Just been sacked for the first time ever after a funeral

I was fired in front of all my staff after doing the job for 3 days for a BS reason. Complained and was told he was having a bad day and I was just someone he didn’t like. Absolutely gutted.
Cursed him and carried on in my other jobs but that particular job was only 2 days per month but I was clearing £250 with tips each day

Nine months is not "a short while" and OP has already said she works in a niche industry where everyone knows everyone else (she's already stated that a colleague at her current/ex-employer knows someone at her former employer and she's concerned about word getting back to her former employer that she's been dismissed). She absolutely shouldn't lie - it could come back to bite her.

Completing a probation period does not give you any more rights in law.

Whether an employer has to follow its own procedures depends on whether they are contractual. Referring to these procedures in the employment contract does not necessarily make them contractual. If they are contractual and are not followed, the employee has a claim for wrongful dismissal regardless of the length of service. For this reason, employers are generally advised to ensure that such procedures are not contractual.

As far as OP is concerned, as she has only been in the role 9 months she doesn't have any claim unless she was dismissed for a reason that is automatically unfair, or her dismissal was unlawful discrimination, or her dismissal was in breach of her contract. On the information posted, it does not appear that any of these apply.

@PrueD if you passed probation with flying colours then you may have a but more recourse to say that process has not been followed and to get some kind of settlement. They’re not going to give you your job back (if you even want it now). And I wouldn’t count returning to old company as backwards, if they have more integrity than the current lot.

So sorry for your loss.

I know it is going to be difficult to believe, but they around a shit company to work for. Good luck finding a new job. It's so hard.

This 👆and @Ariela 's post I quoted above. Both are very good, honest explanations of your current situation. Please don't lie OP - it could back-fire on you - and there's no need.

If you got on well with your old manager, then I'd swallow the risk and tell them what has happened and say that you'd welcome the heads up about any opportunities. Given you have no job, and the word will get around anyway (or you think that will be the case) then I would get the word out first with my version of it. You don't have to ask for your old job back - just a friendly heads up if they hear of anything (whether at the old company or not) whilst also asking them if they would still write you a reference because your employer is likely to say a whole load of untrue stuff (and that gives you an "in" to tell them the whole truth about the employer without being seen to be telling tales or being spiteful).

I like @Ariela 's suggestion OP:

Ariela · Today 11:04
I would be honest at interview, and say your reviews in person with your manager had been good and no issues were raised, but suspect may be a case of last in first out, as you'd just successfully delivered a large project you had been working on, and you'd taken some leave due to a very close family death so you imagine it was a convenient time to ask you to leave with the costs of employees due to go up in April, meaning they could now remove your position and cut costs.
Then I would say how much you're looking forward to moving on and tackling new challenges etc, or some such positive forward looking comment.

It could be though. The reality is that I can't see that the OP was poor at their job, although obviously we only have the OP's word for that. They have put the reason for dismissal (true or not) in writing. Employers are legally obliged to tell the truth in a reference, and can be sued if they do not. They can choose to say nothing, and some employers do choose to say nothing. Or they can tell the truth. The "truth" in this instance is that the OP was dismissed for poor performance. To now say otherwise would be a deliberate lie. And could come back to haunt the employer. It probably wouldn't, but it's a case of "famous last words" for anyone to assert that it couldn't happen. Just like saying that an employee leaving without working thier notice won't get sued - most of the time they don't, but it does happen.

As you've only been there a short while, you could leave it off your CV. You could say you took time off to care for a sick relative (your gran).

Also, sorry that this happened but they do sound a horribly toxic place to work. 8n the long run, you are definitely better off out of there. Good luck! Xx

Absolutely not. Any decent HR dept will expect periods of unemployment to be explained honestly. I once queried a 12 month gap in a prospective employee's career history and it transpired they'd been in prison.

