How did you lose your job?

How did you lose your job?

Let me start this off. I was actually terminated because I refused to talk to another employee. After this employee made a derogatory remark to me while we were unloading a delivery truck, I just stopped talking to him. Then, after he overheard me telling a customer how to download special free items through Target's electronic department, because of the promotional deal Target had over "free" downloads for the Pokemon Nintendo DS game, he told one of the execs that I was telling other people how to hack Target's computer network.

Not to mention the fact that weeks earlier I had complained to her about her offensive derogatory remarks to me, herself, when she made the same derogatory remarks to me while unloading a truck weeks earlier. She just used it as a reason to terminate my employment.

At any rate, Target has continued to try to fight my unemployment benefits, even after I collected the original 26 weeks of unemployment and yet they never did provide proof of the reason I was terminated.

I worked in Human Services as a Social Worker working with clients with mental health and developmental disabilities for a non profit funded by the state. In 2007, our Governor proposed cutting these programs. We organized and rallied at the State House for several weeks, with our clients and their families. In 2008, the cuts began at the state level, then hit the non-profits. All middle-management, QUALIFIED caseworkers were cut and direct support staff took on those responsibilities. Even though I and hundreds of others lost our jobs, our clients were the ones who were hurt the most.

I made 22 bucks an hour as a surveyor. One day I was late due to spring floods. They used that as an excuse to fire me and hire a replacement for 12 bucks. They fought the unemployment and I won it.

Ironic part is I trained they guy who replaced me.

I made $8.15 an hour as a script maintainer at the datacenter belonging to the university that I attend (work-study job). My position got outsourced to India along with most of our onsite data management staff.

I know when I was terminated that I was making $9.65 an hour.

worked for a company that developed Online training materials for various federal and corporate sector business. Had MANY clients in Housing finance. Once that market colapsed and we LOST all our contracts overnight. I was laidoff 30 days later with MANY others after 11 years of service.

i work as the charge-back specialist at Target. which was then consolidated into shipping AND receiving. which was then reduced to the status of " part time sales associate". into my eight year i, like other co-workers stopped receiving raises.
they treated people like dirt. broke their own policies. and if you called the hotline to report mismanagement, there were repercussions.
there was just a house cleaning of staff that had been there for years.they fired people at will for trivial things.
i got fired for supposedly not latching a padlock on a rolling security cage that held boxes. that was empty.
i asked to see the footage. and they said no. they also fired me the day my direct boss went on vacation. so my team lead just looked on startled.
my friend reluctantly had to take the spot after i left. the job went from 40 hours to half of that.
sorry. i tried to sum this up without getting too long winded. i'm still pissed about it till this day.

My employer a high end furniture company, asked for volunteer layoffs a year after the recession hit. I had a bad hunch about it and decided not to. Two weeks later I was told I would be laid off with the promise of returning in four months. That was in Nov of 2008, the manager and assistant manager were laid off so there was no chance of me returning.
So there went that. This year they had an ad in the paper and I responded, never heard from them.

My job was eliminated to becoming an independent contractor...NOT!

I hired in as a 40 hr / wk secretary for an attorney. The paralegal had given her 2 weeks notice, and was gone most of those 2 weeks for my training period. In a matter of 2 months, the attorney expected me to KNOW as much as a paralegal.

I gave him my "ALL", I did the best I could for him. I went home almost every night with headaches.

Jan 3, 2009, I was told to write a "MEMO" for the staff of 2 employees...myself & the bookkeeper. The memo stated "As of January 1, 2009, there will be no more paid vacations, no more PTO sick days, no more paid holidays, blah, blah, blah."

In Nov & Dec 2008, my 40 hrs were cut to 25 hours. In Jan 2009, my hours were cut to 15-20 per week. In February 2009, my last week I worked 4 hours.

On one of my February "day off" days, i received an email at home from him...he should not have even had my personal email address, but acquired it from his wife whom I use to work with back in 2001. BTW, this is how I got the job, knowing her....

Anyway, the email stated I was now an independent contractor, and I would be "on call" for now on if needed for work. He would call blah, blah..."

I immediately called my lawyer, and he told me to respond, "I understand
I am no longer an employee working for you, and blah, blah, etc..". My lawyer, then told me to email my responsewith the original email, to the employer; print it out, and take it directly to the Unemployment office.

The Unemployment Office told me I had been "fired"...for no just cause, even though my job was simply eliminated. They told me I could "accept" his proposition of being an independent contractor, or I could turn it down. I chose to turn it down.

I was so afraid I would not be able to collect benefits due to the fact I turned down the propositon of being an independent contractor. The employer fought it, but I won...because I was "fired" for no just cause.

