Question of the Day | 03/19/2008 7:58 am

Have you ever been fired?

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Once, early on, a group of us were hired and fired when a new account fired the agency. I took the money they gave me and went to Europe. I was one of the first tourists allowed to drive into Yugoslavia so I saw it before hotels — the government arranged for families to take us as guests. It was so clean, so fresh, but it wasn’t geared to swimming and enjoying the sun. Everybody was working and very serious. I remember thinking that the people who sat at one of the few cafes drinking coffee looked and acted as if they had had lobotomies but I think they were frightened of us, they had never seen a tourist from another country, we were aliens, some had never heard of America. We tried to talk to a few of them but they moved away from us. We were guests in a simple but comfortable home with people who spoke a little English and that was exciting - hearing about their lives and telling them about America. They were lovely, intelligent and curious, and they explained the local fear of tourists. In an earlier period people got into serious trouble talking to a stranger. That was over, they said, there was much more freedom and people were learning how to have fun.

Years later they came to America and I gave them a long tour. They fell deeply in love with Texas. They loved the big warm welcoming personality of Texas. The last time I saw them they were hoping to find a way to live there — at least part of the time.

Perhaps they will discover this site and rediscover me. I have been to the same area of Yugoslavia on my boat a number of times and I always look for them. I know Texas pretty well but it is a big place, too. I have Googled them with no success. But the Internet is powerful and magical. So they may find me.

I was relatively poor when I was young. But I have never been in the position many are finding themselves in today, fired for reasons that have nothing to do with the good job each of them was probably doing — and suddenly losing the healthy lives they have with their families. It must be so disorienting, impossible to digest, and so painful if you have children or older parents to protect. We hear about thousands from the media. But each one is a family.

By Mary Wells on 03/19/2008 8:00 am

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Yes, I have been fired, and it was very liberating. My boss fired me on my birthday—it was the best present—finally, I had some time to myself. Change is good.

By Tricia Scott on 03/19/2008 8:41 am

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i have been laid off twice, and fired once. sure, it sucks, but getting past it can be a growth experience. because my husband and i have two incomes, and we have never been let go at the same time, we have not faced financial ruin. i know others who have, and with our present economic woes, i have several friends to worry about!

By the nutcracker on 03/19/2008 8:49 am

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The first job I was fired from was at an advertising agency. My creative director had never fired anyone before, and had to get drunk to do it. I was the first one called in after her liquid lunch, and the office stunk of booze. To this day, I WISH I had had a tape recorder with me, because she rambled on and on about how old was I, wasn’t it time to stop and have children, children are so great, your husband, he’s italian, he wants to have kids, right?, oh, do it while you’re young, when you wait you are just so exhausted all the time … yes, that’s what you should do with this oppotunity! Have kids, you;d be a great mother, you just don’t know it yet … so-and-so, his wife just had a baby, you can’t expect us to let him go … I could have gotten a good employment lawyer and made out like a bandit. Mind you, she hadn’t said ANYTHING to me yet about being fired! I was sitting there staring at her; actually, I felt bad for her. “So I’m fired?” I finally asked. “Oh! Yes! I guess I should have started with that …” and then she fell into gales of drunken laughter, deep gasps that bordered on sobs. I can’t say I went on to bigger and better. But I did find a new jobs, and several after that. Whatever. You can’t look back.

By MW C on 03/19/2008 8:53 am

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I was laid off twice and coincidentally, both from ad agencies. And? The 2nd lay off was same thing: the senior VP had to get drunk at lunch to do it! This was 20+ years ago, mind you. But, still!

By L V on 03/22/2008 8:23 pm

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Sure - twice fired, twice laid off. All 4 times, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to my career. The last time was the best - a new VP fired all the directors and managers in his group to bring in his own folks. We’d all been there for years, and had tons of experience. Didn’t work out so well for him - he got canned 14 months later. I love karma.

By Lorraine Bates on 03/19/2008 8:59 am

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When I was last “laid off” fired, it was right after the 9/11 tragedy. We lost 80% of our income. I spent a year and a half looking for work and couldn’t even get an interview. I was the SME (subject matter expert) for a monster network fiber optic corporation. It was a blessing in disguise, even though we suffered badly because of it - going to the local church for food, finally having to take bankruptcy. However - this year, I am launching my own business. I’ve tested my product for the past two years and people absolutely love it. Luckily, my husband always stays employed - love that man. He has a skill that never goes out of style, or to another country. Thank goodness.

