You're fired.

[CarlMetro]

Before I start I want to make it clear that this thread is absolutely nothing to do with Alan Sugar or The Apprentice.

However, I was listening to the radio today and a simple survey had revealed that it was the one phrase that most people dread. Fortunately for me, despite changing jobs more often than I've changed my hairstyle over the years, I've only heard those dreaded words once, and that was for punching a fellow worker so I kind of expected it. Every other time I've changed jobs it's always been my decision.

So, in my never-ending quest for knowledge of other people's lives and experiences, have you ever been fired/sacked/dismissed and what was the reason given?

[LotusElise]

I'm not proud of this, but I have been, twice. Both times were for clashing with management.
The first was at a really awful company, now defunct, who hired me as an internal sales person and then demoted me to receptionist after about a week. They then claimed that I had been taken on as a receptionist all along and mysteriously lost my contract. After I protested, I was subjected to a campaign of general nastiness by the directors which revolved around timing my phone calls, making me do demeaning tasks such as fetching books down off shelves and serving drinks, and punishing any effort I made to help a customer or use initiative, claiming my only real duties were call-handling. I appealed to the one sympathetic director but he refused to do anything. One day, one of the others rang me up to have a go at me five minutes after I had arrived, so I went home ill and was promptly dismissed. I wasn't unhappy.

The second time was not dissimilar; I was taken on (allegedly) as an assistant commodity trader and not told fully what the job involved. Procedures were never explained to me so I repeatedly got in trouble for doing things wrong. The trader who I was meant to assist tried to help but the directors (a vile husband and wife combo) and the financial controller had it in for me by then. I was forced to clean floors, hoover up crumbs where the MD had been eating crisps and cover for the receptionist and others when I was already behind with my own work. One day I got a tiny bit cross with someone for treating me like a domestic servant and asked to be left alone to finish my own work. I was disciplined and this was later used as an excuse to fire me for no particular reason. During the "firing" discussion, I was accused of having mental problems.
The job loss left me in a vulnerable situation but I didn't want to be there anyway.

I have been in my current job for ages now, and am planning to leave amicably to go to university soon.

[Dave B]

I quit a job after 3 hours once, but have never been fired.

Much against all the odds.... :eek:

[Daniel]

I've been fired once :D But I was wanting to leave the job in a few weeks anyway to go back to University (my plan all along :uhoh: ) so I was going to quit anyway.

Basically I made a mistake and was told I'd have to stay afterwards to sort it out and I had to go to uni to choose subjects that evening so it was kind of a no no. I was told "You either stay late or don't bother coming back tomorrow" and I gladly said "I'm going at 5"

Best firing ever :) Meant I didn't have to work in a factory for a second longer :D

[Storm]

I have only ever worked in two companies....
Although I tried about every day in my first job to leave the place (not that it was bad but I wanted to re-locate to my home town).

[schmenke]

No.
Been with the same company for eons now :mark: .

[GridGirl]

I've never been fired but the firm I work for does fire people. You can usually tell when its coming, they dont get booked for jobs and the personnel partner ignores them when they question why they have nothing to do. Eventually it gets to the point where a meeting is required to discuss the matter and then you never see them again.

Off hand I can think of atleast two people at my work place who will be sacked within the year.

[tinchote]

I've never been fired. And I'm basically certain i'll never hear the "dreaded words", because in the academic world things are way more convoluted: so even if I eventually get fired, nobody will say the phrase to me :D

[schmenke]

I've never been fired. And I'm basically certain i'll never hear the "dreaded words", because in the academic world things are way more convoluted: so even if I eventually get fired, nobody will say the phrase to me :D

"Your tenure will not be extended."

???

:p :

[Alexamateo]

I got fired once, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. The company that hired me was bought by another, but then they bought a third company, and all of those folks became our bosses. I didn't like the direction things were going so I was very vocal about it. Well in this case, the squeaky wheel didn't get the grease, it got replaced. :s It's probably one of the only times a person fired didn't see it coming, because I didn't expect it at all, because I was the one that drove sales.

Funny thing though, on my last day, I got a call from my product coordinator, who told me. "Don't buy anything from Skinner anymore, they're hiring away our people and competing head to head against us in some markets." Guess who got a call the next day! :p :

It was still a pain though, because It took about 3 months to hammer out all of the details. My interviews were with the owner, the COO and a regional manager. Our company cares very much about its culture, so it's real important to get the right people on the bus so to speak and get them in the in the correct "seat"

That was 5 years ago so I guess everything worked out alright ;)

Firing was the best thing that ever happened to me because I am loyal to a fault, and would probably have stuck around a bad situation even though it wasn't the best.

