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.