And they wonder why employers can't keep good people

[stripped]

What is the name of your state?
Indiana

I having been employed in a non skilled job performed duties of a skilled nature to help out my employer.

He was so taken with the outcome of such work that, he advised he
was thinking of changing my job to only the skilled duties. I advised
that, I hoped he would see the benefit and looked forward to negotiating
with him on this.

Unexpectedly he summoned me to discuss this the next day.

I was advised of everything they would require of me and when
time came to discuss compensation. He wanted me to perform the
duties immediately and trust him to compensate fairly later !

He ended up firing me twice during this meeting first for not
trusting him and then for not doing the job for my current
rate of pay.

Worth mentioning my quality assurance assessments in the non
skilled duties is always in the 90 percentile.

Attendance also in the 90 percentile.

Can they do this in america?

 

[BelizeBreeze]

Of course they can.
Do you think you're ENTITLED to a job? To a nice boss? Do you think your rights trump those of your bosses?

 

[stripped]

if working poor continue to work for free, won't they always be poor?

Did not mean to offend anyone and thanks for the finger.
I just don't understand how a person can be summoned to
negotiate terms of change in working relationship and end
up fired.

 

[BelizeBreeze]

Did not mean to offend anyone and thanks for the finger.
I just don't understand how a person can be summoned to
negotiate terms of change in working relationship and end
up fired.

How? Because you can be fired for anything that is not a protected class.

This is America. It's called freedom. Just as you have the freedom to decide not to work for someone, they have the right to decide who not to let work for them.

 

[stripped]

I know employment is at will but.................

You are pretty hostile about this and I will say again I mean no harm.
Just trying to get opinions other than mine. Hopefully we can agree
to disagree.

I work for a living ? My present financial necessities(shelter,trans,food, etc)
do not permit me to offer skills i've acquired over the past eighteen years
for free.

If what you are trying to tell me is to stop crying over it.
Forgive me for being stunned. Understand I had a position before
we entered the discussion. I am surprised that I was called in to
negotiate pay and duties and ended up totally fired.

I hope to hear more opinions whether the same as yours or otherwise.
Sorry you can't see my point of view. I do see yours.

 

[cbg]

While I understand why you are upset, on the basis of the facts in your post nothing illegal has transpired. Negotiation means both sides have to give a little. If the employer is not happy with what you put on the table, or thinks you are not happy with what he is putting on the table, he is free to terminate negotiations (and your employment).

 

[stripped]

Thank you for your kind response. I was not asking for everyone to
agree with me. I know what at will means and I also did give a little.
I didn't go into full details because I was new to site and didn't know
how much space was available.

After having lived through colon cancer surgery and chemotherapy
with a grim prognosis I began working for this company as a
janitor instead of supervisor of janitors to alleviate amount of
stress in my life. The people hired for the most part are totally
unskilled at time of hire. I came on with years of experience both
as a janitor and supervisor of same.

Recently with school about to begin, I saw that my employer
needed the use of skilled labor. We work cleaning schools.
Because they had no one really experienced to perform
hard floor refinishing(stripping/rewaxing floors) approximately
5 years of numerous layers of wax were on the floors.
They were receiving pressure to make the floors presentable.
I did something I should have long ago learned not to do
and that is I volunteered to strip and rewax every hard
floor in the building which I worked. This is labor intense work.
I really had to push myself to do this to 36 plus rooms and
areas in three weeks singlehandedly. When getting them done for their
client wasn't fast enough I volunteered to change to
another shift to complete the job faster.

Then they started pulling me out to do other schools not
realizing or caring how much this was taking out of me.

I requested that I be returned to my shift and I was.

Then they needed the corridors completed in my bldg.
done in lest than 24 hours, I got it done for them.
The only compensation I asked for upon completion
was that they replace the $80.00 work boots ruined
by the more than fifty gallons of stripper required to
do the job. They told me they could not accomodate
that request.

At any rate, not only did the occupants of the bldg.
and the public rave over the beautiful floors the boss
did too. That is why he wanted me to take the position
of doing floors at the other 9 schools as well.

I know at will work means termination at mine or his
discretion. I just do not believe this was a win win
situation. When I hired in this man promised that
if I were all that my resume promised I would at
the end of the year be making median income
of $10.00 per hour as a janitor,it has been a
year and a half and I make 9.59 including the first
increase I received for being able to handle
more skilled labor than he previously had. Here he was
asking me to immediately perform duties of a more skilled
nature and to trust him to boost my salary
fairly later.

Now that you all have shown me the error in my
thinking I can only hope that, I am not denied my
unemployment. I am told that employers can not
arbitrarily change job description.

 

[cbg]

No law prohibits an employer from unilaterally changing the job description. While a significant change MIGHT (depending on state regulations and the exact circumstances) mean that you are eligible for unemployment, it is in no way illegal unless you have a bona fide enforceable contract that forbids it.

 

[stripped]

I would again like to thank you for your kind ear. All I can do is hope.
I guess the reason I keep replying is I am trying to get someone
to help me see this from his point of view. I can't seem to wrap
my brain around someone seeking to fill one position and becoming
angry enough to cancel two positions. This is a manager who
wants me to trust him.

I have just received an email from someone I know who is
affiliated with u/c they seem pretty sure I have a claim.
They say though employers can fire at will it should be
a legitimate reason to terminate.

 

[cbg]

No one here is inside your employer's head. No one here can tell you what he was thinking or why he did what he did.

It is possible that you may qualify for unemployment. That does not mean the employer did anything illegal. Contrary to what many people appear to believe, it is quite possible to be legally fired and still receive unemployment.

 

[stripped]

Thank you again. True no one can get inside his head.
He thinks one thing.
You think another.
I think something else.
Perhaps there are people out there who think like all
of us.
I wouldn't know if I didn't ask.
Thanks again you provided a wealth of constructive
thought on this issue. I truly do appreciate your
input.
I hope for the best for he and I. Of course, you too !

After filing for unemployment this morning, I returned
to turn in the company property.

Gentleman who fired me on friday asked to speak with me.
He said:
1. He was sorry for having become angry during our
conversation but, I had been so combative he couldn't help himself.

2. He said he never fired me.

3. He said he has come aware of problems at the location
which I worked and could not allow me to go back there.

4. He would be kind enough to allow me to accept the position
he offered friday with no increase in pay, otherwise he wanted
my resignation.

I advised that,

1. I appreciated his apoligizing but, I had not provoked him.

2. He did in fact fire me twice in the same meeting.

3. I would not accept the position and would not resign since
I had been fired on friday.

4. I further advised that, he initially became upset that
I would not trust him but, the conversation we had today
is the reason I don't trust him and think it best that I move on.