Come to find out... in January, he had already hired an independent contractor, and she was doing some work for him on my "off days"........They kept this hidden from me for almost 4 weeks. I had no idea he had hired her because I still had a hefty workload myself, even though she was doing work for him too.

The last 2 weeks I was there, he had me doing "odd jobs" at a storage unit, and a back room with lots of files that I was sorting through for him.

The last day I was there, I came back from working at the storage unit, and SHE was sitting at my desk. I shall not ever forget the look on her face...I had come back earlier than expected because I had finished all the work with the files. I was due "off" the next day....and that was the day I received the email from him at home. It wouldn't surprise me now...perhaps SHE was the one who wrote the email......

Ironically, the attorney I worked for had some "Unemploment cases" at one point in his career....but not while I was there. I don't know if he won the cases for his unemployed clients or not.

I worked for him for 10 months at $10.50 an hour (and was suppose to KNOW everything a paralegal would know)

Never again will I work for an attorney.

These stories are sad but true and happen all too much. I was just let go due to economy and I saw it coming. Truthfully, had I been the owner, I would have done the same thing. I was last man in so it should have been me. Not that it didn't hurt(and keeps on hurting), but in my situation, since the business was being directly hit and I was last and and my position was not necessary to keep it running, I agree with his decision. A problem with Administrative/Operations managers and staff, if you are in distribution, sales, wholesale type of industry, those on the sales end will be retained and they will try to make due without Operations people for as long as they can. This was a small company and I was it, other than the owners, who obviously weren't being downsized.

I was asked to join my boss at a new company in New Jersey with a "wonderful" company lots of money great extras they moved me put me up in a nice hotel for 30 days... I worked 24/7 everything I loved this job. Missed my son but made enough to travel home for every 3 day weekend THEN they asked me to do something that was borderline criminal federal. I said NO after 8 weeks I was laid off after only 10 months there. I broke my lease packed my car and came home to CA. No help from them My boss that took me there never even got out of his chair he had HR walk me out..

Never left my job. Nor was I fired or laid off.

In 2009, I resigned because of another offer. My boss asked me to stay on with them. 2 full time jobs!!! Working the new job 9-5, The old job 5 - midnight. After 6 weeks with the new company, they "laid me off" because the postion was newly approved and they realized after the fact, the economy wasn't going to support it.

No worries right? Still had the "old job". Well, after a few months, I got a call that my hours were going to be reduced for "budget reasons".

I applied for UI. The case was against the "old" company because I didn't have enough time in the new one to qualify.

2 days later, received a "termination" letter in the mail. Reason? Resignation?Huh?

12 weeks waiting for an appeal that I finally won because the employer didn't show up.

You know why? Cause I was STILL working for them as a "consultant", but not 1099'd.

When I hit my buy year in 2010, I was "recalcualted" due to my "part time" hours. My benefits were reduced by 75%.

The old company, "called me back" and I am currently a consulant working 40 hours a week.

I'm only a breathe away from UI each and every day.

Its the longest roller coaster ride I've ever been on

I was the store manger for a Pier 1 Imports, I had cancer so went out on FMLA, then disability. Well after being on disability for a year, I was getting treatment still when they requested I come back to work.

I couldn't even stand up, and was throwing up all night and day long. No hair My doctor said I was not even able to make it to my doct. appts let alone working running a store as the manager.

I then a week later received a letter stating that they had followed all of the proper channels they let me take family medical leave act, then disability and now it was to the point that legally they no longer had to hold my position at that point so they wished me luck in my future endevors.

Now, I am better and have been without work for almost 2 1/2 years and nobody will hire me. I getting over and over that I have been out of the work force too long and they preferred a candidate with a more current work history. This seems to be my life story now.

superstevies wrote:I was the store manger for a Pier 1 Imports, I had cancer so went out on FMLA, then disability. Well after being on disability for a year, I was getting treatment still when they requested I come back to work.

I couldn't even stand up, and was throwing up all night and day long. No hair My doctor said I was not even able to make it to my doct. appts let alone working running a store as the manager.

I then a week later received a letter stating that they had followed all of the proper channels they let me take family medical leave act, then disability and now it was to the point that legally they no longer had to hold my position at that point so they wished me luck in my future endevors.

Now, I am better and have been without work for almost 2 1/2 years and nobody will hire me. I getting over and over that I have been out of the work force too long and they preferred a candidate with a more current work history. This seems to be my life story now.

That is a horrible story! Talk about kicking someone when they are down!

I'm glad to hear you are a survivor, when you put things in perspective, you won the most important battle of your life.

Pier 1 isn't doing so well, around here anyway. Most of their stores in my area have closed.

