The Unmentionable "F' Word

1. 85

   gmwilliamsposted 9 years ago

   
   The socioeconomic environment especially in postmodern 21st century America is becoming more tenuous and precarious.  Unemployment is still high which means that people are putting up with so much in order to keep their jobs and avoid the dreaded "f" word i.e. being fired.  Many Americans are working in states where there is at will employment i.e. they can be fired at any time and for any reason as long as it is not discriminatory in nature. People dread being fired and with good reason.  Being fired carries a stigma and oftentimes ruins your chances for future employment.  Being fired also is a very strong deterrent to any future success that one may wish for and hope to achieve.  Being fired= failure=loser as far as work is concerned.  Your thoughts?

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   1. 99

      Kylyssaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      How does this fit in with your belief that poverty is a choice? If people can be fired for any reason and the employer doesn't have to state a reason, how did the person fired choose to be poor if the negative mark on their record prevents them from getting a good job? The ability to fire employees at will does, in practice, result in people getting fired for discriminatory reasons because the employer doesn't need to give a reason anymore.
      
      Some businesses use firing instead of layoffs now because it's much easier to fire and not state a reason than it is to go through the paperwork of laying someone off.
      
      A friend was fired from his tech and programming job with a cell phone company earlier this year. Instead of just closing their office down like people who have a shred of empathy or decency, the owners systematically fired people until just a skeleton crew was left over about a year. My friend was part of the skeleton crew and the only remaining programmer. I think the intention was to load a few people down with the work of dozens until they quit. The office manager was doing all of the paperwork and secretarial work by the end as well as all the managerial work. Janitorial duties were split among the techs. Nobody quit. They then started picking away firing the remaining people until there were just three people. My friend was then fired and the remaining two people were completely incapable of doing his jobs. So they quit. The business then shut its doors.

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2. 77

   wildernessposted 9 years ago

   First, there is a huge difference between being "fired" and being "laid off".  There is indeed a stigma connected with being fired, not nearly so much with being laid off.  There is also a tremendous difference when it comes to collecting unemployment benefits; fired employees (for cause) get none while employees that were laid off do.
   
   At will states do not allow "firing" at will; "fired" is always for cause.  Employees can be "laid off" for any reason, though, just as they can quit for any reason.

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   1. 85

      gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, there is a HUGE difference between being fired and laid off.  Being fired from a job does carry an immense negative stigma.  A fired person is considered to be a failure and damaged goods.  H/she has a bad reputation.  No employer in his/her right mind would want to hire a fired employee.  This employee is oftentimes viewed as quite problematic and is viewed as a liability to the company.  In essence, a fired employee is deemed a minus in all aspects.
      
      People who are fired from their jobs are seldom rehired, many become unemployable or worse.  They are unwanted in the corporate structure.  Employers want employees with unblemished and perfect work records and histories.  One can say that fired employees have sealed their fate-FOR THE WORSE.  Many fired employees see no hope in their work future and some even become very self-destructive as there is no other recourse in their lives.  Fired employees have NO HOPE.  This is reality and the facts.  To tell a fired employee that h/she has hope is unrealistic, even delusional on its face when the fact is that this employee has no hope as far as careers/jobs go and that his/her future is DAMAGED, even IRREVOCABLY RUINED.

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3. 0

   ahorsebackposted 9 years ago

   People  are fired everyday  for any or no reason , Here's one for you , Having been part of management of a few companies  I know this ........Get hurt on a job , whatever the reason ,  and there will almost always be an attorney advising the company to ditch you . Of course   that means ditch you when you are back to 100 percent   health . Why ?, because you have now  become a liability to the companies rising health and or workers comp.  insurance premiums !
   Been there , and have been ordered more than once to fire or lay someone off long after an injury !

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