So sorry for your loss. What a time for this to happen.
Re references - you successfully completed a big project recently... Is the kind of thing you could ask the client for a reference for your work on that project? If you got on well with them? Or your manager who is on maternity leave (you may have to promise you won't disclose this to your last employer ). As a personal reference?

As many have said. It wasn't personal. They were not replacing people they'd let go and your project was over. Its shitty and It may seem tough now, but the company you worked for sounds unpleasant. You know that you are good at your profession, I'm sure you will find a better placement.. best of luck

I'm really sorry you've lost your DGM OP and that your "charming" employer has decided to dismiss you at what is already an awful time for you - it must feel like an utter gut-punch, but says so much more about them than you. I appreciate you feel devastated now, but I want you to know this experience will not affect your ability to get another job (when something similar happened to me I went on to get a more interesting, better-paid job with a much more professional and secure employer and the previous "blip" didn't affect my future at all - indeed, many people have these employment "war stories" to tell).
Also, don't get too hung up on getting a "good" reference from this employer. When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act were introduced in 2018 most employers started using standard template references which simply confirm a former employee's role (e.g. Project Manager) and the dates to/from they were employed and making no comment about their performance at all. This is because the GDPR introduced stricter rules around data collection, storage, and disclosure, making employers more cautious about providing detailed employment references. In reality this was a bit of an over-reaction to the GDPR requirements, however, it also relieved employers of the administrative burden of writing personalised references so they saw it as a win-win. I suggest you ask your employer if they would send a reference to you for you to show to prospective employers (it's unlikely to state anything derogatory about your performance that you might query). I previously worked for one of the oil majors and when I left they emailed me their standard template reference for me (as a .pdf on company headed paper) which I could email to any prospective employer who asked for it.
As PPs have stated, you have minimal employment rights due to having less than two years continuous service, however, all employees have the basic rights, from day one, to not suffer discrimination against the nine protected characteristics defined in the Equality Act 2010 (unfortunately, bereavement isn't one of them) and to not be dismissed for a reason that's "automatically unfair". Having checked the reasons that are automatically unfair, I can't see how this right applies to you, but if you have time (and the inclination) to explore this further whilst job-hunting, you could contact your local Citizen Advice office for an adviser to do a full exploration with you which may, or may not, reveal something useful in this regard which you haven't posted here.
Finally, you mention having a partner, but don't say what their earnings are. It would be worth using one of the good online benefits calculators (this is a good one: https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/ ) to check if you are eligible for Universal Credit. It's really easy to use - just accurately answer the questions and it will give you guidance on your eligibility for benefits whilst you're looking for work.
Wishing you all the very best at this very difficult time OP. 🤗

You could say it was a temporary post and the management changed and you weren’t needed any more. In fact, would it be worth asking the person who just sacked you if they could call it redundancy, so it looks better on your CV? You’ve not been there long enough to get a payout so it would be no hardship for them to say that.

Contact your old employer! Your network is always your first port of call.

Sorry for your loss. I hope you get a better job soon and can look back and think you are well rid of them.

Your old employer would probably be a good option to try if you want / need work quickly.

* Given the fact you lost your gran, are grieving and your head is likely not in a very good place, I would seek advice to see if it is unfair dismissal, and I'd also think about going to the media/local newspaper. Grief can be consuming and I find it really unacceptable that you have been treated like that having lost one of the most important people in your life.

It is legal though , unfair dismissal does not apply.

@PrueD did you have a probation period and pass it? I’m sorry this happened. Any chance former employer will take you back on? Anyone from there who knows you will know you are a good worker as they wanted to keep you, despite what the new company might say. Could you ask your former Manager from the new company to be your referee?

Given the fact you lost your gran, are grieving and your head is likely not in a very good place, I would seek advice to see if it is unfair dismissal, and I'd also think about going to the media/local newspaper. Grief can be consuming and I find it really unacceptable that you have been treated like that having lost one of the most important people in your life.

Yes you are wrong. At less than two years employment an employee can be dismissed for any reason or no reason with very limited exclusions. Bereavement isn't one of them.