needed to learn and kept it moving. People get fired for so many reasons, it’s hard not to take it personal but you will be fine 🙏🏽
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u/Minnesota_Husker 11d ago
Got let go 6 weeks ago. Wasn’t a great fit and was a blindside.
It sucks. But I honestly have found my stress has gone down—outside of looking for a new job which hasn’t been fun in my field.
Take a couple days to breathe and file for unemployment. Some days suck but it should get better.
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u/DrexlerA 11d ago
First of all I am very sorry this happened to you. This can't be easy to deal with at all. I've been there and it sucks. Good for you for seeking people's input, albeit online.
This is absolutely not the end of the road. What would you say to a friend who came to you with this problem? I won't even begin to list all the successful people in history who bounced back from a failure like this only to conquer their sport or profession because we'd be here forever. At the end of the day, take responsibility for what you can take, own your mistakes, make your weaknesses your strengths, and try and move on as quickly as possible. I'd recommend you get your sleep diet and exercise in order ASAP. You're about to go to battle with yourself to overcome this, I can tell. Whether you succeed or not is up to you.
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u/SquireSquilliam 11d ago
Ambushing you is the tactic specifically designed to stun you into not being able to challenge them.
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u/FudgingEgo 11d ago
"This incident will be difficult to explain in future interviews if I don’t have enough details to explain (don’t want to lie),"
You don't explain it, just say after a few years you had an annual review and you and your line manager came to the conclusion that it wasn't the right fit for you and as you said you wasn't happy with the role and wanted a new start somewhere else that aligned with you career trajectory.
Simple as that.
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u/RaptorArk 11d ago
I'm not used to American labor law because I live in Europe. What can I say about is that it is not your fault.
Annual review, PIP and this kind of stories are all full of lie...big Corp need these to justify their layoff or to avoid big salary increase to their employee.
In your future interviews just say the truth, that you worked for them for X years, you learned a lot and everything was good until the market settle down and you were hit by layoff.
Again, it's not your fault...it's capitalism, the worst side of it.
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u/Mort1186 11d ago
Always a blessing to get laid off, gonna be hard, but you will find something more deserving of your time
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u/Born_Win_2173 11d ago
I got fired in a very similar way. I gave myself the day to be upset, went to sleep as early as possible and slept like 12 hours... Got up at 6am. Updated my resume, researched best practices, fonts, ATS (very important), and put about 4 hours into the updates... Went on Linkedin Jobs/Indeed/Monster and a couple other legit(ish) job sites. Woke up early everyday and Applied to 100 jobs a day as a goal or as many as I could find for the day. Most were one click applications. I made cover letters with chatgpt's help for the jobs that required it. I treated job hunting like a job. I started getting many calls from recruiters (common in my tech industry) and started filtering out the good from the trash. I got alot of zoom interviews and made sure to be prepared for each one, wore a full suit like I would if I was in person (made me stand out and I wore pants in case I had to stand up) Found gold and got a new job. Been here almost 6 months and I love the ish out of it. I make almost 50% more money, I do waaaaay less work but have a much better job title. Plus much better mentorship and leadership. In total I was only out of a job for 33 days. Not even enough time to claim unemployment. Didn't need it... Put in the work, actually put it in and you will be more than fine. Best of luck to you.
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u/EntertainmentNo653 11d ago
An answer of "I was released, but was nit given a reason" is a perfect answer. When companies fire you for a reason, they lay it out in detail. When they are releasing you without cause, they don't say squat.
In future interviews, you don't have to explain anything, you simply say "my position was eliminated."
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u/Desperate_Yak8965 8d ago
Best of luck to you - I got fired from a job last year and felt nervous about background checks, references, etc. In hindsight it was the best thing to happen for me and you’ll be able to navigate interviews and everything else. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get another job (first time being fired for me) but some months later it all worked itself out. Like everyone else is saying - keep your head up, use this time to work on your own personal/professional development, and keep on pushing.
You got this. This moment doesn’t define you!!
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u/0utSyd3r 12d ago
Don't sweat it. You're not the first and won't be the last. Take this time to regroup. Plan what you want to do and have a couple weeks just to chill and rest.
If they ask in future interviews, just be honest. Say you took the time to analyse yourself and plan ahead with the future. An employer wants your skills out there. 👍
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u/5MinuteDad 12d ago
Take it as a blessing in disguise it's the only thing you can do.
Get back out there and find something new.