Got Fired From Work
- Thread starter Keanu
- Start date
calloway said:
The way it was in the company especially after the union thing...I just felt like a guy with SARS ( ok here comes the unless you had SARS arguement) to the management staff. I am black and my folks have long talked about how badly they had it as kids so no desire to offend here.
Excellent advise from all but....
Why a Union? Look at good old Bob Ray. Got elected and rolled over to the establishment. Just missed becoming the head of the Liberal Party now that's a long way from the NDP. He's a Road Scholar (excuse spelling). With all the union lay offs especially in the automotive industry what does that tell you. Unions are a thing of the past. You only made one mistake. You got involved with a loosing entity.
Seems you had a good job with reasonable pay. What motivated you?
Keanu said:
Why a Union? Look at good old Bob Ray. Got elected and rolled over to the establishment. Just missed becoming the head of the Liberal Party now that's a long way from the NDP. He's a Road Scholar (excuse spelling). With all the union lay offs especially in the automotive industry what does that tell you. Unions are a thing of the past. You only made one mistake. You got involved with a loosing entity.
Seems you had a good job with reasonable pay. What motivated you?
Keanu,
I have often had friends or co-workers fired simply because a manangement type just didn't like them. It happens all the time.
But, what I have noticed is that truly talented people are not out of work for very long.
One of the better suggestions is to get letters from co-workers on your job performance from their standpoint. It's nopt for a lawsuit it's for your resume. If you can get a great number of your co-workeerd to write such a letter you will be able to get past the firing with a potential new job much easier.
Good luck. It's only a small part of your life and you will come out of this a better person. You've learned a lot from the experience and will know better the next time.
I've been fired once in my life and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was a reality check and I've never looked back since.
I have often had friends or co-workers fired simply because a manangement type just didn't like them. It happens all the time.
But, what I have noticed is that truly talented people are not out of work for very long.
One of the better suggestions is to get letters from co-workers on your job performance from their standpoint. It's nopt for a lawsuit it's for your resume. If you can get a great number of your co-workeerd to write such a letter you will be able to get past the firing with a potential new job much easier.
Good luck. It's only a small part of your life and you will come out of this a better person. You've learned a lot from the experience and will know better the next time.
I've been fired once in my life and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was a reality check and I've never looked back since.
toughb said:Seems you had a good job with reasonable pay. What motivated you?
The entire complex I worked in was unionized. As contractors were were the only ones that weren't and as a result were making much less then our union friends for doing the same job, and we had no protection when beefs would occur. I was making $16 as a supervisor. Some guys were getting a few bucks less. Our union friends were getting over $24 for my job. Everyone in the complex signed a petition to get us unionized because the pay gap was so large. In the end, I bit the dust. out of a crew of 50 people, a 42 turnover has occured in the past year. My life consisted of retraining and watching them learn through error. It has been a stressful ride.
The good thing is I finally get to sleep, and relax. Not having a break for well over 2 years was exhausting. I've been told by a friend that it will probably take me a few months to get my body back to where it should be. All that huge overtime, just for the pleasure of living in expensive Toronto.
I think the management did the right thing getting rid of you after you tried to bring in a union.
You were obviously not happy and should have moved on, instead of trying to upset the apple cart.
You were obviously not happy and should have moved on, instead of trying to upset the apple cart.
MarkII said:
It is a hell of a reality check. I just pissed away over 2 years of my life working 60-75 hours a week, mainly grueling midnight shifts, and now a huge load is off the shoulders. I finally have time to smell the roses and hopefully a few pussies down at the Cannonball.
A whole lot is going through my mind. First off, I want to only work 40 hours a week and have a life. Never again will I do this many hours, especially in such a harsh environment. Thanks for your thoughts.
Keanu said:
Thats the way to think. Whats done is done.
Moving forward will be the only thing you can do that is positive.
Still you may have recourse against this company. Even if a contract worker. I have worked under contract for the past 25 years and you do have certain rights that are extended to you under the labour laws as a contract worker. However I am not a lawyer and you need a professional opinion. Keep in mind a lawsuit against your former employer is not a good signal for a future employer. Weigh the outcome versus your future before prcedding.
Often Labour lawyers will take on your case for a percentage. Thats would be the route to go if you decide to pursue legal remedy. You chances from what others have said seem slim but I would at least take advantage of the first meeting free that many lawyers offer to see if indeed you have a case. I suggest you see several lawyers for an opinion. After all they are in biz as well and will often tell you have a case...but not how valid the case is. It's about billable hours to them.
Take some time. Get your thoughts into the future not the past.
