I Think I'm Being Fired

[keithster]

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. My co-worker and I are being set up as the scapegoats. Among other things, they want me to travel for 5 weeks when they know I have small children.

It's sucks.

[ladyserenity]

Consider it done! :)
Sometimes employers can be so heartless. All my best wishes, good thoughts, and prayers for you.

[blinc]

Oh man Keithster - that's just awful news. I really hope that maybe it's just a scare and not the real attempt. You'll definitely be in my thoughts! :)

[keithster]

They sent an almost identical reprimand out of the blue to both of us. The problem is that none of the items on the list are my responsibility. And HR is keeping me hanging by telling me that they are talking with management.

They didn't even call or anything to say that there was a problem. It's pretty screwy.

I could go on and on. Amazing. Very, very stressful.

Thanks. You guys and gals are the best. :)

[jamesglewisf]

That's a real bummer, keithster. It's one thing that would make me nervous about not working in the home office. I think it would be harder to set someone up that you see every day in the office. It would also be harder to hide the fact that there was a problem.

I hope things turn out all right. Maybe you should go ahead and start looking for another job regardless. If it is the kind of place where you worry about being set up, then you probably don't want to work there anyhow.

[keithster]

They moved the project to an office in Denmark. Working with the people in CA was great.

I'm on the resume and talked with a headhunter who'd called me a couple of weeks back. The market isn't a terrific as it once was, but it's not bad either.

This is a real mess. The other person is talking with a lawyer. Amazing.

[jamesglewisf]

That's a total bummer. I hope you find another job quickly.

[keithster]

HR called and they put the reprimand aside. I agreed to talk with my new manager and see if we can get on the same page. I wouldn't just jump in a say hooray. I also told them that they had put my family through #@$%. They said that the 5 weeks of travel was off.

I'm relieved, but I'm going to keep working on my resume. Trust has been damaged.

Thanks for the prayers.

[blinc]

Well that's good for the immediate future - but like you, if I was in that position, I'd be typing up my resume too! Geesh! I'd be interested to hear what started this whole ball rolling? Do you have any ideas yet? Someone must have said or did something to make the whole thing happen... HR wouldn't have just came to you out of the blue. hmmm... *looks around suspiciously* Yup. I'd definitely be typing away.

Best of luck to you Keithster!

[keithster]

We think that management needed a scapegoat because the project is at risk of being late. They also may not really like my co-worker. So we both got nailed with email reprimands which were pretty much identical.

They were so worried about being late on the schedule that they took an inappropriate panic action, and the result is that they'll probably loose both of us which will make them truly late. They sure didn't think this through.

I'm still upset about what this did to my family.

I think a few more folks are going to walk away over this. Management was just plain stupid. For HR to back me completely says something. They usually don't do that.

[blinc]

It does indeed say something. You know, that's a shame whoever was in charge reacted that way... you just don't panic and start headhunting when you're behind. You just don't do that! You stand up and account for yourself, but you don't go throwing blame on everyone else. That's just awful management skills, on the part of whomever made the decision to do that.

I don't blame you for being upset - that's your livelihood and your family depends on you. Your wife must have been pretty shook up.

Glad to hear the worst of it's over - and am also very glad to hear you're still going to look around at what else is out there. You're right - if you can't trust the person you're working for - you'll never feel a sense of security in your position and your work life would just be miserable. Once, again - best of luck Keithster... you'll do great out there, whatever you set your heart on. :)