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'?"

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How I was fired

[flikx]

Well, I showed up for work on time as usual. I noticed that my card would not work in the door. No problem, it has happened before. A friend of mine let me in. I get to my desk and notice someone else sitting there. He gives me a look of confusion and for a moment, I thought that perhaps I had accidentally come to the wrong desk.

That's when it hit me. I noticed a box on the floor, with all the contents of my drawers dumped into it. As it dawned on me, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was my boss. He told me that he needed to talk to me.

There really wasn't much to talk about. I followed him to his office and sat down. He told me that HR will mail me my check in the next couple days, and that I was not to come back on company property ever again. At that time, there was a knock at the door. I was staring at the floor by then, and did not notice the five police officers who entered the room.

I noticed soon enough as I was roughly hauled up out of my chair. I was thrown against the wall and searched, and then cuffed.

As I was led out of the building to the waiting squad car, I could hear my former coworkers laughing and deriding me. I hung my head in shame as I was led out.

After a few days in jail, I was arraigned for six felonies. They were accusing me of stealing company trade secrets, and poisoning a variety of projects. I swear to this day that I had no part in any of it.

In the end, I was acquitted of the crimes, but my career has been completely ruined. While I used to make $120k a year, I now struggle to feed my family on the meager $15k a year I make hacking together PHP scripts for short term odd-jobs. I try to swallow my pride and suppliment my income by working nights at various fast food places, but I have not been able to last more than two weeks at each job.

That, dear slashdot reader, is how I was fired. Thank you for reading.