I Lost My Job

[babyharley]

I'm so sorry to hear this! Will you be able to draw unemployment?
I'm unemployed right now too, kinda happened the same way yours did!

Keep your chin up, it'll all be okay!

 

[natalie_ca]

Originally Posted by Mirinae

Out of the blue yesterday, I got called into the HR office at work and was told I no longer have a job -- effective immediately.

I'm so sorry

What a shock!

Apparently they needed someone with different skills? (And yet at no point was I ever told I lacked the skills needed for the position -- the position appeared to have been built around my skill-set -- nor was I ever given work I was unable to do.)

It sounds like there was something more to it. Perhaps one of the higher ups had a relative looking for a job? I know that's happened to me in the past when I've been let go from a job and given some lame reason.

I'm pissed off and hurt, of course, because I never saw this coming. I'd been effectively doing the work of three different people, being paid for one job (the lowest-paying one, of course), and fairly recently I had asked for and been given new equipment in order to do my job. It's like someone woke up yesterday morning and decided I just had to go.

You have every right to be upset. What happened is certainly a shock and it's never fun to be suddenly out of work especially when you are really dependent on the income from said work.

I keep telling myself that it's for the best: I hated that job. Every time my supervisor passed my desk I cringed, thinking he'd misplaced something (again) or had made an error on some data sheet that I would have to correct (again). Everyone was always so stressed and unhappy there; it was truly a miserable place to work, and I'm better off not working there. (At no point did I behave like I felt this way, however -- my attitude at work was always friendly, professional and upbeat.) And I'm glad they waited until after Christmas, so at least my holiday bills are paid off.

If you didn't like the job, then it probably is for the best. Going to a job that you don't like is really stressful and can take it's toll on you.

Also, consider this.... for every door that closes, another one opens, and the next job might very well turn out to be your dream job

Still, I feel completely demoralized, like what the hell is wrong with me that I can't find a job, or that the ones I do find don't want to keep me? I'm smart, I'm hardworking, I have a positive attitude. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

Don't let it affect your self esteem. You sound like you have a number of wonderful qualities. Try not to dwell on what happened. I doubt you did anything wrong. It was probably something internal like someone's daughter needing a job so they picked your job and gave you a lame reason for letting you go.

And I also don't know what to put on my resume, where you're supposed to say your reason for leaving the position. I left because I was apparently useless? I can't say that! I don't know what to say that won't make me look like a total loser.

I'm pretty good at writing up resumes. Let me give that one some thought and I'll post back.

I'm also confused as to whether or not I'm getting two weeks' pay, since I didn't get two weeks' notice. I was basically called into the office yesterday at 4:20pm (ten minutes before my work day ended) and told not to come back. How does that work? I was too shocked to ask any questions (honestly, I was afraid I'd start crying if I even tried to speak), so now I don't know what's going on, but I've worked there for four months -- doesn't that entitle me to either two weeks' notice or two weeks' pay? *sigh*

You should either have gotten 2 weeks notice or 2 weeks pay in lieu of notice. I'm surprised that the HR person didn't mention that to you. It was unprofessional of them not to. Call them and ask them about 2 weeks pay in lieu of not having received 2 weeks notice of termination.

And ask what reason for the termination they are going to be putting on your record of employment.

I'm unhappy and relieved at the same time. I couldn't see myself working there in the long-run (not that I ever let this be known), and I really was miserable and stressed-out working there. It's a horrible place to work. It's just that now I'm left feeling like a loser, like I'm a drain on my fiance (who gets to support me again and it seems like I've spent more time unemployed during our relationship than I have spent being employed), and basically totally demoralized. What the hell is wrong with me?!?

You are not a loser. The company doesn't sound that great from what you have said. Take a few days to rest up and then start looking for something else. And make sure you present yourself in a positive light. If you believe you are a good, valuable, dependable, reliable, hardworking and efficient person, then you will come across that way. If you consider yourself a "loser" and "not worthy" then that will be projected to potential employers and you don't want that.

Also, just a bit of insight as to why they told you at 4:20pm and not at the start of the day, and the reason for not giving you 2 weeks notice.....

It's a companies way to prevent an employee from deleting or tampering with work files. Many companies these days don't give 2 weeks notice. They would rather play it safe and pay 2 weeks of wages than to give the person time to destroy things.

Back in 1994 I was working as a paralegal for a female lawyer. When I first started there the office was a smoking office and she used my "asthma" as an excuse to turn the office into a non smoking one. About 10 months into my employment she's suddenly starting to allow people to smoke, and when I mentioned it she would say something like "if it's bothering you it might be better if we helped find you something in a non smoking office" or something along those lines.

I figured right then that she was trying to get rid of me for some reason but because of our employment insurance laws where I live if you quit your job you don't qualify for employment insurance. So I decided that if she wanted me gone she would have to be the bad guy. I had already decided that I was going to be quitting in the spring in order to take some classes and return to school full time.

Anyway one Thursday in January she asked if I could come into work early the next day to get some court documents ready. So I went in 2 hours early the next day (Friday). That same Friday in January, almost to the day that I had started there, she calls me from the court house almost at 5pm and asks me if I can stay a couple of hours overtime in order to do up some affidavits for a really important case. I agreed.

Also, that Friday morning my bank called her for an employment reference for a loan that I was trying to secure and she gave them one.

Anyway, she comes into the office and we work on the affidavits with her clients until almost 8:00pm. After the clients left I reminded her of payday. She once again claimed to have "forgotten". She said she would have her mother do up the payroll and she would come by my home on Sunday and drop off my pay cheque to me. I told her that I needed my pay cheque "today" because I had bills that needed to be paid and financial committments to meet.

When she saw that I wasn't leaving without my pay cheque, she went to her brief case and pulled out an envelope that contained my pay cheque and then told me that the cheque contained an additional 2 weeks of wages in lieu of 2 weeks notice. She then added that she was letting me go because she finds that she can't afford 2 full time people and that she needs to have one of the positions go part time and since I was the new kid on the block so to speak, it was my position.

At no time did she ever approach me about part time. The coward planned on dropping the bomb on me on Sunday when I was well away from her office.

I later found out from the other girl in the office that the "part time" person turned out to be the lawyers previous secretary who returned to the city looking for work. The part time status lasted all of 2 weeks and then she was made full time again.

 

[mirinae]

Thanks so much, everyone, for all the kind words and vibes!

I'm trying to look at this as a good thing and not so much as a setback. Like I said, I hated it there and it was a miserable work environment. I will find something better to do for a living.

Many

and warm thoughts to you all!

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by Mirinae

Thanks so much, everyone, for all the kind words and vibes!

I'm trying to look at this as a good thing and not so much as a setback. Like I said, I hated it there and it was a miserable work environment. I will find something better to do for a living.

Many

and warm thoughts to you all!

Remember that there are a lot of people here willing to help you with the resume and support. Just need to ask.

 

[rapunzel47]

Mirinae, I'm late to this thread, and you've already got lots of good advice. So, let me just say that what they did stinks, and send you lots of "find a fantastic new job" vibes.