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Original poster

Sacked after ONE day! :(

171 replies

PrankedByLife · 28/12/2020 12:24

This happened a couple of weeks ago but I still can't get over it.

After TEN years of temporary and contract work I finally got a permanent job!
£40k, permanent, 3 month probation period, in my field of expertise, directly employed with the company, no crappy agencies involved - I thought finally, after 10 years of rubbish God had finally rewarded me.

They sacked me after ONE day!!!

First he said I was over qualified and then I was too slow.

The irony of this situation is, I've never worked so hard in my first day in any job. I was hands on, got a lot done.

I emailed the owner of the business who actually hired me to let him know that the MD had sacked me and nearly two weeks on he hasn't bothered to reply.

I can't believe they only gave me one day to prove myself!!

I have to admit the atmosphere was strange the minute I got there - no one was prepared to even say hello!

Has this happened to anyone else and did you ever find out why?

I feel like I'm meant to take the scraps of jobs forever, I'm not good enough for a proper job.

OP posts:
SnowyOwlWan · 28/12/2020 13:15

My job history was like this until I joined the civil service @ilovemydogandmrobama2 I had been made redundant, had my hours cut, let go.. I was so tired of having to fight to stay employed all the time and it was really affecting my initiative and my confidence. I know in the most recent job I had before this one, I had no initiative but it had been destroyed, absolutely beaten out of me along the way by all the bosses who were so quick to think the worst. I had one job in particular where the manager thought the worst at every single opportunity. Thank goodness, where i am now, I go in every day and work hard in a hardworking team and if i can't figure something out, I can ask. It will be explained, maybe not immediately if we're busy but somebody will teach me how to do my job at least! The atmosphere in there is not one of fear. Nobody is covering their arse obsessively living in the terror of being fired at the drop of a hat. Well, I'm talking about before wfh but ykwim. I started on a low salary but within four years, it creeps up a bit here a bit there and thankfully for people like me who equate asking for a rise with getting the sack a week later, I did not have to ask for any of those rises, they're across the board of course. It really is a relief to just go in to work, do your best, work hard, have support when you need it and I'm happy now to give support to newer people. The atmosphere is less fearful and more supportive than what i've experienced before.

partyatthepalace · 28/12/2020 13:17

That is absolutely shit OP.

But it sounds like something is seriously amiss at this company.

It will take a wee while to get over your hopes being raised like that, but it’s not about you, and does sound like you dodged a bullet.

MadameBlobby · 28/12/2020 13:18

it's usually very difficult to just sack someone with immediate effect that quickly

It really isn’t.

OP I’m sorry that’s shite. I’d hazard a guess that they actually wanted to withdraw the job offer but that dismissal was less hassle for them so just went for that. Pretty shitty. But it’s them I’m sure and not you that’s the problem. Not that that helps, I know, but don’t let the fuckers get you down

Aprilx · 28/12/2020 13:18

@KarlKennedysDurianFruit

Maybe they thought someone internal was going to get your job and then they were told you had and you copped the flack for that, nothing you can do really, but it's usually very difficult to just sack someone with immediate effect that quickly, I'm assuming you were on a probationary period?
It is extremely easy to sack somebody that quickly. You don’t need to make assumptions about probationary period as OP has mentioned they had three months probationary period. This doesn’t help, it has no meaning in statutory employment law and contractually it doesn’t mean they have to keep her for three months either. It probably means that they can contractually remove the employee with a shortened notice period.

OP. I agree with the many posters that state this is nothing to do with you. There is no way they would have come to such a hasty decision on anybody. I believe there was a difference in opinion regarding the hiring decision fundamentally.

Hailtomyteeth · 28/12/2020 13:20

OP, it's not you, it's them. They can't possibly know enough about you after a day to have reason to dismiss you. This is some in-company politics at work.

Hailtomyteeth · 28/12/2020 13:21

'in action' would have been a better phrase than 'at work'.

Lookslikerainted · 28/12/2020 13:21

Sounds very odd, as others have said you’ve probably dogged a bullet. What field is it in?

daisychain01 · 28/12/2020 13:21

Why do people spout such bollocks on here. You can be sacked for ANY reason in the first two years, probation or no probation!

That isn't true, you cannot be sacked for any reason.

You have protection in place from Day 1 of employment under the Equality Act (2010), if you have any of the 9 protected characteristics (for example, sex, race, pg, disability etc) covered by the Act, a company cannot just sack you. This would constitute discrimination.

www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act/protected-characteristics

Whilst it isn't evident from the information provided that the OP suffered from any discrimination due to a protected characteristic, if they feel they were (for example they turned up on their first day obviously pregnant, or stated they had impaired vision), then they could take things further. However, it is big step not to be taken lightly and could take many months, or years, to resolve.

I agree, however, that probation is a red herring and does not in itself offer any specific enhanced rights of protection.

Original poster
PrankedByLife · 28/12/2020 13:22

That's what I'm leaning towards Deadringer - MD wanted someone else to Boss.

OP posts:
LIZS · 28/12/2020 13:23

I think the manager realised it was not a good fit. Probably not your fault but the role may not have been as you perceived or they required. One day seems sudden but perhaps better sooner than later. Hope you can find something else.

14ScottsRoad · 28/12/2020 13:23

It's not you.I am willing to bet serious money on it.

I had a similar workplace experience where I walked in and felt the odd atomospehere from the off. Turned out that I had walked into the middle of an office politiccs situaiton and the senior managements had been at loggerheads over who to employ and I was in the total firing line.

