Feeling Lost After Sudden Job Termination: How Should I Navigate This Unfair Situation?

Dear All,

I am in a very difficult position and request the valued members to kindly guide me.

The explanation may be a bit more. But please bear with me because I want to place before you the full facts of the situation / turmoil I am facing.

I joined a company through some reference. The CEO himself interviewed me and was happy to offer me a job, indicating that my job responsibilities would be as per my CV, i.e., General Admin and partly assisting the CEO in day-to-day operations. Later, I received an appointment letter (after signing a two-year bond) wherein the post they had indicated was admin executive.

Two to three days after I joined, I was utterly disappointed because the job was nothing more than a personal assistant. Upon inquiring with the HR, he vaguely indicated that nothing much can be done and that I have to continue in that role. Somehow, I continued with the hope that they would at least provide the responsibility and exposure commensurate with my experience and ability after 5 or 6 months.

But the boss was not calling me to his chamber, and very little work was assigned to me (hardly 1 hour of job). I brought this to the notice of the Seniors, wherein they said, "Don't worry, you will be assigned. Keep continuing whatever the CEO tells you."

To my utter shock, a few days back, the HR Executive called me into his chamber and indicated that he is sorry to tell me that the CEO doesn't want my services and issued me a termination letter (with one month's notice), citing that somehow I did not fit into his requirements.

I was really amazed. What is my shortcoming or inefficiency that has made the CEO think of terminating me? I wonder if there could be any other reason also.

He mentioned that I am not going to the CEO's cabin and digging for work on my initiative. Please note that whenever he assigned me any task, I handled it immediately, completed it as per the schedule, and also made it a point to report/intimate him about the status then and there itself in case of any unavoidable delay.

Now the questions are:

1) How can I go every time to his cabin and ask him to give any work or so-called "digging the work"? Even considering that it was my mistake for not going to his cabin, is it justified by the management to sack an employee only for this reason, without warning, training, or guidance?

2) Is it not the duty of HR to provide me with proper induction training and appraise me of my exact nature of assignment and duties? No induction training or handover of charge to me was undertaken by the management or HR when I joined this company. If I have not performed the assigned duties even after proper guidance and their instructions, then it was my fault. But they have neither assigned me any work, and their only argument is that I have not dug into the CEO to extract work.

3) Please tell me how I should every time knock on the doors of the CEO, considering that he is a very busy person and most of the time VP and other top management executives would be with him, discussing and making conference calls. Furthermore, I was under the impression that if any work is there, the CEO would call me. And I was religiously following this.

4) Even if the management feels that I may not be suitable for the CEO's assistant just because I am not extracting work from the CEO (as per their allegation), is it not their responsibility to assign me at least the general admin work as promised in the offer letter or any other suitable job? I think it is a classic example of "Chopping the hand just because of a small wound."

5) Dear valued members, especially Seniors, please tell me how to proceed further because I am a married person with a school-going kid and am on the lookout for a job now.

6) How can they come to the conclusion that within 20 days of joining, any employee is considered a misfit to the entire organization without giving him the assigned work (as promised in the offer letter and based on experience and qualification)?

6) Please also note that they have obtained a service bond from me for a period of two years.

Let me conclude this with the hope that valued members would come out with guidance. Kindly help.

Thanks

First of all, HR has no power; it cannot make decisions, it only acts in the name of HR. HR is overseen by management (comprising the CEO and others).

I think something seems suspicious because no one issues a termination letter without prior verbal discussion, warnings, etc. It appears that you may not be on good terms with the CEO or some management personnel, or the CEO may not want to communicate directly with you. Therefore, they may be using the HR manager to convey their intentions to you. The HR manager, in turn, complies to protect themselves and cites reasons like performance appraisal not meeting expectations.

It might be advisable to consider changing companies promptly.

I wish you the best.

This was just a cooked-up reason to terminate you. There seems to be something else behind this.

If this is just a cooked-up story, then why the hell should the so-called Human Resource Department and the manager heading the department exist if they can't handle the aggrieved employee or run the company in a professional way?

Further, I came to know from one of the seniors that this is happening to most of the ex-employees as well. That is, whoever comes to this post has faced almost similar situations only. He said that this is not new.

As HR for HR has rightly said, some HR managers just exist to save their own skin and sometimes they do not exhibit real professional ethics and the human side of HR.

What I am trying to ask from you people is if there is any legal action I can take against these inhuman and highly unprofessional individuals?

