Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Hired to be Fired

25 replies

beebin · 23/05/2024 13:13

My husband is a Finance Manager who was three months into his probationary period in a new job. He was called into a meeting this morning thinking it was something work related only to be told they weren't going to keep him on and that needed to hand his work equipment in and leave. He's in shock as they were praising the work he'd been doing since he'd started. However, another colleague a while ago had told him that due to irregularities in the company's accounts, he'd been hired as the fall guy. He put this down to malicious gossip and didn't think about it further. Seems like they were right after all. His manager walked him out of the office and apologised for hiring him saying he had no choice but to do what he had "for the sake of the business".

We're both gutted. We have twins at nursery and I've recently gone back to work to help pay the mortgage. I'm panicked atm and don't know what to do. I don't earn enough to cover everything. I've been crying ever since I've found out. He's a qualified accountant and left his previous job due to a toxic work environment. Needing some reassurance that all will be fine please. I can't even think straight atm.

OP posts:
AmandaHoldensLips · 23/05/2024 13:35

That's a really shitty thing to do.

Try not to cry. He's probably already feeling really rotten about it all.

And he'll find something else much better real soon so don't worry!

StMarieforme · 23/05/2024 13:37

The right job will be along shortly. In the meantime he could pick up some temp work?

I really recommend getting his CV out to recruitment agencies that deal with his field. They'll do a lot of the job searching for him!

beebin · 23/05/2024 13:43

Thank you both. I've recently had a health scare during which my husband almost had a nervous breakdown (he lost his mother recently). His mental health has been shot which is why he decided to leave his previous workplace and start somewhere new and now this. I'm so sad for him but my anxiety has kicked in with full force and I don't want to add anything extra onto him.

He's joined all the agencies. They're telling him some organisations have reputations for treating employees poorly but what's happened to him is a new low even by their standards.

OP posts:
beebin · 23/05/2024 13:44

Also, it so hard to recruit in his position as companies take their time to hire and there are multiple rounds of interviews 😭

OP posts:
QueenofTheBorg · 23/05/2024 13:47

I'm sorry, it sounds horrible. Unfortunately, these things happen so all you and he can do is pick yourselves up and get on and find something else.

Can he do contract work? He's immediately available so he should update his cv, register with loads of agencies, look on Linkedin and other job websites, get in touch with people he's worked with before, apply for everything he sees.

Can you work more hours?

StMarieforme · 23/05/2024 13:47

Maybe he should retrain as an Accountancy Tutor (Apprenticeships) or Lecturer (Uni)

kp-uk.hirehive.com

Schoolchoicesucks · 23/05/2024 13:50

Sounds awful. I agree he should register with agencies and make clear he is available for immediate starts.
I don't understand how hiring someone in to then blame them for historic mistakes helps the company, but sounds as though he is well out of it.

eurochick · 23/05/2024 13:57

I also don't understand how this could work as the irregularities must predate his involvement if he was hired to take the fall for them.

That is appalling though. What a dreadful way to run a business and you with people's lives.

HashBrownandBeans · 23/05/2024 14:00

Had something similar happen to me last year, I was taken on just to cover the managers extended honeymoon and as soon as she was back, they made me redundant 🙄 All your DH can do is get out there and apply for everything.

zeddybrek · 23/05/2024 14:04

Hi OP. I'm sorry this has happened. My DH is in finance and they treat people terribly IMO. Something similar happened to my DH and it is incredibly stressful for the whole family. His predecessor was sacked for no apparent reason after 7 years. He later found out it's just a typical thing they do, embedded in the culture of that organisation.

Maybe try contract work, have an update to date LinkedIn profile too. As horrible as the sector is, there are opportunities out there, there is a shortage in some areas for those skills.

Be patient and as supportive as you can be. Scream into a pillow, call friends whatever it takes. It is hard on you too so take care of both of yourselves.

beebin · 23/05/2024 14:13

They recently pushed someone else out who had been there for 23 years because the management suddenly decided the person was costing them too much. There's another person who's been there 9 months and they've suddenly put them on gardening leave. Since my husband has been there less than 3 months, he's got a weeks worth of notice period.

I work FT in a job that requires me to work into the evenings (lots of report writing). I can't take on extra work even if I tried as I wouldn't have the time.

OP posts:
beebin · 23/05/2024 14:15

zeddybrek · 23/05/2024 14:04

Hi OP. I'm sorry this has happened. My DH is in finance and they treat people terribly IMO. Something similar happened to my DH and it is incredibly stressful for the whole family. His predecessor was sacked for no apparent reason after 7 years. He later found out it's just a typical thing they do, embedded in the culture of that organisation.

Maybe try contract work, have an update to date LinkedIn profile too. As horrible as the sector is, there are opportunities out there, there is a shortage in some areas for those skills.

Be patient and as supportive as you can be. Scream into a pillow, call friends whatever it takes. It is hard on you too so take care of both of yourselves.

I'm really shocked by the stories I've been hearing lately of all the people who've been casualties of the finance sector- it really is a law unto itself- the bullying and power trips seem par for the course when people get to a certain level.

OP posts:
beebin · 23/05/2024 14:17

He's joined all agencies- one of them got him this job! He's on LinkedIn, etc. I don't know what else I can do at my end to fix things, make them better. We've got a months worth of savings that'd pay the mortgage and then that's it.

OP posts:
zeddybrek · 23/05/2024 14:25

Not sure if this will help but when it happened to my DH he requested all the information held about him. It turned out senior leaders were gossiping on the business chat function and 2 people were spreading rumours about him. I can't remember exactly what it's called but they have to provide any email or chat message where his name is mentioned. It helped him to understand he did nothing wrong. And agree, the more you speak about this the more stories you hear about bullying in the finance sector being such an issue. This is why hopefully your husband won't find it difficult to get another role soon because they understand it's just something that happens a lot.

beebin · 23/05/2024 14:26

StMarieforme · 23/05/2024 13:47

Maybe he should retrain as an Accountancy Tutor (Apprenticeships) or Lecturer (Uni)

kp-uk.hirehive.com

Thank you- I've just forwarded this to him.

OP posts:
StMarieforme · 23/05/2024 14:38

StMarieforme
Maybe he should retrain as an Accountancy Tutor (Apprenticeships) or Lecturer (Uni)

kp-uk.hirehive.com

Thank you- I've just forwarded this to him.

Good luck to you both

SuncreamAndIceCream · 23/05/2024 14:49

zeddybrek · 23/05/2024 14:25

Not sure if this will help but when it happened to my DH he requested all the information held about him. It turned out senior leaders were gossiping on the business chat function and 2 people were spreading rumours about him. I can't remember exactly what it's called but they have to provide any email or chat message where his name is mentioned. It helped him to understand he did nothing wrong. And agree, the more you speak about this the more stories you hear about bullying in the finance sector being such an issue. This is why hopefully your husband won't find it difficult to get another role soon because they understand it's just something that happens a lot.

Subject Access Request - send to the data protection officer of the organisation

iworkinauni · 23/05/2024 14:52

Subject Access Request is an excellent suggestion

Dramalady52 · 23/05/2024 15:02

As someone whose accountant husband experienced similar several years ago, contracts will be his friend. We'd just had our second child when he got fired, but he managed to earn well for the next two years on various contracts. He then got the job that he is still in and never looked back.

Newestname002 · 23/05/2024 15:38

iworkinauni · 23/05/2024 14:52

Subject Access Request is an excellent suggestion

Getting copies of your information (SAR) | ICO

ico.org.uk/for-the-public/getting-copies-of-your-information-subject-access-request/#:~:text=You%20have%20the%20right%20to,Anyone%20can%20make%20a%20SAR.

Lilacdew · 23/05/2024 15:40

HashBrownandBeans · 23/05/2024 14:00

Had something similar happen to me last year, I was taken on just to cover the managers extended honeymoon and as soon as she was back, they made me redundant 🙄 All your DH can do is get out there and apply for everything.

That's appalling - why could they not just tell you it was temporary cover?

Mrsredlipstick · 23/05/2024 16:06

The jobs market is awful at the moment.
I got fired in December and then found out the company was a scam. We'd taken on 14 people, after I left nobody was paid. They still haven't received their salaries or notice. No one cares about reputation anymore.
If I was your husband I would accept a job in other industries to stop him getting disheartened. If he is fit and well, anything. If you are working any UC will be low. Unemployment benefit is also jointly worked out on household funds.

Singlemum90 · 23/05/2024 16:09

Unfortunately this is not unheard of as others have already noted, but there are a shortage of qualified accountants around at the moment at all levels so he will get something asap so do try not to worry. Agencies that specialise in public sector work are great- there are often vacancies needed for short term work at short notice, and generally I have found the public sector much nicer to work for than industry. Bursar is another option. There is much better protection from these random firings too if he gets a permanent post within the public sector with unions etc. Often you can also go in on a contract and be made permanent after x amount of time. But if the issue is immediate finances, agency work is 100% the way to go. They will have him placed within a week.

Unicornfairysoap · 23/05/2024 16:26

StMarieforme · 23/05/2024 13:47

Maybe he should retrain as an Accountancy Tutor (Apprenticeships) or Lecturer (Uni)

kp-uk.hirehive.com

No, not a good idea.

its absurdly terrible what’s happened to ops dh but he’s in a snr position which is why interviews take time.

best thing to do is some contract work whilst he looks for something more perm not to train as a lecturer which may even require a PhD and likely will have a research aspect to it

Beesandhoney123 · 12/10/2024 23:26

Lots of toxic workplaces. Lots of remote / hybrid finance roles to avoid the toxic offices.
Get linkedin updated, get a written reference from the lastco, and update cv, start applying. Lots of companies are direct too, and he could post on LinkedIn he is available start immediately to all his contacts and could they please share the post etc

New posts on this thread. Refresh page