Now, I am so connected in the industry that people often try to hire me. Well, not so much that as it is "Give me a call if you ever get tired of what you're doing, or if things don't work out." It's a good situation to be in and it gives you a certain amount of freedom.

[Ian McC]

Never use the expression, 'terminating your contract' is my preferred choice.

[Malbec]

I'm not proud of this, but I have been, twice. Both times were for clashing with management.
The first was at a really awful company, now defunct, who hired me as an internal sales person and then demoted me to receptionist after about a week. They then claimed that I had been taken on as a receptionist all along and mysteriously lost my contract. After I protested, I was subjected to a campaign of general nastiness by the directors which revolved around timing my phone calls, making me do demeaning tasks such as fetching books down off shelves and serving drinks, and punishing any effort I made to help a customer or use initiative, claiming my only real duties were call-handling. I appealed to the one sympathetic director but he refused to do anything. One day, one of the others rang me up to have a go at me five minutes after I had arrived, so I went home ill and was promptly dismissed. I wasn't unhappy.

The second time was not dissimilar; I was taken on (allegedly) as an assistant commodity trader and not told fully what the job involved. Procedures were never explained to me so I repeatedly got in trouble for doing things wrong. The trader who I was meant to assist tried to help but the directors (a vile husband and wife combo) and the financial controller had it in for me by then. I was forced to clean floors, hoover up crumbs where the MD had been eating crisps and cover for the receptionist and others when I was already behind with my own work. One day I got a tiny bit cross with someone for treating me like a domestic servant and asked to be left alone to finish my own work. I was disciplined and this was later used as an excuse to fire me for no particular reason. During the "firing" discussion, I was accused of having mental problems.
The job loss left me in a vulnerable situation but I didn't want to be there anyway.

I have been in my current job for ages now, and am planning to leave amicably to go to university soon.

Sounds to me as if you have two good cases to take to court for constructive dismissal. Have you spoken to a lawyer?

[AndySpeed]

Never use the expression, 'terminating your contract' is my preferred choice.

Always makes me thing of Arnie.

Of course the phrase "I'll be back" doesn't really apply...

[LotusElise]

Sounds to me as if you have two good cases to take to court for constructive dismissal. Have you spoken to a lawyer?

I did take some legal advice - the first time they "lost" my contract so I couldn't prove anything and both times I hadn't been there long enough for anyone to take the case seriously. I was sorely tempted to report the second company for the numerous breaches of employment law I saw there, but I decided to move on and leave it because my godparents do business with this firm and the directors knew that.

[Drew]

Basically I made a mistake and was told I'd have to stay afterwards to sort it out and I had to go to uni to choose subjects that evening so it was kind of a no no. I was told "You either stay late or don't bother coming back tomorrow" and I gladly said "I'm going at 5" :D

Why didn't you just leave there and then? :p :

I'm pretty sure there are more dreaded phrases or perhaps just for men :p :

[tinchote]

"Your tenure will not be extended."

???

:p :

Yes :D But you get it on paper, and you can appeal. So it is always a long process.

[Ian McC]

Always makes me thing of Arnie.

Of course the phrase "I'll be back" doesn't really apply...


Well the next one I have to do I will put on an Arnie accent, I am sure that will go down well! :D

[slinkster]

I got sacked from a crappy little part time job. I cut down my hours under doctors orders and about two weeks later I got a letter from them saying that they wouldn't be renewing my contract due to staff cutbacks... but I don't It was pretty crap of them because no one said anything to me about any of it... I was issued a letter and that was it... it wasn't even brought up on the day I recieved it.

Nevertheless... it was only a little part time job when I was at school so I wasn't all that cut up about it! :D

[Rudy Tamasz]

I once decided to leave my job for a supposedly better one and let my boss know. Then I fugured the new job was no better and changed my mind. But then my boss'es boss said I should go anyway because he felt I was a traitor or something.

The new job turned out to be real crap and after two months when my patience expired I just stood up from my desk and walked away. I only returned to pick my papers. In other cases that I had to go those were friendly departures.

[Jefe Máximo]

Boy, wait till fizzicist gets here...

[Drew]

There's a programme on tonight on BBC1 where Piers Morgan talks to high flyers that got fire or resigned from their jobs, if you're interested and online carl :)