Just got fired

[shortylickens]

I try not to complain about work related stuff here on Anandtech, but some of you may have heard me in other job threads complaining about lack of quality management and how I'd like to quit.

This evening that decision was made for me. Before I went in my manager called me up and we had a little chat. Along with my supervisor and some sweet ladies from human resources.
What amazes me is how incredibly nice they all were about the situation. They were totally unhappy with my performance but still made the termination sound like a big ol' party.

Overall, I am good. How many people here have a had a job so crummy they were actually grateful to be let go?
Its more relief than happiness or joy. I dont have to deal with their BS anymore and can concentrate on college instead.

For reference: I own my car, live in a cheap apartment, never got bogged down with a wife and kid, and still have 40 grand from the Navy College Fund which I havent even touched yet.

 

[tasmanian]

But you dont get unemployment right?

 

[shortylickens]

Not sure. I'm living in Oregon right now and the HR ladies made it clear that unemployment is never for sure. It depends on how you were terminated.

One of the many things they put on my seperation page (which I didnt agree with) was that I didnt put any effort into learning my job.
Now I know thats not true, but the unemployment office wont care at all about that. And it may be one of those things that keeps me from drawing benefits.
I sincerely hope not.

 

[SuperSix]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
Not sure. I'm living in Oregon right now and the HR ladies made it clear that unemployment is never for sure. It depends on how you were terminated.

One of the many things they put on my seperation page (which I didnt agree with) was that I didnt put any effort into learning my job.
Now I know thats not true, but the unemployment office wont care at all about that. And it may be one of those things that keeps me from drawing benefits.
I sincerely hope not.

There's a reason they were "sweet", and a reason they are in HR.

Did you sign something agreeing to their observations? You didn't have to, their job is to limit unemployment costs, and they seem to have succeeded.

Good luck though!

 

[shortylickens]

CRAP!
Yes, I signed. They had a little box on the back for comments and I made plenty, but in hindsight I probably should have refused to sign.

 

[Captante]

Been fired twice in my life ... one came as a total shock (came from way up the food chain) & the second time I had been looking forward to it!

 

[dawp]

go ahead and file for unemployment. chances are you'll get it. I was fired from a cabinnet shop once that I hated and they fought it but in the end i got it.

 

[compuwiz1]

I can honestly say that at 48 years old, I have never been fired. I've lost plenty of jobs due to company layoffs, sell outs, etc.

 

[BoomerD]

I can't count the number of times I've been laid off, but I've only been fired for cause a handful of times...and yeah, a couple of times it was a relief to get run off... I've never minded quitting a job for another one...and rarely give any notice when I go, but sometimes a bad job is better than no job, and I'll often put up with horrible working conditions until I get another one lined up.
I have a bazillion anecdotes on the subject, but they're better left for a different thread...

 

[Soundmanred]

I've been so much happier since I quit my job! I get to spend more time with my 16 month old daughter that I got bogged down with.
I can concentrate on buying and selling online and make more than what my paycheck was without the BS.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

I was fired (relatively speaking) from a job that you can't get fired from. I got kicked out of the Navy with an honorable discharge on the new PRT rules. I could have fought it but I was tired of it at that point. I now work for the state and have 80% disability through the VA. An ex E6 making E4 pay without the BS.

EDIT: On a side note, I do miss the Navy sometimes. The civilian world is just crazy. I've been out for over a year, and I still don't think I'm used to it yet.

 

[dr150]

Sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is getting "downsized".

You have no idea how many highly educated INCOMPETENT/STUPID/SELFISH/POLITICIZING "look at me" egocentric managers there are. It's truly mesmerizing!!

One bad manager can ruin a whole group.


Think of your firing as a rebirth!

BTW, the reason they were so nice to you is that they don't want you to sue them for discrimination.....seriously!

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
I was fired (relatively speaking) from a job that you can't get fired from. I got kicked out of the Navy with an honorable discharge on the new PRT rules. I could have fought it but I was tired of it at that point. I now work for the state and have 80% disability through the VA. An ex E6 making E4 pay without the BS.

EDIT: On a side note, I do miss the Navy sometimes. The civilian world is just crazy. I've been out for over a year, and I still don't think I'm used to it yet.

Jesus dude! Are you my clone?

The Navy didnt kick me out but I couldnt reenlist because I failed my last PRT (part of the new standards). I've been out for over a year as well and I also dont think the civilian life has any sanity to it.
I only did 9 years though, and left as an ET2 with a measly 10%. The way the government is cutting money from the VA I dont think I'll be able to take advantage of many benefits.


