What did I
do?
Where did I
go wrong?
Could I
have done my job
better?
When we start
to look inward, there are
questions that have to be
answered, but in today’s
world, downsizing is the new corporate strategy.
However,
there are those instances
when you are the only
one being let
go. If that is the case, this guide is not about
you in particular. However, with that
said, I don’t want to discount, or eliminate, your
individual situation. Take all
the ideas that are in this
guide and apply them to
yourself, but first examine
some of the aspects of
your situation:
• Has this happened more than one time?
• Is this a continual pattern?
• Are you repeatedly finding yourself
starting new jobs, only to see things go
wrong, and ultimately it ends up that
you’re discharged (downsized)?
if you’re seeing a pattern, you are going to
have to look inward. You must
find out what it is
that you’re doing that has brought
you repeatedly to this particular position.
That’s a simple statement to make,
but it may be the truth, and sometimes simple
is better. At this step, good professional
counseling could help.
If this is the
first
time that you have
found yourself on the short
end, after several years
of faithful service to your company, and
it’s ONLY YOU losing
your job, then there
may be some legal aspects that
you should be examining.
Ask Yourself These Particular
Questions,
and Then Give Yourself an
Honest Answer:
• Do you have a written contract?
• Did your employer breach your
written
contract?
• Do you have an implied contract?
• Did your employer breach your
implied
contract?
There may
be some legal
aspects that you
should be examining.
Your employer
may have breached your contract
by firing you for no reason. You may
find you still have some rights, or maybe
some implied promises. Check your employee
handbook. It could be a lifesaver at
the end.
Was there Discrimination?
The
Civil Rights Act of
1964 prevents any kind
of discrimination
based on race, color, religion, gender,
national origin, marriage or sexual
orientation. I urge you to tread carefully.
It’s easy to
claim discrimination, but difficult
to prove. Look carefully
at your individual
situation. If you feel you’ve been
discriminated against, make sure that documentation
of each incident
has been established to
support your claim.
Is my employer trying to retaliate?
You’ve been vocal at your job. You’ve been
a thorn in management’s
side. You’ve been the
"hard head case," who’s impossible to work
with.
Breach of
contract?
Was there
discrimination?
Has there been management
retaliation?
When do you engage
an attorney?
Then documenting the role of the
employer,
make sure that you substantiate dates,
times, and exact incidents.
Build yourself a legal case, or "paper
your
files" as they say. If, in fact, your employer
is doing something illegal, or trying
to harm your reputation, proof
is always
going to be paramount. So,
make sure you’re
loaded with it!
Now if you’ve collected this data, and
you’re
the only one who’s being let go, what
do you do next? CONSULT
AN ATTORNEY,
because at this point in time
there may be grounds for a lawsuit — breach
of contract, discrimination, retaliation or
any similar unfair treatment are causes
for legal action.
If in this instance your employer
has
singled you out,
remember that if you have a pattern
of this happening to you, it’s time to
look at your own individual history and personality.
Who are you? What do you think,
and how do those feelings affect your
performance on the job? All of this should
be taken into account before
you make
accusations! The
problem could be with you!
However, if it’s a first time occurrence,
you
believe it is unjustified, and if you can prove
it, it is time to go into action and get an
attorney. Because, the
problem is not with you!
