Loosing my job - What are my rights

munkifisht

6 months ago I started working for a software firm in Galway. I had to relocate from Dublin and everything I know, my girlfreind of 7 years and my father who has been in and out of hospital more times then most of the Doctors. I really thought then that this was the job for me, and I was on my way to a grand career.

Unfortunatly (and I'm thinking you've guessed this by now) things haven't worked out anything like I thought they would. It would seem to me that the Boss and myself never clicked, and there has always been some, I wouldn't say hostility, but a coldness, an unfreindless, that just wasn't put on other people. The Boss, is the boss of the department, there is also a managing director who I also answer to, but not on a day to day basis.

Anywho, the basic fact is, I felt that my work was up to scratch, and while I had some teething problems, in general my work was good, I was rarely sick (2 days in all) and I was very rarely late or went home early, although there were some days I had to do this, I did work through my lunch and work late to make up for it. I had been told that there were concerns about my work and some stages. The reason for these concerns were based, I feel, on the individual jobs rather then on my actual performance. Basicly I thought that the jobs were lemons, and it was more a case of inexperience then an actual work ethic. The one that stick in my mind is the first project I was given. The boss asked me to do a small task and gave me some equations on which to base my work. The problem was the results I got were the exact opposite of what I should have been getting. I took me 3 weeks to discover that the equations that I had based my work on were wrong and I had to prove this to my boss. I am not sure he ever got over this. For the last few weeks, I have been working so fast and knocking problems on the head so quickly they are now finding it hard to get work for me to do.

About 5 weeks ago, my boss was going on holidays, and at 15 minutes to home going time he called me in and told me that unless I could prove otherwise I was going to be fired come my 6 month review. He told me that he did not want to talk specifics, but he wanted me to be aware of the situation. The reason he told me this was because he believed that I was not suitable material to become a senior member of staff. Personally I was shocked, ok, I had decided long ago that the job wasn’t long term, but I did not feel my work had let me down to the extent that they wanted to replace me.

I was then called in a week after he returned from his holidays and he said his mind had not changed, this was despite a huge volume of work that I had put in over the time he was gone. I tried to argue some points but we agreed to leave my defense until the time of the review. Then yesterday at 40 minutes to home going time I was asked if I had a minute, and was taken into the board room, it was then that I realized that my review was happening now. I had not been given any prior notice to this meeting despite it being common practice to inform people of even minor meetings well over hour in advance. I met with my boss and the MD and the MD took the helm. He said that they had decided not to renew my contract, again as I was not senior staff material, and that I was going to be fired and they were going to keep me on for another 6 weeks (the only bit of good news they gave me). I tried to protest and defend myself but I was told that their minds had been made up and there was no chance of me redeeming myself.

The thing that feels so wrong to me is not loosing the job, but rather the way they went about it. I really felt that they are operating guerrilla tactics. I was given no chance to prepare myself mentally and with evidence of my work, and despite claims of an opportunity to defend my work, one was never forth coming. I also feel that my career is going to suffer from this long term. I think that any job that I now go for will have this hanging over my head. I think I should also mention that another guy who started a few weeks before me is still here and is being taken on permanently, and our progress sheets show that he has had equal numbers of hiccups as me, and I am as fast if not faster them him on most issues.

I would like to know if I have any grounds to stand on or if my contract and the fact that I have only worked for the company for 6 months will work against me.

As a PS I would like to ask any employers who are reading this not to treat their staff in this way. It has made me feel quite worthless, and quite upset. If you are thinking about firing an employee please give them the chance to have their say. It may be that what you have seen as a poor work ethic is a symptom of bad luck.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

The problem here is the that you were never long term or permanant. I assume you never signed a contract?

My advice would be to discuss it with your colleagues. Has anyone else who works for them every had a problem like this? What do you have to lose?

That said, it sounds like they never really wanted to hire you long term for whatever reason. It might not even be personal. I'd start looking around now on the basis that if you can cut short your stay by six weeks, do so. Finally be honest and tell them what you've written here. ANd tell THEM not to treat other employees like this.

daveg

I'm very sorry for your situation at work. Can you post back and let us know if you signed a contract? I presume if you did it was the usual 6 month probation thing?

leeroybrown

Like daveg I'm guessing you signed a contract based on a probation period with a review after six months. I'm also guessing that you are subject to a shorter notice period (possibly a week) until you pass probation and become permenant. The legal protections for employees with less than 12 months in a job are a lot weaker than after and you also signed a contract specifically mentioning probation so there is nothing you can do. This may sound harsh but not all employers in the same position would have offered six weeks notice.

Based on what you wrote I think you are probably better off leaving anyway. If you have a boss who blames you for his mathematical errors, doesn't give you credit for your hard work, blames you for taking time with difficult jobs while training and appears to get along badly with you then you won't last. I'd reckon that plenty of other people have left because of this and that quite a few of those who remain dislike him.

While the short notice of the review may have been disconserting and left you feeling put out I would reckon that the company is quite single minded about decision making and that an hour or even a week to prepare wouldn't have strenghtened your position.

My suggestion would be to start using that six weeks to look for jobs. I'm guessing you might not find a similar position elsewhere in Galway so you could be looking at a move back to Dublin or elsewhere. Lots of people have left a job that hasn't worked out and have gotten over it.

The one question I have is are you at around grad level or are you experienced and hired into a position as a senior engineer/developer? I'm not 100% sure from reading your post.

munkifisht

Well I am close to Grad level (the position is titled a graduate engineer). I have had one engineering job previous to this, but that was not my cup of tea and I finished it after 8 months when the opportunity here arose. This perhaps is the worst thing about losing this job so early. Since leaving College about 2 years ago, I have had two positions and both have ended in under a year. For someone trying to make a go at being an engineer this doesn't look to good.

You are right about the 6 month probationary contract, and I was looking on oasis.gov.ie and I have seen that unless exceptional circumstances arose, I would not have any grounds to defend my dismissal legally.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement, I think that you may be right, I will be better off. The company has a surprisingly low average age, and a very high turn over of staff. I was half thinking of pulling up the floor tiles and hiding a few fishies under them, but I think I will just end up leaving with a whimper.