LegalInquery
Junior Member
I live and work in NYC. I am having a fear of being fired for unjust reason.
For almost a year I have been working (full time) for the start-up financial firm (about 80 people strong), which seems to be very successful in the market. I was originally hired for a pretty senior management role, but exact duties and responsibilities were not well defined by my superiors at the time of hire since the company was pretty new. From the first day I would be given various assignments which I would perform with outstandingly. I had been recognized by my superior many times for being dedicated, loyal, hard working, great asset to the team and great performer etc.
I think that as time went by, the superiors realized that the role that I was originally brought in, is not as much needed.
I have been constantly offering myself for all kinds of assignments, which I can do by definition, given that I have a pretty extensive background in the field. Sometimes, my offers were being taken, but rarely.
Another point to make is that I was honored with an anual bonus (same formula, as everyone else - percentage of my salary), which means that my good performance was recognized. However, my salary raise was very minimal!!, and the reason for that was that it is (my salary), one of the highest in the department and the management needs to bring certain other employees up to the same level, since they work at the company for longer and some of their responsibilities are the same as mine.
My other observation is that there were some people who got hired recently, who were assigned responsibilities that could simply be a sub-set of my responsibilities (I could easily take them on on the top of existing ones). It was not made into a secret that their compensation is lower then mine.
I was delicately hinted by my superior a couple of weeks back that there is a possibility that the top management will try to do a major reorganization/lay offs in our department and it may affect some people. I specifically asked if I am on the list of those who might get affected first, but I was not given a clear answer.
Again, based on all tell-tell signs the company is definitely is not in financial hardship, shortage of funds etc. (expansion, hiring, spending money on interior decorations, etc). Based on my observations and analysis, I might be in danger of being laid off because the top management thinks that they can continue their business without their my role OR reorganize in such a way that lower paid individuals will be hired for the role.
I have a family, 10 month-old child and ending up without a job worries me a great deal.
Is there anything you can suggest that I need to know/do to prevent/mitigate this situation? Would it be legal for a company to fire a person based on the details that I described above.
Many thanks,
G.
For almost a year I have been working (full time) for the start-up financial firm (about 80 people strong), which seems to be very successful in the market. I was originally hired for a pretty senior management role, but exact duties and responsibilities were not well defined by my superiors at the time of hire since the company was pretty new. From the first day I would be given various assignments which I would perform with outstandingly. I had been recognized by my superior many times for being dedicated, loyal, hard working, great asset to the team and great performer etc.
I think that as time went by, the superiors realized that the role that I was originally brought in, is not as much needed.
I have been constantly offering myself for all kinds of assignments, which I can do by definition, given that I have a pretty extensive background in the field. Sometimes, my offers were being taken, but rarely.
Another point to make is that I was honored with an anual bonus (same formula, as everyone else - percentage of my salary), which means that my good performance was recognized. However, my salary raise was very minimal!!, and the reason for that was that it is (my salary), one of the highest in the department and the management needs to bring certain other employees up to the same level, since they work at the company for longer and some of their responsibilities are the same as mine.
My other observation is that there were some people who got hired recently, who were assigned responsibilities that could simply be a sub-set of my responsibilities (I could easily take them on on the top of existing ones). It was not made into a secret that their compensation is lower then mine.
I was delicately hinted by my superior a couple of weeks back that there is a possibility that the top management will try to do a major reorganization/lay offs in our department and it may affect some people. I specifically asked if I am on the list of those who might get affected first, but I was not given a clear answer.
Again, based on all tell-tell signs the company is definitely is not in financial hardship, shortage of funds etc. (expansion, hiring, spending money on interior decorations, etc). Based on my observations and analysis, I might be in danger of being laid off because the top management thinks that they can continue their business without their my role OR reorganize in such a way that lower paid individuals will be hired for the role.
I have a family, 10 month-old child and ending up without a job worries me a great deal.
Is there anything you can suggest that I need to know/do to prevent/mitigate this situation? Would it be legal for a company to fire a person based on the details that I described above.
Many thanks,
G.
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