Just been sacked for the first time ever after a funeral

[PrueD]

On Monday I was at a funeral and yesterday I was off on compassionate leave. When I returned today the director sacked me. Been there 9 months.

Before now, I hadn’t been made aware of any issues in my one to ones, the last one being a week and a half ago. I had told my manager a month ago about my terminally ill relative. It was harder to work at my usual capacity at this time but I was still doing a good job on important projects. The main problem I had was they kept piling on more work on top of existing work.

I said I would’ve liked the chance to address any issues and they said they don’t have capacity to support and that’s it. I’m in shock, having an awful week as it is.

It would be a different if I was doing a terrible job but I know I wasn’t as I did a lot of good work. I know I wasn’t doing a perfect job over the last month or so.

Sorry for your loss.

What relation to you was the person who died?

Have a read of the ACAS Unfair dismissal page and see what you think.
Did they document concerns with your performance in writing?

I'm so sorry to hear this and for your loss as well

Did they give you any reason for dismissing you? I thought they had to give warnings or offer personal improvement plans or whatever they're called, but maybe as you've not been there long, they may not have to?

My gran died but she mostly raised me, so between grandparent and parent. We were very close which not everyone understands when it’s a grandparent.

I think they need to give you warnings before going straight in to sack you unless it was for something really serious like you stabbed someone or stole all the money out the safe. Could be wrong but that's what we had to do

9 months of employment - there’ll be little you can do in terms of unfair dismissal (although IANAL and you might be able to get 30 mins with one FOC to check. Or CAB if they still run in your area).

Very shitty of your employer though.

They said a client complained after a meeting. This client had also told a lie to cover their own back, which my manager also stated. All that happened was we told the client there would be a delay which was down to another vendor. He took exception to this - we were doing everything on our side to rectify it.

they didn’t give a clear reason, just said it wasn’t working out. I have just delivered an important project last week with success. They have no reason in writing but apparently I will get a letter.

i thought that less than 2 years means you can be sacked and have little recourse unless some discrimination is involved?

Is this just unfortunate timing, and attending the funeral is not linked to being let go?

Note how I used the words 'let go'. Are the company needing to make cut backs and they are just looking for who has been there the least amount of time?

Though as they said it's because of a client complaint maybe it's not that simple.

Aside from anything else I feel embarrassed. I told him I was proud of the work I’d done because I am.

but now I’ll need to tell partner and family I’ve lost my job.

I’ve been in this business a long time @Moonnstars

Sometimes clients complain. This was the first complaint and not following a serious breach. Just a ‘this is a bit delayed, can you hurry up’ grumble. I really think they should have raised any issues with me ahead of time.

You're right. It's awful, but that's the way it is. We always get posters talking about dismissal procedures, wording used etc on threads like this, but none of that applies.

I’m not surprised though. They sacked someone else without warning 6 months ago.

I’ve just had the termination letter. This is the wording:

‘This decision follows a thorough review of your performance and overall suitability for your role.’

My manager said she was happy with my
performance and hadn’t told me about concerns. So I’ve been blindsided and not given a chance to address things.

When I've let someone go with the words 'it's not working out', what I mean is that they're just not the right fit for my company. Sometimes clients don't like them, sometimes they're a poor fit with the rest of my team, or their ways of working aren't the ones I want to see in my company. It's not personal, they're just not right for me.

Talk it on the chin and find something better, tbh if you found the workload unreasonable it might not be a great place fr you anyway. You will find somewhere better!!

Correct

She's less than 2 years service so it's irrelevant, as can't claim unfair dismissal

I had a hybrid job over a decade ago and I was really, really good at it.
When my mum was dying I never missed a day, except on the day she died.
The next day I was due in the office I did my standard hours. It was tough, very male industry, but a bacon sandwich appeared and a cuppa, and lots of taps on my shoulder.
I got home (where I had also been caring for my mum so her hospital bed and things were still about) and after a bath and a rest checked my emails.
I had been made redundant.
In a job where the boss had tried to recruit me for my months as he couldn’t find anyone to do it - nothing highbrow by the way, it was just very boring, which I didn’t mind!
As I am classed as disabled I was allowed to raise it with ACAS, even though I had been there less than a year.
My old boss then got a load of statements from employees saying my disability affected my work. I had one friend there who told me he put huge pressure on them, said he’d fire them as well.
He also stated I had hidden the true state of my health.
In the end I gave up and he hired a young woman he was having an affair with. Which his wife had no idea about.
The business closed because one that’s run so poorly eventually implodes.
I know it seems very tough now but these people don’t have morals and the longer you work for them, the worse it gets.
I am so very sorry for the loss of your grandmother.
Get some advice from ACAS they are very good.

Make sure you get your notice pay and outstanding statutory holiday pay.
Good luck op!

@GiveMeSpanakopita I was well liked by my manager and colleagues, or so I thought.

My manager went on maternity leave two weeks ago and straight after a new person was micromanaging from day one.

I mean they clearly just don’t like me or how I work and there’s no way around that. I left a company who were very sorry to see me to last year for a better salary and now I’ll have no salary.

I have just delivered an important project last week with success. They have no reason in writing but apparently I will get a letter.

You have completed an important project with success and it is likely that they have let you go now because the project is finished. It was probably their plan all along.

They don’t need to. She’s been there less than 2 years, unless they’ve discriminated based on equality act, they can terminate just because.

This is really shit. I'd say this is one time that its not about you or what happened with your loss, its about them. Sometimes in life, we're just not the right fit and that's ok. It's crappy they waited til the project was delivered (and I'd suspect they had form for this). And I appreciate you'll feel like crap right now.

But pick yourself up, dust yourself off. You've delivered great work for various clients, and have good history.
Get working on your CV and get yourself right back out there - however crap you might feel you will feel better when you are back in control of something.

Also get back in touch with your past employer and just let them know that you're in the market for a new role and ask if they have anything (you don't have to say why!). If they don't fair enough, if they do - shortcut to solving the problem.

Good luck. And I am so sorry for your loss.

Either way I’ve lost my job and that has economic implications. It also feels like a rejection.

I also hate that it’s a small industry and one person from this company knows someone from the company I left. So it will get around that I was sacked.