advice for colleague

[SuperFlyHigh]

I'm in a new job as legal sec/PA for past 2 months and doing well...

however the young woman (F) who got me the job was a recruiter for an agency and headhunted by my boss to be a trainee accountant as the firm is both accountants/solicitors.

Anyway after her 3 month probation period yesterday she got told she was fired as she didn't seem to be doing well, she also had clashes with another better trainee accountant (very much a go getter).

As me and F got on very well and often went for lunch after work I texted her to say i was sorry and she came back and rang me and wants to meet for lunch to discuss and see if they'll reconsider. what if anything should i do? on the one hand I want to be guarded, on the other hand it is a bit unfair but they have valid reasons. the 'power clash' didn't help either.

to be fair F's strengths probably lie in marketing/recruitment rather than accounts.

advice if any please?! thanks.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I dunno...she was headhunted, so they wanted her specifically. The firm must have has its reasons for thinking she was able enough to do the job.

If it was made clear that she was on probation, and likely to be fired if she didn't perform, I doubt there's anything she can do. I can't help smelling a rat....maybe it's just me.

What reasons has she been given for the sacking?

If there are procedures, then she should take advantage of them. If she tries to involve you, that's trickier potentially (I mean as a witness).

[flowery]

"wants to meet for lunch to discuss and see if they'll reconsider."

Do you mean she wants to meet with her manager/s to discuss and see if they'll reconsider?

I'm not clear what your involvement is or what she's asking of you. Is she asking for your opinion on whether this is a good plan?

[SuperFlyHigh]

absolutely - I don't think she wants me as a witness I just think she is just baffled as to why things didn't work out...

I've been told by the HR officer the reasons why no idea if they've filtered down to F. Maybe HR should be more professional and keep quiet but this all came out on an office night out for a colleague's birthday where F's name was being bandied about, and I asked the HR woman what had happened, she didn't have to tell me, but did. it was one of those situations where everyone else knew what had happened too and they thought I already knew.

flowery - no she wants to meet me for lunch partly as a colleague/friend but I think partly to get info out of me...

F thinks basically that as another intern was fired before for consistent lateness and then reinstated (his mother works at the company) then she will have another chance.

I think I will meet her but let her talk and say nothing. if she tells me what I know then fine, otherwise best to keep quiet.

[OllyBJolly]

Nothing you can do here and better not to get involved. Ok to stay in touch socially but make it clear that you are not willing to talk about work with her.

I don't see anything fishy. To train someone as an accountant is a huge investment for a company. If there is any sign it's not going to work out it's fairer all round to let the person go early rather than tie them in to training clawback etc.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

What a shower! You've compromised yourself, but you can't un-know what you know. In your shoes, I'd listen and offer a shoulder. Your colleague needs to sort this out through the proper channels (if, indeed there are any "proper channels").

[flowery]

Well the advice is stay out of it. You shouldn't have been asking HR what happened, and even more so, HR should not have told you. Nothing to do with you.

Meet your friend for lunch if you want to, but surely it's clear that the best thing is to politely decline to discuss it, on the basis that it's nothing to do with you, and if she is unhappy with the decision or wants more detail about the reasoning, she needs to speak to those who made the decision.

[SuperFlyHigh]

Olly - I think why she thinks it is fishy is because she was headhunted as a trainee accountant (English degree and one other degree) and employed on that basis and although she's been given a chance and fucked up then why employ her and not give her more of a chance?

[SuperFlyHigh]

flowery the only reason I asked HR was because F and I worked on recruitment together and F was a friend out of work. I could've texted her later to ask but it would have been tactless.

But I am doing what you say sticking firmly out of it and just a friendly lunch.