# Terminated from my job!



## nakedput (Jan 2, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I was (yesterday) terminated from my job without cause. I do not want to go into details but it happened and the only thing I can do is reevaluate my life, change for the better, and plan towards the future. I was making roughly 47k base with the potential for approximately $20,000 in bonus' per year (24 years old). I worked there for 8 months and it was my first job out of college. My company owes me about $1,500 with my last quarterly bonus and $1,800 in severance/1 week lieu of (company pension plan/benefits/other deductions took a lot of my salary)

Before you harp on me and tell me to check out labor relation laws, I am doing this tomorrow. Today is the day after and I just feel like garbage and pathetic.
I would like some input into my options. I have the following asset/liability mix:
-$1,500 chequing account (cash)
-$1,350 RRSP
-$3,500 TFSA earning 2.85% interest
-$400 "gambling/sports betting account" - this is strictly for fun as I started with $100
-$20,000 government student loan debt (currently paying interest free and there is no deb other then student loans)

In terms of my life situation, I have 3 university classes left. I am currently enrolled in one and somehow passed an exam today after yesterday's disappointment. I will receive a B.Comm. 

I feel shitty, pathetic, lethargic, etc and almost want to go travel for a little while but I don't think I have the means to. I know I have to pick up a job but it seems like I will first have to figure out how the hell I am going to approach things. I can still obtain references from my last place of work but I don't know if I should even include them in a resume. At any rate, this debt needs to be picked at and I need a plan.

Can I get some advice from some of the I am simply at a loss of ideas as my head is kind of a mess right now.

Thanks!


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## Ethan (Aug 8, 2010)

Sorry to hear that.

I don't think it would be worthwhile to look into wrongful dismissal. As long as your former employer pays sufficient severance in accordance with your provincial labour laws, there's not much you can do. Seeing as how you were there for less than a year, 1 weeks pay in severance is likely all the severance you'll get.

As far as references go, I would absolutely use them from your former employer. Sometimes companies need to downsize for various reasons, or they simply felt you weren't a good fit. It doesn't mean they don't like you or don't respect your professional abilities. Most employers provide good references to former employees, even in the case of termination. Unless you left on particularly bad terms, not having references from your previous employer would be worse than not having a reference from them.

I spent my first 4 years out of university working for an accounting firm that fired people regularly. The firm always provided good, honest references and usually helped those people find employment elsewhere. Usually the new job was a better fit for the individual anyway.

Hang in there, this is just a temporary setback.


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## Daenerys Targaryen (May 11, 2012)

Hey, I'm sorry to hear about your job loss, but congratulations on passing your exam!
When are you starting your next classes? if you have a bit of a break in between classes, and just lost your job and feel, as you say "shitty, pathetic, lethargic" to be honest, maybe you should go traveling for a bit, it might give you a new perspective, new drive, new energy, and you are only 24, you have lots of time to pay of your 20,000 worth of government student loans in the future, traveling now might give you inspiration which could increase your earning potential for years to come


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

Many companies today don't give references.


Your best move is learn from the last one and move on. Often it is not about you but the politics of that work place.
If they had a point look at what you can do to improve yourself and move on.

Often we take things as very personal and that is understandable take it as a leaning experience.


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## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

I agree with Ethan and get the reference unless you were on bad terms with them. You might want to go back to them in a positive light do an exit interview and get them to see to a great reference.


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## Pennypincher (Dec 3, 2012)

I hope you are feeling a bit better today. You might feel down for a few days, but I think as soon as you are up for it, start looking for another job. Get a reference from your old job and put the job on your resume. When asked in an interview, just say you were let you or that you weren't a good fit etc etc. It's not a huge deal as long as you weren't always late, lazy, stealing etc... Sned out resumes like crazy. Don't let this incident take over your life. Just move on to something better. You will find it. Make the best of it. By earning a B.Comm, you are already setting yourself up for sucess. I find it to be one of the most employable degrees. at your age, you have huge potential to get into an industry that you find interesting, and to climb the ladder. Once you start making money again and get used to a new workplace, your self confidence will rise. You will also then be able to take a well deserved vacation (after having paid off some of your student loan).


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

Sorry to hear that.
I don't have much help to offer unfortunately but will only say that it looks like you are in a good shape as far as education is concerned and the future is bright.

It is not uncommon for a company to hire and let go, reasons are various, sometimes it is performance related, sometimes it is not.

