So I might be getting fired tomorrow..

[tridim]

Our new CEO DEMANDED I fly to his office on Monday for a meeting. One day notice, drop everything and fly here for two days. He booked the flight in the first email without asking. I said no, I need to take care of my dogs and I can't fly on one day notice. He says that I'm "required to do anything and everything at any time for him". I freaked (mainly because I just completed an 80 hour work week and got no thank you whatsoever), and gave him all of my mind. It's probably over at this point.

Has this type of bullshit ever happened to anyone else and what did you do about it? He has stated, in different words that he basically owns me and I have no rights except when he grants them to me. The guy is loaded and I'm pretty much broke so I'd have no chance in court.

Stress levels are sky high, and I haven't been able to eat since last night. I'm just venting, so bare with me. :)

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. Wow! Sounds pretty serious

Sure hope things work out in your favor! Update if you can! :hug:

[bbinacan]

2. All I can offer is,

I hope it's not as dire as you think. I wish you well. Good Luck!

[tridim]

7. The thing is, even if he caves I don't think I want to work for a fascist

And believe me, describing him as a fascist is being kind. He's a slave driver.

Unfortunately if I go, our whole team goes. It's a horrible situation any way I look at it.

[Fridays Child]

11. If he made any of those ultimatums, or other unreasonable statements, by email...

...save those emails!

[bbinacan]

21. We are in similar situations.

I was on written warning last month, which meant that if I didn't meet a sales quota he set, I'd be gone. I beat his quota by 33%. He insisted on going on joint appointments with me which really pissed me off. I've been doing this job for 18 years. I closed both deals and he spent the next hour telling me everything I did wrong. He even had the audacity to tell me he was shocked that I won one of the deals over a competitor (he used to work for the competitor and hired the guy I beat out for the business). I am updating my resume and getting out.

I think you should do the same.

[Olney Blue]

3. Oh my. Tridim, you need a better life than this!

[BlooInBloo]

Sounds to me as though he'd be doing you a favor.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Keep us posted.

PS - I hate that kind of attitude in a boss.

[C_U_L8R]

5. the best piece of advice i ever got was...

"life is too short to work for assholes"

I've been pretty darn happy ever since :-)

[papau]

15. Exactly - although when old you do think of the money that could have been -and then say

"life is too short to work for assholes"

:-)

[Ishoutandscream2]

6. I know the Bush economy sucks

but are there any, any, any, kind of prospects out there? Working for an ass like this isn't good for your health. However, I know not eating isn't good for your health, either.

[earth mom]

8. No one "OWNS" anyone.

Tell him to take the job and shove it! :grr:

[Straight Shooter]

9. He thinks you're his slave laborer, is that it?

New CEO, testing out how his boot feels on people's neck. Jeebers.

I can't tell you what to do, except to say he's testing you. If you go along now, welcome to the rest of your working life with this jerk. Can you deal with that?

Maybe you can find a way to hang in there while you look for something else. He sounds like the kind of guy who beats his wife and threatens her with financial destitution if she leaves him.

[tridim]

10. "If you go along now, welcome to the rest of your working life"

That's exactly what I told my actual boss. I can't give in.

[Straight Shooter]

17. I've been in your shoes.

I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this situation. I hope your actual boss is an ally and can either shield you from this ignorant CEO, or help you find another place to work.

Self-respect is important, and it sounds like you intend to hold on to yours. :thumbsup:

[Dhalgren]

18. Be strong, tridim. You are drawing a line in the sand and I, for one,

greatly admire you for it. Each one of us faces a thing like this at some point in our lives. Times may be hard and you may have trouble with your finances, but standing up and saying, "I am not a slave! I am a real Human Being and must be treated accordingly!" - you can't but a price-tag on that kind of backbone. You are an inspiration. Fuck that corporate blood-sucker!

[adigal]

12. I would prefer to waitress (which I always loved!) or clean toilets

on my own terms, than work for someone who treats others like this. If he fires you, remember - when one door closes, another one opens. It may end up being a blessing.

[EVDebs]

37. Right on ! He's probably under an SEC cloud now. What goes around

comes around. I'd give him two weeks notice and go to the flicks...or quit on the spot (depending on your circumstances, you may wnat to just be fired without cause and let HIM screw himself).

