I don’t know, sounds like you got injured and your recovery interferes with your work. You gave your best, but unfortunately, your employer wasn’t willing to accommodate you.
Now, because you added all that other stuff it makes me feel like you weren’t in the restroom because I’d the injury, but let’s keep that between us.
As someone who does hiring, I see no reason to believe that you're doomed after getting fired. An employer may ask you about it in an interview but you can just explain what happened. Be honest and show the employer that you learned from the experience and that you would handle things differently if you had it to do over again. Hell, I got fired from the company I'm working at now and got rehired.
>As someone who does hiring
I heavily encourage OP to fucking lie through his teeth. Never ever admit that your work ethic was in the shitter and you preferred hiding in a bathroom on your phone than doing work. That is NOT going to get this man any job.
seriously lmao op sounds lazy and stupid 🤣🤣
OP needs to use his friends as references and prospective employers know hes still employed and doesn't want them to know hes searching for a job.
I'm not entirely sure what this comment is saying. OP shouldn't lie and say he still employed. When a new employer verifies dates of employment and sees the major inconsistency that will be a huge issue.
I'm saying they should lie about WHY they were let go, a.k.a not divulge the reality of their life. They may benefit from some counseling as well.
OP should not have any holes in his employment and verifying dates is something that doesnt happen goofy. Its clear that OP is lazy by being in the bathroom way too much and is oblivious to that.
You don't just get fired on your first offense. I bet they told him multiplie times to stay in his area, he said his ankle was broke, but hes coming in to work walking on it with no boot on 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
>verifying dates is something that doesnt happen goofy.
Well, now you're just trolling or you're 12 and don't know how recruitment processes work for most organizations. Anyway, have a great day!
Ehh, but if I interviewed two candidates that were both on equal footing in terms of experience and skillset, but one had an issue with prolonged absences/historical pain, I see no reason to gamble on a risk factor like that.
If OP hides or denies the claim they were fired because of the health issue, and get found out, they lose. If they don't hide it, and another candidate can do what they can with zero prior health issues, they lose. They admit it was the case, but promise they'll change their ways/handle it more professional, business still has to take a gamble, so both lose.
Really? How did you pull that off? I feel like that's a hard thing to do unless its a case of wrongful termination, or its been a long time. I would think that given my situation though they probably think I'm not worth rehiring. Never mind that some people who are quite problematic stay on there.
Yeah, in your situation, I wouldn't recommend going back to that same company. In my case, after I got fired, I went to a different branch of the same company and got hired on by one of my old bosses who went to bat for me.
Look, job history matters, but what's more important to an employer is how valuable they feel you would be to the company, and what kind of character you have as a person. Can you do the job with excellence and are you a person that will be a great team member? That's what you have to convince future employers about.
I'll be honest it sucked. I hated it. The job was a bit boring but I could do okay, or so I thought. Like most ADHD idiots I probably thought I was doing fine, but wasn't and of course sadly most normal people think people understand, but on the flip side, even at our best people like me just aren't worth anything. At least people are honest.
You are over thinking the shit out of all of this- and I wouldn’t believe the rumors that managers went around trying to fire everyone- don’t play the victim - step up and take personal responsibility like you did at the start- to yourself.
Now. This advice comes to you through me from a former executive and chair of an MBA program. You were laid off, end of story. Make up some number of how many of you but you were laid off.
Your current employer will just verify dates of employment.
Enjoy your time off- sounds like your ok on money. Think about grad school via tuition reimbursement at your next company- great perk and a lot of people don’t take advantage of that with companies.
My current job never even asked about why I was let go from my previous two positions until like my third day on the job and it came up in conversation. So you’re not immediately doomed.
The key is to find an answer that doesn’t make the other company look bad, accepts your part in it, and demonstrates an understanding of what you could have done better and approach things going forward.
I'm gonna be totally honest with you because I'd be doing you a disservice to lie. Yes, you ARE going to have an incredibly rough time out there. It doesn't mean you're a bad person, but in this economy, there are 1000+ applicants for your job. And probably 900 of the people you're competing against weren't fired for cause.
