I just got fired.

[undeterred]

I was a contractor. There was another employee I had a problem with. The agency I worked for does not want us to discuss anything with their customer, or they hit the roof. But if you discuss it with them, they do nothing. A manager from the customer called me in his office and asked me about it (and it involved someone physically threatening me) so I told him about it. He told other people- I think he meant well- and it got back to the contract agency.

They were in trouble for never investigating the threat, so they pretended to do an investigation, two months after the fact. They told me it was groundless, and fired me- for talking to the customer about it. They said I had been repeatedly been warned not to. Actually, I'd never been warned, but I did talk to the customer. All of my co-workers have done it at one time or another, but they haven't been fired.

And I need to find something right away because I won't get unemployment compensation. I am morose.

[flvegan]

1. That sucks. I'm sorry to hear that.

Anything lined up? Potential?

[undeterred]

2. It hasn't been an hour yet.

[Beer Snob-50]

3. sorry to hear this

do they ahve anything in writing about warning you? maybe the customer would consider hiring you?

just a thought.

[Tyler Durden]

4. What do you do?

Maybe someone can help. And don't post a resume! Just a few phrases would suffice!

[undeterred]

11. computer support

there are jobs and I have been looking anyway...this was nice and close but didn't pay well. They used a lot of contract agencies so I couldn't talk to any of them as long as I was in there and now I can.

[Tyler Durden]

13. Next question: WHERE are you?

[undeterred]

17. Madison WI

Jobs, but competitive

[Tyler Durden]

25. I can ask local questions...

Be advised: this is between Lansing and Flint Michigan.

let me know if you would like me to; pm.

[krispos42]

5. That was a hell of a 13,000th post

Sorry, that sucks big-time. :-(

[Wcross]

6. I hope this is the begining to a much better job for you!

Think of this as an opportunity to a better situation.

[undeterred]

15. thank you

[malta blue]

7. I am sorry.

:hug:

[unpossibles]

8. are you sure you won't get unemployment?

I have contracted before, and the last time that I used an agency I was able to get it.

[undeterred]

12. no I have to pay back unemployment because of a previous

situation- long story.. I'll be eligible

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. Happens to the best of us

It stinks, but things work out for a reason. Been there, done that.

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. Why wouldn't you get unemployment comp?

The contract agency has been paying your unemployment insurance. Go ahead and file, and let the unemployment people know all the details. You have to be fired WITH CAUSE in order for unemployment to be denied. Hopefully you'll find a new, better, PERMANENT job before you need the UC, but in the meantime, you might as well file.

[undeterred]

14. I owe back UE comp

I collected it and then my previous employer challenged it and won. So I will file and be eligible and it will reduce what I owe but I won't collect.

[Critters2]

22. File anyway.

Reducing what you owe is still an improvement.


Sorry this happened to you.

[soleft]

16. Maybe you could talk to labor atty about wrongful termination?

Whatever course of action you take, as long as you take action to fight, or find another job, just keep your headup. My girlfriend was fired, but now is in a great position, so it while it was tough going there, things turned out okay. Things will get better.

[Connonym]

18. :hugs:

I'm sorry. What a bunch of assholes. It's really shocking the lack of seriousness that companies give to threats by other employees. Hope something wonderful comes along very soon for you. It's been a rough year for you, you deserve a break.

[Capn Sunshine]

19. Craigslist

Best way to dive into the new job search. Madison has one.

Plus you can post a rant about the company that fucked you over!

[ThomCat]

20. I am very sorry.

:(

I hope you find some good options. I hope you get some good leads and have a better job quickly.

[applegrove]

21. Sorry. That is a tough one.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

23. You got fired because you talked about another employee who was threatening you?

You talked about that other employee when a manager from a customer CALLED YOU and asked you about it?

Who the hell is the "manager from the customer" and how does that lead to you being fired?

I thought I'd been in some weird situations but yours is really weird.

[undeterred]

26. I know this sounds confusing

Customer = really huge company
They outsource IT department to contractor
Contractor subcontracts IT positions to Agency

I work for Agency. Therefore my real boss is the Agency and they are the only ones with the power to hire and fire. This consists of a blond recruiter 60 miles away who knows nothing about my job except how much money she makes off it and her asshole supervisor. These are the only people I am supposed to talk to or complain to.

