Today seems like a good day for a little HR advice.
Things To Do if You Think Your Boss is Going to Fire You
Things To Do if You Think Your Boss is Going to Fire You
1. Consolidate your personal belongings so they’re easy to grab if you’re not given a lot of time after the termination meeting. It’s super awkward to have to come back and ask for that mug your daughter made you.
2. Make sure you save any examples of your work, personal documents, or contact info for co-workers and clients that you may need in the future. Send it to your personal email, or save it on a flash drive.
3. Document every conversation leading up to your termination. Send a coworker an email telling them about a conversation. Email yourself a memo. If your boss tells you you’re doing great work, it’s hard to argue they’re firing you for performance issues. Write it all down.
4. Don’t quit. Why would you do that. Don’t quit. Maybe they aren’t gonna fire you. Maybe you have a wrongful termination case. Don’t make it easier for them just because you’re scared of being fired.
5. Don’t sign anything in the meeting. Ask them to give you the termination paperwork to look over. Make sure you’re not signing a non compete. Make sure you’re not admitting fault. If you don’t understand something, take it to a lawyer. But don’t sign anything in the moment.
6. Don’t argue with the person firing you. Don’t admit fault. Don’t allege discrimination. Make sure to ask them why you’re being fired. Sometimes they’ll tell you something different than what they put on paper. Ask about severance and benefits if you want. Then gtfo of there.
7. Grab your personal belongings. Don’t talk to your coworkers. Just leave. Head straight to a bar. Have a beer. Call a friend. Think about how nice it is to be out in the world on a weekday. Have another beer. Worry about your resume tomorrow. It’s going to be okay.
