When You Are Terminated/Fired From Your Career/Job

1. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 12 years ago

   There are times when an employee gets the boot so to speak.  Reasons for being terminated can be either tangible or intangible.  It is reasonable that an incorregible, untrustworthy, subpar, insubordinate, and uncooperative employee gets terminated to be replaced by an employee who is able to constructively contribute to the workforce.   However, even a stellar employee can be terminated from his/her job for reasons such as personality conflict with superiors and an inability to conform to the respective corporate climate of the company/corporation.  There are states that practice the policy of employment at will i.e. an employee can be terminated for any reason whatsoever as long as it is not discriminatory as per local, state, and federal EEO laws.
   
   Ann Curry, noted anchor, was ousted from the TODAY SHOW because of lack of chemistry with the rest of the show's team, particularly Matt Lauer.   Ms. Curry tearfully said goodbye this morning.  Were you even terminated from a job?  If so, did you become disheartened, disillusioned, and gave up all hope or did you use this termination as an impetus to spur forward to achieve great things?

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   1. 68

      ptosisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Ya know, it's not always the employee's fault. For example, when one company goes away, all those people go to the local remaining, once competitor (higher experience-lower pay) The 3rd level manager is hired first, then he hires his manager from the former business who then in turn - hires the technician who used to work for him at the other now defunct place.
      
      From http://www.a-stage-manager.com/jokes-page2-more.htm
      
      
      Dear Employee:
      As a result of the reduction of money budgeted for all department areas, we are forced to cut our number of personnel. Under this plan, older employees will be asked to take early retirement, thus permitting the retention of younger people who represent our future.
      
      Therefore, as of 01 January 2003, a program to phase out older personnel by the end of the current fiscal year, via retirement, will be placed into effect immediately. This program will be known as SLAP (Sever Late-Aged Personnel). Employees who are SLAPPED will be given the opportunity to look for jobs outside the company. SLAPPED employees can request a review of their employment records before actual retirement takes place. This review phase of the program is called SCREW (Survey of Capabilities of Retired Early Workers). All employees who have been SLAPPED and SCREWED may file an appeal with upper management. This appeal is called SHAFT (Study by Higher Authority Following Termination).
      
      Under the terms of the new policy, an employee may be SLAPPED once, SCREWED twice, but may be SHAFTED as many times as the company deems appropriate. If an employee follows the above procedure, he/she will be entitled to get:
      
          HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel's Early Severance)
          [or]
          CLAP (Combined Lump Sum Assistance Payment).
          As HERPES and CLAP are considered benefit plans, any employee who has received HERPES or CLAP will no longer be SLAPPED or SCREWED by the company.

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      1. 83

         gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the information; however, what the company presented is totally and blatantly discriminatory.   Thus affected employees can file an EEOC complaint re: age discrimination!

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      2. 60

         Jo_Goldsmith11posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         OMG! "CLAP, HERPES" I can't stop laughing! that is horrible! )

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   2. 61

      Nan Mynattposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Matt Lauer is not an interesting news person. He should have been the one that was let go!  I will not watach the show each day now like I did before. I don't like to see women being discrimating against.  He certainly has no looks, and seems out of tune with the real world. He also has no personality!

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      1. 83

         gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         ++++++++ a multillion times!

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2. 59

   Dame Scribeposted 12 years ago

   High publicity positions does require a positive personality with both public and co-workers. Sounds like that Matt Lauer should be examined under closer scrutiny if he's the reason behind her termination, after all, there's usually a 'ulterior motive'. Everybody has an 'agenda' not everybody is going to kiss a-zz nor should be expected to in any job. If such practices are going on, well, those people are the ones that should be removed or least investigated.

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   1. 60

      Jo_Goldsmith11posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You have spoken thr truth! and did so perfectly!   I concur with your eloquent response! seriously..it has happened to me the *your fired!* thing. I don't kiss "A-ZZ" either. This is why I probably did get axed. Sometimes I let my opinions be known innot so nice ways.. This is why I stay at home and write for a living. I can always delete!