This will pass and you will be fine.
Papi Chulo said:
The union came to us. If management fired everybody that wanted a union nobody would be left. Management was scared that certain of my peers would go to the client and give them the real truth about what our company does and doesn't do which put the fright to headquarters, as they might lose other connected contacts as well (we don't do what they sell to the clients). I was made an example of basically. It's also pretty well known I'm not the type to go to the client or pull that type of stuff. All this talk about discrimination and the labour board is very much against how I operated at work. it just sucks to be an easy target. The golden rule taught to me by the old man was, "never talk about anyone at work, whether good or bad."
It's a learning experience, and hopefully in a few days I'll leave it all behind on a mental level, depending on how they handle my reamaining pay owed, and bonus I was promised last month. Life isn't always fair and I made my share of mistakes.
Sorry to hear about what happened, Keanu. I know you're in shock right now, as I've been fired before too. But, trust me, life does go on. Think of this as an opportunity to do something you really want.
Good luck, I hope you find something you like soon.
Good luck, I hope you find something you like soon.
bayisle66 said:
Actually, I've read quite a few termination cases in the government. A more accurate statement would be that it's very difficult to be laid off if you have a government job and a decent amount of seniority. Just cause is just cause, and if the employer has it then you're usually shit out of luck.
Know of that which you speak.
dragnbiz said:
You guys are talking apples and oranges.
There is notice (or pay-in-lieu of notice, which is also known as termination pay) and there is severance pay. They are different and distinct.
The easy one is severance pay. It only applies if your employer has a payroll of $2.5 million or more and 50+ employees. If either of those are not true, then severance pay never applies. Also, if you're fired for cause, you don't get severance pay.
When an employer wants to get rid of you for any reason other than discrimination (race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, etc., as per the Human Rights Code; not just "my boss didn't like me"), you must be given notice. The amount of notice is as per the chart someone listed earlier. The rule of thumb (though technically there is no rule of thumb) is one week per year of service up to eight weeks. If the employer wants you gone today, you can be given pay-in-lieu of notice instead (equal to what you would have earned had you worked). You are entitled to zero notice if you are fired for cause.
People can be terminated at the whim of the employer provided they are not terminated based on a prohibited ground as per the Ontario Human Rights Code (i.e., based on one of the protected grounds). You are not entitled to your job, just as there is no obligation that prevents you from quitting at any time. People don't realize that. Instead, people think they have some kind of entitlement to their job. Not true. If your boss simply doesn't like you, he can get rid of you provided that proper notice (and possibly severance) is given. Note that in unionized or contract situations, the employer is bound by whatever is in the collective agreement/contract.
In this particular situation, the employer's lawyer could pretty much rip the OP a new asshole on the stand and paint him to be a trouble maker, slacker, and someone who deserved to be fired (i.e., just cause for dismissal). Sure the organizing efforts might be a mitigating factor, but the OP better have a good lawyer and some good evidence to prove it.
shakenbake
Senior Turgid Member
Lawyers often get a bad rap. Most do a good job and are really honest people! This is from my experiences with them. After all, if they really want to be successful, they will want to take care of you to earn repeat business and good word-of-mouth reputation.
shakenbake
Senior Turgid Member
Keebler Elf said:
Another difference between severance and termination pay are the length of tuime the ex employee worked for the company, if memory serves me correctly.
Keebler Elf said:
Ya, they have enough to get me out. It was pretty humiliating being paraded out with 2 security officers, and a manager for all to see, lol. The bad exit got me a little bitter. I barely had any time to get my things. One day you're a star greeted by many in the hall. The next day, you're a criminal, and banned from property. Cold reality. I can't wait until Monday to try and see what is out there.
Keebler Elf said:Actually, I've read quite a few termination cases in the government. A more accurate statement would be that it's very difficult to be laid off if you have a government job and a decent amount of seniority. Just cause is just cause, and if the employer has it then you're usually shit out of luck.
Know of that which you speak.
I'd love to get some tips on how to get rid of people! I'm a Fed Gov't Mgr (Director) with a little shy of 200 people working for me, and getting rid of someone is a nightmare, unless they're Casual or Term. Short of a deliberate act of fraud or an act of a criminal nature, committed at work, the staffing and time required to remove a sub-standard employee is almost unmanageable. It has taken over a year, in 2 cases, to accumulate enough evidence of incompetence and poor attitude, to permit me to fire poor performers. While the VAST majority of my staff are dedicated, hard-working, responsible people. The ones who aren't, sure know their way around the Collective Agreement.
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