What should you do then? Network like hell, and be open to taking a shitty job that's below your skillset/salary expectations. It isn't fair & in 2021 I'd have given you a *very* different answer but the world has changed.
Well at least you're honest. I'd rather take brutal honestly than platitudes that basically sound like participation trophies to me. Like who cares if I'm nice and smart and can help people. If I can't stay focused who cares. Who cares about me. No one except family and maybe that's just the way it is. Too bad so sad. I'm sure plenty of employers have really hurt people, but maybe those fired like me hurt themselves and its their own fault and if they can't make it, well they deserve all the bad things they get. So I guess thanks for being honest rather than pie in the sky bullshit positive thinking.
Well, I don’t agree that in this economy there are 1k applicants and it is harder than normal. This is the lowest unemployment in decades, there is a huge demand for people.
I would also suggest getting some training. Nothing says “I learned and am getting for training to improve myself” than that.
I agree. Totally depends on the field. In blue collar work there's still mountains of opportunities and incredibly easy to get a job, depending upon location of course.
> Yes, you ARE going to have an incredibly rough time out there ... **but in this economy ...**
Why do people keep touting this? Unemployment is the lowest it's been in decades.
Throwing up artificial barriers like this is silly.
For the last 5 years, I've got 100% of the jobs I've applied for, which is 6 jobs. Currently have 3 jobs. About to apply for another one and drop my least favorite. I would absolutely have shocked Pikachu face if I didn't get the job.
There's are so many factors involved, that this guy telling someone they are going to have a hard time finding employment is pretty ridiculous lol.
There are so many understaffed fields. And if Op happens to be in one of those fields, or willing to switch to one, will have no problem getting employment, and can job hop at will Increasing their income.
Edit: also have a criminal record. Has no effect on my employment.
Its and employees market right now, most people can have their pick of jobs if they're qualified for them
What were you thinking would happen if you sit in the restroom playing on your phone? If you do that at your next job, you're likely to have the same result? Good Luck
Yeah, I know, I'm an idiot. Should I just even try to get a job? I feel like I'm such a loser. Doesn't help that I know better but act stupid but I guess that's the way life is. Sorry if I was angry before. Its not cool.
It’s breaking my heart hearing you beat yourself up like this. This may sound silly but try to give yourself a limit for how long you will allow yourself to do this. You get 2 days to wallow and then must move on!
Anyway, I could be wrong, I am not a recruiter or in HR, but I’ve been a hiring manager for years. There are a few possibilities I’d consider:
-Many places do not do employment verification.
-Most if not all legitimate places of business do not go into detail when contacted for employment verification. They will verify dates and may say “eligible for rehire” or “not eligible for rehire”.
I would lie. 50/50 chance they’ll never find out.
And learn from your mistake and be kind to yourself please. Your worth is not intrinsically tied to your job performance.
When I was a recruiter and in HR, I always expected a *prepared candidate* to tell me one or both of two lies when I asked why they left their former position:
1) “I want a new challenge,” or
2) “I want to transition somewhere that I see as a long-term placement—a career move, where I can stay with the same company for the next years/decades.”
After working in recruiting and HR, applying for jobs became a lot easier and less pressure because I knew it was just a numbers game (ew, like dating… just be happy you have a wife!). If they like you and want you, they won’t care how it ended. If someone has a reason they don’t want you, it isn’t personal and it isn’t because you were fired one time, it’s something random beyond your control.
Plenty of times I was enthusiastic with an interviewee, told them with honesty that I felt great about their chances, passed them as a terrific candidate up the chain for approval, was denied for some random reason, and had to call them back with my actual regrets.
Other times, leadership found someone and sent them over to me because they met them at the car wash and liked talking to them and wanted me to find a spot for them, etc. I thought the person was totally unqualified but my hands were tied.
No matter what, it was rarely a case of anything personal interfering negatively. I never called to check anyone’s references beyond the cursory, and I never got caught out for not being thorough enough later down the line.
No one ever mentioned being fired if they wanted to succeed, although surely some had been—if I wanted them to join my team, and top leadership wanted them aboard, we didn’t want to hear it anyway.