Two suggestions:
1) do not burn any bridges, you are pissed and disappointed right now, but make sure the seperation is done in a professional manner, you just don't know what will happen in the future and you can always use references.

2) re-evaluate, see if there is something to be learnt from this situation, dig deep and see if there is something you could have done differently to avoid this ever happening in the future.

All the best.


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## Pennypincher (Dec 3, 2012)

BTW just as a story that relates to what happened to you: My company hired a handful of people over the summer to join our growing group. Some of the work we do is very stressful and requires a certain personality to deal with it. You are required to be glued to your iphone as the work is a 24/7 operation. A guy with a very extensive background in trading joined our group. They thought he was going to be a superstar so they gave him some of the toughest work to deal with. He did ok, but he didn't learn as quickly as they wanted him to. They terminated him 1 day before his 3 months probation was up. nobody thought he was a bad worker by any means. Most of us were shocked. But they knew he wasn't a good fit and wanted to end the pain before it became a bigger problem. They paid a bit of severance and they provided him with a career coach. I consider him a very sucessful person and this was a bad fit for him. Nobody really faulted him. So this kind of thing happens all the time.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

Bummer! But it's only a job  Try cutting wayyy back on your expenses to reduce the stress of money while you're searching for your next gig.

I'm not entirely sure how references work but I get the impression that most employers don't really have reference conversations about you or your performance. Too much he-said she-said legal liability. The most a former employer will say is "Yes he worked here from 2010-2012"

I'd skip an expensive trip to clear your head. Use the time to explore your own town and do thing you didn't have time for. Make some new friends and new lovers, and you'll have forgotten about this whole mess in a couple weeks.

cheers


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

This might be one of the best things to happen to you. There are no bad people. Just good people in the wrong job. Get over it and start phoning everyone that you know. Networking is what you need to do. Don't overlook anyone. Even Aunt Mabel. They will not give you a job but will offer some ideas on what you are good at. That alone will pick you up.


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## somecanuck (Dec 23, 2011)

You have to work somewhere for five years to qualify for severance pay (http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/severance.php). However, if they did not provide a week's notice, you're entitled to a week of termination pay, unless you fall under an exemption (http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/termination.php#exemption).


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

The severence really depends on the company. some follow the letter of the law. 

I worked for a large multinational. Three month was the standard for service one year or less however I know of several firms that tried to get away with eight weeks.

The thing is that they would rather pay the three month and be rid of you with no issues than have to involve in house counsel or external counsel depending upon how they handle HR issues. Don't sign anything. Ask for six, settle for three plus reference. Unless you have had several warning letters or have done something untoward like theft or breaching confidentiality and either an be proven, then you have most defineately been fired without cause.

Also keep in mind that the settlement should include the benefits, or the value of those benefits.

I was involved in many downsizings, teminations without cause. The only person that will look after your interest is you. And one thing is for certain.....if you do not ask, you will not get so do not be shy.

And with one or two exeptions, all of the people that I was involved in terminated all got as good, or better jobs-and more often than not they secured an improvement in total remuneration. Good luck, and good luck in your next position.


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## Ethan (Aug 8, 2010)

Try this link, it appears to have info on each province:

http://www.workrights.ca/content.php?doc=128


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Several years ago my lady's daughter and her husband, (they weren't yet married at the time), worked for the same company........one disgruntled individual, upset that the then boyfriend was being recognized/promoted (over her or one of her relatives) made an unsubstantiated/unjustified claim that my wife's daughter was somehow assisting him by passing on confidential information, (or somesuch), even though there was no connection between the couple's employment activities.

Daughter's husband immediately quit his position, upset that he might have, through no action of his own, jeopardized his partner's job.

An 'investigation' was undertaken; daughter was suspended with full pay, (ostensibly for a couple days, and probably more for show than anything else)......as soon as she got home, (and having already written off this company in her mind), she started firing off résumés.

She called her mom...said "I've got bad news and good news.....I've been suspended, but I've got three interviews pending".

Fast forward....they both have far better jobs now...she in a supervisory capacity...and he's off to Europe for a month or more, training with his company on new products.

Bottom line....excrement occurs....be like Nietzsche and get 'stronger'.

Good luck.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Sorry to hear about the job loss. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Make sure you get all the wages (and vacation cash-out, if applicable) owed. So that's the first chunk of money: unpaid wages.

On top, the laws define a MINIMUM payment-in-lieu-of-notice that the employer must pay you (X weeks of pay in lieu of notice). For someone who has worked there a long time, the employer will typically pay more than the minimum. But I think in your case it's 1 week pay in lieu of notice, UNLESS you have an employment contract that specifies more.

