I asked my manager for help - the next day she told me I was being let go

Anonymous

March 12,2024 at 3:23PM UTC

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I asked my manager for help - the next day she told me I was being let go

For a while I was being thrown into doing things unrelated to my position and kept feeling like the company was not valuing me - including the fact that it took them months to put me into payroll after going from contract to hire.

I told my manager these situations made me lose motivation and that I wanted to open up to find a solution together. She seemed understanding during our call and said she appreciated me taking the time to confide in her, and that she would help me figure out action items to regain my motivation.

Well, the next day, she asks me for a call. I'm thinking we'll be discussing these so-called "action items" but instead she just told me "I spoke to my manager and we think the best decision is to find you a role outside of this company"...

I'm so stunned and don't know what to do. I feel betrayed and very disappointed. This is after 2 years at this company and on top of everything, I'm on a work visa. This is the FIRST time I've asked her for help in any way and it just backfired.

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AnonymousMarch 12,2024 at 4:45PM UTC
You dodged a bullet. Irrespective of your VISA situation clearly this is not an employer that cares for you or can nurture what you needed. Take a deep breath and move on.
Now if the company illegally kept you off payroll or paid you late for work that you did you might seek out a wage claim against them.
AnonymousMarch 12,2024 at 6:04PM UTC
This is horrible. She used this as a reason to reconsider your position. That's shady.
AnonymousMarch 12,2024 at 6:14PM UTC
Yes, I have 2 months after my contract is over (mid June). Considering the market, I am really worried though!
AnonymousMarch 12,2024 at 6:15PM UTC
sadly, an honest opinion is grounds for dismissal. I learned that lesson the hard way many years ago.
AnonymousMarch 12,2024 at 8:31PM UTC
it's ok - I do have enough savings. it's my lease that worries me the most since I'd have to break it. but I still have 3 months to see if I can get something. I'm an Engineer so hopefully hopefully that helps me find more opportunities
Star7March 14,2024 at 3:19AM UTC
Wow, unbelievable.
AnonymousMarch 17,2024 at 4:55PM UTC
This is a hard lesson in a few areas: most of us are asked to do things outside of our job description and few of us have the option to complain about it without the fear of reprisal; your manager is neither your friend nor confidant; and ultimately you’re on deck to maintain your work mojo.
The compounding factor in your situation is your work visa. You’re in a very submissive position since your employer is the sponsor and I sense it was a miscalculation on your part to reveal that you were losing motivation.
Your employer holds the upper hand as your visa sponsor so when they heard your motivation was waning, they cut their losses. Being a sponsor is costly and laborious, they saw the ROI of their sponsorship evaporating.
I’m sorry this happened. Again, a really hard lesson on the employer / work visa sponsor / employee dynamic.
AnonymousMarch 17,2024 at 10:04PM UTC
that's the thing - I'm on a TN visa. not an H1B or L. i'm not "sponsored", keeping me on payroll is like keeping any other US citizen, it doesn't have any additional costs for them