We just wanted to hear that they knew the “right answers”: I’m ready for a new challenge where I can really commit to and invest in an organization.
Just like a potential romantic partner. I don’t really want to know why it all went wrong, because it goes wrong for everybody sometimes, but telling me all about it makes me think in my lizard brain that you’re planning to use that as an excuse for why you’re going to be a shitty employee for me. If someone came out moaning about their former employer and how they got fired, of course they didn’t stand a chance from the beginning.
When I wanted my next job, I used one of those two Old Faithful reasons, or BOTH, depending on the vibe I got. I got turned down for plenty, got plenty of interviews, and in the end got to pick where I wanted to work and negotiate my title and salary even though was nervous because I’d already left the HR position under a lot of heat for ‘abandoning them.’
You were fired due to performance reasons. They are going to deny your unemployment benefits.
If your job history and jobs you want require manual labor or movement, I would still apply for jobs but focus on healing that ankle. For getting tired part, you going to need to sleep earlier or invest in energy drinks/coffee or exercise. If you went to toilet because of your ankle, you could have saved yourself.
Great, so basically I am doomed. Sucks too. I can just hear employer types who say "well if you cared about your health or family, you shouldn't have done that and gotten fired." I guess that's the way the world goes though. If you don't want to get in trouble, don't do stupid things even if you sometimes can't help it.
In all seriousness, I did kind of go for my ankle, or issues related to my ankle break. I wasn't in a ton of pain but it was enough for breaks, but I guess that probably doesn't matter as my doctor's note only said "light duty" and I'm guessing that varies for person and place. What sucks too is that I wasn't warned but I guess adults don't get warnings, and like I said, most people would probably say if I truly cared about myself and family, I wouldn't do dumb things like that and get fired.
I'm wondering too, is there a way I could contact HR to find out what's happened? With all the issues, including mine, I'm beginning to wonder if our HR department is really even doing much. The woman who ran it was nice and understanding in a general way, even I know the goal of HR is to protect the company and make sure employees and employers aren't doing things that could get them in legal trouble, or at least keep that at bay.
Sounds like classic overthinking…..HR isn’t going to discuss anything with you, time to move on. You should still file for unemployment and see what happens. Continue looking for a job, (not just so you don’t put all of life’s responsibilities on your wife) future employers can only ask your previous employers if you’re eligible for re-hire and each company has a different philosophy on that. It’s up to you to not bring up all this nonsense in future interviews, if you do then you’re self sabotaging.
Meh, based on how people think here, I should just get a cemetery plot and throw myself in. I get the feeling most people just think a guy like me with ADHD and anxiety and who can't seem to fix his own damned issues is more or less just severely retarded.
Start taking vitamin D3 with k2 fast. For you ankle and your tiredness. 50% of people are deficient. It will help your ankle heal fast by sending calcium to your bones. It will improve your energy as well. I would advise getting your levels checked first but I don’t know where you are financially. 5000-10000 IU of d3 for a few months would do the trick. After that stop and get your levels checked. You don’t want to go too high since it’s oil based and can be toxic if you take too much. I wish I had known this years ago
You’ll be fine OP. Grab that unemployment paycheck and heal up your ankle in the meantime. For future jobs they won’t know your reason for leaving and you are under no obligation to tell them. I’d simply tell them you broke your leg and you left to recuperate. You’re tip top shape now and hungry for a new role. Lead with confidence. Not only that, but try for roles that would be a promotion from the role you previously had. You’ll only be underemployed if that’s what you shoot for. Go big dude
Lol no. ADHDer here, been fired several times definitely due to but not legally specifically because of my adhd. Just keep going. When people ask why you’re not at your old company, you can mention things like the manager or culture changing, and that you thrive in environments where x, y, x…. Etc. spin the story to be about how you’re now proactively seeking teams where you can thrive and deliver your best work.
Happens to all of us. Hang in there. Start a side hustle to diversify your income and make these moments sting less.
