jason_21218
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Maryland
Greetings All,
I was fired today- 4 days into a 8 week performance review. I had been working for this company for almost 2 years. My boss, whose name is Josh, has given me positive reviews in the past, has given me generous raises, and in fact, had promised another nice raise in Feb 2008.
This review was on Monday (October 29), and in part states:
"Employee must show improvement in attitude and follow guidelines over the next two weeks. After those initial two weeks if improvement has been seen employee will be given two more weeks to show improvement. After those two weeks employee will be given an additional month to show improvement"
(There was more to the review, but that's basically the time frame I was given for improvement.)
On Tuesday morning, I spoke to one of the Co-Owners, and showed him my review. I was pretty agitated and confused...I had no idea my job performance, attitude, etc were even in question. He said to relax (I was kinda stressed) and that it was no big deal, just apply myself to the stated expectations, and not to worry. He said "if he really wanted to fire you...he'd just fire you". He also told me that another employee had been through the same review situation before, and it worked out. He told me this employees name, and a bit about the review that employee had been through. I kinda apologized for even bothering him, and he said it was OK, that it was OK to talk to him abut it.
I then went back to my department and talked a bit to my two Co Workers about the situation. I showed one if them the actual review, and he mentioned how he had been through a similar situation at our company. After a bit we all got to work, and I started following the reviews' guidelines and such.
Everything seemed to be going well, but a few days later, I was fired. I was kinda shocked, and asked why I was being let go. Their answer was that I had violated company policy by discussing the review process itself with others- that all reviews are to be kept confidential and such. I said I didn't know that, and no idea that was against the company rules. They said I had been told, at the beginning of the review itself. I wasn't. I wouldn't have brought it up to others had that been the case.
There's a major flaw with this reason for firing me, though- My boss's own actions in the past.
You see, earlier this year, he fired another employee, after a review process similar to mine. Not only did he discuss with the rest of us the 'confidential' details of their review meeting, but he bragged about how 'thats how you fire some one.....give them a bunch of biweekly reviews and they just end up quitting eventually!" (sounds familiar)
In fact, the details of her review were basically ALL we talked about in the Dept for several weeks! This person had been fired for looking at internet porn and dating sites and such, and Josh described in detail the type of sites she was visiting, how he had told her in the review to stop it, how he asked her to sign a statement that she wouldn't do it again, etc. ...he even told us the SCREEN NAME she was using at Adult Friendfinder.com! (I still have it, if any one, you know,... uh never-mind).
We talked about her review all the time, and the discussions actually got funny at times. We joked and made the boss laugh about the whole thing and visa versa. The whole matter was discussed out in the open, by the boss himself. So when I was up for review, I had no reservation about discussing it with others. Josh had always fostered an open atmosphere...where we could talk about stuff.
That's why I don't feel I was terminated through my own fault. I suspect they are trying to reduce staff without paying UI benefits.
What I'm looking for here is some advice on what to say in the UI claim, what I should say, what I SHOULDN'T say, etc.
Thanks
Jason
Greetings All,
I was fired today- 4 days into a 8 week performance review. I had been working for this company for almost 2 years. My boss, whose name is Josh, has given me positive reviews in the past, has given me generous raises, and in fact, had promised another nice raise in Feb 2008.
This review was on Monday (October 29), and in part states:
"Employee must show improvement in attitude and follow guidelines over the next two weeks. After those initial two weeks if improvement has been seen employee will be given two more weeks to show improvement. After those two weeks employee will be given an additional month to show improvement"
(There was more to the review, but that's basically the time frame I was given for improvement.)
On Tuesday morning, I spoke to one of the Co-Owners, and showed him my review. I was pretty agitated and confused...I had no idea my job performance, attitude, etc were even in question. He said to relax (I was kinda stressed) and that it was no big deal, just apply myself to the stated expectations, and not to worry. He said "if he really wanted to fire you...he'd just fire you". He also told me that another employee had been through the same review situation before, and it worked out. He told me this employees name, and a bit about the review that employee had been through. I kinda apologized for even bothering him, and he said it was OK, that it was OK to talk to him abut it.
I then went back to my department and talked a bit to my two Co Workers about the situation. I showed one if them the actual review, and he mentioned how he had been through a similar situation at our company. After a bit we all got to work, and I started following the reviews' guidelines and such.
Everything seemed to be going well, but a few days later, I was fired. I was kinda shocked, and asked why I was being let go. Their answer was that I had violated company policy by discussing the review process itself with others- that all reviews are to be kept confidential and such. I said I didn't know that, and no idea that was against the company rules. They said I had been told, at the beginning of the review itself. I wasn't. I wouldn't have brought it up to others had that been the case.
There's a major flaw with this reason for firing me, though- My boss's own actions in the past.
You see, earlier this year, he fired another employee, after a review process similar to mine. Not only did he discuss with the rest of us the 'confidential' details of their review meeting, but he bragged about how 'thats how you fire some one.....give them a bunch of biweekly reviews and they just end up quitting eventually!" (sounds familiar)
In fact, the details of her review were basically ALL we talked about in the Dept for several weeks! This person had been fired for looking at internet porn and dating sites and such, and Josh described in detail the type of sites she was visiting, how he had told her in the review to stop it, how he asked her to sign a statement that she wouldn't do it again, etc. ...he even told us the SCREEN NAME she was using at Adult Friendfinder.com! (I still have it, if any one, you know,... uh never-mind).
We talked about her review all the time, and the discussions actually got funny at times. We joked and made the boss laugh about the whole thing and visa versa. The whole matter was discussed out in the open, by the boss himself. So when I was up for review, I had no reservation about discussing it with others. Josh had always fostered an open atmosphere...where we could talk about stuff.
That's why I don't feel I was terminated through my own fault. I suspect they are trying to reduce staff without paying UI benefits.
What I'm looking for here is some advice on what to say in the UI claim, what I should say, what I SHOULDN'T say, etc.
Thanks
Jason