Just got fired.

I know I haven't been on here much lately, but there a lot of other guys on here with good advice and experience to share, and I could really use some right now.


On Saturday, I was fired after 6 and a half years at the same company. I made a clerical error that cost my employer several hundred dollars (talking about a casino with close to a billion dollars per year in net profit). However, they count it as total potential liability, which was more like several thousand. The error was literally typing the wrong number in a box. Until about a month ago, I had never made a single error of the kind, or anything like it, but I did make an almost identical error about a month ago. In short, it was my fault, and my employer (past employer now) was not willing to offset the damage with the years of service or value as an employee.

On one hand, I know I made an error that I shouldn't have, and I know that they felt they were doing what they needed to do. At the same time, I feel betrayed because I've seen other employees make mistakes in the same areas with FAR larger actual costs. In some cases, actual costs that exceeded the perceived liability of my errors even though the employees were never terminated.

As for advice, I'll take anything you can throw at me. I'm 31, and I've been married for less than 5 months. Now I'm completely unemployed for the first time since I started working. The only other time I have ever been fired (about 9 years ago) I was working 3 jobs, and was fired for pushing too hard for a raise with one of them in the hopes of being able to cut back to 2 jobs. So, at that point it wasn't such a big deal to lose a job, and I ended up getting a raise without asking for it from one of the others.

The only favor my employer was able to do for me, was to give me 30 days of administrative leave so that anyone who calls them to verify my employment will be told that I'm a current employee, at least until 30 days runs out. Of course, that's still of limited value because company policy prohibits all employees, from dishwashers up to the board of directors, from providing professional references or letters of recommendation.

I don't know what to say besides I'm sorry to hear of your losing the job. I don't know what the economy is like in your neck of the woods or in your field of expertise but I hope you get another job, and a better one, sooner than later. :gl:

Sucks doesn't it. The initial shock is the tough, fear of the unknown even tougher, and the toughest is putting that first foot forward towards "bigger & better". In today's world & on average, a employee is simply disposable. Don't let something like this get to you, heck, I was fired from a job with almost 10 years there for being a "matter of a fact" type of guy instead of a sugar coater. I made a major career change: From a Regional Manager over USDA's 523 Housing program in the Central 11 States to working for the railroad as a Locomotive Engineer, but I started as a Brakeman. Give yourself a self evaluation and ask yourself where you see yourself in the future, do you like the field you are in and so on. Check out the other casino's, mortgage companies & banks to start with the accounting type field. With all of the Native American casino's popping up, you surely can find another if you are willing to pull up roots. For me it was difficult to find something local and took me about 5 months to find "local" employment, I ended up doing some "shutdown" type work as a safety man as my savings was getting thin before I became a railroader. I was engaged myself & it actually pulled us closer together. For me, it would have been MUCH easier to find something else if I didn't try to stay local...but my wife's "roots" are deep here with the grand-kids.

I don't have any real advice to give you. I can't really comment on US employment challenges :)

Honestly, it does sound as if they were looking for a way to fire you. If they wanted to keep you on board, there was a multitude of sanctions that they could have decided on if they did not want to let it slide. And honestly, a couple hundred or even a couple thousand dollar is peanuts for any company of that size. Not saying it is ok to waste money, but to err is human, and as everyone is human, there will always be smaller write offs due to human error.

Best of luck to you.

Been there, done that. Now looking back, I'm glad that it happened to me because the new doors never would have opened had I remained where I was. Best advice I can give you is the same as was given to me. You now are in your new job: it is looking for a worthy employer, one that will be happy and proud to make you a member of its team. There is no shortage of bad employers, there is a shortage of good employees. Head up, chin up, shake the past from your feet.:tu

Sorry to hear about it.
This is from my cell, on the road, so sorry about errors.
I can only advise how I would approach the situation.
Start with taking a deep breath and say to yourself that you are young and determined and will overcome this.
When you are ready to roll, sit with the wife and start implementing a plan of attack:
Stop spending now on everything, except vitals, food, hygiene, electricity gas.
List and contact creditors and anyone expecting payment; rent, car, credit cards, insurance---they don't like to be surprised on the day of payment due. Let them know that this just happened and your intent to better the situation. DOCUMENT ALL CONTACTS AND DETAILS OF DISCUSSION. Many have extensions and plans for this situation.
List all monetary assets available to you and possible methods to liquidate.
List all family & friends that might assist.
Know to the dollar what you need to survive and begin scouting temporary jobs that will cover this.
Find a person who is good with resumes and get started ; get them out.
Forget what could have happened, should have happened; put the anger to good use in the form of energy dedicated to better the situation .
Realize that you are not the only one, you are not alone, you are the LEADER of your family, so lead.
I hope some of this may help you.

I'd go with what Hirlau.

He looks like he's just a young kid, but he knows what he's doing.

Follow his advice. This is an opportunity for you. Grab it and go!

Hello VeeDubb65,

You are doing a good thing reaching out to friends. Hirlau has given you good, practical, and sound advice.

