So you pretty much did the work equal to sucide by cop.
Too wussy to quit your job, you started under performing and breaking rules until they got rid of you.
I wasn't too wussy to quit. It's just that it would have been very irresponsible to quit before I get a new job. I quit my other job no problem, but that was after I got hired by the one I just lost. I had some offers, but none of them were significantly better than the job I had. Thus, I didn't quit to make a lateral move. I would have only quit to make a move upwards. They got rid of me before I could find something new.
I got no severance package. They paid me for the time I worked, and that was it. I never recieved a raise in the two years I worked there. In fact, I had less pay when we got acquired because they lowered the 401k matching.
Isn't it mandatory? Here you get a severance package if you get laid off or fired for anything except incompetence or misconduct (you must prove it in court) if you have worked at the company for more than one year.
Self employment is a step up from any job as far I am concerned. It may pay less at first, but there is more opportunity and no one giving you limitations on what you can do. Good luck Scott.
Generally, a person will be eligible for unemployment unless they were fired for misconduct.
Does showing up late and leaving early count as misconduct?
If they told you that's why they were firing you, then that would probably be considered misconduct.
Applying for unemployment is easy. It doesn't take very long, and it can be done online or over the telephone. Do it today. The sooner you apply, the sooner you can start receiving benefits. As I said earlier, if you don't apply, you're throwing money away.
Does showing up late and leaving early count as misconduct?
It does where I work, and they consider you "late" if you clock in to the phone system one minute later than your scheduled starting time. I've been verbally warned for that in the past. I've also told them if they'd make sure the phone system's clock stayed in sync with the real world instead of being off by anywhere from one to three minutes in either direction then I wouldn't have that problem, but they aren't buying it.
Anyway, bummer on the job loss, but good luck with the attempt at self-employment during the search for a new nine-to-five.
It does where I work, and they consider you "late" if you clock in to the phone system one minute later than your scheduled starting time. I've been verbally warned for that in the past. I've also told them if they'd make sure the phone system's clock stayed in sync with the real world instead of being off by anywhere from one to three minutes in either direction then I wouldn't have that problem, but they aren't buying it.
Unless your at a job where if you are not there the first minute someone dies, that's just an asshole thing to have. If you work at a job that doesn't give you a 15 minute window or a floating window to come in, find something new. (at my job I can come in anywhere from 7 am till 9:15 and not have a problem, but they don't even notice if your later, as long as you work your 8 hours...and even then...)
Unless your at a job where if you are not there the first minute someone dies, that's just an asshole thing to have. If you work at a job that doesn't give you a 15 minute window or a floating window to come in, find something new. (at my job I can come in anywhere from 7 am till 9:15 and not have a problem, but they don't even notice if your later, as long as you work your 8 hours...and even then...)
That may be all well and good for salaried people, but if you are hourly you usually have to stick to the schedule. When you are late you not only lose pay, but if it is more than the occasional lateness - you are written up.
I was browsing teh web, and I came across a new book I wanted. I was about to order it on Amazon, then I remembered I can't buy anything that isn't food or rent. I added it to my Listal wanted list and moved on.
Don't take having more money than you need for granted.
Anyways, you seem to have a plan which is good. Here's to your opportunity to do what you really want rather than being stuck in a job you apparently hated.
If you're sick of your job, it's a good idea to look for something else and leave on good terms. Scott was sick of the job, but was pretty passive about it. Instead of taking the bull by the horns, he let it get to a point where he forced others to take action. It gets him to the same place, but there is one important difference.
It's always smart to have a good reference for future employment. If you know that you want to leave a job, always keep this in mind. Maybe it's less of an issue in New York City, but there is no point in burning a bridge when it's not necessary.
I'm not saying that this is the case for Scott. For all I know, he's got a glowing reference from these folks. However, I think it's an important factor in this story to point out. Other people may not be able to leave in these circumstances, and would risk a poor recommendation if they waited until they were fired.
In a bad economy, there is no point in shooting yourself in the foot. Work hard, and get out as soon as you can. That way, nobody can complain when you do leave.
As for being on time... I am almost always on time. If I'm late it's by a couple of minutes, and I stay and work later to make that up. (I stay and work later when I am on time, but that's another story.)
However... if I had a job that punished me for being a minute or two late, I'd look for another job. That's micro management at the point of being absurd. This assumes that you are not a police officer, surgeon, etc.
Kilarney is exactly right, but it is not my situation.
I was looking for a new job, and would have quit if I had found one. However, all the jobs I did find were worse, or not significantly different, from what I had. I felt there was no reason to quit and change jobs unless I was moving to something better.
I have a huge pile of references, and have good ones from this past job.