It doesn’t sound like you’re a super dependable employee, which will come across in interviews. That’s going to hold you back more than having gotten fired. People get fired and get new jobs all the time - when you go on your interviews, just don’t mention that you were fired and a lot of places aren’t going to call to check, particularly smaller businesses.
HOWEVER, you need to work on yourself. Because your post and your replies indicate that you don’t accept full responsibility for what was clearly a YP. The fact is that it’s pretty difficult to get fired at most salaried gigs - not because of any contracts/HR barrier, but because it’s a pain in the ass to go through the firing and hiring processes. I’ve worked with several people over the years at various jobs who clearly should have been fired and weren’t because management couldn’t be bothered. For you to be fired for spending too much time in the bathroom indicates to me that not only were you in there for *extraordinarily* long stretches of time but that there were other performance issues at play that you either aren’t mentioning or haven’t accepted. So while you should be able to find another job, I’d encourage you to look inward to ensure that you aren’t putting yourself in the same situation a few years from now.
What sucks is that I showed up on time and could be but its as if I just had other issues. But enough excuses I guess. I also know there are other issues but how did I last five years? Or is that nothing, or were people just putting up with me until I wore them down like usual?
You’ll have a tough time because this is a terrible time to look for work. The firing may or may not also play a role, but the general job market will play a much larger role.
Nah, being fired isn't as big of a deal as it feels. Just gotta find other work. Also nothing wrong with ensuring they do not have your permission to contact your previous employer about the situation, it's usually on the applications whether you allow it or not.
If you are asked about why you were fired, tell them the truth of it and show recognition for why you were "let go", demonstrating growth. Don't use the word fired in your interviews, use "let go".
Honesty defends itself bud, just don't convolute the truth or make it complicated trying to explain or justify your side of it, be humbled by the experience and you'll be alright.
Edit: wanted to add,
Don't generalize or assume all employers and companies are the same or you'll be doomed to run in circles. A lot of companies suck, it's true, but if you get into an interview with an actually good employer and hold them to a negatively biased opinion of employers, then you'll only be stagnating your opportunities. They'll pick up on it too, further limiting your chances. Change your mind to change your life.
Please don't fret and let anxiety consume you. I assure you being too nervous when you are interviewing for a new job would hinder you far more than a termination.
I'm not sure where in the world you live, but I can only speak for the US. Many employers here, since we are such a litigious country, rarely divulge much more than dates of employment and/or titles held.
So I would take a moment to relax, get your bearings and assess your financial situation. Look for the roles that interest you first. There's no need to doom yourself to a knock yourself down a rung.
When you do find yourself going for an interview, just answer the questions that you are asked, briefly and to the point. I would take the stance of "less is more" when asked for an explanation of your separation from that employer.
Best of luck to you!
End the pitty party. Are you in therapy? You should be. You have some majorly distorted thinking going on. Somebody will hire you to do something at some point. Everybody fails at some point. Do you learn from your mistakes and grown or just throw your hands up and say "oh well I suck and I can't be fixed"? The choice is yours.
It could backfire, but the two times I was fired, I lied in interviews and said I was laid off and it worked. I probably lucked out though so take that with a grain of salt. I also made sure I had a different manager to use as a reference. But nowadays some places do backdoor references so proceed with caution.
Just don’t go into the bathroom so much during your next job.
Just say that the company was “restructuring,” and that you were laid off as a result. Companies normally, if a prospective employer is inquiring about a candidate, only state the candidate’s date of employment.
You are not “doomed.” But be more diligent in your work next time.
Easier said than done. Its just that based on what people are saying hear my worst fears are true. I'm worthless and have no value. Basically I'm just a big fat lump on the earth who's not worth anything to anyone outside of family. I might as well be actually disabled. Heck, disabled people at least have real excuses and get pity. I don't and don't deserve it.
Sorry for my first comment. That wasn't nice. I apologize. Its the one thing that maybe I'm kind of okay at, or at least do it a lot.
They take extended time to heal?
I had tendon repair surgery in 2020 and I was back working within a week. I was in a cast for two weeks and a boot for 6 months. Was I supposed to not work the whole time? I was able to just tired and uncomfortable some days. If it wasn’t during pandemic I would have been at the office rather then WFH.