My employer is the same way about providing references, etc.; I'm forbidden from doing that. I'm not sure if that's an ethical request on their part; there's nothing in the handbook about it

I would consider joining LinkedIn and connecting with professional contacts who might be able to give you leads. If you have any personal friends who work at your old place of employment, they might be willing to give you a good professional reference despite your company's policy. I'm not a lawyer, but I see these kinds of policies failing court tests one day.

This is a slam to your self esteem because you, like most professionals, probably define yourself by what you do at work. If so, you will need to get beyond this idea and realize you are more than just a lost job title. You are a new husband and I'm sure your wife adores you. Use that to your advantage to redefine who you really are. Then you will realize that when you go in for that interview, not only are they interviewing you, but you are interviewing them.

This is a new beginning for you and may end up being something you wished had happened long ago. Good luck, sir.

-Mark

Well, Hirlau pretty much nailed it so all I can say is: it sucks allright, but it ain't that bad. The fact that you have your wife beside you makes a lot of difference. Listen to Peter Gabriel's "Don't give up" and carry on :) You'll do allright.

Good luck,
Adrian

I've been in those shoes myself, just a few years ago. I was laid off tho..

I tried all the networking stuff, etc. job fairs, all the standards. I managed to luck into a job by having dinner with old friends. Something will turn up!! That's all I'm trying to say.

Get out there and get your face seen in the right places, get your resume up to date, and don't be afraid to take a job not in your chosen field until you can get to where you want to be.

Good luck my friend, things may seem tough right now, but it's always darkest before the dawn, as they say, and things will get better!!

M

well im not sure how close you are to the mid atlantic area of the us but here in pa and the srounding states the gass boom is allowing everone able to do some phisical labor to have a great paying job, if thats not an option than i reccommend (if you willign to change career paths and leanr new things) trucking or heavy machinery both are always looking for people willing to learn and both pay enought to make ends meet if your willing to work

best of luck to you and if there is anything we can do please let us know, as you know at srp we are family

I don't' have any advice for you but I do feel for you. Will be praying for another job opportunity to come along for you.

Ray

It's becoming more common these days for outfits to refuse to write any recommendation letters they will only verify employment and position and maybe salary because of liability issues.

I was never in your position having worked for the Fed Govt my entire career and being retired now employment is a non issue with me but I can understand what you are going through.

I hope you can find a job you want soon.

Among others, I liked the book "what color is your parachute" (I read the 2011 edition).

In your case, I think the three main pieces of advice that you'll take from this book are:
- really assess what you want to do, what you can do, and in how/what circumstances (which is gonna make you look much more assertive and resourceful to an employer)
- how to look for jobs based on your former one (basically think of all the customers, service providers, contractors..... that your former job/employer interacted with ; go and see if they'd need someone)
- focus on people, people, people ! (resume and cover letters are necessary, but ideally they are just something you give them once you have the job for the sake of making the HR department happy)

I'm sure there are tons of other books also good.

I'm sure you don't necessarily need a book to do that.

But I found it reassuring to get some help from a book that has been around that long.


cheers and good luck
christophe

Wow. Thank you all. Truly.

It's been a tough couple of days, and I have been doing a lot of what you guys suggest, but the support very welcome.

What's really funny, especially for those of you who are or have been married, was that the two most supportive people I've encountered so far have been my in-laws. My wife has been great, but she can't help having her freaked out moments. But the in-laws...

My mother in law's comment was "Thank God. I always thought he could do better than that place, but I never thought he'd leave on his own."

My father in law's comment was, "Cool. Free Christmas vacation."

You have been given some great advise here particularly by Hirlau. You have to look at this as a new opportunity to find something better.

I have been fired from several very good jobs and the worst part is the mental aspect of getting canned. Take a job that you can live with if you have to. If you are working then you are in a position of power as opposed to not working and taking any offer that comes along.

There is a place for you and really your job is to find another job right now. There is one for you I assure you.

Keep your chin up and move forward.

Will N.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

The only favor my employer was able to do for me, was to give me 30 days of administrative leave so that anyone who calls them to verify my employment will be told that I'm a current employee, at least until 30 days runs out. Of course, that's still of limited value because company policy prohibits all employees, from dishwashers up to the board of directors, from providing professional references or letters of recommendation.

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I am sorry to hear that you are in this position. I have read and reread this statement and can't understand why this a favor. You will lie to your future employer and we will back you up for 30 days is the way that I read it. Most jobs worth getting take at least 30 days to get the paper work through HR. They are delaying your ability to fight back, apply for unemployment etc.

Get a job backed by a Union! You will have many Brothers and Sisters to back you up!

Tim
International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 70

My wife and I will have you in our prayers!

Howard

I had a similar experience just on a year ago. I just started working for myself doing leather work. It ain't much, but it's better than nothing. And it works better with my situation as I have three young kids that we were juggling our jobs around, so that one of us was always home with them. Now we don't have to worry about that as I do my leather working from home.
What I'm saying is, can you start from scratch and work for yourself? It's just a thought.


Mick

I agree with Bruno that the mistake you made was just the pretext to fire you. Properly run casinos are smart enough to know that the total cost of replacing a qualified employee is fairly significant well above few hundred or few thousand dollars. Their calculation to fire you did not involve the error you made.

You'll figure out something, 31 is a good age to find a new job.