Yesterday (Monday) I got fired from what I hope to be my first and last job in a traditonal corporate work enviroment. I previously worked in news. I'll spare the intimate details, at least for now, because I'm TIRED but here are some lessons I learned at my previous employer. Some of these tips I was wise enough to follow from day one, others not so much.

THINGS I DID RIGHT
- Don't leave personal shit at your desk. If you must have a picture of family, friends or pets nearby, make sure it is not the sole and/or original copy. Make a duplicate. 

THINGS I DID BUT HALF-ASSEDLY:
- Audio record every meeting with HR and with your problematic boss. If not that, take detailed notes

- If you are having issues with management, keep a daily journal or spreadsheet and forward relevant emails to your personal address ASAP. Don't try to do this in a marathon every so often. Get in the habit of doing it on a regular basis as hit pops off. 

- Email your personal work contacts at least twice a year. People don't want to hear from you when you want something, e.g. a job because now you're out of work.

MISTAKES I MADE/THINGS I DID NOT DO:
- Report managerial abuse and related complaints to HR immediately. Even if they don't side with you, at least your issues are formally documented.

- If you have a micromanager or if you are presented with a punitive, unfair or unrealistic work plan or new list of responsibilities, follow instructions to a "T," if it is possible. Don't give shitty people fodder to use against you, even if their demands are ridiculous. 

I did not receive a reason for my firing but I know it was on a technicality related to this new work plan

---
Most of y'all are grown and have been working professional jobs for 15+ years.
What have you learned? What mistakes have you made? What smart things did you do that helped you down the road?

Do you feel like you have a wrongful termination suit? I ask because a lot of your “tips” come off as extreme unless you find yourself in an abusive work environment. In which case you should be formulating an exit strategy long before mgmt looks to oust you.

I live in an at-will state. My former company's handbook doesn't have a detailed displinary plan like other companies, e.g. 30 day probationary period. So, I can't even say the company failed to follow their own protocol, which led a woman in my state to win a wrongful termination suit a few years ago.

Now, having said all of that, I ain't got no wrongful termination money!

It seems my best option right now is to spend my time and the little money I have left on my job search.

My tips are extreme because I worked in an abusive work environment.

In October, senior executives at my company restructured corporate communications and my manager and I switched to a new director, a new hire. My manager and I have always had issues, even before he became my manager, but our previous director, who hired me and remains supportive and on my side (Thank God!!!) was a good buffer and mediator between us. Once we stopped reporting to him, my manager exploited that my advocate, his boss, our boss, was no longer around to mediate and hold him accountable for his behavior.

He also knew our new boss was busy with onboarding and meetings. That left me vulnerable to his conniving ways. He engaged in manipulative behavior, including telling bold-faced lies and withholding information I needed to do my job. Now, less than 30 days after our first meeting with HR, I'm gone. I didn't even get a 30-day probationary period.

I had been casually looking for work for months but I was being very picky. I started looking seriously in November and had considered quitting without a job lined up by the end of this year because of how bad things were.

...someone doesn't like them personally, especially in "at will" states. The game is rigged. You probably were in a no-win situation.

Fuck 'em.

Yep, I live in an at-will state. It's hard to get wrongful termination justice 'round these parts.

Sorry you were fired. Keep looking and find something fun to do while you job search.

I have 25 years of professional work experience from hospitals, universities, Fed government, local government, non profits and private sector.

Private sector is some bullshit for black people unless you really are charismatic, savvy and stacked paper. At will firing is too easy and too common.

Local and Fed government are great for security but terrible for creativity, fun, new ideas and thinkers. Be prepared to die on the vine if you can make it to retirement.

Non profits are awesome if the funding is solid and the mission is clear.

For EVERY job, learn your HR manual or know someone in HR. Talk to the older folks. Stack your retirement fund religiously. Get all the training and benefits out of every job. Don't be the black entertainment. Let people wonder about you. Don't divulge every damn thing about your identity at work. Leave the individuality until after hours. Try to keep boundaries at work. Produce, perform and don't complain.Go get a side hustle.

environments everything you said is gospel.

