Monday, September 24, 2012

Like a jilted ex-girlfriend

Okay.  So I'm still not over it.

I was laid off, I mean, fired, from my programming job a little over a week ago.  It's been bothering me ever since last Wednesday, when I went in to get my last check.  So, here's the story:

Two weeks prior to my being let go fired, I was informed by my superior that I would be let go at the end of two weeks (the pay period) due to budget cuts.  His wording was that I was being let go because of budget cuts.  There were no other reasons as to why I was being let go.  There was nothing about me being fired or anything of the sort.  Nothing.

I was only to assume that I was being "let go" (supervisor's words,  not mine) because of budget cuts.  Let me remind you that I was told this would occur in two weeks.



A couple of days later, the president took me aside and told me that because the project we were working on was not completed yet, the company was lacking revenue, and this was the first month they had more expenses than revenue - and payroll was the biggest culprit.  So, they were going to have to trim payroll expenses, and that was why I was being let go.  In essence, I was being let go because the project was not completed, so I was going along with what my supervisor said, and thought I was being let go because of budget cuts - nothing more.

When I look back, I can see that they were blaming me for the project not being completed - and they were using the budget cuts as a way to sound nice.

So, during those two weeks, I worked my tail off, trying to make sure that I left on a good note, and I could get a good reference.  I was unable to work on the project, however, because the president home took the computer I was working on (it had all the files and programs I needed to program).  At first, I thought that was weird, but I thought he would bring it back and I could work on the programming, but he never did.

Instead of programming, I instead worked on whatever other things I could find (I would ask others if they needed help, and I'm sure they got annoyed after a while).  I even worked with clients, and one of the top managers even told the client that I would be working with them for the long-term.  I accomplished so many things for them during that time period, and the response from most of the other people was positive (and they made long-term statements about me being there) that I was unsure whether or not I was really being let go.

On my last day, I texted my supervisor (he was outside the office, so that was the best way to contact him) to ask if I really was let go, and he replied that I was.

So, I was unemployed.

Come Wednesday, I went in to get my check and have the president sign a Medicaid form.  I had most of it filled out with the information I was aware of (including reason for termination - I put laid off because that was what everything pointed to), and gave it to the president.

He took me and my previous supervisor into his office and told me that I was fired, not laid off, and it was not because of budget cuts, but because of underperformance.  I didn't want to argue for two reasons: I did not want to burn any bridges, and I did not want to make anyone else look incompetent.

I just took the change in termination, and thought that this would be the last time I work for them.

Afterward, the president told me that if I need a character reference, I could use him.  I thanked him, and left.

In reality, I will not use him as a character reference, because I feel that I did a lot more for them than they are doing for me.  Granted, they gave me a check, and experience, but I feel kind of jilted because they only think of me as a "great guy" and not a "great employee".  It won't look good to other potential employers if I use him as a reference, and they ask him anything about my employment.

I feel that I was used and then thrown out when I wasn't perceived to be of any more use.

I feel like a jilted ex-girlfriend.

3 comments:

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