I don't remember the EI eligibility rules (you need so many hours of work to be eligible), but if you're eligible for Employment Insurance and you've paid into the system, I would encourage you to file for EI as soon as possible. Remember that this is an insurance plan that YOU paid into, out of your earnings. If money is tight, it will help make ends meet while you search for a new job.

Be careful not to bad mouth the ex employer or manager, especially among circles of people who may know them. Don't write anything terrible online, facebook, etc (don't do anything that may come across like a personal attack or threat). If you're going to bad mouth the place about what a crappy place it was to work, wait until you're paid all money owed to you and preferably until you land a new job first.


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## thebomb (Feb 3, 2012)

Good advice re: facebook etc james4beach. I recently gave a speech at a local college and told them before they start applying for their 1st professional jobs to clean up their facebook profiles and to see what pops up when they put in their names either under google or google image. Some rolled their eyes at me. The teachers applauded.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I know how you feel, I was fired from my first job too at a small startup. I was there for almost two years then one day the CEO called me into his office and said they were letting me go because I wasn't a good fit. Why I was a good fit for almost 2 years then suddenly wasn't is baffling, but whatever, once they decide to let you go there's really nothing you can do.

Forget about looking into labor laws, a company is allowed to fire you for any reason without justification, as long as it doesn't violate human rights (eg for your race, religion, etc). They do however have to give you either notice (usually 2 weeks) or termination pay in lieu of the notice. If they did that you have no chance of winning a lawsuit against them.

I think it would be immensely helpful if you could get someone at that company, preferably a manager, to be your reference, and if that reference could say something to the effect of "he was a good employee but we had to let him go due to <insert any reason not related to your being incompetent or insubordinate>. People get fired all the time and hiring managers know this and are not likely to refuse to hire you simply for that reason, I know from experience.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Regarding references: someone else posted (and they're right) that not every company gives references. I worked for a large American tech firm, and they had an official policy that they don't give letters of reference. Some managers may still give references, but they're discouraged by the company because of potential lawsuits arising from what they write in references.

But your reference doesn't have to be from a manager! Get in contact with a colleague you worked with, someone you trust, and ask them to provide a reference. So even if it's true that the company/management won't provide references, it's still possible to get a reference from someone you worked alongside.


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## nakedput (Jan 2, 2013)

Nemo2 said:


> Several years ago my lady's daughter and her husband, (they weren't yet married at the time), worked for the same company........one disgruntled individual, upset that the then boyfriend was being recognized/promoted (over her or one of her relatives) made an unsubstantiated/unjustified claim that my wife's daughter was somehow assisting him by passing on confidential information, (or somesuch), even though there was no connection between the couple's employment activities.
> 
> Daughter's husband immediately quit his position, upset that he might have, through no action of his own, jeopardized his partner's job.
> 
> ...


excrement occurs..that is a great line!

I am not being too hard on myself. This job gave me great confidence and I will use the former opportunity to find myself an ever better job. Plus, as this was my first job, this job taught me a ton about how to act in the workplace and I am almost glad that I went through it. 

The plan is to apply for EI (which I have already done) and be on the lookout for better jobs. In the meantime, I am taking a few university courses in which I put more effort in to them because of the time I all of a sudden have now.

Thanks for everything guys!


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

get into mining. here is one example:

http://jobs.cliffsnaturalresources....d2464734-mine-site-﹠-processing-facility-jobs


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## dogleg (Feb 5, 2010)

I know Hawk is just providing the Cliffs ad as an example but don't hang your hat on it. That 'ring of fire' project is so far away from any real action you could wait for years. Maybe Cliffs won't even be in the picture. Take a look at their share price history. Also there is a big mix of winter road / railroad/ Ontario government/ Indian protests etc. going on. Anyway all the best of luck and nail down that degree while you are free to do it.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

dogleg said:


> I know Hawk is just providing the Cliffs ad as an example but don't hang your hat on it. That 'ring of fire' project is so far away from any real action you could wait for years. Maybe Cliffs won't even be in the picture. Take a look at their share price history. Also there is a big mix of winter road / railroad/ Ontario government/ Indian protests etc. going on. Anyway all the best of luck and nail down that degree while you are free to do it.


ya it was just an example, but mining is where it is at right now.
http://www.mining.com/mining-in-canadas-north-to-nearly-double-by-2020-report-73185/
http://www.infomine.com/careers/


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