I Got Fired Today

[robkelk]

I will note that Rob and Jeanne's generous contributions will keep the boards going for at least another year, if not longer; they've brought the pageview count back up very close to 750K again. Thank you, guys.

Credit where credit is due: Epsilon and I shared that contribution under my name. (I'm the one with a credit card.) And you're welcome.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Baseload]

Sorry to hear about what happened. While I'm not quite in the same boat, I'm waiting on a merger to shut us down. But our employers are good at telling
us vague hints of nothing to keep us working.

As for employment in a tech field, try dice.com

[ordnance11]

Bob, you have my deepest symphathy. I'm in the same boat as you. I got laid off end of June. You'll probably be mourning the loss of our job for a
while (just like the loss of a friend) but I recommend filing for unemployment as soon as possible. Next week at the latest. The reason is that your
unemployment benefits is determined by how much you made at the last quarter. The umemployment office doesn't need to know the "why" you have
been laid off...only that you had. They'll probably have to verify your employment with the company. but that's it. If you have to put in the reason,
why..put in "supervisor determination". With lay-offs ongoing, I doubt they'd scrutinize your firing that closely.

And then get on with your new job..which is getting a new job. Which will be a marathon job. You do have a wide circle of friends around here, so you have a
support group.

If you have to blame somebody other than yourself, blame your friend also. The only way it got spread around is if he passed it on to someone else. Have fun
during the Labor day weekend and get cracking on Tuesday.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Sofaspud]

First off, you *do* have my sympathies, Bob -- regardless of what the rest of this post may sound like.

By all means, talk to a lawyer. A good one. But I would very much recommend against a lawsuit, because with the information you've provided, it sounds to
me like you'll just be out the expense of said lawyer without any gain at all, plus you'll have tarnished your reputation more.

Look, folks, what it all comes down to is this: in the corporate world today, nobody gets fired without cause (laid off, yes; fired, no). Nobody. And Bob has
already admitted to something which, in every corporate environment I've ever worked in or seen (and as a former consultant, that's a LOT), constitutes
grounds for immediate termination. Namely, misuse of company email.

No, it doesn't matter that it was a joke. I'd be willing to bet dollars that at some point the company issued a memo laying out the rules for email
use, and almost certainly the email violates it. I'm not saying it's right, I'm not saying he deserved it, I'm just pointing out that they are
almost certainly ass-covered when it comes to a potential lawsuit. That's what HR departments are for, people. They're not there to help the
employee, they're there to make sure the company is bullet-proofed from attacks by their employees.

Now, the good side of it is this: "misuse of email" has never* been grounds for denial of unemployment benefits that I've seen. If the HR
department records the termination that way, then it shouldn't be an issue. Obviously IANAL, etc., and state laws differ, but I've been working the
management side of high-turnover environments for nearly a decade now, so I've seen a lot of unemployment hearings.

One thing I would recommend is getting a copy of your paperwork as soon as possible, Bob -- including the reason for termination. In every state I've had
to deal with it (most of the western ones), they are required to provide you in writing with the reason for your termination. If that shows something that you
don't agree with, a lawyer would be in order to get it changed.

(* except for the time the "misuse of email" clause was invoked because the guy was using it to run an escort service, but I digress)

Again, I do sympathize. I really, really do. It sucks in a way that can't be expressed in words. I just think the best move is to pick up, dust off, and
move on. Instead of tilting at windmills and burning bridges behind you.

--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

[Ebony]

My condolences and sympathies, Bob. The SEC are a bunch of tight-assed, humorless bastards. I've been dealing with their wackiness for the past four and a
half years. I would offer contacts, but mine are all located down here in Texas.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[Jeanne Hedge]

Ebony wrote:

---

My condolences and sympathies, Bob. The SEC are a bunch of tight-assed, humorless bastards. I've been dealing with their wackiness for the past four and
a half years. I would offer contacts, but mine are all located down here in Texas.

As someone who's been through a "sudden loss of job" 3 times, I think any contacts are good contacts, wherever they are located.
Think of the world as one big network (and I don't mean the internet). Your person in Texas may know of someone on the East Coast, or know someone who
knows someone (and so on)

Jeanne Hedge
www.jhedge.com

"Believe me, if I have to go the rest of my life without companionship, knowing myself won't be a problem."
-- Gabrielle of Potadeia

[ECSNorway]

I know some folks in the Chamber of Commerce here in Rochester, NY... bit far from Apple/Jersey, though. Still, they might know someone, or at least be able to
look locally for you...
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Epsilon]

I don't think he wants to move away from Peggy's job quite yet. Though if he does decide to move I have contacts up here in CAA.

--------------

Epsilon

[ordnance11]

Jeanne Hedge wrote:

---

Ebony wrote:

---

My condolences and sympathies, Bob. The SEC are a bunch of tight-assed, humorless bastards. I've been dealing with their wackiness for the past four
and a half years. I would offer contacts, but mine are all located down here in Texas.

As someone who's been through a "sudden loss of job" 3 times, I think any contacts are good contacts, wherever they are located.
Think of the world as one big network (and I don't mean the internet). Your person in Texas may know of someone on the East Coast, or know someone who
knows someone (and so on)

The adage "It's not what you know, but who you know" holds true.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[robkelk]

There's also "what you can find on the 'net"... Interested in working for the US Government?

