Am I going to get fired?

23 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 18,2023 at 10:24PM UTC

   Yes, these are signs of a layoff.

   You are being forced out and pushed out.
   Madeline Mann recently explained seven signs you might be laid off: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4jXFS0R4w

2. AnonymousMay 18,2023 at 11:25PM UTC

   "I feel like something weird is going on" = your intuition speaking to you. Always trust your gut.

   Even so, it's difficult - especially when work and money are on the line. You intuitively feel something yet you rationally want answers and reassurance - all normal.

   With that, reassigning work, coaching moments, etc are unfortunately some of the signs of letting someone go. IG and YT are rife with posts about this. Especially as of late.

   Can you use this time to be prepared with lining up an exit strategy and perhaps take EAP if you still have it? Some folks say let the company fire you, others say collect severance. I can't comment on either as I have not had that.

3. AnonymousMay 18,2023 at 11:26PM UTC

   Yes, they are phasing you out.

4. AnonymousMay 19,2023 at 12:29AM UTC

   Even if this scenario is due to poor management rather than a concerted plan to phase you out, the end result is that you are not contributing much to the organization and will be the first to go whenever cuts are made. However, I've been in situations where this type of limbo can last for months or even years. I would advise you to make the most of the situation by actively looking for work and saving as much money as you can.

5. Mary PoolMay 19,2023 at 4:44PM UTC

   Yes, your position is being eliminated. My only advice to keep the job going until you find another post is to stop asking for permission and just do it. Your coworker needs help, and you can help, stop asking permission, just do! My daughter-in-law recently saved her job because she asked others if she could help when her workload was low. One of the other departments had a person leave. She was immediately transferred into the position, while her old position was eliminated. Her old manager told her she was within weeks of being laid off and saved herself.

6. AnonymousMay 19,2023 at 8:01PM UTC

   Hi original poster here- Well I suppose if you all are correct then what’s the best course of action here? Certainly I don’t let them know that I can tell what’s coming?

   I’ve applied for a few jobs so far, updated my resume of course.

   Anything else I could do?

   My husband is convinced by the way that they’re not going to fire me. Considering they just gave me a raise and a bonus at the end of 2022. I just don’t know what to think. This is kind of a weird company with a lot of unspoken rules. Mostly everyone works 50+ hours per week. Sometimes at all hours of the night. They discourage it in words but reward people who do. I think I figured that out too late and am kind of bummed about it.

7. AnonymousMay 19,2023 at 8:36PM UTC

   You may want to closely pay attention to Workhap on IG as he has all kinds of tips and tricks in this current climate and he dishes all the tea from a recruiter's perspective. Plus, his personality is great. I would also line up some consulting work on the side, too, and not have my eggs in one basket.

   Bonuses and raises are past energy and not a future guarantee. There was a post earlier here about a woman who had increasing roles, raises, etc only to find out that she's being pushed out. I have personally seen someone walked out despite being promoted with all of the bells and whistles the previous year.

8. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 12:29PM UTC

   they gave you a raise and bonus in 2022. Hmmmm. maybe you've interpreted this all wrong? this does sound like a weird company. Keep being an excellent employee; they are paying you for good work. You might turn your situation around.

9. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 12:43PM UTC

   Original Poster here-I know right! I don't know what they're thinking. I'm just working on any outstanding projects that I have on my plate right now, and then I'll start asking other departments like another commenter said if they need any overflow assistance.

10. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 1:17PM UTC

    I received a promotion and raise and was laid off 3 weeks later. Best you keep searching.

11. AnonymousMay 19,2023 at 9:16PM UTC

    Yes, sounds like your job is getting smaller, not bigger. Most likely your intuition is correct and you are slowly being phased out. It happens to everyone. It has nothing to do with you or your skills. My advice: enjoy this downtime and simultaneously dust off your resume. Time to repot yourself in a bigger garden with room to grow again.

12. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 12:27PM UTC

    agree. gut feelings are often valid. But don't panic. don't talk about being "burnt out" (pre-vacation)--just be your usual excellent self, do your best work, accept constructive criticism and keep your eyes out for a new position. You're working and collecting a paycheck right now. This is better than being laid off. I've been in your situation; it's rocky. Nothing you can do about it and making more noise won't help your situation. Stay under the radar and look forward. Who knows...you might find that they think you're terrific and your work situation changes for the better.

13. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 12:40PM UTC

    Original Poster here-This is certainly what I'm hoping for, but am also trying to be realistically prepared, just in case. I really appreciate your comment, thank you.

14. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 1:22PM UTC

    Also at my first semi nontoxic workplace and it FREAKS me OUT to no end. I am also the only human left in my position, they are trying to hire more but have also slowly realized maybe they shouldn’t kill me as no one else wants to do the same job I do. Walk slowly and quietly to someone above you and just ask. Let them know the workplace tension you are feeling and that it is stressing you out! If the are truly non-toxic they should be transparent with you!

15. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 12:38PM UTC

    Start job-hunting. Pronto.

16. Brenda AlvaradoMay 20,2023 at 1:42PM UTC

    Follow your instincts! Time to move on.

17. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 2:38PM UTC

    Just keep communication open and honest.

18. AnonymousMay 20,2023 at 4:16PM UTC

    I think you need to speak up and perhaps ask the question directly about why no new work is coming your way. Express to your manager and HR if there is one that you are doing better and want more work to do now that you have come back feeling fresh. You may get an answer that you don't want to hear that they are replacing you or phasing you out to an outsourced person but it's better to know than to be left wondering.

19. Susan PriceMay 20,2023 at 7:30PM UTC

    I like the "be honest and talk about it" advice here - but...

    Spend your found time creating other options for yourself if your gut says to - and my read is, yes your gut is telling you that.

20. AnonymousMay 21,2023 at 12:54PM UTC

    Just want to note here that there is a difference between getting fired, getting laid off, and getting forced out.

    Getting fired means you did something wrong.

    Getting laid off means the company did something wrong and now needs to cut staff to save money.

    Getting forced out means that they want to lay you off, but are cheap/already out of money, and don't want to pay unemployment, so they are trying to make you look bad so they can "fire" you.

    You are being forced out. This is becoming more and more common, and it is disgusting. First they moved all your responsibilities, and afterward they make it look like they had to because you're underperforming.

    The best way to combat this is to document all the stuff you've done, so you can rebut any accusations they make. You were doing well, and then they started talking down your work performance AFTER they moved your tasks to someone else.

    Try to get out before they let you go. If people ask why you're leaving, just give them a generic "changes in the company culture". It's an accepted euphemism for "those people sucked".

21. AnonymousMay 21,2023 at 6:53PM UTC

    Not the OP yet wanted to jump in and say thank you for this clarification. The forcing out is disgusting and so mentally abusive.

22. AnonymousMay 22,2023 at 7:22PM UTC

    I agree with other posters that this may be a good time to take advantage of a lower workload and start looking for other jobs. If you are committed to staying, I don't think that this is 100% a lost cause....but may not be worth the work that it would take for your new supervisor to trust you

    Your story struck me as somewhat similar to a situation I am currently in- although in this case, I am the manager. While I hope that your situation is different, I think that it might be helpful to share my perspective... I manage a small team of 3 and one is, simply put, much lower performing than the others. I inherited him from a previous manager with much lower standards and

    nearly all of my interactions with him have been "coaching moments" when I discover mistakes in their work or see opportunities for improvement. He requires a lot of handholding on any new project, makes a lot of mistakes and the output is just generally very mediocre. He also took a lot of time off last year for personal reasons (I don’t hold this against him specifically, but it does contribute to an overall impression of not being very competent/motivated)

    After getting burned a couple of times, I now assign nearly all new requests to the other team members or would rather just take it on myself. It’s not worth the time to walk through the details steps that have to be done, only to receive work back that needs to be thoroughly checked and in many cases redone. The other team members have easily 5x as much work as him, but they don’t want to give him anything for the same reason- we cannot trust the output of the lower performer, and even if the work is technically done according to the request, it is never as good as it could be. Unfortunately, he probably does not realize this since he has always been an individual contributor and in positions where it seems he was never held to a very high standard. Coaching has not really helped

    In our 1:1s, I have outright questioned whether he is suited to this position, and have encouraged him to look for positions on other teams. Frankly, I think that everyone on the team, including himself, would be better off if he found a position that suited his strengths better. Again, I hope that your situation is different, but I hope this gives you an additional perspective of what could be happening. I think its worth having an honest conversation with your manager to come up with a plan of how to turn things around.

23. AnonymousMay 23,2023 at 5:32PM UTC

    Here is another video this time from Recruiter Bryan Creely who hosts a YouTube channel called “A Life After Layoff” and shares 12 signs that you are getting laid off: https://youtube.com/watch?v=--Fcn8E74O