>Sorry you were fired. Keep looking and find something fun to
>do while you job search.
>
>I have 25 years of professional work experience from
>hospitals, universities, Fed government, local government, non
>profits and private sector.
>
>Private sector is some bullshit for black people unless you
>really are charismatic, savvy and stacked paper. At will
>firing is too easy and too common.
>
>Local and Fed government are great for security but terrible
>for creativity, fun, new ideas and thinkers. Be prepared to
>die on the vine if you can make it to retirement.
>
>Non profits are awesome if the funding is solid and the
>mission is clear.
>
>For EVERY job, learn your HR manual or know someone in HR.
>Talk to the older folks. Stack your retirement fund
>religiously. Get all the training and benefits out of every
>job. Don't be the black entertainment. Let people wonder about
>you. Don't divulge every damn thing about your identity at
>work. Leave the individuality until after hours. Try to keep
>boundaries at work. Produce, perform and don't complain.Go get
>a side hustle.

>For EVERY job, learn your HR manual or know someone in HR.
>Talk to the older folks. Stack your retirement fund
>religiously. Get all the training and benefits out of every
>job. Don't be the black entertainment. Let people wonder about
>you. Don't divulge every damn thing about your identity at
>work. Leave the individuality until after hours. Try to keep
>boundaries at work. Produce, perform and don't complain.Go get
>a side hustle.

you shouldnt need to be doing all of that. i know its preached to do it but i couldnt.

i hope this turns to something good for you.

as far as learning lessons or advice. im on my second "real" job. the first was a small business and this one is a much bigger company that kind of feels more like a small business than the first one.

my MO on the first job was to say yes and out work everyone. be better at everything i could. ive never been confrontational so that wasnt a big concern for me. what i did try to do is be honest and fact based on any issues. if there was a way for me to learn something and change the way i did my work to avoid issues down the road i would do it. my boss at that job was very confrontational with other departments, never willing to admit blame. he knew everything, he thought. i decided to be the good cop. if there were issues at press i would listen to the operator and get their perspective. i might still come out with the conclusion that they messed up but at least i could see what i could potentially do to help them.

what might have held me back, was told by management there, is that i wasnt very out going. i kept to myself. i still cant really over come that. in certain environments i will interact more but day to day i just like getting to my office and mind my business.

when i think back on my past job the biggest lesson i learned was to listen. get other peoples perspectives.

when there were conflicts i would send an email to the involved parties to document the problem and the steps taken to remedy it. keeping it focused on facts and solutions.

im straight up coasting at my current job so dont want to give advice based on this one lol

>- Audio record every meeting with HR and with your problematic
>boss. If not that, take detailed notes >occasion]
>
>- If you are having issues with management, keep a daily
>journal or spreadsheet and forward relevant emails to your
>personal address ASAP. Don't try to do this in a marathon
>every so often. Get in the habit of doing it on a regular
>basis as hit pops off. >tons of emails but not all of the emails I neede. And I could
>have taken better notes about weekly happenings]

>- Report managerial abuse and related complaints to HR
>immediately. Even if they don't side with you, at least your
>issues are formally documented. >presented issues with evidence because I misinterpreted what
>it means to "pick your battles"]
>
>- If you have a micromanager or if you are presented with a
>punitive, unfair or unrealistic work plan or new list of
>responsibilities, follow instructions to a "T," if it is
>possible. Don't give shitty people fodder to use against you,
>even if their demands are ridiculous. >extreme micromanagement plan last month and did not follow it
>to "T," even though it was never enforced]

What was sad about my situation TO ME was that HR, instead of doing their job, actually seemed to be facilitating my manager's attacks on me. Had I done the above things I may have had case for a lawsuit, but I dunno.

