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AIBU?

To think my manager will fire me tomorrow?!

160 replies

BlueNeighbourhood1 · 20/03/2018 20:01

I work in a department of a national company with four other people in my role and then a manager. Been there for six months and just passed my probation period.

We all get on really really well and have a WhatsApp group chat to discuss any issues. In January because of a great performance we were guaranteed our bonus to be paid at the end of March - usually we would have to wait another month for final March figures to be calculated but because it was guaranteed then apparently not.

Today (payroll cut off date) we all receive a letter to our home address, no apology for the misinformation advising our bonus would now be paid in April. When we got home we went onto the group chat to question this with our manager as obviously we had all mentally spent this money.

As much as it isnt the managers fault, I said something like that it was all premeditated to send the letter at payroll cut off because of the new financial year in April. And then asked how we can sell jobs to potential candidates if we get treated like this too and its making it very difficult to have belief in the company.

So my Manager kicks off and said theyre sick of the moaning and if any of us doesnt like working there to leave - fair enough. I left it half an hour and sent a personal apology to the manager for what I said to be told we will pick this up tomorrow.

I've now got it in my head I'm going to be fired tomorrow, does anyone know if its a sackable offence?!

OP posts:
YellowSunshinePaint · 20/03/2018 20:04

I doubt you'll get sacked but be prepared for a dressing down.

Your REALLY lucky to get a bonus at all...

Gammeldragz · 20/03/2018 20:04

It wasn't public, so no I can't see it being a sackable offence.

YellowMakesMeSmile · 20/03/2018 20:06

If you have less than two years service you can be let go with no reason.

Moaning about it on what's app was unprofessional and you now need to deal with the consequences.

GogoGobo · 20/03/2018 20:10

You sound very immature. So you’re getting a BONUS but because it’s being paid a month later you think that’s being treated so badly you can’t talk about the company favourably or recommend it as a place to work? And you’ve all pounced in your manager out of hours to talk about it? I image your manager wants to talk about it tomorrow as they are just fed up of hearing the bitching and moaning in their own time, not that you are going to get fired but you have definitely done yourself no favours!

missymayhemsmum · 20/03/2018 20:13

I think your manager has just about had a basinful of you moaning arses and doesn't want to give any of you a bonus ever.
Go in apologising for over-reacting and spoiling her evening, not her fault etc, grovel and you might just keep your job.

Amanduh · 20/03/2018 20:13

No. Moaning about it on whatsapp might be seen as unprofessional but seeing as you have a whatsapp group with the boss in it’s not exactly professional anyway. The group is for work and discussing issues and the manager joins in with it so why shouldnt you be able to raise an issue? You can’t be sacked for that.
Mentally spending the money and getting it a few weeks later wouldnt be worth moaning about to me, you’re getting a bonus, so what if its 4 weeks late hardly a big deal

BlueNeighbourhood1 · 20/03/2018 20:14

Yes we are being paid a BONUS (Something at company discretion) that has been advised since January 15th would be in March's pay, to find ten days before it will now be a month later. Every person in the team (including our manager) is aggreieved about it, only I was the stupid one who said something out loud. Which is my error and I've already apologised.

I forgot I'm not allowed an opinion on anything and just have to nod and agree.

OP posts:
Isthisnameacceptable01 · 20/03/2018 20:17

I don’t think you will be fired but I think it was very unprofessional of you to say to your manager that you would no longer be able to sell the company. It is a bonus not salary.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 20/03/2018 20:17

Blimey you’re being so bolshy here, can see your Manager might find you tricky tbh. Doubt it’s a sackable offence, but you can be let go for any reason within two years as I understand it, so your cards might be marked. You need to watch your step going forward,

Asiaticlily · 20/03/2018 20:18

I'm surprised you moaned about it as in January you would have only been there 3-4 months so I wouldn't have expected to be guaranteed any bonus.

Your manager is right, if you don't have faith in the company or are unhappy with the way they have conducted things you are free to leave. Bonuses are usually discretionary as well so I wouldn't blame your manager if they withdrew it for this year until people get some respect.

BlueNeighbourhood1 · 20/03/2018 20:19

Agreed. I shouldn't have said it, hence my apology to her. It was said in the height of frustration on my part and the second I realised how stupid I was being I apologised.

I'm ready for tomorrow and que sera sera. She's a lovely woman and I feel bad I made her get to that point she snapped at me - we speak all the time and sit next to each other and I'd class her as a friend.

OP posts:
JennyJames · 20/03/2018 20:20

I was ready to stand with you until your post of 20.14

Now I agree with GogoGobo’s first sentence.

OP; “AIBU?”