[havocmom]

39. I walked out on a boss like that. Put myself at risk of becoming destitute in two weeks,

but I would not put up with HIM thinking he owned my time like he owned the office equipment. I worked 60 + hours a week, was available to my staff on phone or in my home 24/7 if they needed my help for ANYTHING. He told me 'things would go better' if I were "more physically accessible". Told him 60 hours at work and my staff ALWAYS could get hold of me was enough accessibility and I walked.

I landed on my feet. Wasn't easy or comfy, but I survived. I will not allow tyrants to own me.

[The Straight Story]

13. Ask them if they ever heard of conference calls :) (nt)

[tridim]

14. We suggested that, he said "No, I told you you're flying out tomorrow".

[qanda]

16. I once had a boss that actually graded the work of the woman who worked there before me

It didn't take me long to have to put him in his place. People around the office couldn't believe how much he respected me. I'm sure it was because I stood up for myself. I hope everything works out for you.

[arcos]

19. You are brave, and I congratulate you...

I quit my nearly 6 years old job a month ago because of similar stuff... new owners come in, corporatize everything and suddenly we're not expected to work 40 hours but 48, all kind of benefits disappear, new tighter schedules which just didn't work for me, etc.

I wish you the best of luck, you did the right thing. Your CEO doesn't own you and you should never let him act like he does.

[Neshanic]

20. The fact that he needs you so badly works the other way too...you are obviously

good at what you do so tell him that you have other options.

Then tell him to start interviewing for your position as you will not work for him.

[tridim]

23. It's even better than that..

His company absorbed ours specifically for our technology, all developed by yours truly. If I go, he's so screwed. His other developers are good people, but not all that skilled. He'll find somebody eventually, and after a few weeks the same thing will happen that just happened to me.

[Demobrat]

22. First look up the rules on taping people in the state you're in.

In some states it's illegal to tape a person without their knowing it, it some it isn't. If it's not illegal where you are try to get ahold of a little voice activated recorder before you go. If you can't, write down everything you can remember about the meeting, word for word as soon as it's over, or if you can take notes while you're there.
Now - whatever you do - DONT QUIT. Let him fire you so you have a shot at collecting unemployment. It's not much but it's better than nothing. And if you play your cards right you might have a case of wrongful termination.

[Pavulon]

24. Little companies can be

pain in the ass. Big companies do not have c level folks firing people. HR people do the shit work in most companies. If you get fired keep a poker face. Two things matter references and severance, so keep those in mind. If neither are on the table the job was probably not worth it.

I would bounce anyway if you don't get fired.

[ovidsen]

25. Take 2 Tylenol PM, get some sleep and roll with it

In my work experience, bosses don't push you onto the next plane just to yank your job from you. I'ts SO much easier (and cheaper) to do it by phone or let some suit underling get his/her hands dirty.

I'm guessing your boss has a big project lined up for you. You probably won't get a raise or a promotion... yet... but this sudden trip could lead to bigger and better things,

I could be wrong, but my gut says otherwise. In any case good luck!

[tridim]

30. Yea, what this trip would lead to is more thankless 80 hour work weeks

Huge projects on top of other huge projects. Always due in 2 weeks. It never ends. I can't do it any more, it's killing me. My contract says the standard stuff like "this job requires occasional overtime". 80 hours every week for the foreseeable future is not occasional, it's criminal.

[liberal N proud]

26. Sounds like a real nice guy... NOT!

These managers who run their office or company like they are a supreme ruler just get my blood boiling.
You can accomplish much more by caring for your employees and yours and the companies reputation is rewarded when you do.

I hope everything works out and you stay employed. I would be looking for a new job. My wife works for such a manager and the BS she has put up with recently finally has her looking. She has had a couple of interviews so we can hope there is some change in the air.

Life is too short to stay in an abusive situation.

[JerseygirlCT]

27. What an ass! Sorry for your situation, but hell... life's too short to

spend time working for someone like that.

There's got to be somewhere with actual human beings out there for whom you could work! I hope so!

[tridim]

32. Well, I've never had a big-boss that I didn't like and/or respect

I even liked my BushBot boss from about 6 years ago!

This is the first one that is just a straight up asshole.

[flvegan]

28. So, you burned it all to a disc, right?

I mean, everything, right?

[wtmusic]

29. Good luck tridim

that sucks. But you'll either come to an understanding or you'll out, and both are better than where you're at.

[parasim]

31. i doubt you're getting fired tomorrow...

