Have you ever been fired or retrenched from your job?

[rubytox]

Have any of you ever been fired or retrenched from a job?
Before it happened, did you expect it or was it like a bucket of water in your face?
How does one recover from such an experience?

The reason why I'm asking, is because I've recently been thinking about a young woman that was fired because she rolled some cash at work. At the time, when I discovered it, it honestly did not occur to me that top management would fire her on the spot, no disciplinary action ... she was simply told to pack her stuff and go.
I will never forget the expression on her face.

 

[Sinbad]

Been retrenched during a company restructure. Twice.
You get over it by finding another job and moving on...
I sympathise with people who are retrenched. Not with people who are fired for misconduct. That is self inflicted.

 

[kripstoe]

I've worked with three people at three different companies that were let go because of some form of misconduct. It's not a good experience, especially if you were involved proving their misconduct. There's another thread currently on myBB about "borrowing" things from work. Stupidity.

Personally I've been at a company that "restructured", but I decided to resign before getting a surprise.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Stealing is immediate dismissal. I'm pretty sure this is standard practice for most companies, unless you work for the government.

 

[Gallderhen]

Got retrenched from my first job because the contract our department was working on/for, fell through. I think if it happened to me now it would be a bigger shock, but back then I saw it more as a new experience.

-G-

 

[HavocXphere]

No - current job would require something pretty spectacular to get fired. And no, not government...

 

[koeksGHT]

Stealing is immediate dismissal. I'm pretty sure this is standard practice for most companies, unless you work for the government.

If they don't lay a police case against you..

 

[ponder]

No.

 

[Bismuth]

Twice retrenched. First time was a ball, we got our month's notice (was due to a cancelled contract), and promptly played games on company time for the next four weeks or so (IT guy was also retrenched, so he hosted our LAN games for us! ). Unfortunately that job was commission based, so was also my lowest earning mine of all time, at the time!. Second time was due to the strengthening Rand, strangely enough, overseas co. then found it cheaper to import directly.

Oh, and was "constructively dismissed" once, pity my experience gained in that job has meant jack since, but at least I have a job, so yeah.

B

 

[Arzy]

Retrenched twice. First time was a shocker, second time was more recent but I knew it was coming.

On the flip side I've been involved in the retrenchment of 758 individuals and currently another 63.

 

[Peder]

I've seen people being constructively dismissed, my heart definitely goes out to those.

 

[Sensorei]

Retrenched twice. First time the business was burnt down for an insurance claim. Second time the company was sold and departments were restructured. Learnt my lesson and started my own business.

 

[lestoran]

Got retrenched once due to corporate takeover. Happened on June 1 too so they paid us for the rest of the month even though we did not have to show up.

Also got a nice package worth about 2.5 months salary. Ended up traveling through southern Africa (Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Zim) for a month. No plans just drove to the next place someone told me about. Good times

Learned that outside SA most Africans are very friendly.

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

This is only my second real job (not counting the casual jobs I had as a youngster) and I've never been retrenched

 

[fonoi]

Have any of you ever been fired or retrenched from a job?
Before it happened, did you expect it or was it like a bucket of water in your face?
How does one recover from such an experience?

The reason why I'm asking, is because I've recently been thinking about a young woman that was fired because she rolled some cash at work. At the time, when I discovered it, it honestly did not occur to me that top management would fire her on the spot, no disciplinary action ... she was simply told to pack her stuff and go.
I will never forget the expression on her face.

I think you did her a service, if she had continued and got caught when the losses were much bigger it could have meant a conviction and jail time.

She may have short term difficulty, but in the long run I am sure her life will be better for the experience!

 

[rubytox]

I think you did her a service, if she had continued and got caught when the losses were much bigger it could have meant a conviction and jail time.

She may have short term difficulty, but in the long run I am sure her life will be better for the experience!

You think? She put my name on her applications for jobs and had people phoning me for references. Because I felt empathy with her situation, I said that she was a good worker (which is true) but when asked about honesty, I stuttered. It's a moral dilemma because I do not like to tell lies but if I did not lie, she would not get the job.

Someone mentioned constructive dismissal. I would imagine that this could have devastating consequences, especially for a person with no support systems.

 

[noxibox]

Personally I've been at a company that "restructured", but I decided to resign before getting a surprise.

Presume you weren't due any retrenchment pay, otherwise it would be silly to resign first.

 

[Gibson]

Been retrenched once and was a pretty aweful process, the company made it clear only one lot of developers would be kept so we all knew who was going to be axed, then when the letters went out had the gall to take all the ones kept to lunch while the rest of us just sat around.

I may have "borrowed" a few things when I left (an awesome coffee table), but heard the MD got into a hell of a lot of financial trouble and eventually disbanded the whole company (it was his own fault, he tried to screw over the parent company in the UK).

 

[GreGorGy]

At the time, when I discovered it, it honestly did not occur to me that top management would fire her on the spot, no disciplinary action ...

Against the law...

Stealing is immediate dismissal.

Not without procedure. If procedure is not followed, the dismissal is unfair and can land the employer in trouble.

 

[Picard]

I was once almost fired.

But before my manager could say the phrase I whipped out a letter of resignation which I've been carrying with me for the last 2 weeks.

It was a **** job anyway.

Door-to-door cold calling for ADT home alarm systems.