Two of the people who helped train me at work were fired on Friday. This was not an expected event...both had worked at the company for years, knew the area forwards and back, and were considered key members of the team.
I had worked with them for five years. I considered them to be very good work friends. More importantly, they went out of their way to be kind, considerate, and understanding towards me.
They were quite well-liked.
So, nobody was really prepared for their sudden firing. Nor was I prepared for the extremely ugly, shocking hints I gathered about why they were fired.
Frankly, it doesn't match what I know about them. It's one of those really major, bad things too...the sort of thing I'd never normally suspect someone so responsible and kind of doing.
I'm not handling this very well. Our area ran as well as it did in no small part due to them.
I knew I could rely on them. I liked them a lot.
I'm ashamed to admit it, but I burst into tears several times today. It just doesn't make any sense. I'm still in emotional denial over it.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
It might be an outside chance, but could it be more likely that your bosses spread a rumor so the rest of the employees wouldn't get up in arms about it?
But then, why fire two employees so important to the team? Either way, I'm sorry. It sounds like an all-around crappy situation. Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
Well, my bosses aren't the rumor-spreading type, and they don't have a history of firing people without a rock solid reason. So, at best I can hope this is all a monstrous misunderstanding that went out of control...but that's not looking likely. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I'm not sure what you could be talking about... Distributing (or viewing) child pr0n? Embezzling? In any case, people who seem like they never could do the things they do do them all the time, alas. I hope the truth becomes clear so you can have peace about it. I'm sorry your friends are gone.
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
Until I get information confirmed on the exact reasons why they were fired, I'm hoping what I heard from secondary sources was -way- off base.
Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
I don't suppose you can tell us what it was... you've got me really curious as to what could be so bad. I hope it's just crappy rumors and that they were fired for something mundane and out of their control like the bombing economy.
(((Puffy Treat)))
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
Drug dealing.
Yeah, like I said, not the sort of thing I'd ever in a million years expect.
Despite the poor economy, my company's doing better than it ever has. Our plant is currently the top one. I'm hoping what I heard was not the reality of whatever it is that lead to their termination.
Posted by EmpSquared (Member # 10890) on :
Drug Dealing?
Maybe I'm desensitized, but at the places I've worked at, several trainers and managers (good ones) have been users and dealers. In fact, one of my favorite managers ended up being a crack user, and I almost got blamed for an instance where he took some money (of course, he wasn't my favorite after that, but he was agreeable, efficient and fair otherwise).
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
These two people gave no sign of being users or dealers, or of stealing money, or any of the sort, so I'm hoping the stuff I've been hearing was wrong.
On the other hand, they're both such valuable members of the team that I can think of little else that -would- lead to instant firing.
Most of my company's business involves taking children's pictures, so it has a very strong no-drugs policy for its employees.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
I don't like drugs the entire thought of heroine and meth make me physically sick. Even when we learned about steroids in 5th grade I puked.
Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
You must have rather strict bosses. At the places I've worked at and the places where my friends have worked, our bosses have known about employees using and dealing drugs and have done absolutely nothing about it as long as they didn't come to work high. I don't even know your co-workers and yet I still feel sorry for them.
Posted by EmpSquared (Member # 10890) on :
SoaP-
What state/county do you live in? If you don't mind me asking.
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
quote:Originally posted by SoaPiNuReYe: You must have rather strict bosses.
The (secondhand, so I don't know if it's true) story I've heard is that the security cameras caught them dealing on the premises. As far as I know, most workplaces prohibit such activities.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
SoaP, have you and your friends worked anywhere professional? I haven't had a job since I was 20 at a place that wouldn't fire someone for committing a felony.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
I think it depends on the circumstances. Caught using or dealing on the premises I would assume would lead to instant firing. I've known people at jobs though who failed drug tests and were just put on probation, this includes government jobs.
Posted by Javert (Member # 3076) on :
The term 'drug dealing' is loaded with a lot of baggage as well. It can cover the range from these two selling meth and heroine using the business as a cover to one of the guys selling the other 20 bucks worth of pot.
Both of those extremes could be consider worthy of being fired over. But the latter makes more sense given the fact you believed you knew and liked these people.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
It can even reach to someone just having around more than a certain amount of pot.
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
In a legal sense, yes. In this case, it seems unlikely.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)