Stay positive, something will come your way. We have seen many stories of people who have returned to work after a long lay-off ~ hopefully you will be the next!

Hey DesperateinRi....
Thanks for the kind words. I think if we all manage to hang on we will come out for the best. It's just until then that we have to lean on each other to get through it all.

My company merged with another company and I was let go along with others. About 6 months after that I found out the merger wasnt working well and the companies split! All that for nothing!

My boss was of the attitude that workers are a dime a dozen and can be easily replaced for less money. He had a fight with one employee and I dont know if he was fired, let go or quit but my boss made me hold on the phone for an hour with the unemployment office because he was going to fight the guy's unemployment! When my boss couldnt get a hold of the unemployment office (you know the long waits on hold) he actually called his Representative and complained! What a jerk!

I worked for a medical delivery company. We had a patient who didn't like to be home when we delivered. It was the rules that we had to have someone sign upon delivery. I told him if he couldn't be home I wouldn't deliver and he would have to wait til a day he could be home. He called the manager. They worked out a deal where I would deliver and bring the paperwork back to the office and he would come in later in the week to sign it. It was the managers call, and I made sure to ask him if that was cool with the bosses. He said it was because the guy was private insurance and not medicare. Months later the manager gets fired. The patient comes in to sign. I get him in front of the area manager who is looking after the store til we get a new manager. I explain to her what was done in front of the patient. She says ok. She doesn't like it but the patient is happy and we are getting the serviced. A couple of months go b and we get a new manager. He used to work in the office there, so he knows how things were done. In one meeting I give him the patients paperwork, saying he will be in later today to sign it. I get back at 5 after doing deliveries only to find out I am fired. They said I was breaking the rules on this patient. I called the area manager and all she would say to me is that she couldn't ok me to break the rules. I told her that she did. They actually denied me unemployment. I had to file an appeal. But I was smart I went to the patients house the day after I got fired and got him to sign a document for me stating everything that happened. He even testified on my behalf during the appeal hearing. In the end I won my appeal. They used that as a reason but the truth is they fired or got to quit everyone in the office. So they could restaff. And as a side note. About 6 months or so later. The manager who fired me got fired himself.

Sweet payback Ktaylor. Or should I say Karma.

I am an In-Home Daycare provider. I moved to this area in 2005. Started this daycare in 2006 and it was booming in 2007 and through most of 2009. Then in September 2009 I started losing children left and right. Due to the parents companies doing massive layoffs. And before you know it I was down to two kids, then one. Then two again. I had those two until 1-2010. Then I only had one. I had her till December 2010. And again, I am without children. Most of the parents I babysat for worked for factories of some kind.. Mostly Carpet Factories. This area is the Carpet Industry of The World. Or was! I admit, when it was going good, I made fantastic money. To the tune of 700-1000 per week. And that is the great thing about it. However, the bad part is I am considered Self Employed. So, I get no unemployment.

Anyway, I do have a hubby. He was laid off 10-2008 (he received full pay for 90 days plus vacation pay and small bonus check due at christmas/ from a carpet mill (his third layoff in 20 years and each time the business closed).Unemployment for him began 1/2009 Worked through several agencies during the next 11 months, some for weeks, some for days at a time. It was rough but I had my daycare kids to back us up. Anyway, He was hired (different field now) in 11//2009. Then by May 2010 he was laid off again. And this was through a company that made broilers for large business/buildings. Matter of fact I have no real idea what those things were for. Anyway he got laid off because they said President Obama and something about going green clean air act. And if it passed the broilers and something to do with the coal used to operate them would have to change. IDK. Anyway, they laid off about half of those people. And said if it didn't pass, he would be re-employed by may 2010. He didn't wait around, and again started going back to the agencies for more temp work and always worked. He was again hired (after four interviews,drug test, credit report, Background check and forklift test) and made it past his 90 days with agency on temp to hire, made it past 90 days with the company before benefits, and has been there almost a year now (may will be year). He has built up 40 hours Vacation time, two raises, and full medical paid by the company. I am so proud of him.

However.... Yes there is more..... He did all this working nights. And it was killing me. I have cataracts. The type your born with and it's taking it's toll on my vision. I can't have any kind of surgery. And at night I get worse... Anyway, I've been begging him to beg for days. And he asked again for the third time at a recent meeting. He came home today saying he finally gets to go to days.... Starting next monday. Thank God Above. BUT, yes there is a but, They laid off FOUR people last night. Two on days and two from nights. I guess they really couldn't use them since they were not really doing their job, lazy, slackers... But then why not just let them go permanently? Anyway.... that bothers me. I asked him if they said anything about more layoffs and he said no. So, I feel like we are hanging on by a thread and a prayer.

