fired abruptly, pissed off

I have a full-time job that does a mostly-decent job of paying the bills. Until this afternoon, I was also picking up occasional shifts at the restaurant where I worked before I got said full-time job. I really liked that restaurant, I liked the people there, and, while waitressing isn't exactly my idea of a great time, I do get something out of helping people have a good time while out to eat as long as they seem like nice folks (heh... gotta think about the implications of enjoying "serving" :D).

Today, I came in and found that my name wasn't on the schedule. Ok, I thought. I must have been confused about which shifts I had signed up for. One of the girls who was there was working a double and was more than happy to give me her shift (I was there anyway, so I figured I might as well work). Then, just as the customers were starting to stack up, the manager arrives and tells me that I'm not needed.

What? The fuck? We went to the back to talk and she explained that she'd called me last week and left a voice message saying that there had been a mistake with the money and I needed to come in and drop off $16. She wasn't saying the mistake was my fault, mind, it was the fault of whoever was counting up the money that day (we share tips). The problem was that she asked me to come in and I didn't show or call back. I never got the message, I have no idea why not. But what the fuck ever, it was $16, right?

She also said that there had been some complaints about me, that people were saying they "didn't want to work with me." I was totally dumbfounded by this because I didn't think I had a problem with any of my co-workers.

She didn't even have the balls to talk to me in a straightforward way:
"So, you don't need to pick up shifts any more."
"So, I'm fired?"
"Um, yeah." <-- mumbled

I asked her if she could tell me WHAT sorts of problems people had had and she couldn't. Looking back I think she may have been lying about that, and I'm not as inclined to care anyway, but at the time it hit me kinda hard. One of the things I hate most is the idea of people having a problem with me and not saying anything, letting me think everything is cool, so that REALLY struck a nerve.

The three other chicks working the front of the house that shift happened to be people I get along with especially well and they all seemed really embarrassed and distressed about the situation. I hugged them a bunch, got my things and left, went to a friend's house and cooked sausages over a fire and felt a lot better.

Have you ever been in a situation like this? Been fired in a really abrupt/awkward way, for weird/random reasons?

I know the feeling. Just 4 weeks ago i was fired from my job for an air compressor belt breaking. This happened quite regularly considering the compressors are like 10 years old and they refused to buy new belts until the current ones broke. I wasnt even near the damned thing when it happened . Mechanical failures happen and there was really no one to blame. But i got blamed for it and got fired. I had worked 16 hour days for these people for almost 4 years. It was a fairly small company and the owners had become second family to me. The best part was they had another office bitch fire me while they waited down the street so they didnt have to be there when they fired me.

when i had just started working at a new place a while back, about 3 weeks in i got given a written warning for a whole list of things that i had been doing wrong... that a) had never been taught to me in the first place, and b) noone had thought to correct me on when they happened. 3 written warnings and i lose my job, so i was pretty pissed off about that. then later the manager told me that a couple of people had complained about me doing something or other, and that i needed to fix that up. which i had no problem with, if im doing something wrong i want to know so i can fix it... but wtf? theyre supposed to tell me, then if i dont pull ym shit together complain to the manager, not just go straight to the boss. and from how well i know my fellow employees, i know exactly who it was that complained, and i also know that the last time i mentioned something she had done wrong to her, she got narky for the next two days and didnt talk to me for about a week.

ive not been fired before, mainly because i tend to get on with my managers, thats not to say im one of those arseholes that kisses ass or anything, i just talked to em like id talk to anyone else, had a laugh etc it helps that im just a likable guy ;)

mind you my current job its a little harder to get on with them as they all tend to be two faced and ready to pass the buck at the first opportunity.

I've never been fired but one time a few years back, my manager's Manager made a comment to an open office that she wanted to introduce a dress code/uniforms because of the way I was dressed. Just because I came into work in a leather biker jacket, large boots, skin-tight jeans and t-shirts.

This same manager then asked for volunteers to visit a remote storage facility "for a look around". After this "look around", the person in charge of the facility asked us when we would like to start working there. We were surprised to say the least. One lad cam straight out and said he'd worked in similar places before, and didn't want to again. This is the place where I work now, though the office for the facility has moved to the main site now. I like the job, as it is well within my capability. My problem is mostly with one of the staff that in the past 8 years that I have been there, he has caused at least 6 people to either leave work or to be transferred. One lad, who is Diabetic, (and may or may not have been gay, we didn't pry) was forced to leave when this bloke implied that him taking blood samples was a health risk, as he might hav AIDS.

