How Were You Fired?

IanBevan asks: "A couple of years ago, the company I was working for was taken over by a larger competitor. I was told, right up until the last minute, that my development job was safe. Shortly thereafter, our illustrious team leader issued a new project plan, and I discovered that all my tasks were suddenly due to finish in about one week's time. Not being a great believer in coincidence, I asked my boss if there was 'anything he would like to tell me'. Of course, there was. Looking back this seems quite amusing now, but it could certainly have been better handled by the PHBs. I was just wondering, how have other Slashdot readers discovered that they have become 'surplus to requirements'?"

Comments

This is somewhat typical

[jbarr]

The problem is that in most companies, upper management makes decisions that affect the underlings, and unfortunatly, keeping the underlings in the dark is the only way to control them. Rarely do you see upper management being open with subordinates.

Besides, they can tell you anything they want. Unless you have some sort of terms in writing, you are at the mercy of their whims. Even then, it is typically so much in the company's favor that you are still out of luck.

Re:This is somewhat typical

[mc6809e]

The problem is that in most companies, upper management makes decisions that affect the underlings, and unfortunatly, keeping the underlings in the dark is the only way to control them. Rarely do you see upper management being open with subordinates.

It works the other way around, too. How often to employees feel any obligation to stay on the current project if something better comes along? They'll keep silent until they phone from their new job saying "I quit, by the way."

There is also the very real threat of revenge by an employee. If your business is failing and people absolutely must be fired to keep the company alive, warning them two weeks in advance is going to get your assets destroyed or stolen. You're going to put yourself at serious risk for those two weeks.

It's really too bad things are like that. The possiblility of incivility by one party forces both to act uncivil to each other. Either you're fired with no notice, or you quit with no notice. Courtesy is thrown out the window.

When society at large returns to the idea that things like ethics, civility, and morality are worth at least talking about, things might change.

Right now it's everyone for himself.