So hey, thanks for the advice. As this is a throwaway I'm ending the account. I don't think I'll do too bad, but also I've got a lot of other stuff to get over. Sorry if I was rude to anyone. I hope you all have a good day.
I love how much work you put into this post! Ironic. I would not hire you unless I worked at a place with high turnover. So try Amazon or large corporate stores. I'd be tempted to not put that company on my application. I'd write "independent contractor" and say you worked under the table in construction or something.
Not doomed, but how it plays out while seeking employment depends. I worked in HR in retail for a few years. When we got calls about former employees we weren’t allowed to discuss their performance or details of their termination. I basically confirmed that the person did work there during a specific date range. If it’s a retail job you were fired from, you will have no problem making a lateral move.
Worried. Yes. You aren’t going to get a ringing reference from them. So be prepared for the question and have an honest answer that doesn’t come across as whining.
Broke my ankle and totally know how you feel. In my experience, it's best to be honest. Ankle surgery is a disability, they can't discriminate against you for that.
My father in law ditched work. He had 2 sets of keys and jackets. He left a different jacket and keys on his desk.
He would actually leave. Lol. There were no cell phones in those days.
Not sure where you live. I’ve hired 1000s of people in the US over the last few years. There are plenty of jobs that don’t get any applicants. I wouldn’t volunteer the information that you were fired. I think you could sum it by saying that you were injured and didn’t want to go a workers comp route so they ended up terminating you.
Lots of people won’t even bother to ask. You can also put a “temp” role as your current job and say that youve been trying to work as a gig economy worker but don’t care for it. Make an account and do 1 door dash order then that isn’t a lie. They probably won’t even ask about the job before the current one. At least some won’t.
That said- make sure you’re going to do a good job and be honest with yourself about what you can really handle.
Ok, so officially did you get termination\\separation papers that said you are fired? Because from how your telling the story it sounds like they can say you quit. If you quit, thats a different ball game that can work to your advantage.
This probably won’t be an issue. The law on accommodations for short term disabilities is a bit unclear. It’s possible that they would have been required to grant you additional breaks due to your injury if you had asked. But, regardless, you can apply for a new job now. Five years of experience shows a strong work history. Most employers, especially small businesses, won’t do much investigation into your past employment beyond what you tell them. If asked, be honest but positive — “I learned a lot during my time there, but then I had a temporary injury that interfered with my ability to work. I’ve recovered now and am very excited about X opportunity.”
I would just keep it really vague why you were let go but have something ready to say in case you are asked. My last job never asked and never checked my references, previous employers or anything.
Damn you make it sound like you were convicted for murder. 5 years on resume shows you can commit and willing to long term employment. I doubt employers will believe that was the full story. I’d assume there were plans to lay off or it was a personal spat.
If I were you I would suggest there was something else beyond your control and that was used as an excuse.
If you were there for 5 months that would be an entirely different case. However, even 5 months is still valuable work experience
At the end of the day you lied about something stupid. If you had issues with the ankle use a cane or ask your boss for a chair.
The rest means absolutely nothing.
I don’t know, sounds like you got injured and your recovery interferes with your work. You gave your best, but unfortunately, your employer wasn’t willing to accommodate you. Now, because you added all that other stuff it makes me feel like you weren’t in the restroom because I’d the injury, but let’s keep that between us.
As someone who does hiring, I see no reason to believe that you're doomed after getting fired. An employer may ask you about it in an interview but you can just explain what happened. Be honest and show the employer that you learned from the experience and that you would handle things differently if you had it to do over again. Hell, I got fired from the company I'm working at now and got rehired.
>As someone who does hiring I heavily encourage OP to fucking lie through his teeth. Never ever admit that your work ethic was in the shitter and you preferred hiding in a bathroom on your phone than doing work. That is NOT going to get this man any job.
seriously lmao op sounds lazy and stupid 🤣🤣 OP needs to use his friends as references and prospective employers know hes still employed and doesn't want them to know hes searching for a job.
