Sounds like a set up

@dawnald (85135)
Shingle Springs, California
April 27, 2013 1:02am CST
What I posted a while back about R (the ex) quitting his job was a false rumor. Dearra misunderstood him. When he told her he was training his replacement he meant that he suspected that the company was intending to replace him. They've been piling crazy amounts of work on him, and then they sent this new manager to be trained by him. One of the other managers (in Palo Alto) said he thought it was his replacement, and the guy he was training said he was training for a job out of state. So today I get a text "I just got fired". Texted him back "seriously"? So he called me. He had finished training the other manager, and his boss came for a visit yesterday and today. Today, his boss calls him in to talk, and he says to his boss, "I know you're firing me, so just tell me what's on the paper". The boss looks surprised, and says that when he did an inspection, he found there were a few expired food items that hadn't been tossed. R says, "I've always scored 98% or better on inspections". Boss says, "we expect 100%". Rrrright... R is 55, the top of the salary scale, trains another manager, his boss comes out for a visit and "finds" something that's grounds to fire him. Sounds like a set up? My sister said he should talk to the EEOC about it. I think he should also talk to the other managers. If THEY were found with expired food items, and they still have their jobs, I think he has an age discrimination suit. Not that he really wants the job at 14 hour days plus weekends. At least he got fired, didn't quit, so he can apply for unemployment. I'd love for him to go to the EEOC though. Even if he doesn't want the job back, I think it would be great for them to give those jerks a hard time about it.
8 people like this
25 responses
@celticeagle (159572)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Apr 13
Yes, such things should definitely be faught. I tend to agree with the boss about food stuffs. That SHOULD always be 100%. But I would be curious as to the other managers scores on this same thing. Now days they can sure get ya for anything and with little or no notice.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
Agreed on the 100%, but if the standard has always been 98%, you don't just come in and fire somebody, you tell them what the new standard is FIRST,give them a warning. Unless, of course, you were intending to fire them.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
27 Apr 13
hi dawn and celtic I was fired solely because I "was almost 80 and she kept saying " I hate to do this as you are one of my best employees but you are almost 80.'"so after I had received my retirement funds and fell and broke my left shoulder, then headqyarters reviewed my firing and fired both my manager and assistant manager as ouu cannot fire someone if their work is well done just for being almost eighty. I was asked to come back but no I could no longer do that.The fracture was severe and resulted in my having to have a shoulder joint replacement. so it left me with only about ten per cent usage of my left arm so thet I could not shelve books any longer.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
something is rotten in the business world today...
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
27 Apr 13
That really bites! What does he do for work? I agree that it definitly sounds like a planned dismissal and a pretty dirty trick having him train his own replacement. A lot of companies will do this not just for age reasons but if R had been there a while and was making a decent wage, someone new might be starting out at less and with less benefits. It doesn't sound right and I think he would have a case. I would just go with that he got unfairly terminated as opposed to age discrimintation. The discrimination would be hard to prove and may or may not be their reason. Still, like you have said, 98% has been fine all along and there were no warnings or complaints about his work. I think R should at least speak up.
3 people like this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
29 Apr 13
I'm not surprised. Just from all your previous posts, tony sounds like a very very laid back person that does not want to cause or add to conflict. I do think he has a case and if he fought it and won then they would have to pay him all of his lost wages up until the verdict. My brother did that with the company he has been with for over 30 yrs. He got fired for getting hurt on the job. He fought it and won this huge settlement and then the company got bought out and he got rehired and is still working for the same company.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
We're not talking about Tony here, it's my ex...
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
reataurant management - he's happy to be out of there and doesn't want to pursue anything.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
27 Apr 13
What a total and utter set up! And how pathetic the way they have gone about it, they obviously wanted him out, so they concoct this all up and expect 100%. I would be angry, I hope he does get recompense and go through the channels to see that he gets a fair hearing even though he doesn't want the job back the way they got rid of him sucks big time and there must plenty of evidence he can use against them on top of age discrimination. I'd want justice personally.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
I would too, but apparently he's happy to be out of there, and doesn't want to pursue anything.
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
27 Apr 13
In Texas, if you get fired, you can't get unemployment because you were let go for cause. The only way is to be downsized or the business going out of business, stuff like that.
3 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
Here, the company can try and deny unemployment (so they don't have to pay their share of it), but they have to go to a hearing and justify it. It has to be for an egregious offense, or the court will order them to pay anyway.
1 person likes this
• China
27 Apr 13
As I see it,R only got some stick for a few expired food items and there was no suggestion of getting R. the sack from what the boss said.Perhaps,R. smelt a rat then.But then,if you are out to condemn somebody,you can always trump up a charge.
3 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
Well, that's it. Richard's salary was high because he'd been there a long time, and this company (it's a new company took over from his old one) has a reputation for bringing in lower paid people and a lot of part timers.
• Pakistan
27 Apr 13
this situation boss decision is clearly understanding because in professinal environment because there be food expire using by human being it be fatal mistake no body compromise in the situation whether it quit or fired that not a matter is any thing is more important then human life ,so it best for a administration to take ihis decision on time
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
Sure, but if you have a 98% standard for inspections, you don't come in and fire somebody who meets that standard. And if you are changing the standard to 100%, you notify people of the new rules in advance. Unless you WANTED to fire them.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157675)
• United States
27 Apr 13
I had a friend who lost a job under similar circumstances, but it was not food related, but he was in his fifties. His comment was that "If they want to get rid of you they will always find something" and I think that pretty well holds true. This still leaves you in the insurance dilemma though, so I hope something comes through somewhere.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
Yep, they wanted to, and they did. Yeah, it leaves me in a bind with insurance, but I will manage somehow.