I wasn't showing up on time, but I had discussed this with them. When I first started working there two years ago, I was showing up early and leaving early. I was showing up basically before anyone else got to the office, and leaving at 4:30ish. Then, I think I discussed it on the podcast, they asked me to stay later. I started staying until 5:00 or 5:30, but showed up a little bit later. Then they told me they wanted me to show up early and leave at 6. I told them I would do that, but not with my current commute. They could give me more money to get a city apartment, or wait until I moved. Also keep in mind that the hours I kept were middle of the road compared to other people in the office. There were a few crazy people who showed up before me and left after me. There were also people, bosses mostly, who showed up way late, like after lunch, and stayed until maybe 7ish. They marked it as a reason for let me go on the paper I signed, but they never tried to actively dispute my reasons, because they couldn't win that one. Also, my original boss, who left shortly after we got acquired to do his own thing, would show up at like 2pm on a good day. Everything changed when we got acquired.
Hey, now that my money/free time situation is reverse, all those time wasting games are starting to look pretty good. Grinding up in a JRPG isn't so bad if you don't have anything better to do.
Hey, now that my money/free time situation is reverse, all those time wasting games are starting to look pretty good. Grinding up in a JRPG isn't so bad if you don't have anything better to do.
And that's the story of how Scott became a WoW playing hikkikomori.
It seems like a lot of managers lose sight of the forest through the trees. They institute rules not because they are necessary, but for the sake of managing.
Take two employees: Employee "A" works 5 hours a day and can make 50 widgets in that time. Employee "B" works 8 hours a day and makes 30 widgets in that time.
Who is more valuable? The answer is obvious.
So why are people so fixated on time? I suppose it's because time is something that can be easily managed. Thus, managers with little skill can tackle the "time" issue. It's easy to measure and is absolute.
I've also noticed that a lot of less than capable people get jealous of those who can get the work done in a shorter period of time. Instead of being happy for those people, they become angry. When those angry people become managers, they institute absurd rules.
I do, however, understand why a manager may expect employee "A" to work a full day. If employee "A" is not an independent contractor, the company is entitled to get all of the work they can get out of "A" during the course of a full work day. Thus, I have no problem with requiring "A" and "B" to work the same hours even if "A" makes more widgets during that time. I just don't understand a manager who will fret over "A" being late to work every now and then while not tackling the more serious problem of "B" under-producing. And in a unionized company, there is a good chance that "A" and "B" will be paid the same. That's just absurd.
Then you are in a weird situation. Most employers I have encountered require that their employees are at work at the time agreed upon when the employee was hired. Repeated lateness results in write-ups which either eradicate raises/bonuses or result in firings. Also, even if they fire an employee for other reasons, they can state that they are firing that employee for cause. If an employee is fired for cause after warnings, then they will probably not receive unemployment.
I worked hourly flex-time at IBM. I could work whatever hours I wanted, so long as they added up to 40 by the end of the week. I would show up at random times every morning. ^_~
I worked hourly flex-time at IBM. I could work whatever hours I wanted, so long as they added up to 40 by the end of the week. I would show up at random times every morning. ^_~
Again, weird situation. Most offices - that is a no-go. EDIT: Then again it might be different with your jobs as you are not providing office support. You can work really independently. When your work supports other staff members, they often need specific work done by set times so that they can do their work.
I remember last year for Halloween I had asked my director if I could come to work (I work third shift) wearing a mexican pro wrestling mask before clocking in and starting work. He said it was okay, just to take it off when I clocked in. So I went in a bit early and walked around the hospital wearing the mask then entered the office and had the second shift guys laughing. My supervisor came in, saw me in the mask and told me to take it off. I told him I would when I clocked in. A few hours later, he wrote me up for being unprofessional.
Uh...I think you actually have to do some stuff to be self-employed. If you want to do business under any name other than your own legal name, you have to file a document generally known as a DBA (Doing Business As). The actual form name various from state to state; you should check with you're state's commerce website. Many places require a business license, so you should call your city offices and check as well. My state has a business servicenter for new businesses, so I just called them. They gave me all of the phone numbers and told me what I needed to check for and with whom.
Also, if you go into business for yourself, it's a good idea to set up a separate bank account for the business so it makes bookkeeping* and taxes easier. If you set up as a Sole Proprietorship, all you need is your DBA document and your SSN to start a new bank account in the business name. If you're going to work under your own name (which is fine, but can look less prosfessional) then you need the same documents you would normally need to start a personal bank account.
Remember that if you work from home, you can write off a portion of mortgage/rent payments on your home and utilities as well. Heck, if you try to capitalize on GeekNights you could start writing off all of your conventions as business expenses. You would probably need to show that the conventions were definitely related to business activity, like selling T-shirts and publicizing. I am totally writing off Otakon and Animazement as business expenses this year. Hotels, admission, gas, food...everything I can. (Of course, all I'll be doing pretty much the whole time is selling stuff.)
* Heh...every time I use the word "bookkeeping" I think of that Encyclopedia Brown book where they were investigating a smashed first-place prize for a word contest.
Comments
Too wussy to quit your job, you started under performing and breaking rules until they got rid of you.
Any sort of severance package?
File for unemployment, it's partially funded by businesses.