Please revert back to me.

You know about the multitudes of cases pending in India? Yours will be added to it. So just quit the company, get your documents, and then give them a piece of what you think of them. Find out a better place for yourself. There are many good companies with the right HR practices.

Hi,

I can understand your anger and negativity. However, I do not understand how you can think of working further in this organization, especially for two reasons: You are not wanted; whatever the reason. From the strong words you have used, you hate them. It is in your and your family's interest that you immediately look for another job. Continuing in this job forcefully or by trying to intimidate them will only spoil your mental and physical health. One has to look forward and keep moving. When one door closes, there are many doors opening up. However, we do not see them for the simple reason that we keep looking back to the door that is closed. At such times, it is important that we maintain our positive attitude and look toward our personal growth. MOVE.

ALL THE BEST

Hi Guru,

As others have mentioned, it would be better for you to consider changing your job since you only have one month of notice period left. Start posting your resume on all job portals and search daily on these platforms; you should be able to secure a job within that timeframe.

Additionally, if possible, avoid mentioning your current company in your resume. This could potentially lead to a more positive response or reference from them during any background checks conducted by prospective employers.

Remember, sometimes it may be necessary to be strategic rather than completely honest during interviews. So, approach interviews thoughtfully and tactfully.

Wishing you all the best in your job search.

Regards,
Roopa

Hi,

It is quite mystifying (as others have pointed out) why you would wish to continue to work in a place where:

1) you don't have sufficient work

2) rampant politics exist

3) absence of HR processes which are followed

Were they paying you so much money? Even if they were, is the money sufficient compensation in the above scenario? Count yourself lucky that they have made you go. A 20-30 day employment need not be mentioned on your resume.

My observation is that your ego has been badly bruised. It also wants revenge, and this is not allowing you to progress further.

It would be in your best interest to leave the bruised ego along with the organization in the past and focus on the future. If you still want to get back at them, well - disclose the organization name and the concerned superior's name and details on this forum. The rest of us will know now to avoid this organization. There are other things with respect to bonds, etc., but it really would be a waste of time. Personally, I couldn't be bothered to do something like this because I would be busy searching for a job.

Post your resume on this forum along with a brief about your key skills and the kind of position you are looking for - there are many helpful folks here.

All the best!

Regards,

Ryan

Hi buddy,

I can very well understand your situation.

Still would like to suggest a few things:

1. Try to analyze the whole situation and see if any flaw is there from your side. Nowadays, most companies expect the new person to be enthusiastic and the one who can take initiative. It's very important to maintain a healthy relationship with your subordinates as well as with your seniors.

2. Speak to your boss directly without involving the HR person. There might be different reasons involved behind all this. Your boss might not want to disclose these in front of the HR person.

3. As everyone has suggested, start looking out for another option immediately. But this time, make sure that you will not repeat the same story. Try to find out more details about the company and if you are satisfied with them, then only approach them.

For others who have replied to this: Don't overreact to this situation. I feel it's a part of everyone's professional life. Try to suggest some good things rather than demotivating him.

Thanks,

K. Sanket

Pune

Hi Guru,

I would also suggest that you consider resigning from the company without pursuing any legal actions, as it could potentially lead to more complications for you.

However, my main advice to you is, before leaving the company, you should directly address the situation with the CEO. You should explain what is happening in the company and emphasize the need for the implementation of induction and training programs for new employees. It is unfair to evaluate an individual's performance in just 20 days, and it's important to prevent such hasty judgments in the future. While there is no guarantee that the management will heed your advice, there should be someone who can highlight their mistakes.

You are capable of clearly articulating the mistakes and shortcomings within the organization.

Another suggestion is to provide information about your qualifications and experience on this platform. This may attract job offers for you.

The above recommendations are solely my opinion. If you disagree or find them unsuitable, please feel free to disregard them.

I hope everything works out well for you, and I wish you the best for your future endeavors.

Goodbye,

Jyothi

Dear Guru,

If it has happened with so many people, then I must say, "YOUR CEO IS MAD." How did he become the CEO if he doesn't know how to handle people? Moreover, the HR policy is also lacking. I am sure the CEO doesn't value a good HR policy, and as a result, the HR manager is only enjoying his days by following the phrase "BOSS IS ALWAYS RIGHT."

Regarding your situation, please change the job immediately. Don't stay with such an unethical company.

All the best.

Thanks, Amit