I stuck it out for 3 years. had a nervous breakdown, went off sick and never went back. It was the single most ghastly experience of my working life.

New job, and i have been promoted twice in 18 months. Some workplaces really ARE toxic.

Sparklfairy · 28/12/2020 13:27

@daisychain01

Why do people spout such bollocks on here. You can be sacked for ANY reason in the first two years, probation or no probation!

That isn't true, you cannot be sacked for any reason.

You have protection in place from Day 1 of employment under the Equality Act (2010), if you have any of the 9 protected characteristics (for example, sex, race, pg, disability etc) covered by the Act, a company cannot just sack you. This would constitute discrimination.

www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act/protected-characteristics

Whilst it isn't evident from the information provided that the OP suffered from any discrimination due to a protected characteristic, if they feel they were (for example they turned up on their first day obviously pregnant, or stated they had impaired vision), then they could take things further. However, it is big step not to be taken lightly and could take many months, or years, to resolve.

I agree, however, that probation is a red herring and does not in itself offer any specific enhanced rights of protection.

You don't need to tell me that; I've successfully taken an employer to tribunal for sex discrimination after 2 months employment. There was no indication if any discrimination in the OP, so my comment was directed at people saying it's "unusual" to be let go for no reason, and implying that a "probationary period" meant anything whatsoever. It doesn't.
Audreyseyebrows · 28/12/2020 13:28

Are they allowed to do that????

bevelino · 28/12/2020 13:31

It sounds like a decision was made to let you go for financial reasons. Alternatively, a mistake was made by someone in hiring you in the first place; or they discovered something that was not declared in the recruitment process, entitling them to dismiss you.

Although you cannot claim unfair dismissal there are certain types of dismissal that are automatically unfair where there is no requirement for two years service, for eg, refusal to allow jury service, pregnancy related matters, health and safety breaches, discrimination of employees with protected characteristics and so on.

WhatFreshStartIsThis · 28/12/2020 13:32

OP whilst you can be fairly dismissed on your first day you would still be entitled to your contractual notice.

Check your contract, see what the notice to be given by the employer is during probation (it might be nothing but it is usually a week).

If there is a contractual notice period they have failed to honour you should write and request payment on the next payroll run. If they don’t pay you initiate the Acas early conciliation process.

A lucky escape but check you have been paid what you may be owed.

Pancakeorcrepe · 28/12/2020 13:33

Gawd, how absolutely shitty of them to do this!
I doubt very much this is your fault, they sound odd and bonkers. Please don’t let this knock your confidence darling, I’m sure you are brilliant!

Original poster
PrankedByLife · 28/12/2020 13:33

Nosswith - they make car parts.

OP posts:
Norah8 · 28/12/2020 13:33

It sounds like a lucky escape. No one said hello... Yikes

Aprilx · 28/12/2020 13:34

@PrankedByLife

That's what I'm leaning towards Deadringer - MD wanted someone else to Boss.
OP, I do agree that this was company politics or to do with budget or really anything other than being about you. You must not let it get you down, you had some very bad luck.

But note the MD is the boss. The owner is the shareholder. The legal roles of the respective people is broadly the same in a small Ltd company as it is in a PLC. The shareholders (owners) get to vote on the board and possibly the MD/ CEO (or at least their package). The rest of the hiring decisions are the responsibly of the MD/ CEO and whomever they appoint to manage, not the shareholders (owners). I just thought I would mention this as you have said you contacted the owner but they hadn’t responded and I can understand why they would not wish to try to undermine the MD.

daisychain01 · 28/12/2020 13:34

@Sparklfairy

I just needed to qualify your rather scathing comment about people spouting bollox, when what you said wasn't completely accurate Smile

As this is a public forum, my comments weren't for your benefit, clearly you already know it, but it was to help other people who may have thought their employer could sack them for ANY reason. Which you've agreed isn't quite true.

I also said there was no indication of discrimination, but who knows, there could have been and the OP hadn't mentioned it.

Chill. I wasn't having a go, but sorry you feel the need to.

Itsonlymakebelieve · 28/12/2020 13:34

Sounds like maybe office politics a few years ago, so not COVID related I interviewed for a job got offered the job ( there was an internal applicant which may have been relevant) my references were fine I got a letter with a starting date. Then got a call putting back the start date, okay no worries just waited then got a letter asking me to interview again for the job wtf!
The agency filled me in on the details as they were so annoyed at what had happened. Turns out the dept manager had not been there for the original interviews ( off ill) so had not been happy and wanted to do the interviews again, surely he could have just asked me in for a chat to make sure I was a good match for the post ( I was). I declined to interview again and said I was no longer interested in working for the company. My thinking was that the dept manager wanted to choose the internal candidate.

Original poster
PrankedByLife · 28/12/2020 13:35

Untamed Wisteria - I would have been the Accountant and HR person. Very small business. The lady 'training' me was leaving.
She didn't train me on anything, I already knew the system and she kept disappearing.

OP posts:
IMNOTSHOUTING · 28/12/2020 13:36

It goes without saying but it's a really shitty thing for them to do. For all they knew you turned down another job for this.

Kokosrieksts · 28/12/2020 13:37

If you literally mean the first day you walked in and got fired after 8 hours, I believe it’s nothing to do with you, but that they actually had someone else in mind for the position. Something had gone wrong behind the scenes. This isn’t about you, hold your head up high.

KitKatastrophe · 28/12/2020 13:38

You have been treated dreadfully but you must know it wasn't you. It sounds like the whole place was a bit "off" and you've probably dodged a bullet in the long run, although it doesnt feel like it now.