Applying for unemployment is easy. It doesn't take very long, and it can be done online or over the telephone. Do it today. The sooner you apply, the sooner you can start receiving benefits. As I said earlier, if you don't apply, you're throwing money away.
Anyway, bummer on the job loss, but good luck with the attempt at self-employment during the search for a new nine-to-five.
Don't take having more money than you need for granted.
Anyways, you seem to have a plan which is good. Here's to your opportunity to do what you really want rather than being stuck in a job you apparently hated.
If you're sick of your job, it's a good idea to look for something else and leave on good terms. Scott was sick of the job, but was pretty passive about it. Instead of taking the bull by the horns, he let it get to a point where he forced others to take action. It gets him to the same place, but there is one important difference.
It's always smart to have a good reference for future employment. If you know that you want to leave a job, always keep this in mind. Maybe it's less of an issue in New York City, but there is no point in burning a bridge when it's not necessary.
I'm not saying that this is the case for Scott. For all I know, he's got a glowing reference from these folks. However, I think it's an important factor in this story to point out. Other people may not be able to leave in these circumstances, and would risk a poor recommendation if they waited until they were fired.
In a bad economy, there is no point in shooting yourself in the foot. Work hard, and get out as soon as you can. That way, nobody can complain when you do leave.
As for being on time... I am almost always on time. If I'm late it's by a couple of minutes, and I stay and work later to make that up. (I stay and work later when I am on time, but that's another story.)
However... if I had a job that punished me for being a minute or two late, I'd look for another job. That's micro management at the point of being absurd. This assumes that you are not a police officer, surgeon, etc.
I was looking for a new job, and would have quit if I had found one. However, all the jobs I did find were worse, or not significantly different, from what I had. I felt there was no reason to quit and change jobs unless I was moving to something better.
I have a huge pile of references, and have good ones from this past job.
I wasn't showing up on time, but I had discussed this with them. When I first started working there two years ago, I was showing up early and leaving early. I was showing up basically before anyone else got to the office, and leaving at 4:30ish. Then, I think I discussed it on the podcast, they asked me to stay later. I started staying until 5:00 or 5:30, but showed up a little bit later. Then they told me they wanted me to show up early and leave at 6. I told them I would do that, but not with my current commute. They could give me more money to get a city apartment, or wait until I moved. Also keep in mind that the hours I kept were middle of the road compared to other people in the office. There were a few crazy people who showed up before me and left after me. There were also people, bosses mostly, who showed up way late, like after lunch, and stayed until maybe 7ish. They marked it as a reason for let me go on the paper I signed, but they never tried to actively dispute my reasons, because they couldn't win that one. Also, my original boss, who left shortly after we got acquired to do his own thing, would show up at like 2pm on a good day. Everything changed when we got acquired.
NOT
Take two employees:
Employee "A" works 5 hours a day and can make 50 widgets in that time.
Employee "B" works 8 hours a day and makes 30 widgets in that time.
Who is more valuable? The answer is obvious.
So why are people so fixated on time? I suppose it's because time is something that can be easily managed. Thus, managers with little skill can tackle the "time" issue. It's easy to measure and is absolute.
I've also noticed that a lot of less than capable people get jealous of those who can get the work done in a shorter period of time. Instead of being happy for those people, they become angry. When those angry people become managers, they institute absurd rules.
I do, however, understand why a manager may expect employee "A" to work a full day. If employee "A" is not an independent contractor, the company is entitled to get all of the work they can get out of "A" during the course of a full work day. Thus, I have no problem with requiring "A" and "B" to work the same hours even if "A" makes more widgets during that time. I just don't understand a manager who will fret over "A" being late to work every now and then while not tackling the more serious problem of "B" under-producing. And in a unionized company, there is a good chance that "A" and "B" will be paid the same. That's just absurd.
Also, even if they fire an employee for other reasons, they can state that they are firing that employee for cause. If an employee is fired for cause after warnings, then they will probably not receive unemployment.
EDIT: Then again it might be different with your jobs as you are not providing office support. You can work really independently. When your work supports other staff members, they often need specific work done by set times so that they can do their work.
Also, if you go into business for yourself, it's a good idea to set up a separate bank account for the business so it makes bookkeeping* and taxes easier. If you set up as a Sole Proprietorship, all you need is your DBA document and your SSN to start a new bank account in the business name. If you're going to work under your own name (which is fine, but can look less prosfessional) then you need the same documents you would normally need to start a personal bank account.
Remember that if you work from home, you can write off a portion of mortgage/rent payments on your home and utilities as well. Heck, if you try to capitalize on GeekNights you could start writing off all of your conventions as business expenses. You would probably need to show that the conventions were definitely related to business activity, like selling T-shirts and publicizing. I am totally writing off Otakon and Animazement as business expenses this year. Hotels, admission, gas, food...everything I can. (Of course, all I'll be doing pretty much the whole time is selling stuff.)
* Heh...every time I use the word "bookkeeping" I think of that Encyclopedia Brown book where they were investigating a smashed first-place prize for a word contest.