Do most people who were FIRED from their job deserve it? (employee, secretary)

[great_idea]

Where I have worked in the past many people were fired. It seems like now days the business world is getting so tough and competitive that if you do not fit in personality wise, or make your boss happy every day, they will find a way to make you look so bad that you will be fired.

I think most people still believed though, that the person being fired still must of been a XXXup because no one will come to their defense after the decision was made.

In your experience, are people who have been fired at the places you have worked, deserve it?

[GypsySoul22]

I've seen many people long over due to be fired NEVER get fired. This includes those lazy people who piggyback off the other real workers, the gossips who do more damage to work (think of playground bullies), and the druggies/drunks every company has...

However, we recently heard of a 'fat cat' where my husband used to work FINALLY getting the axe (long, long, long time coming but karma's *itch, so they say!). It was gratifying to know at long last he got his.

I can say most firings I have seen have been valid and mostly due to a person getting a second or third chance or talking to and never shaping up. At one job we had someone at the call center who was either on drugs or something. She would fall asleep at lunchtime and never get back to work, plus she was out a lot. It took awhile but they had to let her go.

At the same place, a new manager took over our dept. He didn't like the secretary (she was a mouthy gal who had a queen bee attitude). She got fired a few days after he started and he brought in someone he knew.

[gizmobizmo]

I think that companies tend to hang onto dead wood way too long and when a person does get fired, it was usually long overdue.

We all know about the office slackers, gossips, sabotuers, backstabbers, etc....who manage to retain their position when the rest of the folks are slack-jawed at what they get away with.

Personally, I think many companies are reluctant to address these folks because we live in a litigation happy country. It is up to a supervisor or manager to document every infraction and many just don't have the time, patience or sometimes the aptitude to do this. Without good documentation, it is tough to go to Human Resources and say, we want to fire so and so.

[TKramar]

Somewhat famously, our CEO "voluntarily resigned", and found employment at another company. He got a nice severance package. But many rank and file employees were glad to see him gone anyway.

Home Depot's former CEO.

[ChocLot]

Actually, from personal experience, firings that I know of have been warranted. As other has mentioned, some are long overdue.

I'm sure there are cases where supervisors have "gone after an employee" to get them fired, but I've personally never witnessed such a case. I'd think they're pretty rare.

[Willy-Bill]

After 40 years I think legit firings are about 70% and usually overdue.
The remaining 30% were nothing more than jealously and or hate from a supervisor. Usually not wanting his position challenged.

[Gevurah7]

1st, it depends on where one works - if it is a Call Center, & the Call Center's Company already had one office close - I do believe if "said" Call Center is to stay open - but must cut-back - illegitimate firings will & do take place..., instead of mgmt being upfront & saying they have to make cuts...!!! But then, of course there are firings that are necessary & completely brought on by the employee; but Companies are not always in the right when they fire...!!! On the the deserving end - i'd actually say, approximately 50/50...!!!

[fierce_flawless]

I think the legitimacy of firings is as varied as the people doing the firing. There are good and bad bosses, pretty much equally, and so there are firings that are totally unjustified and firings that are perfectly warranted.

My partner worked for a convenience store, and an new manager transferred to her store. Everyone knew he had his "team" at the previous store that he'd worked with forever. So, was it any surprise when, within six months of taking over, he'd fired EVERY employee at my partner's store, workers who had never had any disciplinary problems or performance issues prior to his arrival? The reasons were weak and obviously made up, but in Texas, it doesn't matter.

Another thing to consider is unemployment insurance. Of COURSE there are going to be more firings when a company knows it needs to lay off employees but doesn't want to pay out UI. My partner saw this happen too, where her boss kind of "went off" on everyone and fired employees who had been there for years for incredibly MINOR offenses that were never an issue and they'd never been warned about. About 10 in one month. Tell me that's not a disguised layoff!? But none were able to get UI out of them because he claimed "work misconduct" each time.

I was fired for not being a willing party girl.... I worked in an office of 4 women, one being the office manager and the other 3 of us contract clerks (clerical). When I was hired, I was about 26 and married with a kid. The others were 21, 21, and the office manager "old" at 22. They were all buddies and had grown up in the same small town together... whereas I'd moved there from "the city". They spent every lunch period getting baked or half drunk or both, and invited me on these lunches (at first) but I'd long ago given up the smokin/drinkin/partying.. I had a kid.

When one of their mutual friends came back from moving out of town and needed a job, who do you think was let go? I met the friend, she stood around the office chatting with them all and talking about needing a job, and the next day I was canned. But they didn't have anything on me, so she claimed I'd been late "a bunch". My signed timesheets proved otherwise, as well as her failure to follow the procedure (warning verbal, written warning, then firing)... but I didn't fight it, I was too mad to fight it (sounds weird, I know)..

Anyway, as long as there are unfair people, people who play favorites, people who let their emotions rule, there are going to be unjust firings.

[Movie Lover]

Dang, your on the ball there. I am too afraid to sack my manager. In the past he has done loads wrong, running off at the mouth and showing an attitude. I'm afraid that he will get the last word in and walk out the door thinking that he has won. His replacement, in the past no one was availible so he stayed and get promoted(!), has slowly got into my life and its time to send Mr Manager on his merry little way. With this new guy, things can get much better.

[texdav]

I was always surprised that when someone made supervisor how their attitude changed, Then they were often responsicle for what other did or didn't do. The biggest buitchers when a wrok often are the worse bosses;I found many times.