Advice
Would you rather quit or be fired?
Nov 13th
If I told you that you were being replaced at your current job, what would you say? And I’m not talking about the immediate shock and anger about the pending loss of your job. Once you’ve had a moment to think rationally, you’ll probably be wondering, “should I ride this out, or should I make a move?” What’s the right decision here?
I think the answer should be based on your long term and short term goals. There are many negatives that come attached to being fired – you may lose your reference, you may be affected psychologically. Every application you’ll ever fill out in the future, the answer to “have you ever been fired?” will now be yes. Quitting before this happens, 
however, has its benefits and negatives as well. For one, you can forget about any severance package you may otherwise have received. In most cases you won’t get unemployment benefits (which in some states are so small, it hardly matters). But you’ll save face, you’ll leave with your chin up, and most likely retain more connections and references from this employment.
The choice between waiting to be fired and quitting is not easy, but once you’ve realized that either one is inevitable, you cannot afford not to take action. Build a plan, apply for other jobs, research business ideas – anything that will put you back on the right path. If you’re ready to give up on the career path that you’ve been following with your current job, then letting the firing happen may not be the worst idea. You’ll switch industries, jump into new job assignments, responsibilities. If you’re planning on moving on to a field that has no connection to your previous employment, it’s more than likely that your new employers won’t even bother contacting the company that fired you. But if you’re planning to continue your career in a similar setting (even if it’s a different industry – think about how different your job responsibilities will be), then you may be better off jumping the gun. Start interviewing as soon as possible. Get out there and push yourself, instead of sulking. Believe it or not, speaking with your boss about your plan will play to your benefit in this situation. The company will be much more inclined to keep you on just a while longer, until you’re ready to move on. Your quitting instead of being fired is a huge benefit to the company – they don’t have to pay your unemployment (their state unemployment insurance is likely to rise as a result of your termination), and more importantly no negative effect on employee morale.
When the time comes, the decision is hard. If you’re prepare yourself, you can think rationally and make a decision that’s right for you.
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Another facebook firing
Nov 12th
Ashley Payne, a teacher from Georgia, claims she was coerced into resignation after school officials received a complaint about content posted on her Facebook page. Payne posted pictures along with some commentary of her recent trip to Europe on Facebook. A student’s mother saw her pictures and complained about one in particular where Payne was holding a drink in her hand. Payne has stated that she “wasn’t doing anything illegal, wasn’t doing anything provocative…nothing that I thought would be unethical or immoral in any way.” The teacher said she was coerced into resignation in lieu of being fired – so that she can save face in a small town community. She is currently suing the school board in hopes of getting her job back.
What is most concerning for all of us here is that Payne had her profile set to private and was not friends with any of
Don't get fired over what you post in Facebook – make sure that your Facebook privacy settings are turned on correctly
her students, parents, or school executives. Most of us who do have Facebook accounts and are concerned about our privacy, should know, that setting your profile to private is not enough. Facebook’s default private settings will still allow most of your pictures to be viewed by the entire Facebook community – so make sure that you look through the settings options carefully and disable all content that you don’t want made public. As we’ve seen so many times before – you never know who’s watching…
Loading …Looking at porn at work?
Oct 29th
Does anyone really need to tell you that this is inappropriate and undoubtedly a fire-able act? DUH! Well, if other people are doing it…
Sure, that’s a valid excuse (may be for your mother). But even parents will have a quick comeback for such a lame excuse. Would you jump off the bridge if everyone’s doing it? I guess the police are excluded. An Illinois police officer was fired earlier this week for browsing pornography while at work. His excuse – even the Chief has pornographic imagery on his work computer, as well as pornographic magazines around the police headquarters. That’s great. Wait to you hear what the Chief said… “there is a difference between a Playboy magazine and the “hard core, obscene” images found on Hurst’s [the fired officer] computer,” Police Chief Michael Reidy stated after he decided that Hurst’s habit of looking at online porn violated department policy.
Wow. Don’t you feel much safer knowing that the Police department is out there, “serve and protecting,” and making sure that their Read the rest of this entry »
Home Depot fires employee in a clear violation of the First Amendment
Oct 28th
Recently, a Home Depot employee has been fired for wearing a button on his uniform. The button was not offensive in any way, but rather 
carried a “Under God” message in support of the US troops. Home Depot has said in statement that “The company’s dress code policy states that we do not allow non-company buttons, regardless of their message or content.” Many of us will rightfully see this as a violation of the first amendment – our right to free speech. But who is it that we are angry with?
Can your employer’s policies violate your freedom of speech? If you’ve answered ‘No’, think again! As a matter of fact, according to this publication issued by the US government (USCIS), there is little the Bill of Rights provides that would prevent employers from violating your constitutional freedoms with their policies.
The U.S. Constitution’s free speech protections apply only to action by the government.
According to the Lancaster Law Blog, two instances of case law (Geary v. U.S. Steel Read the rest of this entry »
Romance at work will get you Fired!
Oct 26th
Ah, my dear Mr. Phillips, which head were you thinking with? I’ll assume it’s the same one that you used when you framed the New York Mets’ 2002 roster. There isn’t a Mets fan out there who has wholeheartedly enjoyed Phillips’ self-tooting and Met-bashing tenure at ESPN. And there are just as many who have been waiting for a moment such as this, where they can share in a feeling of some sort of restitution for the mess that the former GM left behind in NY. The marriage between Phillips and ESPN has come to a close. That’s the second marriage that Phillips will lose due to this incident – his wife filed for divorce back in September. Not many people can relate to baseball. But many of us can indeed relate to the story.
Steve Phillips fired from ESPN
Steve Phillips, a former MLB General Manager, and ESPN analyst (Sports Center, Baseball Tonight, ESPN Baseball) has been fired by the network after a revelation of a romantic affair with a 22-year-old production assistant, Brooke Hundley. Following a one-week suspension after Phillips admitted to the affair, ESPN (which is owned by Disney – a family network) decided to fire Phillips for his antics Read the rest of this entry »
Congrats Richard Head, you’re fired! Don’t start Monday.
Oct 22nd
So this is it! Big day for a kid, just out of school and looking to explore all the world of finance has to offer. As he walks in, we shake hands and I introduce myself. I notice no tie and no belt. Weird, but his shoes have shoelaces. I doubt he’s on suicide watch. Anyway, I didn’t catch the name so I ask for a copy of the resume. And then a shocking reply: “Nah, y’all should have it on file already.” Really? Maybe I should have prepared better before I decided to take the time out of my day to listen to this garbage…
So, tell me about yourself, any internships or experience working in finance?
Yeah, it should be on my resume, you know I’m sayin’?
No, not really. I do know that this interview is over Mr…your name is on your resume. Good luck on your next interview, Mr. Harry Johnson!
Added to by Mr. Fired:
Interview Tips
This is a classic example of what NOT to do at the interview. That is, as long as you’re trying to get HIRED. Make sure you bring at least 2 copies of your resume to the interview, and be prepared to answer ANY question, no matter how big or small, and even if the information is already readily available on your resume. Don’t forget that the biggest thing that is influencing the interviewer is the first impression and not just your qualifications, so it’s important to be polite, courteous, and well spoken.
This post was submitted by iVi.