By Linn Madsen on 03/19/2008 9:12 am

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Fresh from NY about 29 years ago, while I was still figuring out what to do and where to live, I worked as a receptionist for a large, many branched white-shoe law firm. Being hired was extraordinary in itself since I am a demonstrative Jewish gal, and my colleagues were anything but, but hey, it paid the rent. So there I am, answering phones and greeting clients at the front desk for about 80 high-power attorneys and their staff. The office was on the 40th floor of a Century City building, and when we experienced an earthquake, one of the lawyers, who bore more than a passing resemblance Henry VIII, stood beneath a door jamb and watched me continue to answer phones, this as the building creaked and rolled from side to side. Get the picture. Well, one busy day a crush of people pushed forward to get my attention as I was answering phones and fielding appointments. One woman, particularly pinch-faced, was holding a huge flower arrangement, clearly the product of someone who took ornamental horticulture very seriously. She rudely forced her way to the front, insisting, despite my having a phone to my ear, that she see a certain attorney. Frustrated and furious, I told her she had to wait. Needless to say, this did not go over well, because, as my office manager explained after hearing the complaint, the woman was a partner’s wife. I promptly told my office manager to tell her to wear her I’M A PARTNER’S WIFE badge and I would remember to kiss her ass. NOT a good idea, I know. Probably had I not also told Charleton Heston that he could part the red sea, so a lost parking ticket should not be a problem, probably had I not given the right directions to the rest room to a stoned, but very important, client, who not only locked himself into the stairwell instead and cursed me up one side and down the other after marching down then back up 40 flights and banging on the door to get someone’s attention, probably had I not had a degree and a brain, I could have lasted at such a job. But as the theme goes, being “let go” is truly being let go! Thank God!

By Pamela Felcher on 03/19/2008 9:22 am

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I was fired once and I don’t even remember why? It was a blessing, however at the time I was really devastated I felt like such a failure but that soon passed and I went on to big and better things, so I guess God had a plan for me. I’ve never been “laid off” however with the economy the way it is right now our business is really slow so the big “lay off” could happen to me I suppose. What is it they say when one door closes another one opens.

By Victoria Lyne on 03/19/2008 9:23 am

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YES, AT FIRST, I WAS DEVASTATED. I DID WIN A COURT CASE BECAUSE OF THE UNFAIR FIRING. IN HINDSIGHT, I REALIZE THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT EVERY HAPPENED. IT REALLY OPENED MY EYES AND RID ME OF MY NAIVETE.

By kat on 03/19/2008 9:45 am

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I’ve only been fired once. After retiring from my beloved career as a pre school teacher, I went to work for a huge non-profit as a “Vocational Skills Specialist”. My job description was, essentially, to help those with social, physical or mental disabilities find jobs and give them the skills to keep those jobs. I was very excited…the non profit preached “A hand up, not a hand out.” Within six months, I realized they did not practice what they preached. I was not “allowed” to help anyone unless they had a documented disability with “state or federal money” behind them. It was heart breaking for me to turn away the single mothers who came to me who just wanted to work…they didn’t want state or federal help, they wanted to work! My boss explained that our company made it’s money from people who were on public assistance etc. that these agencies would pay us to train their “clients”…that I could not just help any Jane Doe off the street. This clashed with the mission statement and job description I had read…I felt the corporation was mis-leading the public who made donations to their retail stores, and were being told that the money from the sales of their donations went to fund the programs I was in charge of. It wasn’t true. The end came when my boss demanded that I bill a state agency for services we had not provided to their client…when I refused, he set about a long, ugly campaign to make me quit. I would not. I made him fire me. He had to bring his boss (a woman) with him on the day of the firing…I said it was because he needed someone with balls in the room…he started on “the speech” and I stopped him…I said “I know why you’re here, give me my termination slip to sign so I can get the hell out of here.” He was stunned..he had been prepared to give his little “presentation of humiliation” and I denied him the pleasure. I was never so glad to leave a job in my life!!

By J B on 03/19/2008 10:07 am

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I have been fired several times, mostly for my mouth. Let’s just say that I have a dominant “Don’t hold back” gene. I think the best time was when my boss got upset that she had to fire me, and I was cool. It was a food service job and she said that though my job performance was not compromised, I talked way too much. Whatever, my chattiness has served me well since.

By Mary Hammond on 03/19/2008 10:15 am

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I have been “let go” twice. Both times I was offered a job quite a commute from my home and part time in an effort to avoid paying unemployment. I work in the health care industry. In this industry it is expected you will first consider the economics for the corporation in your treatment decisions. Making money for the company? Go ahead and treat the patient. Not making money? Don’t treat the patient. Silly me. I’m always making the mistake of putting the needs of the patient first. Corporate types see that as someone who just won’t play ball. I have always saved enough money to live on for 6 months so I can walk away when things get bad. Some things I just can’t compromise. Fortunately my area is in demand and I can find other jobs quickly. Universal healthcare? Bring it on!

By Mary Monahan on 03/19/2008 10:17 am

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Yes and I was so damned happy I nearly skipped down the street. I was just out of the Army after Vietnam and found a job at a hotel in my hometown as night desk manager. I disagreed with my employer over something personal and he let me go. That one simple thing pushed me into University and an eventual PhD. One of the very best things I’ve ever done, getting fired.

By Frank Peterson on 03/19/2008 10:42 am

The company hired a new VP, and I caught him in a lie in front of a group of people. Really, I’m not that smart… it was just a really big lie! Guess who was let go to bring in someone with “more expertise?”

By Carole Meagher on 03/19/2008 10:51 am