I'm sorry if I seem long winded. I hope you all don't mind.

I worked as a landscape consultant for a home improvement company. They are open to the public, not just to contractors. I was really only needed in late march through late may and then in October through late November. Any other time of the year I was just used as a regular associate and helped customers. I had worked there almost 5 years when I was let go.
In July of 2009 I had been sick for about a month. I was still going to work and never called out but I couldn't speak very well. I literally had no voice most of the time. One Sunday my direct report stopped me in the hallway on the way back from my lunch and asked me if I was ok. That's it all he said "Are you ok"? I said I was but I was worried about something I probably shouldn't be. I mean that I was worried about being sick because I had never had anything like that happen before. He said ok and walk off. Two days later he called me into his office and asked me if I remember talking to him. I told him I did. We were in there with another manager who asked me about the "crazy thoughts I was having". I told him that isn't what I said, I said that I was worried about something that I probably shouldn't be, meaning the fact that I had no voice. Then my direct report said that he saw me not talk to a customer that walk right by me. This is odd because on all my previous reviews the only complaint was that I was too customer oriented and not as much task oriented.

So that conversation ended and nothing happened.

Two weeks later, my store manager called me into her office and said that I was seen not talking to a customer that walked past me and in this economy we can't afford to miss customers. Then she said she had to terminate my employment. That was it. I was never shown in a proof that it happened. My direct report said he saw me not talk to a customer but didn't say anything about it the day it happened. I am supposed to get three strikes before I'm fired but they used taking 20 minutes on a 15 min break (also no proof) and a minor forklift violation from a year before (no one was injured) and fired me.

When I was let go I made $15 an hour. That is decent money around here. I could live on it for sure. The guy that replaced me makes $8.50 an hour. They offered to hire another friend of mine back that had worked there at the same time as me. They offered him a dollar less an hour than he was making when he started 5 years ago.

I worked for Bridgestone/Firestone at a passenger tire factory. They shut down passenger tire production in 2009 at that plant and let almost half the people go. I knew that I would never work in manufacturing again. At 47 years old in a state that has lost over 60,000 manufacturing jobs it was pretty clear.

I look upon this entire episode as an incredible opportunity to make a complete change in my future. I have not once regretted the loss of the job and have been working continuously to make the change a reality. I am at the end of my training and feel confident I will be successful. I have a clear path to my ultimate objective which is self employment. I have to get two years of employment in my field in order to be where I want to be but If I am denied the opportunity, I have a plan in place to go directly to self-employment.

I now have a B.S. in cost accounting with pro advisor certifications in QuickBooks, QuickBooks Enterprise edition and QuickBooks point of sale. I have done extensive study in the area of business taxation and know how to set up every tax situation for a quickBooks client, every step that they need to take in order to open their doors for business. I love this stuff and am looking forward to my new career. I am no longer tied to this area and could literally do this work anywhere in the country.

The future looks so much brighter now than it did before I lost my job.

My company started laying off 2 or 3 people a month in late 2008. Everyone was on edge at the end of every month. The company manufactured pharmacutical machines. I was a Mechanical Drafter and I knew I was "extra" and it was only a matter of time. We went to 4 day work weeks in July of 2009 and my position was "eliminated" in Sept 2009.
I went to college late in life so I could make a decent living wage, and I did, for a while. $16/hour. And now I'm down to working with the general public again - which I hate, for $10, but I'm glad I have that - starting Monday.

My company laid off half the people in the main office in one day. It was only a matter of time before we were all gone

wartrace wrote: I worked for Bridgestone/Firestone at a passenger tire factory. They shut down passenger tire production in 2009 at that plant and let almost half the people go. I knew that I would never work in manufacturing again. At 47 years old in a state that has lost over 60,000 manufacturing jobs it was pretty clear.

I look upon this entire episode as an incredible opportunity to make a complete change in my future. I have not once regretted the loss of the job and have been working continuously to make the change a reality. I am at the end of my training and feel confident I will be successful. I have a clear path to my ultimate objective which is self employment. I have to get two years of employment in my field in order to be where I want to be but If I am denied the opportunity, I have a plan in place to go directly to self-employment.

I now have a B.S. in cost accounting with pro advisor certifications in QuickBooks, QuickBooks Enterprise edition and QuickBooks point of sale. I have done extensive study in the area of business taxation and know how to set up every tax situation for a quickBooks client, every step that they need to take in order to open their doors for business. I love this stuff and am looking forward to my new career. I am no longer tied to this area and could literally do this work anywhere in the country.

The future looks so much brighter now than it did before I lost my job.

Good luck to you.