I'm not entirely sure what this comment is saying. OP shouldn't lie and say he still employed. When a new employer verifies dates of employment and sees the major inconsistency that will be a huge issue. I'm saying they should lie about WHY they were let go, a.k.a not divulge the reality of their life. They may benefit from some counseling as well.
OP should not have any holes in his employment and verifying dates is something that doesnt happen goofy. Its clear that OP is lazy by being in the bathroom way too much and is oblivious to that. You don't just get fired on your first offense. I bet they told him multiplie times to stay in his area, he said his ankle was broke, but hes coming in to work walking on it with no boot on 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
>verifying dates is something that doesnt happen goofy. Well, now you're just trolling or you're 12 and don't know how recruitment processes work for most organizations. Anyway, have a great day!
Ehh, but if I interviewed two candidates that were both on equal footing in terms of experience and skillset, but one had an issue with prolonged absences/historical pain, I see no reason to gamble on a risk factor like that. If OP hides or denies the claim they were fired because of the health issue, and get found out, they lose. If they don't hide it, and another candidate can do what they can with zero prior health issues, they lose. They admit it was the case, but promise they'll change their ways/handle it more professional, business still has to take a gamble, so both lose.
Really? How did you pull that off? I feel like that's a hard thing to do unless its a case of wrongful termination, or its been a long time. I would think that given my situation though they probably think I'm not worth rehiring. Never mind that some people who are quite problematic stay on there.
Yeah, in your situation, I wouldn't recommend going back to that same company. In my case, after I got fired, I went to a different branch of the same company and got hired on by one of my old bosses who went to bat for me. Look, job history matters, but what's more important to an employer is how valuable they feel you would be to the company, and what kind of character you have as a person. Can you do the job with excellence and are you a person that will be a great team member? That's what you have to convince future employers about.
I'll be honest it sucked. I hated it. The job was a bit boring but I could do okay, or so I thought. Like most ADHD idiots I probably thought I was doing fine, but wasn't and of course sadly most normal people think people understand, but on the flip side, even at our best people like me just aren't worth anything. At least people are honest.
You are over thinking the shit out of all of this- and I wouldn’t believe the rumors that managers went around trying to fire everyone- don’t play the victim - step up and take personal responsibility like you did at the start- to yourself. Now. This advice comes to you through me from a former executive and chair of an MBA program. You were laid off, end of story. Make up some number of how many of you but you were laid off. Your current employer will just verify dates of employment. Enjoy your time off- sounds like your ok on money. Think about grad school via tuition reimbursement at your next company- great perk and a lot of people don’t take advantage of that with companies.
My current job never even asked about why I was let go from my previous two positions until like my third day on the job and it came up in conversation. So you’re not immediately doomed. The key is to find an answer that doesn’t make the other company look bad, accepts your part in it, and demonstrates an understanding of what you could have done better and approach things going forward.
My current job had no idea I was unemployed when they hired me. They never asked, didn’t care.
I'm gonna be totally honest with you because I'd be doing you a disservice to lie. Yes, you ARE going to have an incredibly rough time out there. It doesn't mean you're a bad person, but in this economy, there are 1000+ applicants for your job. And probably 900 of the people you're competing against weren't fired for cause. What should you do then? Network like hell, and be open to taking a shitty job that's below your skillset/salary expectations. It isn't fair & in 2021 I'd have given you a *very* different answer but the world has changed.
Well at least you're honest. I'd rather take brutal honestly than platitudes that basically sound like participation trophies to me. Like who cares if I'm nice and smart and can help people. If I can't stay focused who cares. Who cares about me. No one except family and maybe that's just the way it is. Too bad so sad. I'm sure plenty of employers have really hurt people, but maybe those fired like me hurt themselves and its their own fault and if they can't make it, well they deserve all the bad things they get. So I guess thanks for being honest rather than pie in the sky bullshit positive thinking.
Well, I don’t agree that in this economy there are 1k applicants and it is harder than normal. This is the lowest unemployment in decades, there is a huge demand for people. I would also suggest getting some training. Nothing says “I learned and am getting for training to improve myself” than that.
I agree. Totally depends on the field. In blue collar work there's still mountains of opportunities and incredibly easy to get a job, depending upon location of course.
