A guy I work with was sacked yesterday

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
He was an angry man who would always scream and shout when things were not done his way. But he would only do this to workers who would not stand up for themselves. Two in particular.
The guy had been doing this on and off for a year and the bosses knew it. They would speak to him and he would calm down for a week or so.
Wednesday he was particularly bad and I had had enough of watching him screaming at this one particular worker. So I went to my boss and told him it was time to get rid of him.
My boss listened, got HR involved, took a statement from me and the three other employees.
After the statements were collated, the worker was called into the boardroom and was sacked.
Not something I like to do, but to watch fellow workers being constantly berated really riles me.
 

Seems there's always one in a group. Back in the late 1980s, there was a man in the department where I worked that for some reason used me as a punching bag (literally). He was always careful to do it when no one else was around. He sneak up behind me and hit me in the back. I kept telling him to knock it off, but he'd just laugh and walk away. After the third time, I finally reported him to the supervisor. I had to go to a HR hearing and testify. I was told later that he said he had an inoperable brain tumor that made him act that way and it was uncontrollable. I don't think HR bought it because he disappeared a few days later and I was told never to try to contact him (like I would) or if he attempted to contact me to report it to HR.
 
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The only time I had anything to do with getting someone fired:

There was a guy who was technically my supervisor; only technically because he didn't really have anything to do with my job. We got along OK on a professional basis but we had no "friendship" outside of the office. I don't believe I ever gave him any indication that we were "friends" in any way.

He was married, but having an affair with a lady who lived far away. At least twice, he told his wife he was going to a conference for work but went to visit this lady instead. I know this because he had told a couple of people, but not me directly. These people told me.

For some unfathomable reason, he told his girlfriend that I was his good pal and to contact me if anything ever happened. So one night, she called me, asking about his wife and told me she was mailing something to my house for me to give to him at work (I guess he gave her my address...yikes). I told her I can't be involved in this in any way. She said "too late, I already sent it". I told her I'll refuse it and to not call me again.

A couple of hours later, I get a call from his wife who started grilling me about his girlfriend and wanted to know what I knew. I told her that my only relationship with her husband was a business relationship and that I could not and would not discuss any personal information with her and please do not call me again.

Obviously, he had given both these women my name and telephone number....yikes.

I was really upset by this point. I could no longer work with this guy. I went to HR and made a complaint. Apparently, from what I heard later through the grapevine, this was the straw that broke the camel's back and he was out the door. Apparently there had been shenanigans before and that he had done something like this at a previous job.
 
Chet said:
It's become all too common here in the U.S. that when an employee is fired for cause, they come back with a gun.
Click to expand...
Something like that happened in a friend's company.

My friend had to lay a draftsman off for lack of work, not for cause. He said the guy seemed to take it well enough at the time, but came back with a gun the next day. My friend, who had fired him, was not in so the guy shot and killed someone else, who had no role in the layoff, did not even work for the same company. Sad, sad thing.

My friend never got over it... don't know what happened to the murderer, he's probably in jail, hope so.
 
Early in my career had to fire and layoff a few people, it made me sick, the worst stress I ever experienced at work. It was what made me get out of management and into a technical role, I never wanted to have to do it again. Fortunately none of my firings went bad.

When I started my own consultancy it was a one person operation, when I needed support I subcontracted or found ways to get it done without hiring people. I'm sure I made less money, but I know I was happier.
 
Chet said:
It's become all too common here in the U.S. that when an employee is fired for cause, they come back with a gun.
Click to expand...
You know Chet, them poor employees are like little kids at the candy store. If they can't have their very own way, they fall on the floor, scream, cry and bang their fists on the floor. Me thinks, they ought to grow up!

You know, good ole' fashioned common sense tells me that if you are a good employee you will stay on or at least be the last one let go if they are down sizing. Also, if you are one rotten, bad, unwilling to learn and know it all type of employee, well you ought to be fired and good-bye to you.
 
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Chet said:
It's become all too common here in the U.S. that when an employee is fired for cause, they come back with a gun.
Click to expand...
We are very lucky in Australia. We do not have a gun culture. Yes, people are murdered by gunshot, certainly not very many.
An average of 34 gun homicides per year between 2001 and 2019.
With a high of 54 in 2003 and a low of 17 in 2004.
 

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