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Termination--RIF--NOT!

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Kristin36

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Indiana

In reading this forum and basically knowing the law, I'm sure I have no recourse, but wanted to post anyway just to make sure. I'm sorry it's long. I want to post all the facts.

'XYZ' company hired me in Feb 2004. Small company--35 employees. Owned/operated by a father/son team. Father tried to hand reins over to son. Son is not managing company well. Bad financial difficulites arise. Father returns back from FL to take back over, and NOT happy about it. Father is approaching 70 yrs old. Founded this business 24 yrs ago.

I was the receptionist. I know pretty much everything that goes on, or can come close to figuring things out. I know how to play stupid and keep my mouth shut as well. LOTS of collection calls for months. 'XYZ' isn't paying their bills.

Anyway, in May, we are all told that we are having a 'benefits' meeting nearby. Yeah, right, ok. We had all heard rumors. Turns out the rumor was true. They told us that as of that morning, we were all terminated. 'XYZ' company had been sold to large 'ABC' company. 'ABC' company stated that anyone willing to stay would have a job, but we would be moving to their building/location. Anyone wanting to stay, please fill out an application, go back to 'XYZ' company, business as usual. Ok, fine. everyone stays and decides to ride it out, see what happens. 'ABC' company retains the son of 'XYZ' company as part of the package deal as well. Salesman. BIG BS'er. Wouldn't know or tell the truth if confronted with evidence that he lied.

Anyway, 'ABC' company never comes in to check anything out, see how things are going, nothing. Ok, that sends red flags up to me. You buy a company, not only do you check it out throughly before you buy it, you keep an eye on your business/investment. Anyway, 'ABC' just totally relies on son of 'XYZ' to keep them informed of things, and he lies. We ask son of 'XYZ' questions and such about fact or rumor, he says he'll get back with us. Yeah, ok. We heard a couple of more rumors, he denied them, we proved he was lying, he retracted. You get the picture here.

Anyway, during the transaction, we were all told that we were not to mention anything about the sale to anyone until all the clients had been told. Ok...that's common sense business-wise. So, finally, a teeny-tiny press release is issued. All the clients have been told. I keep getting all these vendor calls non-stop and ask son of 'XYZ' if I can now tell them the company had been sold, please don't call again. He says 'Fine, I don't want want to deal with them' Owner of 'XYZ' has no power, nothing. Just shows up for a few hours each morning to stick his nose up everyone's business. He can't even advise or make decisions anymore. He's out. One of 'XYZs' creditors called. Posed himself as a vendor. I tell him 'XYZs' been sold THEN he states that he is really from 'DEF' company and demands to speak to the former owner of 'XYZ' because they owe a huge amount of money! Oh man! I'm scared at this point, even though I didn't disclose anything that anyone could have found out from reading the newspaper. Well, when the former owner gets off the phone, he screams at me all the way from HIS office to the front lobby that I am 'NOT to tell ANYONE the company has been sold--EVER. What am I? Stupid?' Now, I have been covering with the new company as to why I am still answering the phones 'XYZ' and not 'ABC'. What? Am I supposed to tell them that I can't answer the phones 'ABC' because 'XYZ' hasn't been paying bills for months and still isn't and doesn't want their creditors to know? Put me in a really difficult position to say the least. Anyway, owner 'XYZ' starts to fire me on the spot, realizes that he has no power and walks away.

Fast forward to 3 weeks later. I come back from my wedding and find out that myself and 2 others are 'being terminated due to RIF' Ok, yeah, right. The other 2 had attendance issues and it was no surprise to them or anyone else that happened. However, I'm still hearing weeks later that no one can figure out why I was RIF'd. No one else has been, and they are hiring. A couple of co-workers however, know the truth. I believe that son of 'XYZ' went to 'ABC' and fabricated some farce to get them to term me because of his father and what I accidently did. They covered their butts really well in just lumping all 3 of us into RIF. They had no just cause to fire me per say, (No verbal or written warnings, nothing negative whatsoever, no attendance issues, etc), so they just got 'ABC' to RIF us all and gave us all pay for time worked (8 days out of 10) and 2 weeks severance.

I have tried calling 'ABC' company to let them know how I feel and what I think. I was able to talk to one Manager who was very shocked and interested in hearing what I had to say, but nothing more has transpired since then. The move was totally complete as of EOB today. Unemployment isn't contested and I have a letter of recommendation stating that my losing my job was totally due to downsizing, and not job performance or any other issues. *I typed it myself on company letterhead and had son of 'XYZ' sign it as the term letter states that anyone having any questions about the term needs to call him or the new CFO of 'ABC' company.* I'm not sure that I will get a fair recommendation verbally though. Anyway, I'm sure I can do nothing more, but at least I tried. Thank you for reading and for any input.
 
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cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Next time, please put in some paragraphs; one single block of text is very hard to read.'

As you've already figured out, you have no recourse. Indiana, like every other state except Montana (and even including Montana in some cases) is an at-will state, which means that you can quit at any time and for any reason, and they can fire you at any time and for any reason not prohibited by law. Nothing that has transpired is illegal. It may or may not be unfair, but not everything that is unfair is illegal.
 

Kristin36

Junior Member
My deepest apologies and I thank you for your input. Unfortunately, lying, vindictive ex-bosses being idiot @$$**** isn't illegal. I'm probably better off NOT working for this new company if this is how they want to conduct business and be that blind. :confused: :eek: Have a great weekend.
 
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