The other lessons I learned though, is, FUCK THEM. It's like, yeah, maybe I had a lawsuit and I might have got something out of it but it would have taken time and money. Instead, I just tried to stay positive and look for my next opportunity cuz who would wanna even fight for a place a company that would do that to you or allow someone to do that to you?

Not you *or* your manager.

Always keep that in mind when you decide whether they are going to help you or not.

my manager actually sat with HR to do her "review" of me in which she completely lied about things I did.

they sat with her so that she didn't fly off the handle in her writing and kept her attacks "professional" (aka said in a manner that couldn't come back on the company).

Nah, hopefully you have a rep or an attorney you can go to.

Cause going to HR just makes you look like a problem IMO.

>What was sad about my situation TO ME was that HR, instead of
>doing their job, actually seemed to be facilitating my
>manager's attacks on me.



This is a big one.. Never assume HR is on your side. They should be an advocate for the employee, but they're allegiance is going to be with the higher ups most of the time.

never again.

that's why i agree w/ the original post that you gotta get in front of that shit with HR RIGHT when it starts even if they don't side with you.

at least it's documented.

I meant to make a post about this twitter discussion.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/jamedjackson/twitter-boomer-advice

I think some of the advice might be a little dated (go fill out applications in person MAY be a little dated), but I just couldn't see this one being bad advice:

"Pay your dues, work late, go the extra mile, take the initiative, take all the tasks no one else wants to do! Your boss will give you credit and you’ll be promoted quickly! It’s the way to get ahead! #BoomerAdvice Way to get exploited, more like... https://t.co/ts1zjOOief"

I mean, if you ain't prepared to work hard to get ahead, what's your plan to get ahead?



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

This is good advice. Doing more than what is required of you is always a good look. I actually did this and my former department head, who me and my abusive manager worked under until October, began advocating for a salary grade change and possible promotion for me.

Abusive boss was indifferent, and then our former department head exited the picture.

We got a new boss and it went downhill from there.

Lesson: Work hard but realize you can’t out work a shitty boss.

>We got a new boss and it went downhill from there.
>
>Lesson: Work hard but realize you can’t out work a shitty
>boss.

Company got bought out and an almost entire new management team came in. I went from having a great director who was probably the best boss I ever had, a cool ass HR director that looked out for me and I was cool with the GM who was their boss.

All those people got replaced. My new director and I didn't get along from the start because I started to butt heads with a colleague and she was a young pretty white girl so that was a wrap.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

>"Pay your dues, work late, go the extra mile, take the
>initiative, take all the tasks no one else wants to do! Your
>boss will give you credit and you’ll be promoted quickly!
>It’s the way to get ahead! #BoomerAdvice Way to get
>exploited, more like... https://t.co/ts1zjOOief"
>
>I mean, if you ain't prepared to work hard to get ahead,
>what's your plan to get ahead?


the caveat is just to pick your battles, i think. Be willing to do the extra 10% but know when you're able.

"You'll get more conservative as you get older and start to understand how the world actually works."


"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

Best bet is to try and make allies with other people above your boss who see the value of your work.

My boss had a meeting and told us to make relationships with the decision makers boss. People move around all the time so once you lose your Allie you are shit out of luck but if the new guy knows his/her boss likes you.. you aren’t going anywhere.

i dont think you need to only rely on going over your boss as that can get you in trouble. in my experience i was working with people at my level and the word would get up to their boss on my work. i think that was key. it became clear i was the one doing all the work and soon requests started coming directly to me instead of through my boss.

however you get to it i think thats the key. that other people outside of your boss see the work your doing.

but anytime you can rub elbows... rub them hard as fuck.

We had a dude who was good but he went rogue and stunted in a company meeting while his manager was on the call. Dude brought up hypotheticals and would tell me how he was bette than everyone else he worked with..

He lasted a month.

Dude is still trying to find a gig. Almost had one but then he told me he had priors. Now why the fuck you ain’t being a team player when you got a felony on your record?

