Originally Posted by paolosmythe

An interesting situation, which others might draw some parallels between how things are done in Canada and in the UK....

I got a job at the start of the year. I got the sack at the start of yesterday.

Disappointed i might be, but bitter i am not. And so this is not a diatribe against ex-bosses, companies and the like.

However, whilst i realise i am still within the (seemingly global) standard of 3 month's probation where employers can basically do whatever they like, i do feel a slight element of injustice in my dismissal.

Without going into any specifics, my role was a new one to the company. They seemed to want to exploit my 10 years experience from the Euro-zone. As such, they offered me no Job Spec, no Job description, no guidance of any kind. They showed me how they did things and expected me to fit in and start to tweak it.

I worked hard, cleared my in tray every day, arrived early and usually left late. No feedback was offered, although the occasional exclamation of dissatisfaction arose. But surely such were mere teething pains no? Certainly nothing sustained. My efforts to tweak were often denied, so i tried smaller more 'covert' steps in development....

And so the first and second meetings i had with any official quality to them, was my hiring and then my firing. Nowt in between. The Canada Gov doc that came with my severance cheque stated dismissal due to 'unsatisfactory performance'. Considering the above to be true, is this reasonable?

I guess this post is just an effort to gain sympathy from a bunch of online strangers. My boss was a wally, but i was determined to be 'professional' and not dwell on such personal animosity. I guess he thought the same about me, but had the authority to not have to tolerate me and my strange accent?

Any hoot, live and learn. Anyone hiring?

Originally Posted by dormy

Same happened to me, 3 days after a fantastic 6 month appraisal in which I was thanked & given a small pay rise, as well as beating all of my bonus targets. HR asked to see me, I thought to sign my PCN, instead they dismissed me "without cause".

Turned out later that another member of the team was going to be laid off but they gave him my job instead along with a much larger salary, he only lasted 1.5 months before they fired him for poor performance. They then approached me to see if I would go back!

Originally Posted by dormy

They then approached me to see if I would go back!

Originally Posted by J0n35y

And I'm assuming that the hiring process is fairly quick also? It's a little daunting reading peoples experiences with this at times!

Originally Posted by iaink

God no, it can drag out for months, especially over Xmas or the summer cottage season.

Originally Posted by J0n35y

And I hope you told them to shove it!

I take it there is simply a hiring and firing mentality in North America in general? And I'm assuming that the hiring process is fairly quick also? It's a little daunting reading peoples experiences with this at times!

Originally Posted by J0n35y

I suppose with careful planning and some effective networking (which I hate ) things could be minimised a little.

Originally Posted by R I C H

You can't minimise internal process. I regularly see the hiring process where I work take 3-4 months, and 6 months isn't unusual. I waited 8 weeks between submission of application to invitation to interview (which was 2 weeks further on). Two more weeks of waiting before contact for the next stage, then a week of negotiation for a start date.

Originally Posted by Alan2005

Except when firing people it would appear from some of the tales on this thread.

Originally Posted by R I C H

I agree, except for in the public service, apparently. Staff here get shuffled sideways and just become another department's problem from what I've seen. 'Special assignments' seems to be the code for 'we don't know what to do with you, and can't upset the union by firing you, so we'll make stuff up until you retire.'

Originally Posted by R I C H

I agree, except for in the public service, apparently. Staff here get shuffled sideways and just become another department's problem from what I've seen. 'Special assignments' seems to be the code for 'we don't know what to do with you, and can't upset the union by firing you, so we'll make stuff up until you retire.'

Originally Posted by dormy

Same happened to me, 3 days after a fantastic 6 month appraisal in which I was thanked & given a small pay rise, as well as beating all of my bonus targets. HR asked to see me, I thought to sign my PCN, instead they dismissed me "without cause".

Turned out later that another member of the team was going to be laid off but they gave him my job instead along with a much larger salary, he only lasted 1.5 months before they fired him for poor performance. They then approached me to see if I would go back!

Originally Posted by wheatsheaf

I have exemplary service of 21 years the last 6 of which I carried (with colleagues of similar years of service) a massive load created by massive internal company changes. It resulted in several of us falling ill due to hypertension, stress etc.. Anyway, I took Dr prescribed sick leave but my employer decided that I had abandoned my job (2 weeks into treatment) and terminated me. The shocker was that the Ontario Labour Board sided with the company despite doctor's evidence that I would almost definitely have suffered a stroke had I not taken the time to get well and into treatment!!!o me, there's something amiss in a system such as it exists where justice is delivered only at the behest of money. MPPs dont want to know...too much above their intellect, lawyers want tens of thousands up front to fight in court, and the wonderful civil rights advocacy groups are overwhelmed right now with similar cases all over Ontario. Companies today, with govt subtlety are dumping employees onto the taxpayer in order to avoid long service employee pension contributions, health plans etc.