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I would file for unemployment. A company did this to me.. I didn't get any warnings, writeups, or any indication that they weren't happy with what I was doing. I got on well with everyone.
The only thing I can think of was that the office manager was the general managers daughter. I usually worked over the weekends and one weekend I was horribly sick with strep, super high fever, violent chills, I had a letter from urgent care. The office manager had to cancel her plans to paint a mural for someone, to cover my shift. When I dragged myself back to work, I was told that I wasn't a good fit and I was terminated. They tried to fight my unemployment claim. Since I never got any warnings, and I actually had a doctors note which they didn't even read, I got unemployment.
I have had job applicants who I thought would be really good on the job only to find out later they were 'not a good fit'. That's why the first 90 days was considered to be a trial period with a sit-down review at the end of that time. People who show up late, can't stay off the phone, can't get their work done and annoy the co-workers (or worse yet, the boss) can't stay.
[quote=mrpeatie;40608333]On the flip side it can also mean that you pissed off or threatened a person they think they cannot do without. Sometimes that person is not worth near the frustration an owner/manager allows them but if thats what the higher up thinks...
I have had it happen to me and know lots of people that have been in the same situation. It is not uncommon at all, just not talked about very much because people feel embarrassed and ashamed.
When it happens, it is very traumatizing and really blows you back on your heels. Firing someone without any warning is a very unkind, inhuman and below the belt move, usually carried out by a coward who does not have the guts to coach or counsel their employee on what is required to fit into the team using feedback.
As a manager, my job is to make sure you are successful at your job and if you are a new employee, my job is to make sure your onboarding into the company culture is as smooth a transition as possible or I am not doing my job. The manager is responsible for the culture and climate of the team and firing someone for "not a good fit" is just a sign of a lazy bad manager.
When this happens, just know you are not alone, and as hard as it is, DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. Taking it personally and internalizing it just gives them power. Just own your part and know that they have a part in it as well.
In addition, although you do not believe it now, you will recover and people do recover from these types of situations.
It is extremely painful; take care of yourself.
Last edited by chestermom; 07-29-2015 at 01:11 PM..
I have had job applicants who I thought would be really good on the job only to find out later they were 'not a good fit'. That's why the first 90 days was considered to be a trial period with a sit-down review at the end of that time. People who show up late, can't stay off the phone, can't get their work done and annoy the co-workers (or worse yet, the boss) can't stay.
You don't understand my original post. In both cases I was not a brand new employee. The first time that happened I had worked there for 2 years and the second time I had worked there for 19 months. If I did anything wrong, like the list of transgressions you mention above, I was never told about it. If I was angering people I never was told either.
Not a good fit means they are trying to let you down nicely. They see no way that you could be of value to them. They hired you but shouldn't have.
Yep, I have used this phrase a few times to avoid hurting the person's feelings during their probationary period. It basically means that they messed up big time when they hired you.
What the company did is not illegal, but it's just not a nice way to do business. Normally, there is a warning period, and not a good fit is something that becomes apparent within the first 3-4 months, not when you have been into the job for close to two years. I have seen this happen to average performers, in fact, managers sometimes prefer to keep 1-2 people on staff who are not great performers (please, do not take it personally, I am just hypothesizing here), the reason is, in case there are layoffs and senior managers come to the dept. managers looking for heads, they can push these people out painlessly. I would, however, examine your situation closer as you mentioned it happened twice.
In At-will employment one may be fired at any time without any benefits added or severance added.
No reason needs to be given, except that they can say any reason{s}:"you aren't working out", "you are not a good fit", "we didn't get the new hoped-for contract", to any reason at all.
I agree completely that a bad employee who does not fit with the team in his work style, personality or how he deals with work challenges can bring the whole team. I also believe that in today's highly competitive economy businesses have no room for dead wood or people who are not performing. If an employee is unable to do their job, they should be terminated.
But I also believe in fairness, with no terminations being a surprise to the employee. I believe there should be an opportunity to improve, with constructive discussions and real examples of where the employee is not performing or getting along with the team.
You also have to look at the legal issues involved. What if that employee who was fired without notice or progressive discipline was from a protected class, a whistle blower or had been harassed by managers and they just used the "not a good fit" approach to get rid of them without process. Welcome to court, XYZ Corporation!
Also, when other employees see their hard working team members being fired without warning, they will get nervous it is going to happen to them and they will start job hunting.
See this is why I don't and will not return to that crap private sector
Work somewhere where being cut throat isn't an issue
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