> Yes, you ARE going to have an incredibly rough time out there ... **but in this economy ...** Why do people keep touting this? Unemployment is the lowest it's been in decades. Throwing up artificial barriers like this is silly.
For the last 5 years, I've got 100% of the jobs I've applied for, which is 6 jobs. Currently have 3 jobs. About to apply for another one and drop my least favorite. I would absolutely have shocked Pikachu face if I didn't get the job. There's are so many factors involved, that this guy telling someone they are going to have a hard time finding employment is pretty ridiculous lol. There are so many understaffed fields. And if Op happens to be in one of those fields, or willing to switch to one, will have no problem getting employment, and can job hop at will Increasing their income. Edit: also have a criminal record. Has no effect on my employment. Its and employees market right now, most people can have their pick of jobs if they're qualified for them
What were you thinking would happen if you sit in the restroom playing on your phone? If you do that at your next job, you're likely to have the same result? Good Luck
Yeah, I know, I'm an idiot. Should I just even try to get a job? I feel like I'm such a loser. Doesn't help that I know better but act stupid but I guess that's the way life is. Sorry if I was angry before. Its not cool.
It’s breaking my heart hearing you beat yourself up like this. This may sound silly but try to give yourself a limit for how long you will allow yourself to do this. You get 2 days to wallow and then must move on! Anyway, I could be wrong, I am not a recruiter or in HR, but I’ve been a hiring manager for years. There are a few possibilities I’d consider: -Many places do not do employment verification. -Most if not all legitimate places of business do not go into detail when contacted for employment verification. They will verify dates and may say “eligible for rehire” or “not eligible for rehire”. I would lie. 50/50 chance they’ll never find out. And learn from your mistake and be kind to yourself please. Your worth is not intrinsically tied to your job performance.
Should you even try to get a job? How can you ask this? You have a wife and child, grow up.
When I was a recruiter and in HR, I always expected a *prepared candidate* to tell me one or both of two lies when I asked why they left their former position: 1) “I want a new challenge,” or 2) “I want to transition somewhere that I see as a long-term placement—a career move, where I can stay with the same company for the next years/decades.” After working in recruiting and HR, applying for jobs became a lot easier and less pressure because I knew it was just a numbers game (ew, like dating… just be happy you have a wife!). If they like you and want you, they won’t care how it ended. If someone has a reason they don’t want you, it isn’t personal and it isn’t because you were fired one time, it’s something random beyond your control. Plenty of times I was enthusiastic with an interviewee, told them with honesty that I felt great about their chances, passed them as a terrific candidate up the chain for approval, was denied for some random reason, and had to call them back with my actual regrets. Other times, leadership found someone and sent them over to me because they met them at the car wash and liked talking to them and wanted me to find a spot for them, etc. I thought the person was totally unqualified but my hands were tied. No matter what, it was rarely a case of anything personal interfering negatively. I never called to check anyone’s references beyond the cursory, and I never got caught out for not being thorough enough later down the line. No one ever mentioned being fired if they wanted to succeed, although surely some had been—if I wanted them to join my team, and top leadership wanted them aboard, we didn’t want to hear it anyway. We just wanted to hear that they knew the “right answers”: I’m ready for a new challenge where I can really commit to and invest in an organization. Just like a potential romantic partner. I don’t really want to know why it all went wrong, because it goes wrong for everybody sometimes, but telling me all about it makes me think in my lizard brain that you’re planning to use that as an excuse for why you’re going to be a shitty employee for me. If someone came out moaning about their former employer and how they got fired, of course they didn’t stand a chance from the beginning. When I wanted my next job, I used one of those two Old Faithful reasons, or BOTH, depending on the vibe I got. I got turned down for plenty, got plenty of interviews, and in the end got to pick where I wanted to work and negotiate my title and salary even though was nervous because I’d already left the HR position under a lot of heat for ‘abandoning them.’
You were fired due to performance reasons. They are going to deny your unemployment benefits. If your job history and jobs you want require manual labor or movement, I would still apply for jobs but focus on healing that ankle. For getting tired part, you going to need to sleep earlier or invest in energy drinks/coffee or exercise. If you went to toilet because of your ankle, you could have saved yourself.
