My company asked for my resignation...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

…which came completely out of left field.

Just before the end of the year, my bosses told me how great I had been doing, how pleased they were with my work blah, blah, blah…and even gave me a nice holiday bonus.

Then yesterday afternoon, the owner came to me and said, that “things just weren’t working out” for them with me.

They asked me to tender my resignation, that they would pay me my full salary to the end of the month, my vacation pay and would provide me letters of recommendation for future employment.

It is a very small company, 4 people including the owner, so I thought maybe the outlook of the BIG CLIENT had changed and they needed to downsize to deal with it.

So, being as confused as I was, they also said that yesterday would be my last day. So I started packing up my desk, putting files back where they needed to be, etc…and while I was doing this I heard my boss on the phone talking to somebody and heard her offering a job to someone over the phone.

I know who they were offering it to, well not personally, but it was a “we like this person and their family so we are gonna get rid of her so we can give X the job” because they are too small to have 4 full time staff (not including the owner).

Nevada is an ‘at-will’ employment state, but damn, that was just harsh, especially since they knew me and the Mr. are in contract negotiations on a house we want to buy.

Now We may have to back out of buying the house, unless I can find a job in the next week that pays 35K+/year, but that is a whole different issue all together.

2

Wow. That’s incredibly harsh. Good luck to you and the Mr.

3

Sorry to hear that. Nevada is crappy about the right to work thing. I was launched in 07 because I wasn’t a “good fit” after working for a place for 5 years. I don’t know what you do but my wife runs the finance section of an auto auction and needs help. I don’t believe it’s in the 35,000 a year range but lateral moves within are common.

4

Let me be the first to say that sucks. I’m just curious of the distinction between asking you to resign, and firing you. I know that in Canada there is a difference, and resigning of your own free will makes it impossible (with exceptions, as per all government rules) to collect employment insurance.

Paying you until the end of the month doesn’t seem like that good of a deal, considering there’s only one week left. Do you have any recourse available to you? To me, I think you would, considering you received glowing reviews on your performance less than a month ago. Shouldn’t there be paperwork outlining poor performance, or financial proof to qualify your dismissal? Especially since they’re hiring someone else… it all seems fishy and underhanded to me.

What does ‘at will’ state mean??

Once again, I feel for you, and hope everything gets sorted out for the best!

PS By first to say, I mean third!

5

Oh, man, you have my sympathies. I think I’m looking down the barrel of a gun too. Thing is, I live in Wisconsin, which is also an at-will state, but being over age 40, I am in a protected class, so they can’t just say buh bye. They have moved several of my functions (I am a paralegal) to two other paralegals and have “dumbed down” my job to the point where I have enough work to keep me busy for about a half hour a day. I am being proactive and looking for other employment, but still…

Good luck and try to keep your chin up.

6

Seconded - you may be giving up your rights to file for unemployment if you resign. Perhaps they’d be willing to write a letter stating that they asked for your resignation: in effect, terminating you. That might help protect you.

And you have my sympathies.

7

Sounds like you were fired to me. Don’t let them put his on you. If you quit you will not get any unemployment.

8

“At will” means they don’t have to have a reason, at any time, with no two-week notice. Employers can fire employees because they don’t like how you dress. Doesn’t matter.

It does also mean that employees can leave without notice too, but I don’t see that happening much.

9

At will employment means that either party can terminate the working relationship for no given reason if there was no binding contract for a definite term. (This does not clear a company to use race, sex, etc. to discriminate - but you have to make the case that this is why they fired you and they may be able to prove that it wasn’t for that reason.) Just FYI, all US states barring Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, New York, and Rhode Island have this status.

This differs from the law it’s often mistaken for, right to work, which relates to unions.

I’m sorry. Hopefully you can come out of this with a better job and never have to deal with those jerks again.

10

This is why it’s incredibly important for us worker bees to insist on written performance evaluations on a regular (semi-annual is best) basis and then keep copies of them. Also, all correspendence that mentions the quality of your work. It doesn’t cost anything to lodge a complaint with your states labor department – the investigation will be brief, but it will be uncomfortable for the employer, as it should be.

Your severance package is pure crap. They have to pay you your vacation pay, and their letters of reference are worthless. Don’t play ball with them. Make them fire you, and make them state a reason.

11

As other have said here, I wouldn’t “resign” if I were you. It’s my understanding that you’ll be screwing yourself out of unemployment, if you did so.

Besides, they’re firing you to hire a buddy (if I understand the situation correctly). Screw 'em.

Take some pens when you leave. That’ll teach 'em.

12

I’ve been “down-sized” twice in the past three years. At-will is just an excuse to treat people like so much grass clippings and it should be outlawed. The last time around the other senior manager and I (both high performers with outstanding track records) were called into the boss’s office and handed our final paychecks. No warning, no nothing. Then he turns around and hires an unqualified buddy of his to try to do both our jobs. I was able to get work within a few weeks, but the other poor sod is still out of work going on four months now.

The lesson is this: when you consider taking a job in an at-will state, first talk to an employment lawyer and find out what you should try to negotiate into your contract for severance. You still have some rights, by the way. If they take away your work responsibilities until you’re just sitting there, and quit out of frustration, that’s called “constructive termination” and it’s illegal.

13

I am not worried about trying to collect unemployment, as in Nevada, being fired means you have to fight for your unemployment money - a whopping $300/week.

We have enough in savings to be just fine, but “resigning” will help me save face in my career field. Having to choose between some token money and saving face. I will choose saving face any day.

Omegaman, I am a geologist, so I don’t know how good I would be with auto finance, although if I get desperate, I’ll drop you a line :slight_smile:

I wasn’t terribly happy there, I was bored out of my mind most of the time. So even though I did not resign voluntarily, I am a little relieved. I was really apprehensive taking the job last year, as I wasn’t sure it was where I really wanted my career to go.

I have already been sending out resumes last night and today. Gotta keep positive.

14

Don’t hurt ‘em Lightnin’!

15

I think this is a bit of a hijack, but Chefguy, thanks for the “constructive termination” mention. I will look into that for my employment drama, but I doubt that I would have any luck, considering I work for attorneys.

16

Sorry for the crappy way you were treated. I hope it turns out to be a blessing in disguise.

17

Actually, you’ve got that list sort of backwards. Those are the states which do not recognise the public policy exception to the at-will doctrine. In other words, the eight states listed and (D.C.) are more purely at-will, rather than less.

LVgeogeek, I wish you the best of luck with the new job search. If I need some rocks ologised, you’ll be the first one I call :smiley:

18

And see, Does any state NOT have at-will employment

and “Right To Fire” States

19

Sorry to hear this happened to you, LVgeogeek. Good luck with the job hunt.

20

Yeah, let me echo everyone else’s sympathetic responses; I’ve been unexpectedly fired (or is it “fired?”) a couple of times, and even when I wanted to leave, it still stings.

Hey, Alberta is desperate for geologists - sure you wouldn’t like to come north, young woman? :smiley: