Sorry this is going to be so long but I don’t want to miss anything. I’m absolutely livid I’ll try and describe this as best I can.
I work in healthcare, a very small company. My boss and I are the only workers, but she works part time and I’m the only full time worker. Essentially I’m making all the money which is fine but she’s very money driven and not particularly bothered about her employees. I see all the invoices including her getting paid £800 for ME to supervise students (which I get is part of the business, but I shouldn’t be seeing that).
A few months ago, she put me on a “performance review” because on one occasion I accidentally left a sign outside overnight and it got ruined by the rain. A complete mistake on my part, I get, but she very much made a big deal of it. She also set me a target to always do my contractual hours, because I left 5 minutes early once (though I come in 30 minutes early every day, without fail).
I know for sure I’ve met these targets. Yesterday, she called a meeting and said “okay I’m getting straight to the point, this isn’t working out”. Her reasons were not only ridiculous, but she never even discussed these with me prior.
- She said the thing that made her decide was that “I was off sick on Monday”. And I “let her know too late by email and didn’t even call”. She literally told me before that email was fine. And it was only a little later in the morning because I tried to come in, but still told her before my shift. And I have a doctors note. She’s essentially sacking me for calling in sick.
- She said it’s not just this though, but other things:
- She said “you moan that you have too much work on, and no time to do anything, but you really don’t have that much on”. She sees 2-3 clients a day when she’s in. I see 5-6 and have to do notes/report/admin/answering the phone.
- I don’t always answer the phone. I do this because I’m BUSY. She’s never had a problem, in fact she set up a virtual assistant to “help us” so I “can get on with my admin” yet is now sacking me for it.
- She told me I need to communicate with her that I’m struggling, so one morning I did call her saying I had struggled to find the time to prepare for a session. She yesterday said it was ridiculous, and that I “can’t be ringing her at all hours for fun” (it was 9:30am).
- I told her my housemate had covid. She said I need to pay for my own tests if I want to test as I don’t have symptoms. A few days later I came in coughing my guts out. She didn’t ask if I was ok, no concern, nothing. So I had to pay for my own tests even though I work in healthcare. She said it’s “because I didn’t come to her and ask”. She said she didn’t ask if I was ok because “I was running a team meeting at the time, and I’m currently moving house, it wasn’t on my mind”. I told her I had a problem with that and she said “yeah whatever”.
- She said I’m “not very good at winging my sessions”. Basically telling me I don’t need time to prepare - as long as I’m earning her money I shouldn’t be putting time to prepare or plan good sessions. She said she puts her family first.
So she sacked me there and then. With my 2 months notice, but essentially sacking me for reasons she never even discussed with me. I think she’s just decided she doesn’t like me.
BUT it gets worse. This morning, I go to write a note on the work phone, and there’s a note about all the things I’ve done wrong for me to find. This is SO unprofessional. But also there’s LOADS of things she’s never even brought up with me. Such as
- “leaving covid tests all over the table” I left one used test on one occasion by accident while I was in a session
- “Leaving the cabinet keys too close to the cabinet” fine, but she never told me this. And I came in the other day and SHE’D LEFT THEM IN THERE
- “Requesting she works from home one day while I was away” I literally should not be getting sacked for asking this??? The answer was no and I said okay fine??
- “Looking scruffy at work” again NEVER mentioned this and I know I do not look scruffy at work ever. Sometimes I don’t wear make up??
- “Heating at full blast” never told me to turn it down, and the office is freezing???
- “Not responding to clients emails” one time when I was off sick.
- “Not replying to my email asking if she was returning to work” she had emailed me at 7pm when I was sick, and I replied early the next morning???
Honestly I feel like she’s sacked me for unbelievable reasons. She just doesn’t like me, and she never even raised these as concerns before sacking me. Yes she’s given me notice but I have 2 months to panic-find a new job. And also, this is NOTHING to do with my clinical work. I know the job I do clinically is really really good.
I’m absolutely livid, I’m crying at work today and I’m struggling to be getting on with work that is just going straight into her paycheck.
. I am a fabulous employer. (but I acknowledge that this isn't always the case).