Agency reports to Contractor (IBM) which has one manager onsite, who is a supervisor but she is powerless. Other decision making managers and supervisors are in other states or in other countries. They make decisions about our jobs although they have never met us, never been onsite, etc. But I am not supposed to talk to these people about any work problems or the lack of benefits, low pay, too heavy workload, need for overtime, etc. These are the people who can do something about it, but we aren't supposed to talk to them.

Contractor reports to big Company, and big company managers are onsite, sitting right there with the team, involved in our work, and actually talk to us and know what is going on. They are in charge of delivering service to the organization. So, they want us to talk to them about work problems. But we are not allowed by our company to talk to them. Last week I talked in veiled terms to one of these managers about a work problem- which involved another employee threatening me. I had reported it to my agency 2 months earlier and they did nothing about it. Company manager talked to his HR, and my agency was notified- they had a mock investigation which resulted in my being fired for talking to a company manager when I had been told not to.

[fujiyama]

24. Contracting can be good and bad - I know some some doing really well

and others like myself that are (were) getting screwed.

I'm sorry about you getting fired. It really sucks.

I just gave my two weeks having been a contractor for over a year. It was good experience as I was coming just out of college, but man they let three people go in a span of two months, all for little or no reason. It was the kind of stress I really didn't need.

It's ironic and frustrating that the morning after I give the two weeks, my agency rep calls me and tells me the company might counter offer and give a raise. Gee, I asked for a raise several times and had it denied. I was stuck in a shitty situation where the contract agency took 30% of the bill rate. I'd be surprised if they can match or beat the offer I got. I would have been interested in working there full time but that didn't work out.

Oh well, I hope you too will find better things ahead of you soon.

[fudge stripe cookays]

27. You just had some major job drama a couple months ago...

Sounds like you need to get a job where you work by yourself. Why was this employee threatening you? You were obviously doing SOMETHING to provoke this reaction. People don't just threaten co-workers for no reason.

I'm a consultant too, and if my company found out I was complaining about them behind their backs to the customer, they would NOT be happy.

You follow the chain of command up the line at the main employer, and if you can't get satisfaction then, make an official complaint. Don't go to the customer trying to make the main employer look bad. That was not very good judgement, sorry.

[undeterred]

29. People who have substance abuse problems

with lots of irrational anger sometimes do threaten other people for no reason. I pmed you.

I did report it to the appropriate person and she dismissed it. Her supervisor did a mock investigation, dismissed it, and fired me.

I didn't "go to the customer"- the customer is onsite with me 40 hours a week, and he came to me. The problem here is that the customer is actively trying to have sit-down closed door discussions with all of the contractors. Although he is the customer, he is also our manager and its a delicate situation. Two other people have gotten in trouble for talking to him. In one case the customer initiated it, in the other the contractor did. But in neither case was anyone fired for it. Things are not so black and white as you make them sound.

[raccoon]

30. Sorry to hear this happened. Have you talked to a lawyer about it?

Just to see what s/he says about it. Sometimes they will do an initial visit at low or no charge.


That bites that you can't get unemployement, either. Boy, they sure have made it harder to get in recent years.

[regnaD kciN]

31. It's always nice to see how some people around here...

...make a hobby out of rushing to judgment -- especially when finding a way to blame the victim may help them feel more secure that nothing like that could ever happen to them. :eyes:

[undeterred]

32. Yeah, no one believes it until it does

and a lot of people don't bother reading the whole post to get all the information.

When the person you actually report to has never actually been to your workplace and has no idea what your job is from day to day - as is the case between a contractor and a recruiter - reporting a serious problem does not work the same way it does in a regular company. They either dismiss it or fire someone because they do not have the skills to handle it.

[fudge stripe cookays]

34. Well,

this person might still have unemployment benefits if they hadn't just ASSUMED they were fired at their last job. Which was poor judgement, sorry.

Read some of her older posts on the last job before you go condemning someone who recognizes that we are not getting the whole story here.

[taterguy]

28. Move to Ninotchkia and apply for a job there

I hear their economy is booming.

[bigwillq]

33. That sucks.

I am sorry. :hug: