Bridges already burnedI know some people say to never burn your bridges, but in some cases, that can't be helped considering what lead to ones firing. If you did something, performance-wise that really ticked the boss off, chances are, a bridge had already been burned right? Burning bridges is something typically done deliberately sometimes to sabatoge having your employer giving you a good reference. but in some cases, it can't be helped. You're right that sometimes it can't be helped, but it can be mitigated. For example, let's say they hate your performance and have put you on notice that you're either fabulous in 60 days or you're gone. That's not good but they may actually still like you and you may actually be able to get a pretty decent or at least neutral reference. If you walk off the job the next day, give no notice and tell your boss to go to hell on your way out the door, you've absolutely "burned the bridge" and created no benefit to yourself. So, no matter how bad the situation is, there are almost always ways that you can make it better or make it worse. That's something people should consider.
Tess
I totally concur that a bridge can potentially be burned w/out walking out the door while giving the boss the finger - sadly, I believe I am a case in point, at least to a degree on my current job: I was written up for a less than stellar performance. Now, I admit that in a sense, they were not wrong for addressing some of the problems, but.....in spite of my attempts to try to explain why, I was still written up. (problem being that my company has a very bad habit of just telling you to go do something, no training, no explanation, just wing it, and when you F*#! it up, you're written up, ha!!) So, when it happened to me, I knew that was basically it for me at that particular office. I was basically demoted (in title - no $ was taken away from me salary wise). And if I had chosen to stay, which is what I did, then I'd be doing what I'm doing for the rest of ever. Good news for me is that I quietly started a job search, no hint/indication given to current employer that I was doing it, found a better job, more$, closer to home, good solid company, and last week gave notice to my current employer. So I am living with a huge element of relief. Sad part is they have a new girl who just recently took over my previous duties; she's been w/the company all of 5-6 weeks, obviously has no clue what she is doing because of lack of training, and they are already chewing her up - I'm sure they'll be spitting her out in the near future. It's a total repeat of what they did to me, and I feel so bad for her - she's a sweet girl, I can tell, and I have nothing but compassion for her.
My situation was...I had never taken sick time off....and apparently during a really important project I just so happened to get sick...just perfect timing. And it PISSED him off to NO avail! He j umpedon my case when I got back and said, "Gee, you hadn't called in sick for 2 years, why are you doing it now all of a sudden??" Then when he fired me, when I was out in the hall, I stopped, was getting my thoughts together, and he said this, "What's wrong, can't you find the door?" I should have flipped him the bird right THEN and there, because with that remark, a rude gesture would have been a perfect response for that fat, 10-time a day smokin' slob!! that really stinks that you were treated so badly over taking sick time, given your record of NOT taking time off for that reason in 2 years - we're human beings ,not machines - and falling ill happens, if even only very occassionally. You'd think that once in 2 years would not have ended in this result. Sorry for your troubles - things like this makes one not want to get out of bed in the morning. Bunny...tell me about it man....I think there was a need for me to be there, because it was a time-sensitive issue, 24-hour thing...and my immediate supervisor was running around like a chicken with it' shead cut off when I decided to call in. And HER boss was even more pissed as well, because HE considered it detrimental. He was wanting to know the particulars of my illness, eevn had to get a doctor's note, if I didn't it would have been considered an UNexcused absense. What is this gradeschool? I asked, "Why should I have to explain my sickness to you?" And he said, "I am the plant manager, I am responsible if anything happens during this event." Then he proceeds that if anything goes wrong because of this, action WILL be taken. I even had a situation where I was driving a city vehicle, was making a sharp 90 degree turn (at a decent speed limit) and this big hunk of metal was in the middle of the road NO way to go around it, I was stuck having to straddle it. I heard it hit the undercarriage, and about 5 miles more down the road, it cut off. Apparently it hit the gas tank, and punctured a brand new 2006 SUV gas tank. Apparently, when I called it in, I said that my truck just stop responding and cut off, and I'm on the side of the road. The mechanic showed up, and I got a replacement vehicle and drove back, then later told my supervisor, "yeah, I think I hit something, so ya might want to check that out" I got in trouble for causing that much damage to the vehicle (money-wise). They were like "So how come you didn't tell me that you thought you ran over something when you called it in?" And I said, "I dunno, I'm not a mechanic, thought didn't occur to me at the time." So I brought that missing info..only at a later time that day...and apparently THAT's what got me in trouble. Got a day suspension for that....that was way before my being let go tho ugh....but when that happened, I knew that there was something up with my place of employment and their methods being a bit askew. A co-worker later told me, depending on the severity of the offense, they have to "Justify" it somehow, by supsending me or making an example of it. I apparently reported it improperly, but they are really burning me for the actual damage done to the vehicle...he was saying, "What if the mechanic went out there to work on the vehicle, and he was smoking a cigarette..." and I a was like (thinking) "Hold on, hold on...what kind of MORON works vehicles with a cigarette h angin' out of their mouth? Then I thought of one of those Jeff Foxworthy comedy bits, and laughed. LOL! Another instance, with the same company, this was an electrical worker with the city, I live in FL, the hurricanes came in. Well, you know these guys are on call, but they have this "on-call" list.....so say, on the weekend "Bill, Ted, Frank, and Stewie" was on call for Saturday, well, he is NOT on that list for that weekend, but he gets a call from his supervisor any ways, saying that they neeed him down anyways. Well, he wasn't available to go out because he had other plans or watching his kids or something, so he refused t come in...why? Because he was NOT on the "on-call" list. Well, when he did come in for work, his supervisor was pissed, called him on the capret, and put him BACK on probation after being with the company for 4 years. He was like "F-this" and started looking for another place to work, and he left that piece of crap employer. A lot of Corporate America businesses are like that. I was fired for procedural errors I made which was valid BUT I had extenuating circumstances behind my actions. Coupled with the fact that my manager didn't like me, I got the boot. Seventeen years under my belt to my manager's two and the company took his word over mine. It is all about ego. As for your automobile's damage, look at the City of Los Angeles. Right now City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo is in deep doo-doo over some BIG errors he made. His wife drove his city vehicle (GMC Yukon) and damaged it. He had the city pay for the repairs ($1,200). This was found out after Delgadillo wanted Paris Hilton locked up because of her bad driving. It also came out that Delgadillo's wife drove with a suspended license and he drove without insurance for a few years! When it comes to taxpayer money you have to make sure you take care of the taxpayer's property. Even if you get a ticket in that vehicle, you should tell your supervisor what happened so that it is all out in the public. If you don't, you create a distrust amongst the people you are supposed to represent. Back to my former company. I am told now through friends still at the company that they regret firing me and that hingsight is 20/20. The department I used to work in is in shambles. Complaints are up 40% from when I was last there. And many clients dropped my former company for a competiting company. | |
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