Of course, I could be wrong, but I doubt he would spend the money to fly you out to his office just so he can fire you. However, if he is that nutty then he certainly is not the type of idiot that you want to work for in the first place.

I used to work in a design consultancy and once a client made me climb up on a conferance table and sit down in the middle of it (there's like 12 people sitting around this table) just so he could illustrate some dumbass point he was trying to make. Pretty humiliating, but I was a young designer and didn't know any better. However, that little exercise taught me that unless I stand up for myself, I was going to be doing shit like that for my entire career. I now own my own design firm and would never let a client humiliate me or anybody working for me like that.

Although I still have some clients that don't acknowledge working 80-100 hour weeks (like I just did in the last few weeks) but I can always decide not to take any more work from those types of clients.

I watched an interesting movie last night with Sean Penn, where he said something like, slavery isn't gone, they just don't call us slaves, they call us employees. That was poorly paraphrased, but you get the idea. and it's true. many bosses, CEOs, clients, like the power they have because they pay you, but seriously, there is no reason why you should put up with that crap.

I say, don't let them get the best of you. Start looking for another job immediately.

[tridim]

36. I'm not flying out.. That's why I think he's going to fire me tomorrow.

This whole thing started with the rude "You ARE flying here tomorrow" email.

[parasim]

41. Ahhh.. I see...

So, then it is even more in your best interest to look into something else. If this jerk is going to play games like that, it'll only get worse. I feel for you. Nothing worse than being taken advantage of by an SOB like this guy. i wish the best... : )

[toddaa]

33. Why would he fly you cross country just to fire you?

That doesn't make any sense. I'd say it's probably worse than being fired. You're about to be placed on a death march project at the end of which, you'll be fired. Ugh. You'd probably be better off being fired. Whatever happens, it sounds like your boss is a real piece of work.

[Indy Lurker]

34. At will employment

I believe Colorado is an Employment-at-Will state.

Unfortunately, unless you have a written contract, such as a union collective bargaining agreement, you may be fired at any time for any reason or no reason.

Most private-sector workers in the U.S. are employed "at will" by their employers. This means that either the employer or the worker can end the employment at any time, for any reason that is not illegal.

It is illegal to be fired because of your race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age and disability. Laws also prohibit retaliation against an individual who has complained of discrimination based upon these classes.

You may be fired for:
The car you drive
The music you listen to
being a Chicago Bears fan
Giving your boss a piece of your mind

I'm not a labor lawyer, but from what I know of the law, I don't think you have much legal standing.



If you just worked an 80 hour week, it sounds like he needs you.

I obviously don't know what he's thinking, but most people wouldn't spend good money to fly you somewhere just to fire you.

Good Luck.

[southerncrone]

35. He's either ignorant of your value to the company, or he's very aware

of your value, but isn't confident of his own skill at running the place, so he acts like he's all powerful. Typical compensation behavior. This kind usually puts their tail between their legs & says "Yes, Mame". When someone actually stands their ground against their bullshiiiiit. Sometimes it's their way of seeing who actually is a strong individual.

See what happens, but either way, either ask for a raise while your up there, or up date the resume & start lookin'.

"Life is too short, & valuable, to work for assssholes."

Since Repubs have decimated our economy, these jackassses, think they own their "worker bees". Just more fall out of Repukes! It's happening all over.

Good luck, whatever happens.

[Poiuyt]

38. This reminds me very much like an old movie called "The Ghost Ship"

There were no ghosts and it wasn't a horror story. But the captain was always trying to teach the new first mate about "authority." The captain felt that since he had authority over his crew and was responsible for them, they were his to do with as he pleased, including murder.

[prolesunited]

40. I lost my job two years ago

and it was one of the best things that happened to me.

I worked in a highly politicized environment and had insane demands placed on me and forced to carry the weight for many worthless employees. I knew the budget axe was going to fall and it was a matter of when, not if. It was extremely stressful, but I just procrastinated on getting out.

I have a new job now and although I don't make as much money as I'm no longer at a managerial level, I am MUCH, MUCH happier. I wouldn't trade more money for that stress level again.

Sometimes getting fired is the best thing that can happen.

[Xipe Totec]

43. Amen to that!

:thumbsup:

[mountainvue]

42. My god. It sounds like you're working for Anna

Wintour. This asshole is definitely not someone you should be working for. First of all, he's a bully and second of all, I think I'd call his bluff.
Obviously, you can see why I'm self employed.