just got fired

Sorry, Michelle. *hugs*

yeah, I am kinda bummed. I tried my best and it seems like she(the manager) let me go because she didn't like me. What kind of excuse is, you are not fast enough? I only had a few shifts, it wasn't even busy.

I think on it's own, probably being slow is an excuse to try and say you didn't do your job competantly enough, therefore was not doing her job properly...

...HOWEVER!!

Since you spent a day WATCHING and never got the opportunity to practice before the rush of customers (you're bound to panic under pressure), I think that would be illegal given the circumstances. I would speak to someone official though, like Citizans Advice Bearu? I can't spell. Considering that you weren't there for very long either you weren't given much of a chance to prove your competancy.

At least you can have some comfort that in hiring you and dismissing you, they have wasted an awful lot of money and will have to waste an awful lot more to hire someone else. Also if they are going to treat you like that then you might have had a lucky escape from an awful job... I hope that brings you some comfort.

Seriously? That's harsh. Most workplaces have a warnings system... Do you have a union rep? Were you on a trial or did they actually hire you properly?

It doesn't sound like there's a lot you can do to actually get the position back, but I would write an official letter of complaint to the head office detailing your 'training', how busy the shop (?) was, and saying that you were trying your best. Hell, you *should* be working slower than average on you first week as you'll be being careful and making sure you're not doing anything wrong!

well I thought I was doing fine, I was slow packing the food. What was I supposed to do, jam it all into a bag.

and slow counting the cash, you would think your customers would like it if they got the right change back

When I was working 3 months after my surgery they took me down from 30 hours a week to 3 hours a week saying I was too slow on my feet....if they would of had fired me it would of been a law suit.


I am sorry Michelley, love you.

thanks sug. I don't understand why they would say too slow. I mean I was still learning

That sucks! I worked at a grocery store for 2 years (when I was 16). My training consisted of 3 four hour shifts that were not cash related. We had to study the codes for fruit and veggies. Then we had 1 day of cash practice but we didn't get any real practice because we could only do very very basic things and we also had to watch other people do it. Then all of a sudden we were thrown on cash at rush hour and it was sink or swim. At my workplace there was a 3 month "probation" which was a testing period. If they didnt like you for any reason they could fire you just like that without giving much explanation. After the 3 months it got harder to fire people but I still think that they make up reasons if they dont like you. There's not enough "regulations" about it. It's your word against theirs and there's ALWAYS a reason to let someone go.

I agree that firing you because you're too slow is crazy! Everyone's slower when they are new! I used to be the fastest cashier they had because my average service time was 30 seconds per order BUT it took me a year of working to become that efficient on cash!

After working for a couple months I became supervisor and I had to tain people for cash and as long as these people were responsible and good workers I kept them on - their speed didn't matter! Her reason for getting rid of you might have been personal. My boss was like that; she judged people based on first impressions. If she didnt like you when you walked in you weren't getting very far. she would also complain about some workers (usually young ones) calling them lazy YET those people were the hardest workers out there. They could kill themselves trying to go so fast and it still wouldn't be good enough YET the manager's friends could stand around all day doing nothing and get raises.

Workplaces often remind of high school. Their's an "in" croud and if you're not part of it, it's going to be hell. The problem with that is I hated high school!

I agree with Lolly - this might have been a way out of a horrible job!

It's unfair and I feel sorry that you had to work somewhere so unprofessional.

That really sucks Michelle, I don't think they should be able to do that. Sending lots of hugs your way.

How long did you work there? Unfortunately there is a legal 'probation' time when employers and employees can get out of the contract without notice/legal stuff etc'. It's supposed to protect employees from nasty bosses and employers from people who suddenly turn out to be incompetant/dishonest...but unfortunately some use it unfairly and on a whim.

I think what they did was wrong but I doubt it was illegal.

just a week

Too bad you can't collect from them--I think you can only do that after three months--HOWEVER! Food service (it sounds like this is what you were in) is a HORRIBLE business to be in; I was a waitress once, and it sounds like you got out of a bad situation that I experienced. Just think, next thing you know (if you hadn't been fired today), you'd have been fired because of your manager's jealousy over a friendship or something equally inexcusable.

I know it sucks, but think about it this way--YOU and WE know that you are a competent, and indeed, a highly-talented individual. Managers in the food, grocery, etc. business are often 50-or-so and never achieved anything (at least in the USA), so they get easily intimidated by those who "are going places."

People like us can unwittingly make others uncomfortable, just because we have a little bit of perceived success. It's wrong, but it's the way of the world, unfortunately.

I know us saying these things does not replace cold, hard cash, but at least you aren't in these bad working conditions anymore.

Good luck, and hugs!

thanks Rach

I hope we are helping at least a little. <3