Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Upon arrival at work on Friday,my boss took me aside and presented a warning sheet. On it was the meeting time and general infraction.
It's set for this coming Tuesday. The following will be in attendance; my manager,the assistant store manager and Hr.
The infraction is stated as "defiant behavior in following commands". I was miffed by this notation, but true to form. My boss based this on an incident that was highly misconstrued. I was in the mist of a conversation with a co worker explaining that a customer would be in later. I had the name listed and the items tagged. My boss rushed up behind me and interrupted. I froze,in which she said. Please finish what you were saying.. ohh and then give me those items. I'll take care of it.
So I did.
She perceived it as I was taking charge and she didn't like it. So that's the gist of her side.
She then said,ohh and I expect you to have a well thought out alternative way in which this could have been handled.
I got a bit peeved and said..Hindsight is 20/20 but that I didn't do anything but take care of a customer request and convey to my associate that the customer would be in later. My boss saw it differently.
The company leaders are for the most part so far removed from the staff..So they rely heavily on the department managers to keep the staff "in line".
I am so not into this mind game they play. Just curious if I can simply sign off on this write up and get back to my duties ,or am I to sit and be degraded as a form of punishment? I am already giving my two weeks notice as I cannot see this job suiting my skills. But this write up meeting really is a blown out of proportion perception by my manager. Thoughts or positive encouragement are welcomed
I don't have any respect for this meeting, it is for their benefit, not yours.
Let them fire you, so you can get unemployment especially since you didn't indicate you have a job to go to. They are building a case against you, which is the purpose of the meeting, so there is no chance they are going to be helpful to you in the future.
Bring your smart phone to it, and put it on record for audio before you go into the meeting and keep it hidden. Record the entire thing, and afterwards write on a memo about it quoting exactly what you said.
This is what you should say at the meeting after they speak:
"There seems to be a huge misunderstanding here. I'm not having any problem and I'm pleased with how things are going. You just tell me what you want me to do differently and I will do it". If they ask you to sign it again, say "This isn't necessary, this is a misunderstanding". And don't sign it. Make sure you are nice and friendly the entire time.
Then after the meeting, go write up your memo of what you said you would do to change what you are doing and e-mail it to all of them and upper management.
When you are fired and go to unemployment, you can say "I had a meeting with them and told them I would do things differently if they just asked me, but they didn't do that and fired me instead".
But don't quit before this, let them fire you so you can get the unemployment, because if you just quit, you are still going to have to explain why you quit, etc.
Sorry this is happening to you, but don't let them jerk you around. Just pretend you don't see a problem and will change whatever they want. If they don't fire you, then you can quit as soon as you find a new job or have enough of their BS.
Or don't go to the meeting. Call in sick that day. Hopefully they will just fire you without all the drama about having this meeting.
And please, don't anyone go into this nonsense about burning bridges. There is no bridge here. They are building a case to toss the OP overboard from the company ship, so there is no reason to not to build your own case for easily getting unemployment benefits.
You might also calmly ask if you can offer a counter argument or rebuttal to the form during the meeting, or do as mentioned above.
No, they are building a case, that's what this meeting is for. It won't help if the OP argues with them, it will just be used to prove their point. They are merely having this meeting so they can document that they had one to inform the employee they are fired or will be at the end of some kind of PIP.
One of the most powerful tools a worker in a bad job has is disengagement. If you don't care about this job you can just disengage yourself, not listen to anything they say, not care about anything, and do the minimum at work. Just mentally wash your hands of everything and let them do and say whatever. As for signing the write-up you can write V.C. on it before your signature which basically means you are compelled to sign.
As an adult I doubt I'll be submissive and say "yes sir mastah sir, whatever ya'z wants I be glad to subject myself to the tasks without question. I'm such an ungrateful underling". Yeah...Not going to happen.
I will though sign it and play nice. The less words the better I found. Most are correct in that they are documenting for their benefit. Its standard. Its a retail business so turn over happens regularly.
