Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#441

Post by PeterStuer » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 6:47 AM UTC

mikorym wrote: post #405

PeterStuer wrote: post #397

Side note: Over here employers must give you a notice of termination, the length of which depends on how long you worked for the company. For employees with over a decade of loyalty, this period can be a year or more. The intent is that a worker can get enough time to find a new employment. The regulation has a perverse effect. As an employee who is on notice is generally no longer trusted to prioritise the company's…

If you say that it fails in practice, is that your opinion or is that a general opinion? Presumably, in some cases the regulation that you mention works the way it was intended? I wouldn't mind not working in the notice period; it would be a plus for me. The other question is also of course: What kind of a law should supercede such a law? I am not saying I disagree with you or anything like that, but what I am saying…

It is not just my opinion. I have friends that are HR managers and this view seems to be generally accepted among them.

The hiring is another issue. Over here there is always a 6 month 'trial' period when you hire someone. During those first six months, both the employer and the employee can end the contract without repercussions. This acknowledges that no screening/hiring process will be perfect, and that bad matches do happen.

Employment law and regulation is not easy to change as it impacts the lives of so many. My personal opinion is that even then this is just part of an even larger rethink we need in an age where most 'work' (not all) has long ceased to be a productive contribution to society, and has mealy become a game for a polarized redistribution of 'wealth', that is not just viciously usurping our lives and the environment, but due to its penchant for 'growth' those of future generations as well.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#442

Post by sAbakumoff » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 6:47 AM UTC

dav1app wrote: post #403

On my last job, a new manager called me for a meeting on Friday 4PM. I spent the whole month on an extremely stressful project. The meeting was about an app that integrates credit card payments, billets and bank account on a terminal that is going to be available to the general public. The deadline? 11PM of the same day. Final version. From 0 to 100% in 6 hours. I said that it was impossible. He said that I was incap…

what kind of company takes 1 morning to fire an employee? that does not sound realistic.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#443

Post by samvher » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 6:50 AM UTC

honkycat wrote: post #431

I hate all of my jobs. Computer programming just doesn't seem worth it for 100-120k. I could work an easier job for a better money/bullshit ratio. My therapist is concerned. So am I. What if I don't fit in anywhere? I'm extremely sensitive with a high EQ, am an INTP. People really like me, and I make fast friends and can run a room extremely effectively. I've always been "the funny guy." I'm absurdly driven A-type an…

I don't know you, but it doesn't sound like programming is the problem. 100-120k is objectively a lot of money and it sounds like you're comparing yourself to others who have shinier jobs and higher salaries. Maybe it would be healthy to focus less on accomplishment/prestige and more on enjoyment.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#444

Post by gherkinnn » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 6:51 AM UTC

jl2718 wrote: post #320

So many ideas in my head that I really want to be working on, and I can’t seem to separate myself from the mental model of having a set position in a heirarchy, taking confused and/or hostile direction from seemingly arbitrary sources of authority. Some kind of fear, not even financial, more like the idea of getting lost, losing touch, never finding my way back, being abandoned and undesirable, dying alone. And beyon…

How true. Outside of work, I regularly find myself in low risk / high consequence situations and those are the times I feel most alive. No matter how stressful they may be.

But I can’t take the stress of political bickering. It’s crushing.

One problem is that in order to progress one’s career, a ‘management track’ becomes more and more apparent. And to nobody’s surprise, it contains a fair share of games and posturing. And to bulldoze it will get you nowhere. At most, you’ll be used as the bull dog to level the field for others.

