Is today the day I get fired?

[Lac365]

I work for a small company, just 15 employees.
Since I started here just over a year ago they have sacked 2 people.
And I'm in trouble today again for making a mistake.

Doesn't everyone make mistakes? I don't make them all the time, I'm very careful but I'm not perfect.

I live with the constant worry that I'm the next in line to get fired. Everytime I see the boss come into the office I think that's it. He's coming to tell me that he's letting me go.

I've always been good at every job I've had. This is the only one that I seem to have problems with! Trying hard to find a new job but it's not easy just now.

Sorry to moan. Just needed to share.

The company sounds a bit iffy - did they sack the two people willy nilly?
Do you think they followed proper processes?
Are they perhaps firing people before they are in the job long enough to have proper rights?

Do they do performance appraisals? In a decent company with appropriate people management practices, you should always see good processes in place, and be aware whether you are doing well or not. If you are not doing well, what is your manager doing with you to help you improve?

My point is that it may not be you - it may be the company. The answers to the questions above may help you decide. The fact that you are already looking for a new job makes me think that you perhaps already know this at some level - putting it into words may help you deal with the current situation until you are in a position to change it.

I used to work for a large car dealership, every time the regional manager turned up on a friday afternoon you knew someone was getting fired.
His BMW would pull up on the forecourt and everyone would think 'oh crap, xxxx is here'.

On a more serious note, your company cant just sack people willy nilly, do you have a staff handbook with procedure in it? how long have you worked there?
were the two other people replaced or do you think he is using this method to reduce the workforce.
Have you kept notes of your 'mistakes' and any training, mentoring, appraisal meeting so if you do get sacked you could go to a tribunal.

I've made a few mistakes at work in the past but never got sacked, I owned up to them, apologised and made them right again ( I once didn't take £35k discount off a payment I made someone, I was sure I was going to get bollocked for that.. cue hasty phone calls to the bank and the supplier)

Why do you feel so unconfident? It shouldn't matter how many other people they've fired, have they reason to fire you? Sounds more like you think you aren't up to tge job than they think it.

Thank you for your replies.

Yes I have a company hand book with procedures listed in it. Will dig it out and read it tonight. Haven't had an appraisal. They don't DO them here.
Will start keeping notes of the goings on should things come to the worst.
Very helpful advice.

From the 2 people fired the first had worked here for 20 years. She was sacked when the younger generation took over the business. Not sure what happened ref tribunal. The second one was fired after being there for 2 years. So doesn't look like they sack people to reduce the workforce.

and yes Fanjo, having a complete lack of confidence in this job. Not because I can't do it but because of the work environment and ethos of boss.

Time for me to move on. Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Sometimes it just helps to write things down.

I work in an industry where people are fired fom time to time. Because of the area I work in, I quite often know why this has happened - there is always a reason with us and, apart from e.g. gross misconduct, a lengthy pocedure will have been followed. However, to many people in the company it may appear that an individual can be at work happily one day and have disappeared the next.

Unless you have particular reason to feel that your performance is not up to par, I don't think you should assume that you are only one step away from being fired. Have any problems with your work ever been flagged up to you?

In a well-managed company a dismissal should never come out of the blue for an individual (redundancies may be slightly different) unless it's for gross misconduct, (eg like the infamous 3 'fs' - fighting, fucking and fieving!)

It all comes down to what is reasonable in any given job, company etc You cannot assume you are "next" in the firing line unless it is clear they are making people redundant / have a shortage of work etc The people who were sacked may have been giving cause for complaint for a long time, you do not know.But in the current economic climate it may pay to watch your back!!