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      1. 83

         gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         What you ladies have elucidated is so true.   In civil service especially, it is those who are totally acquiescent and "cooperative" who are loved by their supervisors.  Those employees get away with murder.   I remember one employee going to the supervisor to tell her what to do in an assignment.  The supervisor loved this-and her of course.   I thought that the employee was a total *&@#$%#! to say the least.   I knew how to do my assignments- I refuse to submit and I would proverbially burn in )(*&@ first before I do so.   To make a long story short, I was told by my superiors that I was too independent.  Well, so be it!   Let consequences be totally damned- if I know, I know and I refuse to play dumb!   Sometimes it is better to be terminated from a job which one either has outgrown and/or hates than to submit and suffer in silence!

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3. 78

   Express10posted 12 years ago

   I heard about Ann Curry's job being in danger a while back and immediately thought there was a personality conflict. This is prevalent in many workplaces and it's unfortunate for this to play out in public. However it's ridiculous to say that she is the sole reason for lagging ratings on the show.

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4. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 12 years ago

   Today, intangible issues such as having a personality and charisma is as an important component as having technical and working knowledge.   A person can be a genius in the workforce but if he/she does not have the charisma, he/she is almost suck especially in the entertainment business and/or in businesses where there is much interfacing with the public.

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5. 0

   Arlene V. Pomaposted 12 years ago

   Unfortunately, when women work in the field of television broadcasting, they don't have long careers like a Rather or a Cronkite.  I have three friends who had careers in front of the camera.  Two of them were let go once they reached the age of 40, and their successors came straight out of college.  The third was the opposite in looks, but she had the brains and the work ethic to make things move behind the scenes as a writer and director.  She was tiny, and was not considered "mature" enough for a top broadcasting spot.  She is no longer in town because she was let go in February, so I guess she's still hunting for work.  I feel for Ann Curry, but women are expendable in this profession.  I have been watching her from the time she started on "Today."  I take it they got rid of her so that Matt can stand out, and buy him more time on TV?  And all this time, I thought he was leaving the show, but I guess that was a ploy for more money and a longer contract?

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You are so on target Arlene as usual.   In the media business, a woman's looks are so paramount-even more so than talent!  Once a woman gets to be a certain age and looks it, either she undergoes "some cosmetic improvements"  i.e. botox and other types of invasive and/or noninvasive alterations or if she insists on being au naturel, she will be either asked or forced to leave so to speak.   The media business is a jungle for women!   Women have to be perfect in order to have longetivity in the business.

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6. 0

   Arlene V. Pomaposted 12 years ago

   GM, I pursued journalism and English, but was not drawn to broadcast journalism because I didn't have the personality for it.  Nor did I look the part!  My friends were smart and knew how to work the camera, but in return, the camera did nothing for them.  Can you imagine being replaced by someone who doesn't even come close to your resume and experience?  Or the first to be let go because of your looks?  Print was the safer way to go for me.  If you've ever been interviewed for a TV slot or watched a news show being filmed, you know how fast these programs have to be.  It takes a lot of skills to be in front of the camera, but all the audience wants to see is what these women wear and how they look.  Women aren't supposed to "age" when they report the news, right?  Yes, and they are usually matched to some old guy that has been with the station since the beginning of time!  Who says life is fair???

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7. 38

   pramodgokhaleposted 12 years ago

   GM
   It is emotional and eye opener.It is not necessary that worker or employee is always at fault. Hire and Fire is a practice in west and India too.In my young age i worked in different places and industries,i kept on changing jobs because it could not satisfy me ,finally i left to middle east for job and money.That was the period of oil boom and booming construction activities in Gulf, i had a chance to learn about advanced equipment of American, Japanese and European make,
   I acquired skills and have had expertise to lead project. In foreign job i utilized my potential to be more productive and came to know that my Indian employers in India were less productive and never innovative,that may have ruined gennext technicians.Some time incompetent supervisor dictates and if equipment fails he simply forwards report to management to terminate a employee and to retain his own job.
   In Gulf , i found Indian and British CEO acts double standards, they want loyal Indian work force to get the job done, if situation is bad then they fire their own countrymen,at the cost of own people they want to stay on job and enjoy benefits.

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8. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 12 years ago

   This is so true.   Employment at will is quite insidious and is a fact of life in the postmodern work place.   An employer has the right to terminate an employee for ANY reason he/she deems fit as long as the termination is not remotely discriminatory.    This gives the employer absolute carte blanche power over an employee!   The workplace has become quite a harrowing place!

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