Everyone; “yes”

OP; “No I’m not”

BlueNeighbourhood1 · 20/03/2018 20:21

Haha bolshy for daring to speak back to the Mumsnet crew! I know what to expect on AIBU and I knew what responses I would get - its always fun to stick the knife in and character assassinate isn't it?!

OP posts:
EggysMom · 20/03/2018 20:21

I forgot I'm not allowed an opinion on anything and just have to nod and agree.

When it comes to what an employer chooses to do (within the law), yes.

TinyBarista · 20/03/2018 20:23

If i was your manager I'd be pretty pissed off to have to deal with this on WhatsApp, in my own time. Maybe you should rethink use of the WhatsApp group.

waiting for manager: AIBU to not want employee complaints in my evening from someone I thought was a friend

BlueNeighbourhood1 · 20/03/2018 20:23

Completely out of hand - I did mean have an opinion and nod and agree on Mumsnet - not at work!

I am fully fully apologetic to my Manager, I made a mistake and apologised. Because I'm not a HR Professional I wanted to ask if it is a sackable offence or not. Not if I'm immature, a twat, a prick, stupid, silly, thats all of Mumsnet getting their pitchforks ready - it was to see if its a sackable offence.

OP posts:
ThroughThickAndThin01 · 20/03/2018 20:26

You should have posted on Employment Issues then, not Aibu.

RB68 · 20/03/2018 20:26

I think go in and take the wind out of her sails just apologise - say you realise you were out of order and won't do it again, sorry for putting her in an awkward position etc

CocoPuffsInGodMode · 20/03/2018 20:26

I can't imagine you'd be fired but you haven't covered yourself in glory here. You're only 6 months in the place, what on earth were you thinking slagging the company off (even if just among colleagues)? You are getting the bonus, you originally expected it a month later and while it's not great for them to say you'd get it early and then go back on that, I don't think group bitching to your manager the way you have was warranted. I'm afraid the premeditated suggestion just sounds a bit ott and could be seen as shit stirring.

In all likelihood your manager was just a bit pissed off being moaned at (on their own time?) about something outside of their control. Firing you would seem an extreme reaction but in future if you want to raise a work issue with a manager do it in a professional manner. The casual nature of a group WhatsApp isn't appropriate for that, it's too easy to get caught up in short and (not very) sweet one liners that you might regret.

BlueNeighbourhood1 · 20/03/2018 20:27

Alas ThroughThickAndThin there is very little traffic so had vain hope someone in AIBU could advise.

OP posts:
Imstickingwiththisone · 20/03/2018 20:28

Sounds like there's more to it tbh. I don't junk what you said was that bad to warrant your manager say they're sick of your moaning so perhaps the team has a negative attitude in general. Your conclusion that you can't believe in the company because of this alone would lead me to think that there are other reasons why you're pissed off and that you all moan about it regularly?

I think it's bad form to say a bonus is going to be there by a certain date and then delay it last minute. It's deserving of an apology and a change of procedure so you're told at the point of being paid about the bonus. But I've never had a job that includes a bonus so this is foreign to me.

bearbehind · 20/03/2018 20:28

I doubt you'll be sacked for this but your massive sense of entitlement will be well and truly marked.

It's a discretionary bonus- they can do what they like.

You've been there 6 months, not long enough to start throwing around comments about 'not believing in the company'

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HeedMove · 20/03/2018 20:28

Just remember even though the Whatsapp may feel informal and you feel she’s your friend. She is still your manager. Don’t get yourself into a false sense of security. I think it was silly to say about having no belief in the company etc. I doubt she will sack you. If you would normally get the bonus the month after anyway. Just in your head plan for that from now on even if you are told it will be early. That way if it changes, you won’t be disappointed.

Caenea · 20/03/2018 20:28

TBH, I'm with the OP here.

Bonus or not, you were expecting money on a certain date. There may be people who therefore have mentally budgeted that money for something urgent (car MOT, tax, insurance, dental work) that may now have had the rug snatched out from under them.

Whatsapp groups are surely the place to raise this kind of issue so it's less formal - it's grossly unprofessional to do something like this without any explanation.

BlueNeighbourhood1 · 20/03/2018 20:31

Thank you both - I realise what I said in the heat of the moment was wrong but it was a build up of frustration we were all feeling, all five of us have had bad experiences in different ways since starting work here and I think if it was an isolated incident nobody would've said a word - maybe more it's a cumulation of issues for myself and the others that has came out

As a team we encounter a lot of problems with other departments within the business, hence everyone moaning and I think she probably reached the end of her tether which if I were her probably would've done similar a long time ago. She's a great manager, very relatable and personable and her herself has been stiffed by the bonus issue. Completely my fault and I'll be in early tomorrow with a pot plant apologising!

OP posts:
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