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My son just walked out the door. It was a reflex but I said “Good Luck”. I hate to do that, because it almost feels like a jinx. I just couldn’t help myself. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. He isn’t on his way to take his driver’s test again. Not this time.
Today, he is headed to an appeal hearing.
He left his previous job (one that lays him off every winter) and started working for another company. This company had similar work, but it was different every day. There was less outdoor/in the mud/heavy lifting involved. The money was slightly better, the people – for the most part- nicer, and best of all……he liked it. Every day, he came home tired, but happy. This was a son I hadn’t seen in a while. Every day I thanked God that things were going well for him.
Just after the holidays….within a day or two of breaking up with his girlfriend AND failing his driver’s test….he was fired.
He had been told that part of his job wasn’t done. He claimed that the boss hadn’t told him about that part, but he went ahead and did it. A co-worker went to the boss and told him that Son bitched and moaned and said that he wasn’t a mind reader and that the boss was an ass. Son denied that ever happened and I believe him (“Mom, I liked that job and the makeup work wasn’t that big of a deal”) Boss said he didn’t need an employee who couldn’t take direction and said that “it just wasn’t working out.”
Son was devastated.
Anyway, he was advised to see if he was eligible for unemployment benefits. Department of Labor told him yes and so he applied and began receiving benefits. A few weeks ago, on the last day that he could possibly appeal, the boss did exactly that. Today, it will be decided if the boss was wrong, or if Son has to repay the money received. Of course, in the two months between the firing and the appeal notice, Son had paid his bills. The money is not there.
Can things get any shittier for him? Yes. It will be bad if he needs to come up with this money. Of course, we will help him out, by paying back most if not all of the debt. Son will take the help but not be one bit happy about it. That means that he will owe his father, something that is, in his book, worse than root canal. He will work on weekends for free to pay us back. He will clean gutters, wash trucks and whatever ‘bitch work’ happens to come up.
I don’t know if it’s worse on him to be doing it, or on me watching and knowing that it really isn’t his fault.
Please think good thoughts.
****The latest: Boss never showed up, never cancelled with the court. Son took off a day of work (that he needed) just to be told “never mind”. Does this mean the appeal is dismissed? Not a clue, but his current boss says that the court frowns on that shit and most likely will rule in Son’s favor. God I hope so!!!! Thanks for your positive energy and it wouldn’t hurt to ask to keep it coming. Love you all!!
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teri said:
on March 19, 2012 at 9:26 AMwhy do people have to be so shitty? and the boss should have gone to your son and asked him if he said those things. He should NOT have taken anothers word for it.
Metalmom said:
on March 19, 2012 at 10:02 AMteri-Boss took the other guy’s word for it since he was a long-time employee. I’m on pins and needles waiting to hear how it went.
Megan said:
on March 19, 2012 at 10:22 AMAh, I’m so sorry. Thinking good thoughts. xo
Sybil Law said:
on March 19, 2012 at 11:19 AMWhat a dickhead boss.
Hope it works out!!!
Metalmom said:
on March 19, 2012 at 1:08 PMMegan-Thank you my friend!! <3
Metalmom said:
on March 19, 2012 at 1:09 PMSybilLaw- The latest news will be the update….dickhead is right!!
Sybil Law said:
on March 19, 2012 at 1:18 PMI always thought that if the other party doesn’t show up, that means it’s ruled in his favor automatically? WTF.
Sooo annoying.
Megan said:
on March 19, 2012 at 1:19 PMStill sending good thoughts, but thing are looking up!
cathy said:
on March 20, 2012 at 11:47 AMWow, long term employee or not that shit would never happen here. I know my boss would never take anothers word for it because all kinds of things could’ve influenced that person to say what he did about your son. He may not have liked him, your son may have been a better/harder/more conscientious worker. Could be anything and anyway where are the damned labour laws down there? Don’t know if I’m missing something or what but here the protocol is as follows. 1)Verbal warning, 2)Written warning 3) Suspension 4) Termination. My god it’s bad enough the politics scare the hell out of rational people and now we hear of this happening? Crazy shit man. As much as you’d miss him, I’d advise him to come here for work. He’d get treated fairly.
Anyway that’s my rant, I do hope it goes well for him. If anyone ever needed to catch a freakin break it’s him.
Metalmom said:
on March 20, 2012 at 8:47 PMWe are now waiting for a letter to come in two weeks. We are pretty sure it will go in his favor. This wasn’t a big company and so I don’t know if they had any of those steps in their process of firing. (Ours is likewise very small, however it’s family….that makes it harder to fire!) You’re not kidding about him needing a break!!
cathy said:
on March 21, 2012 at 12:39 PMWell Chris if they don’t have those steps in place, they should. Even tiny companies here have to follow the labour laws protecting people from asshats like that boss who think they can circumvent the rules to suit themselves. It makes my blood boil to hear stuff like this cos the U.S. isnt a third world country and I believe sweat shops were outlawed. Maybe that’s in your sons future. to lobby for changes made to the labour laws to protect the little people. My company isn’t unionized but you’d hear us screaming all the way to the Board of Labour if they tried any crap like that.
Ok I have my fingers crossed for him, sending all kinds of good mojo and either way he should file a complaint with whoever takes care of that there.
cathy said:
on March 21, 2012 at 12:44 PMsorry, meant to add that the only time it doesn’t work that way is when the person is on probation which can be anywhere from 1 month to 3. But most employers don’t take the time and energy of hiring and training someone new, only to toss them to the curb for any excuse at all. Most would speak to the employee first, keep an eye and then if it wasn’t working out, the hiree could be let go.
Diosdado Macapagal said:
on April 27, 2012 at 10:57 AMAbsolutely right, I do agree with your post. By the way recently I joined a newspaper as a correspondent. I need to write an article on Top Workplaces in Pittsburgh. I searched & found there are so many good companies here like Cochran, ACHIEVA, ACTION-Housing, Inc. Field and Technical Services & Graybar Electric Co. Do you guys have any idea about these companies? I will appreciate your view.