This also happened with another brotha at my last gig. Dude just wanted to do things his way because he was smarter than everyone else. 1 month... gone

it all fine and dandy to do more than what's required until that extra that you do becomes the expectation and you get no benefit from it. the pressure to continue doing that extra is worse if you have nothing to show for it in your pockets.

companies have budgets in mind, so they can only give so many people the good money. most folks out here sweating too much for companies don't usually end up with the title/raise from it. they just keep taking advantage of you.

no one's saying you can't do all that shit, but if you do it and then you're surprised when the carpet gets yanked out from you just as you're starting to break under the strain of doing shit no one asked you to do


then consider this your warning to not be surprised.






www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

sweat equity.

work hard all you want for you, but don't think that money is coming to you for it.

so i personally break them off a little something. but that's out of my own generosity mostly. the company aint giving them shit. and wonder why only my assistants hang around for a significant amount of time or actually put in real effort.

kudos for helping someone else out.

give you less of a bonus and give the difference to your reports?

how would that go?

me and one of the other account managers went to bat for the assistants to get more and management was essentially like it's idiot work that anyone can do.

they only see sales as the ones that make the company money. its really simplistic thinking. no respect or appreciation for the different mechanisms of the company behind the scenes that allow us to make more money.

and when you crow about the company hitting record numbers that needs to trickle down. its 1+1=2 to me. so i try to help where i can. break some money off for my assistant. setup office events. etc etc.

instead of bringing everyone up they push you to become part of the upper circle that is just so "valuable" and disregard the "replaceable" workers.

a lot of companies dont see how making people at the "bottom" happy will benefit their bottom line.

that’s just how she operates. But she was stressed as hell.

Finally she realized this year she could “coast” and still be seen as valuable nevaise she knows her shit and keeps good records and a gangster rubric.

They hunter at her becoming chair but she said she didn’t want it because it’s all work and no extra pay.

That's misleading and can get a persons hopes and expectations messed up.

But if the question is how do you move ahead at your job, I can't think of more ACTIONable advice. I stress action advice because it's the only thing you can do that you have complete control over.

There is more nuanced advice that depends on the situation and context (networking, find a mentor, plan strategically), but this is the advice you can do day 1 on your job.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

I don't do that shit and I'm visibly winning LOL.

shit I'd hate me too if I was buddy

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

I'll wait.

Let me guess your response. Some trolling to distract from the fact that you can't point to any career success in response to my direct question.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

and my career accomplishments.


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

about winning but it seems like you have been doing the same dead-end blogging shit for like a decade. Let me know if I've missed some upgrades.

Trying to figure out why I would be jealous of you in any professional capacity.



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

and I appreciate your fandom

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

never changes.

But you are "visibly" winning....and I am jealous of your career.....

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

I thought I was mad at you because you are "visibly winning"? LOL.




**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

fam, you know how I'm winning. I don't have to explain it to you.


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

so he can make sure he didn't miss any.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

With your numerous achievements, we all know you don't have the time.

merely mentioning someone's mother is going to get you somewhere?

eesh

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

is that he is banging her as well...I could be wrong.


And now that we have reached this bottom, I think I am going to stop here. Once again, I've let you troll me into derailing what could be a good conversation about making it in corporate america. Shame on me.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

is that how you read things?

idk man, maybe your mom is out here fucking everybody she has a conversation with, I can see then how the one thing would imply the other. shouts to your mom living her truth the way she sees fit.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

You always got to be moving up and working to get ahead. That's part of paying dues in my mind. Work hard but that doesn't mean be loyal to any one place.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

but I hope getting out of that shitty environment is ultimately a positive for you.

losing a job is some scary shit, but the effects of dealing with people who are working against you every day is worse than you can even realize at the time

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

use all their resources (training for your own purposes), make good connections, and leave.

your current company, most likely, will not give you the big bucks. you get the biggest raises by getting a new job.

don't stay anywhere too long if you're not moving up the chain. your current roll will continue to be your roll and your money will only go up in very small increments. if you work for a big ass comp, you can possibly move to another job/role. that's cool for learning, but you'll still need to move up the chain or out to get better money.

as was said earlier, they don't really care about us. the people may care a little, but the company doesn't give af.