This drunken idiot has dodged the bullet so many times, he could be a ninja.

well, I've told my firing story here many times.

but I'll just say I can't understand why people narc to the boss. that's really shitty. whenever I had a problem with someone I'd work it out with them. Of course they tell you not to do that, because they want authority to control everything and don't want you to be able to do anything yourself. the only time I would is usually when I wanted to complain about another manager, in which case you have to go over their head to get anything done, but I'd still say it to their face. Only once did I ever complain about a fellow worker, and that was when I had already had it out with him, and management blamed me for something that he fucked up on and in that case they came to me and I told them I was pissed.

whenever there is any disciplinary action I think they (management) always tell you that it was someone else that complained about you, just because they never want to look like they are the bad guy. I really hate the way everyone pussyfoots around everything in the office, they just need to come out and say it.

oh, also I think they never want to say the word "fired" because it's an insidious way of giving them deniablity if you try to collect Unemployment. Because you can't if you "voluntarily" quit a job. "No, we didn't fire him. he just decided not to come into work anymore."

Glork -- Damn! That is turbo shitty. :(

Morning Glory -- I agree, the pussyfooting and the politics are the worst. Good point about the avoidance of the word "fired", it just reinforces how callous people become in management positions at some places.

Thanks for sharing your stories, guys. Now that I'm over the shock, I've safely transitioned through the "fuck them!" phase and have landed in the "meh, whatever" phase. I just feel very lucky that I'm in a position where losing this job doesn't totally screw me over.

How totally sucky to not give you a reason and to make you come in like that.

Back in the mists of time, I had a really dreadful job at Woolworth's during a summer I lived at university while school was not in session. One day, one of my friends who was also in town for the summer stopped by and said hello for a couple minutes. There was literally no one in the store at the time and multiple people on and I was just supposed to be standing at the register then anyway. When the manager came back from a wedding she's been attending, she told me that I could not have my boyfriend visit me at work (like Woolworth's is a strip club? Will the customers tip less if they see my boyfriend?) and I was confused at first because the friend they were pissy about was not my boyfriend and never had been. The manager acted scandalized when she realized I would be friends with someone who personally owned a penis. So she tells me I just can't do that sort of thing if this job is important to me. "Is this job important to you?" she asked. I knew she just wanted to get to feel dominant by getting me to say it was important to me, but it paid $3.35 an hour and involved wearing a dumb apron and I was working another job at a science lab which paid more and I just couldn't say it for her. I finally stammered, "uh, no, not really." No more schedule for me.

I think there are just some jobs where they get really mad if the job is not sufficiently important to you, even if you do a great job. Your manager might just be pissy that you have a better job most of the time which takes care of you and just were doing the waitressing one to pick up fun money. Just a thought. Sympathy anyway. Sucks to be treated like that.

I always called in dead (ie I ain't ever going back) I've been lucky to meet some wonderful people who let me work for things I believe in. They accept my strengths and weaknesses. Eventually, you will find your niche as well.

OEC

Like I always say...people are stupid, i hate people, they should be rounded up, shot and thrown into a muddy hole. :) sorry 'bout those assholes luv....shake it off - it happens to many wonderful people.

Luckily for me, I haven't been fired. *knock on wood* I have however had issues with co-workers. As recent as last week actually.

The co-worker went to the HR at my work and made a huge deal about absolutely nothing, trying to get me into trouble, however it didn't work. She's just miserable in her life so she has to stir up trouble any way she can.

The thing is, I never talk to her or work with her for that matter, I think shes mad cause I'm good friends with our boss. And the boss isn't meeting all of this persons ridiculous demands. Grrr.

Amelia -- Good for you for not rolling over and showing your tummy back in the day. It's funny, Inox said the same thing about jealousy. Maybe you guys have a point. :)

I think the source of the problem, for all of us who've posted stories here, is other people. The majority of other people suck, and that's just the way it goes. Thank evilness for the rest of us. :D