There’s just no winning.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#445

Post by toadi » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 6:51 AM UTC

halfer53 wrote: post #430

dav1app wrote: post #403

On my last job, a new manager called me for a meeting on Friday 4PM. I spent the whole month on an extremely stressful project. The meeting was about an app that integrates credit card payments, billets and bank account on a terminal that is going to be available to the general public. The deadline? 11PM of the same day. Final version. From 0 to 100% in 6 hours. I said that it was impossible. He said that I was incap…

This is one of the reason I hate about PIP( performance improvement program). They set ridiculous goals for you in very short amount of time that nobody can possibly complete, then fire you on grounds of incompetence. A friend of mine who works in Facebook told me that an employee committed suicide due to the pressure of PIP. I suspect that guy was put into PIP due to poor rating (meet most), then was given a ridicul…

As far as I understand the PIP means the company wants to fire you. They just want to do this to mitigate liabilities and you suing them.

My country most developers are freelance contractors as we don't like to work as employees. During good times you can switch easy to good projects and more pay. Contracts are 3 months with extension so every 3 months you can re-negotiate. off course during down turns it can be more difficult to find work. Just build a nest egg for those periods.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#446

Post by ping_pong » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 6:54 AM UTC

I was told that I wasn't doing enough code reviews, even though I am the only person on my team, because the 3 other engineers left over the previous 9 months. When I pointed this out to my manager, she said that I should have found code to review on other teams instead of waiting for people to ask me. I started studying that evening and quit the next month.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#447

Post by ibudiallo » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 6:57 AM UTC

2017, due to a misconfiguration or lack thereof, the system that manages 250k employees marked me as terminated. Security came to my desk and escorted me out of the building like a criminal.

I was hired back 3 weeks later, with a small apology and no pay. I looked for another opportunity right away and quit the job.

Today, I design and build automated systems for a startup. I made sure that the "AI" has a big red button that stops the process and spits out a backtrace of all the steps it took so we can be accountable and reverse any damage.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#448

Post by guitarbill » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 7:06 AM UTC

tallanvor wrote: post #439

halfer53 wrote: post #430

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is one of the reason I hate about PIP( performance improvement program). They set ridiculous goals for you in very short amount of time that nobody can possibly complete, then fire you on grounds of incompetence. A friend of mine who works in Facebook told me that an employee committed suicide due to the pressure of PIP. I suspect that guy was put into PIP due to poor rating (meet most), then was given a ridicul…

I can't speak for Facebook, but I know that in some companies, it really is possible for individual contributers to successfully complete a PIP. I've known at least 3 coworkers at my workplace who have been put on PIPs. They were given realistic expectations that didn't require them to work 50+ hours per week, and they completed the plans successfully. Of course, a manager who's put on a plan is generally gone in a f…

that just seems weird though. for it to get to the point of a PIP being necessary, a lot has had to gone wrong until then. feels like it's a blunt instrument, used when usual communication has almost broken down. are expectations not normally discussed more informally in regular 1:1s already?

i do know people who have successfully completed PIPs and stayed. but every person who's taken the PIP as a signal to look for another position has done better in their careers and been happier than those who stayed. i get not everybody is in that position, but even if the PIP itself is reasonable, being PIP'd is not. it's a symptom of an underlying issue of poor management and should be interpreted as such.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#449

Post by nwatson » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 7:06 AM UTC

dav1app wrote: post #403

On my last job, a new manager called me for a meeting on Friday 4PM. I spent the whole month on an extremely stressful project. The meeting was about an app that integrates credit card payments, billets and bank account on a terminal that is going to be available to the general public. The deadline? 11PM of the same day. Final version. From 0 to 100% in 6 hours. I said that it was impossible. He said that I was incap…

Nossa senhora! Parabéns pelo novo trabalho! ... que fique tudo tranquilo.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#450

Post by bonestamp2 » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 7:06 AM UTC

throwarayes wrote: post #31

bonestamp2 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume your doctors have considered it, but have either of you had a vasectomy or undescended testical?

I have had a vasectomy (which my urologist knows, cause his office did it). I'd be curious why you say that. Is there a link?

Sorry, no scientific link that I know of. I just have similar symptoms and wanted to see if there was any historical similarities. It may just be anecdotal but it seems there are a few others here with similar symptoms and history, perhaps there is a link.