A job is someplace you collect a paycheck and are not really interested in moving ahead and it's just a mean to pay your bills while there is some other thing that you devote your interest and time to (family, sidehustle, church, sport, etc.).

There your advice kind of makes sense.

However, I don't think it works for a career and by a career I mean a profession you are invested in and you want to move ahead, get promoted, get leadership, etc.

Like you can't go to HR every time something rubs you the wrong way and expect it not to impact your career. I know HR and our sense of fairness tells us that that shouldn't be the case but in the real world it is. If you are known as the fragile person then people just wouldn't want to work with you.

It sucks but I'm am waiting for someone to give better advice for moving ahead in your career than working harder, doing your best and making yourselves indispensible to the people you work for, whether you like them or not.

That being said, like folks said, if you feel you got to secretly record all your interactions with your boss that sounds like a bad environment for a career (or even a job) and you can't expect that place to help your career no matter how hard you work. It's time to move on.



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

That's my only advice most times.

Anti-gentrification, cheap alcohol & trying to look pretty in our twilight posting years (c) Big Reg

¨Your mother is Colin Powell¨ - Lurkmode

www.Tupreme.com

In the long term, it makes me seem like I'm not participating or don't have family/interests to show off on my desk. But, if shit goes down, or I just up & quit, I can fit everything I'd want to take with me in my bookbag.

...file for unemployment if you have not already.
https://www.eeoc.gov/employees/charge.cfm

If you know you were wrongfully terminated and have grounds for a lawsuit but no money...DON'T WORRY!

Your first step is to formally schedule an interview with an officer from the EEOC and they will let you know if you have a case. If you do, they will formally type of the charge(s) of which you will then sign off on and they will forward to your former employer. Your former employer will then issue a Position Statement back to the EEOC stating how horrible of an employee you were and that they fired you for good reason.
You then have a chance to respond to the Position Statement and your case will be forwarded to another federal investigator.

After 180 days from the formal filing date...if you have not heard back that your case has been dismissed then you can get a letter called a Notice of a Right To Sue. This letter means that the EEOC either formally found grounds for you to sue because of termination or that they are unable to determine or proceed with the investigation for whatever reason. Either way that is in your favor.
Take that letter and find an attorney FAST as you only have 90 days to file after Right to Sue letter has been issued. Most attorneys will then take on your case knowing you now have a more secure means of them getting you that bag.


It's worth the time/effort as you are not only doing this for you but for others that are still at your former employer who are too scared to come forward. Having a company formally on record for discrimination and wrongful termination can go a long way overall.

I hope this helps and best of luck to you.

Thank you. I filed for unemployment as soon as I got home from the termination meeting. LOL!

As for wrongful termination, I'm going to leave that alone, at least until I get my personnel file. I want to see what's in there.

I feel like everyone thinks they have a wrongful termination suit but they probably don't. My boss was abusive in many ways but I can't really prove they he broke a law or engaged in the the type of discrimination that folks take seriously, e.g. racial, sexual, etc.

Not unless he feels he was terminated for his membership in a protected class, which a big thing you left out. In the OP, there is not mention of his membership in a protected class either. Without being able to draw that nexus, a trip/call to the EEOC is fruitless. Especially since 90% of cases that go to the EEOC are found not to be unlawful discrimination.

I know this because I am a federal EEO practitioner for the past 20 years and I currently serve as the EEO Director at a Federal agency.

Unless the original poster feels the termination was based on his status as a member of a protected class and has reason/ability to show that the given reason for termination is pretext for discrimination, he'd just be spinning his wheels at the EEOC.
______________________________________________________________________________

"To Each His Reach"

but.....

Fuck aliens.

Younger people tend to think that they have a claim because there boss was a jerk and think and screaming boss = hostile work environment not understanding that hostile work environment has a very specific legal meaning.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"