What are good questions to ask during an interview to avoid situations like these? How are other people weeding out employers like this one? This sounds like a bad situation that I'm sure we'd all like to avoid.
A culture of beer and overtime
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Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#12The project manager sounds like a dick, but the author also sounds like a push-over. The author had a chance to out the manager as a huge asshole, but based on the post, it seems like he just left silently.
Sometimes it's worth taking the highroad out so it doesn't cause more dramas down the road.
But sometimes it is funner to burn all bridges.
Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#13Call a lawyer, this sounds super fishy if the location is in Vancouver.
Did they ever deduct taxes from you? Did you give them a GST number? Did you submit invoices to them?
If they made deductions and you didn't give them a GST number they are likely in big trouble.
If a judge smells employment he will classify you as such as make sure you get your due.
Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#14The project manager sounds like a dick, but the author also sounds like a push-over. The author had a chance to out the manager as a huge asshole, but based on the post, it seems like he just left silently.
Sometimes it's worth taking the highroad out so it doesn't cause more dramas down the road. But sometimes it is funner to burn all bridges.
Burn bridges to light the way forward.
Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#15n.b. It was time to leave, and the HR lady came to me and said I would have to sign a release letter and send it back within 2 work days (the following Monday was a holiday), otherwise I would not get any of the remaining pay I'm not familiar with the law in Canada, but I rather suspect that it's similar to America, so a bit of advice for the young and impressionable: virtually no threat to not pay an employee wages…
Exactly. As someone in HR will tell you, never ever ever mess with someone's paycheck that you owe them from the time they were in the office. Even if they were stealing from you, just pay them their wages and be done with them.
Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#16Having no experience with startups, I gotta say that I have some sympathy and it sounds horrible, however, what does this have to do with beer? I read the whole story and you had one friday night, after hours, with beer, and you didn't partake as you are a teetotaler. That's fine. I didn't see any other references to that fact, so I'm confused how it has anything to do with the story. It doesn't sound like they have beer there every day and you were let go because you didn't drink. Just one instance where you were questioned about a single party (which is none of their business, IMO).
Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#17Wow. I'm a founder of a tech company, and the thought of checking someone's LinkedIn profile or old website to verify degree of commitment would never even occur to me. The fact that someone would not only think of it, but actually act on it is absolutely mind-boggling. I've seen new managers do silly things, but this is seriously new.
Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#18The part where they expected him to sign something in order for them to release his own money to him that he already earned was hilarious.
Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#19What are good questions to ask during an interview to avoid situations like these? How are other people weeding out employers like this one? This sounds like a bad situation that I'm sure we'd all like to avoid.
I don't think there's a sure-fire way to know, but you can ask upfront (even in the initial communications by email or phone) if it's a new position, or a "backfill."
And during the phone or in-person interview you can ask questions about team dynamics, like who you report to and are working with, how long the interviewer has been working there and how they like it, etc., to try to get a sense for how things work.
And I'd say ask as many questions as you can reasonably think of--it's more about how they answer questions than the answers themselves.
If they show resistance or evasiveness, then that may be a bad sign.
Re: A culture of beer and overtime
#20The project manager sounds like a dick, but the author also sounds like a push-over. The author had a chance to out the manager as a huge asshole, but based on the post, it seems like he just left silently.
Why would he even do that? Author doesn't want to engage in office politics, he wants to code. Participating in dramatic events is completely counter-productive. Also, consider whose side his co-workers would pick, taking in account whatever happened to the previous two guys.