(It looks like the Treasury Department is looking for a compliance specialist in New Jersey, but the competition ends tomorrow and you probably don't have your resume ready yet. Ah, well; it would have been ironic-in-an-Alanis-sense if you got that one, anyway.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[DHBirr]

All I can offer is sympathy and a small donation to the site. I certainly don't have any contacts who'd be useful to you. And
I'm inclined to echo sweno's advice -- Sofaspud's sounds reasonable to me, too, although I've no real knowledge in that area.

This, too, shall pass, as the constipated man said.
-----
Big Brother is watching you.  And damn, you are so bloody BORING.

[Bob Schroeck]

Okay, this is going to be kind of haphazard.

Spud has it right -- there's been the memo and their corporate butts are sufficiently covered. If I were to try anything, it would be negotiating for a different termination status.

I'm supposed to get a packet of paperwork on my termination in the mail. If it went out today, it should arrive tomorrow. More on this as it develops.

No, we don't want to move away from Peggy's job yet. I also have to stay close to my mother, who is still working through her grief for my father. For this reason, I've had to tell Kat that no, we're not willing to move to West Virginia regardless of how good the conditions there are. (And despite not doing so screwing up the timeline for the Grover's Corners. )

Baseload, Rob, thanks for the links. Dice isn't too encouraging: "programmer delphi" + my zip code turns up zero results in 40 miles. But I have other languages under my belt, or trying to get there. Haven't looked at the Gov site yet..

If anyone who has contacts would ask if they know someone in my area, I would be grateful.

I've already applied for unemployment. In NJ it can be done online (maybe other states, too, I wouldn't know). As for what Unemployment knows, well, at least here in NJ they ask very specific questions with required answers, and as a result, I have to have a phone interview in two weeks with a department rep. And "Misconduct" is currently noted on my claim summary.

Whether I'm officially terminated for misuse of email or for an SEC offense, depends on how unpleasant the HR veep wants to be with me. (Years of scuttlebutt paint a picture that is not terribly complimentary; I've had little to do with her, so I cannot confirm or deny.) I won't know until that packet comes.

Jeanne, I'm not ignoring your private emails, really I'm not.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Sofaspud]

I just occurred to me to check, and while Google may be inaccurate, it's telling me you're within commute distance of Newtown, PA.

I know folks who work for a huge company based there. Can't promise anything but I could pass your name along, if the drive would be compatible. Let me
know (here or private, my email is sofaspud.prime AT gmail.com). I haven't been in touch except socially for a couple years, so I've no clue what if
any openings are available (and their site is one of those "give us your info and we'll call you back" types), but, y'know. Leads.

--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

[NifT]

Any thing I could say has already been said, but still... Best of luck in getting through this.

I don't have much by way of contacts, but I'll ask about at my office to see if anyone knows of any openings.

[Bob Schroeck]

Oh, my, yes, Spud, looking at Google maps -- that turns my morning run to drop off Peggy at her job into about half of the travel. Peggy works just off Route 1
near where "Penns Neck" appears on the map. Yes, if you would inquire, I'd be grateful. I'm still working up my resume (I can't find my
old one, even a paper copy. Of course it's 20 years now...) so I can't send one at this very moment, but if they're interested, I'm sure to
have it ready by the end of the holiday weekend.

NifT -- where's your job at? Are you that close to me that it's a possibility?

Thanks, both of you.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

I asked around at work today. CGI is usually hiring - they have an office in Roseland and two in NYC.

--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[SkyeFire]

Man, Bob, this sucks. Not much I can add that hasn't already been said. I'd throw my contact list into the ring, but pretty much all of mine are in
Detroit, connected to the Big Three, and in various forms of industrial automation.

[jpub]

Bob, exactly *how* good are you with SQL? Once you have your resume, gimme a send. We might have telecommute work.

[Bob Schroeck]

I'm middling with SQL. Never had to do anything terribly fancy with it, but as long as I have a good manual nearby I'm not at a loss.

Got a break last night, btw -- I remembered, after an afternoon of trying to recreate my resume, that I used to have it posted on my website. So I grabbed a
copy, current as of 1999, off of the Wayback Machine. I just have to put it in Word format, update the Best section, and clean the rest up a bit.

Rob, thanks. I just checked CGI's website, and they do seem to have some openings in NJ. I'll have to follow up on that.

Don't worry about it, Skyefire. And thanks anyway.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

Is it time to laugh about it, yet?

Friday's Dilbert

--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

I'm laughing again, now and then. But not at that, yet. Still, the strip is funny. Thanks.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[NifT]

My office is in southern Maryland, but SAIC is a big corporation with offices all over the country. So while I'm not nearby, there may be something that
is.

[Bob Schroeck]

Thanks, NifT.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[DocMui]

Ouch. Much like many others, I'd like to offer whatever support I can--but, sadly, my company isn't hiring.

Just say the word, and I'll see what I can do.

--Doc

[Bob Schroeck]

What I really need at this point, I think, is a little advice and encouragement for re-entering the job market. It's been twenty years since my last
resume, interview, etc. I'm planning to finish updating my resume this morning, but I wouldn't mind a little advice from folks who have interviewed and
been hired recently as to how it looks and whatnot.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.