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Ask HN: I am about to be fired. What should I do?

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Re: Ask HN: I am about to be fired. What should I do?

#51

Post by walshemj »

dmethvin wrote: post #22

My thought is that you should speak to a lawyer who is experienced in these kind of disputes. Bringing in a lawyer to represent you pretty much burns the bridge but it sounds like you will either want or have to leave anyway. If this is a large company, they do not want to get involved in a protracted dispute, especially if it might become public. This is true regardless of what you have done that might legitimately…

And also turning up with lawyer will increase the chance of getting a compromise agreement and will get your managers card marked by more senior people.

Re: Ask HN: I am about to be fired. What should I do?

#52

Post by walshemj »

learnstats2 wrote: post #9

Is whistleblowing a serious option? Given your evidence that your boss is producing illegal documents, you should consider taking this higher up - if they will care. Of course, it's possible that the boss is covering for company policy. The boss currently thinks that firing you is the most effective way to make the problem disappear. For the reasons you set out, you should act to change that. My suggestion is to make…

Yes it would be awful if this got onto gawker or pando :-)

Re: Ask HN: I am about to be fired. What should I do?

#53

Post by imsofuture »

throwaway426 wrote: post #4

> Do I quit before the period expires? If you're fairly certain you'll be fired (and it sounds like you are) wouldn't this be the most sensible solution? When asked in interviews why you left saying you quit usually goes over a lot better than saying you were fired. And explaining why you quit would certainly not be considered a poor reason - at least not for the companies you would want to work for.

You don't need to actually quit to have a reasonable answer to why you left. I'm not advocating lying, at all, but you also don't have to volunteer "they terminated me". There's a lot of soft answers about how it wasn't a good fit.

Plus companies will often terminate you via a technical layoff, or 'position eliminated' instead of 'termination for cause'.

Re: Ask HN: I am about to be fired. What should I do?

#56

Post by ido »

throwaway426 wrote: post #4

> Do I quit before the period expires? If you're fairly certain you'll be fired (and it sounds like you are) wouldn't this be the most sensible solution? When asked in interviews why you left saying you quit usually goes over a lot better than saying you were fired. And explaining why you quit would certainly not be considered a poor reason - at least not for the companies you would want to work for.

On the other hand in many countries quitting disqualifies you from unemployment benefits (or delays the time when you can start drawing then).

Re: Ask HN: I am about to be fired. What should I do?

#57

Post by joshyeager »

nezumi wrote: post #42
skylan_q wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty much this. And if they don't follow through/follow up on this, the problem will get much bigger.

If I were in this position I would find the appropriate internal legal counsel and cc them on the email, including the words 'client attorney privileged and confidential' at the top. This affords some protection against discovery were the information to become relevant in legal proceedings. Taking that additional caution on behalf of the company shows professionalism on your part and will be appreciated by management…

An employee is not the client of a company's legal counsel. The company is the client. So there is no expectation of confidentiality. Copying their legal team might make them more likely to act on the problem. But it won't protect the employee.

Re: Ask HN: I am about to be fired. What should I do?

#59

Post by learnstats2 »

woah wrote: post #15
learnstats2 wrote: post #9

Is whistleblowing a serious option? Given your evidence that your boss is producing illegal documents, you should consider taking this higher up - if they will care. Of course, it's possible that the boss is covering for company policy. The boss currently thinks that firing you is the most effective way to make the problem disappear. For the reasons you set out, you should act to change that. My suggestion is to make…

Sounds like pretty bad advice to blackmail the manager. Find a new job, then blow the whistle if it is what needs to be done. Don't try to blackmail the manager to keep the job, because if you succeed you will be an accessory to whatever the crime is.

If it was up to me, I would have whistleblown already. I said that first.

I guess the manager understands that the OP will not whistleblow. Indeed, the OP doesn't seem to have considered it an option. This is exactly what allows the manager to treat the OP this way. The OP needs to show the manager otherwise.

Even if the OP finds a moderately nicer job later on, which I am sure they will, they need to do more to avoid reaching such a position in the first place. Or, this will happen again.

Re: Ask HN: I am about to be fired. What should I do?

#60

Post by ChuckMcM »

skylan_q wrote: post #29
s_q_b wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks guys :) There are verbatim notes that I've filed with my legal counsel, but I am concerned escalating will result in immediate termination.

The company is willing to hire such a manager. So you've got to ask yourself, would you want anything other than termination from this environment? Either way things can't go back to the way they were. You're either getting fired, or you're going to choose to leave. This means changes are coming. So you've got to take charge of how your life is going to change.

This. It doesn't sound like there is a 'not leaving' choice so making it on your own terms is better than having it on their terms. And document what ever you can so that in the (unlikely) event they come after you, you have a defense.
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