Just a thought - it might be better to think in terms of how to keep your options open to get unemployment insurance, in the event they were to fire you.
For instance, if unemployment is the way it used to be, at least in CA, if you admit doing wrong, then the employer can have a case that shows they fired you with good cause.
Now, even in an at-will state like CA, if the employee can show that the employer did not give them the tools they needed to do their job properly, then the employee can get unemployment - because the employer did not have good cause to fire them.
So, what I think I'd do in that meeting, is sit quietly until you get the chance to say that you do not feel you are being given the tools you need to succeed in your position, and the problem is in how your supervisor interrupts your work. And you would like to request that the supervisor stops impeding your ability to perform your duties. And that perhaps, it would be beneficial if you and your supervisor could meet at a certain time every day, that would be a scheduled time, for going over your duties, etc., and reviewing the prior day, instead of interrupting you constantly when you are trying to take care of customer problems.
Or something like that, that's appropriate for your situation. Say it in a calm way, as if you are trying to come up with a solution. Calmly, turn the problem around on your supervisor. That the problem is that the supervisor is actually making it difficult to perform well, and perhaps a different supervisory technique would solve the problems.
And simply deny that your manner was anything other than calm and respectful.
After all, it will only be your word against hers. And odds are, that they actually already know she's a beoch. If you can put the bug in their heads, that her attitude is actually not being productive, but counter-productive, they may look at her instead of you.
At any rate, stay calm and deny. A lawyer once said you should always 1) Deny, and 2) Demand Proof.
Let her be the only beoch in the room. Look calm and reasonable and like you really don't know what she's talking about, but it is difficult to take care of problems when she interrupts you constantly, when you're trying to take care of customer problems...
But California labor laws are like "at-will lite." There are ways to get around some really unfair warnings or discriminatory firings. Especially if the employer does not provide any written feedback - just verbal.
But California labor laws are like "at-will lite." There are ways to get around some really unfair warnings or discriminatory firings. Especially if the employer does not provide any written feedback - just verbal.
So you complain about it, and management then back date's a memo you never got. "At will" issue means nothing, no one is going to save your job because of it. HR knows how to fire people. They do a great job of it, and have lots of experience. They have met with employment attorneys and had meetings about this long before they even hired you. If they want you gone, you are going to be gone, and at best if you have a severance agreement you would only get that.
As an adult I doubt I'll be submissive and say "yes sir mastah sir, whatever ya'z wants I be glad to subject myself to the tasks without question. I'm such an ungrateful underling". Yeah...Not going to happen.
I will though sign it and play nice. The less words the better I found. Most are correct in that they are documenting for their benefit. Its standard. Its a retail business so turn over happens regularly.
again thanks for the feedback and suggestions!
Let us know how it goes. Best of luck to you too.
Try to learn from this experience to help you identify a better job situation with improved management. Too often in the process of wanting to be hired so we can pay our bills, we tend to overlook red flags during the interview process.
Try to learn from this experience to help you identify a better job situation with improved management. Too often in the process of wanting to be hired so we can pay our bills, we tend to overlook red flags during the interview process.
Thanks! - Here is the update-
After one week of being taunted and delayed in meeting with HR- (we had two Inspections that delayed the HR meeting).
Today we met. Four folks in the room: HR, My Boss, and the Co- Manager.
The infraction was written and I was asked to read it. After which an "open" floor -(discussion) ensued. My boss was actually "matter of factly" and willing to concede to some concerns. But still remained forthright in her mission to maintain allegiance to her commands. I sat quietly. Spoke positive of the support the upper team had given her and then asked for a pen. I signed the paper and then they each explained that its a verbal warning and no points were accessed. (Three points equals termination). It could have been a blood bath...but for some weird reason...they were laid back and kept things brief. (what a relief!).
On Monday I will remit the resignation letter as I am in the mist of being hired elsewhere. Due to finances I do have to have my hours til I transistion over to the other career move. Its not a leap in money...just a more independent role in my job where I am not having someone breath down my neck....that in itself is worth the change. So thank you folks for the support and suggestions!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