@BarBaraPrz (45597)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 13
What color is your cape? (Super Dawn to the rescue!) Seriously, though, if there are safeguards against unlawful termination, he should persue whatever channels available, with or without your help.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
Nope, not coming to anybody's rescue. I told him what my sister said, he said he was happy to be out of there and wasn't going to pursue anything. While I would love to annoy those people just because injustice pisses me off, that's the end of it.
1 person likes this
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
27 Apr 13
What a crappy way to go out! Training your own replacement? WOW!
2 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
He trained two of them, actually....
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
27 Apr 13
Yeah it sure does.. they probably want someone they can pay less to save money. Hubby has that problem too with his job, he's being paid as much as a General Manager.. or actually more than some of them, but he's basically an Assistant Manager. And he's still getting raises yearly, usually only like 10 cents or so.. but they pay him 10 hours overtime a week so it makes a difference. But he's so good at what he does I really don't expect them to even consider firing him or replacing him. I doubt R will go to the EEOC.. too many hoops and junk to jump through just to be spiteful. Just go for the unemployment because then his company is still paying him even with him not working there.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
R's really good at what he does too,but I guess that wasn't important...
@savypat (20216)
• United States
27 Apr 13
Sounds like there might be a problem there, but before I got involved I would want to know just how much of my time and money would be involved? Also people who are whisle blowers don't often find another job, the word gets around and they just don't get hired. This is not how the system should work, but reality is often different from what is intended. Good Luck to him.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
If he were to put a complaint in to the EEOC, they would investigate, and then require both parties to go to mediation(if they found fault). But R is happy to be out of there, and doesn't have any interest in pursuing anything.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
27 Apr 13
I would say that he has been fored and that he should go to the EEOC - which I am assuming is a body that would check into this. He needs to move qickly and get his facts from the other managers because after a while people, being people, tend to not talk because of fear of losing their jobs. He should point out that if they got rid of him then they can be got rid of just as easily. A real crock!!!! Of course they should have been given a hard time. I do hope he is pro active beause what does he have to lose?
2 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
Fored? Yeah, I would if I were him, but he's happy to be out of there, and doesn't want to bother.
@dagami (1158)
• Rome, Italy
27 Apr 13
if 98% was okay before and he was on this job for a long time with 98%, then i agree that it was a set up. bosses cannot change their minds as often as they please and expect their employees to immediately abide by their new rules. they have to give due notice. i think he should ask a lawyer about this.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
He should really let the eeoc investigate it, but he doesn't want to bother.
@RebeccasFarm (86846)
• United States
27 Apr 13
I am sorry to hear it happened. I does happen and I think you are right. To lose any job today, even though one may not want it or like it, is a real kick in the gut. I wish him the best.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
Yes, it is.... Thanks.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Apr 13
Tell him to go to the EEOC, he was right when he suspected he would be fired when he was supposed to train new managers - probably young kids who look as if they are still going to high school. I do think it is age discrimination and if he is fit, he will have a hard time getting another job. Many employers think we still live in the forties, that when you reached your fifties you were already going downhill, and you were lucky to survive to your sixties. So if he lives until he is eighty then there are about thirty or twenty productive years that will be wasted and not many can afford to go on a cruise every year. So he should go to the EEOC. A two percent mistake is not that much and if they wanted one hundred percent they should have told him that when they hired him.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
29 Apr 13
That's the trouble with guys. Us ladies can suggest something, but unless another guy suggests the same thing, they will not do anything about it.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
Hm, maybe I'll find another guy to suggest it to him. :)
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
I told him my sister had suggested it,but he's not going to...
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Apr 13
That bad Karma! Well, I hope he will be ok. I want him away from you but not destroyed. I'm hoping for the best for him. If you get to " speak" , tell him I'm rooting for him.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
Picking him and kids up at the airport tomorrow....
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
27 Apr 13
I am sorry to hear this and I do feel that there's some unfair dismissal here. Companies nowadays are finding excuses to dismiss staff than laying people off, so as to avoid compensating retrenchment. Whether your ex would be taking up the case would be up to him and if he has enough evidence to prove his case. Otherwise, I feel that it would be a waste of time. I hope he has enough money to sustain himself because I think it will be some time before he would be able to find work again. I understand that the situation in America is pretty tough and he is of age already. I wish things will work out for him eventually and soon.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Apr 13
He doesn't want to do anything. He's happy to be out of there. Personally, I"d file a complaint even so if it were me, but he doesn't want to.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
27 Apr 13
It's terrible how people are treated in the workplace these days. How long has he worked there?
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
This company just took over from his prior employer last December, but he worked in that location for about 5 years, and for the predecessor company about 18 years...
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
yeah, a lot of that, and you never know what you're getting with a takeover, but it's rarely as good as what you had before...
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
29 Apr 13
There's a lot of that going on..takeovers. Personally, I don't agree with them as the company that took over Reeds has FINGERS IN EVERY PIE and there is a danger that they actually take too many companies over and don't know what to do with them..and get rid. The bonus structure at Reeds is non-existent since the takeover as they keep 'moving the goalposts.' The bonus was a given under Reeds and many workers used it to pay outstanding bills or take their kids on holiday. All that's gone now because the bonus is - either - non-existent or very poor.
1 person likes this
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
28 Apr 13
Sorry to hear that for him. But is it worth all the hastle? Might be better just to find a new and better job. As if he wins they will always be after him.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
IF he can find a new job. You're right, they'll probably just set him up better next time. But it might help him find another job, having one as opposed to being unemployed.
• Mexico
29 Apr 13
I agree, hope it works out for him. let us know.
• Israel
28 Apr 13
i likes this !
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Apr 13
ok...