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

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#781

Post by philip1209 » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 8:51 PM 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…

That's so stressful. We've asked every new hire to take a week of PTO during their first month. I wish more places did that - you need time to adjust while switching jobs. But, you're typically stressed while looking for a new job, so you can't really relax until you have a new job and steady income + benefits again.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#782

Post by mcv » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:02 PM UTC

GonzaloQuero wrote: post #597

mcv wrote: post #589

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A spite email sounds like a bad idea, but this manager sounds very harmful to the company, and the boss/ceo/investors might want to be aware of that.

And why would he care anymore about it? The company failed him, so why would he be helpful for them anymore? He did his job, he moved on, whatever happens there should not be expected to be his problem anymore.

Because if the CEO is smart, they'll fire that manager before he does any more damage to the company, and maybe hire the developer back.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#783

Post by fragmede » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:06 PM UTC

dheera wrote: post #758

mcv wrote: post #581

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is just awful. I'm glad you got out and got something better. When someone tells you to do something that's both impossible and utterly unreasonable, just stick to telling them it's impossible. If he tells you you're incapable, tell him he needs to use a realistic planning for these things, and if he can't do that, then he's incapable. There's no angle from which this is even remotely acceptable. Even more so be…

This. Also separately I really wish there were better legal courses for situations like that. Forcing someone to forgo their personal plans on a Friday night and suddenly work on moment's notice should be considered unethical and inhumane, and wrecks society, peoples' mental health, childrens' well-being, and much more. The need for overtime work should be communicated in advance, or there should be an explicit, volu…

"No." is a perfectly reasonable response as well, especially since in this case, GP was fired on Monday anyway.

All relationships need healthy boundaries, in this case, their relationship with work, and work's relationship with them, is unhealthy. If online research about healthy boundaries isn't enough, I recommend seeking a professional's advice (like a licensed therapist or psychologist).

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#784

Post by woodrowbarlow » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:07 PM UTC

bontaq wrote: post #490

Waterluvian wrote: post #72

I don't want to be fired. I absolutely love my job and the people I work with. But I can just smell that we are about to hit a sticking point with how I don't do on call (it was never mentioned in the interviews or part of my contract) and I don't respond to work after 5pm. If it does come to that sticking point I'm trying to figure out how to be the most assertive and diplomatic. I.e. How do I convey that I badly wa…

It will put you in an odd land of "special guy" if you refuse to do on call. I've never seen or heard of on call mentioned as part of a hiring contract, but maybe others have. It's expected, if you built or helped build something, that you will be on call at some point. It's absurd to me you would avoid it, but maybe you're special.

absolutely and violently disagree. the hiring process should convey expectations, and the negotiation process is being done in bad faith if expectations are hidden. being on-call should be reflected in compensation. if on-call expectations are brought up after compensation is negotiated, that is a problem.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#785

Post by MFLoon » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:08 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #569

MFLoon wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lost it at "What the fuck is HIPPA". Who the fuck buys a healthcare company and doesn't know what the fuck HIPPA is? Great read.

> Who the fuck buys a healthcare company and doesn't know what the fuck HIPPA is? That could have been you, apparently. https://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/definition/HIPAA

Thankfully I'm not out here buying businesses of any kind. And knowing what a thing is and knowing how to spell it correctly are two different things.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#786

Post by mcv » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:11 PM UTC

Nasrudith wrote: post #584

mcv wrote: post #577

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That depends entirely on why they're in a PIP. My team might have completely different needs than the other team.

That unfortunately depends on people being rational. There are those stupid enough to not want to hire the unemployed because of their own prejudices.

There are plenty of idiots involved in hiring, that's certainly true. But I was recently (for the first time in my life) had to hire a lot of new people for my team, and I noticed I hire people on probably very different traits than some recruiters and managers do. I don't like candidates who just give socially acceptable answers, I do like candidates who give creative answers, who are vocal, opinionated, weird, outside the box and against the current. And I'm well aware people sometimes get fired for really stupid reasons. I doubt I'm the only one.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#787

Post by mcv » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:13 PM UTC

pdpi wrote: post #711

jacquesm wrote: post #576

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure. But the real reason management loves the 'morning standup meeting' is because it enforces morning attendance of all employees. So much for those flexible work hours. Oh, you do get to go home late to finish your work of course.

My team has morning standups. We first changed the time, then agreed to make my participation optional, when it became clear that (due to personal reasons) I was struggling to make it to the office on time. It's a shame, too, because they're some of the best standups I've ever had. Our flex time is actually a thing, with some of my team mates showing up early and usually leaving around 17:00. I think I was asked, at…

In my team, when someone can't make it, they call in to the meeting. It's a short meeting, just a few lines per person. Doing it over the phone is totally fine.

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#788

Post by geekbird » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:24 PM UTC

pyridines wrote: post #149

My boss (effectively) prohibits us from displaying negative emotions towards each other, as he pulls us aside to chide us when we do. I think the intention is to encourage more constructive conversations, but his bar for what he considers inappropriate is so low that it ends up stifling disagreements. We have a tough time making decisions because of it. It's also difficult to tell him about other problems I have, bec…

Ugh. I hate the "tone" police. Most of them won't even acknowledge what you say if they don't like your "tone".

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#789

Post by mitchdoogle » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:26 PM 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…

Is it possible they wanted to fire you anyway and gave a task to you that they knew was impossible so that there would be a reason for it?

Re: Ask HN: Who Wants to Be Fired?

#790

Post by mitchdoogle » Thu, Oct 03, 2019, 9:28 PM UTC

jkoudys wrote: post #768

dpc_pw wrote: post #720

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Poor pay is often a result of a downward spiral of dysfunctional/failing organization. Your manager gets paid poorly, your coworkers, other teams. Best people leave first and new good people don't want to join. Demotivated teams lacking any talent produce bad product. Poor product looses customers, which forces management into freezing/cutting salaries. Everything compounds. After certain threshold there is no way ba…

Interesting how it's easier to have talented people eat microwave ramen for a year while you're energized building something new. Once the salaries go up, then drop, you start to spiral down the drain.

Isn't the "building something new" job somewhat of a gamble though? To get in on the ground floor of something big for a bigger payday down the line? The same can't be said for a struggling company cutting salaries.