As for the discrimination issue: I am a hetero white male, if I managed to sue for discrimination all hell would break loose in the legal community.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
I was fired (relatively speaking) from a job that you can't get fired from. I got kicked out of the Navy with an honorable discharge on the new PRT rules. I could have fought it but I was tired of it at that point. I now work for the state and have 80% disability through the VA. An ex E6 making E4 pay without the BS.

EDIT: On a side note, I do miss the Navy sometimes. The civilian world is just crazy. I've been out for over a year, and I still don't think I'm used to it yet.

Jesus dude! Are you my clone?

The Navy didnt kick me out but I couldnt reenlist because I failed my last PRT (part of the new standards). I've been out for over a year as well and I also dont think the civilian life has any sanity to it.
I only did 9 years though, and left as an ET2 with a measly 10%. The way the government is cutting money from the VA I dont think I'll be able to take advantage of many benefits.


As for the discrimination issue: I am a hetero white male, if I managed to sue for discrimination all hell would break loose in the legal community.

I did 8 years and I'm 27 now (turned 18 in boot camp). IC1 (SW) here--well, former anyway. They got me with the 3 failures in 4 years, as I had a failure from 4 years ago when I was on the ship when the philosophy was screw PT--I had work to do (I was an engineer, not a top-sider).

 

[kranky]

I had a horrible job at one time but I quit. There was no chance I would have been fired, many of my co-workers were in rehab, or were bouncing from one minimum wage job to the next. I showed up every day on time and that alone made me a superstar there.

But the sense of relief was no different than yours. Better things are ahead!

 

[Flyback]

Look at it as a chance to find that job you enjoy going to each morning.

 

[dethman]

reason they were nice to you is because they don't want you coming back and shooting up the place.

 

[Danman]

Never been fired, always left on good terms for better opportunities. There was one job that probably pretty close to canning me since I could care less (they told me it was a Sr. Network Engineer job - it was basically an administrative person ordering shit), but I left after six months.

 

[Mr Pickles]

How does someone suck at their job? It is clear to them what they are to be doing before they are hired and if it isn't something they feel they can hendle shouldn't they just not take the job? I've never been fired for incompetence. I don't think I ever will be. That's just wierd.

 

[Casawi]

If had 40k I won't be sitting on this desk.... prolly chilling at home waiting for the PM to crack a 40oz....lol jk

Rebirth... I like that. I have a friend who got laid off by Chrysler; I have been trying to convince him to start an LLC and do his own contract work. I work with a few people who been got let go several times before... and they say I started my own thing and never been out of work since then. I am not sure how this applies in your field, but ...
Good luck.

 

[yhelothar]

Yup, I usually leave my job feeling relieved.

The first two were probably the biggest reliefs. I worked in food services at asian owned places. They'll work you like a slave, and they're ridiculously niggardly as hell.
In contrast, I found a job in IT in a small company after. It was definitely a stark contrast, as that job mostly consisted of sitting on front of a nice 24" monitor and surfing ATOT all day.

I didn't get fired for my last job, but I quit a job once when I felt like I should've been fired. It was for a tutoring job.
I just wasn't punctual enough/had enough attention to small rules and details to handle that job. My boss talked to me in private probably over 5-10 times in the course of a year about my performance. She luckily found me to be a good tutor, despite all the other shortcomings, so she was always really tolerant. But I ended up feeling so guilty about being a sore thumb all the time that I just quit. Plus trying to babysit kids and trying to beat them to do their work is a TOTAL PITA! :|

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
CRAP!
Yes, I signed. They had a little box on the back for comments and I made plenty, but in hindsight I probably should have refused to sign.

You probably signed either an exit interview (hence the comments) or a voluntary termination form. If it's the latter, odds are you won't be getting unemployment.

 

[lokiju]

I thought if you get fired you can't collect unemployment, only if you were laid off...

Well at least you're in a situation where you can afford to be unemployed.

:beer:

FWIW I've never been "fired" but was laid off once due to down sizing.

I've quit plenty of jobs though.

 

[Linflas]

In hindsight yes but at the time I thought it was the worst experience of my life.

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: lokiju
I thought if you get fired you can't collect unemployment, only if you were laid off...

Well at least you're in a situation where you can afford to be unemployed.

:beer:

FWIW I've never been "fired" but was laid off once due to down sizing.

I've quit plenty of jobs though.

what if you quit.
can you collect unemployment then ?