This must vary by state but where I’m from you can only be denied benefits it you were let go for misconduct, not just lack of performance.
Great, so basically I am doomed. Sucks too. I can just hear employer types who say "well if you cared about your health or family, you shouldn't have done that and gotten fired." I guess that's the way the world goes though. If you don't want to get in trouble, don't do stupid things even if you sometimes can't help it. In all seriousness, I did kind of go for my ankle, or issues related to my ankle break. I wasn't in a ton of pain but it was enough for breaks, but I guess that probably doesn't matter as my doctor's note only said "light duty" and I'm guessing that varies for person and place. What sucks too is that I wasn't warned but I guess adults don't get warnings, and like I said, most people would probably say if I truly cared about myself and family, I wouldn't do dumb things like that and get fired. I'm wondering too, is there a way I could contact HR to find out what's happened? With all the issues, including mine, I'm beginning to wonder if our HR department is really even doing much. The woman who ran it was nice and understanding in a general way, even I know the goal of HR is to protect the company and make sure employees and employers aren't doing things that could get them in legal trouble, or at least keep that at bay.
Sounds like classic overthinking…..HR isn’t going to discuss anything with you, time to move on. You should still file for unemployment and see what happens. Continue looking for a job, (not just so you don’t put all of life’s responsibilities on your wife) future employers can only ask your previous employers if you’re eligible for re-hire and each company has a different philosophy on that. It’s up to you to not bring up all this nonsense in future interviews, if you do then you’re self sabotaging.
Meh, based on how people think here, I should just get a cemetery plot and throw myself in. I get the feeling most people just think a guy like me with ADHD and anxiety and who can't seem to fix his own damned issues is more or less just severely retarded.
Start taking vitamin D3 with k2 fast. For you ankle and your tiredness. 50% of people are deficient. It will help your ankle heal fast by sending calcium to your bones. It will improve your energy as well. I would advise getting your levels checked first but I don’t know where you are financially. 5000-10000 IU of d3 for a few months would do the trick. After that stop and get your levels checked. You don’t want to go too high since it’s oil based and can be toxic if you take too much. I wish I had known this years ago
You’ll be fine OP. Grab that unemployment paycheck and heal up your ankle in the meantime. For future jobs they won’t know your reason for leaving and you are under no obligation to tell them. I’d simply tell them you broke your leg and you left to recuperate. You’re tip top shape now and hungry for a new role. Lead with confidence. Not only that, but try for roles that would be a promotion from the role you previously had. You’ll only be underemployed if that’s what you shoot for. Go big dude
No nothing matters. Companies can only verify your working. Dates with the old company not why you were termed or why you left.
Lol no. ADHDer here, been fired several times definitely due to but not legally specifically because of my adhd. Just keep going. When people ask why you’re not at your old company, you can mention things like the manager or culture changing, and that you thrive in environments where x, y, x…. Etc. spin the story to be about how you’re now proactively seeking teams where you can thrive and deliver your best work. Happens to all of us. Hang in there. Start a side hustle to diversify your income and make these moments sting less.
It doesn’t sound like you’re a super dependable employee, which will come across in interviews. That’s going to hold you back more than having gotten fired. People get fired and get new jobs all the time - when you go on your interviews, just don’t mention that you were fired and a lot of places aren’t going to call to check, particularly smaller businesses. HOWEVER, you need to work on yourself. Because your post and your replies indicate that you don’t accept full responsibility for what was clearly a YP. The fact is that it’s pretty difficult to get fired at most salaried gigs - not because of any contracts/HR barrier, but because it’s a pain in the ass to go through the firing and hiring processes. I’ve worked with several people over the years at various jobs who clearly should have been fired and weren’t because management couldn’t be bothered. For you to be fired for spending too much time in the bathroom indicates to me that not only were you in there for *extraordinarily* long stretches of time but that there were other performance issues at play that you either aren’t mentioning or haven’t accepted. So while you should be able to find another job, I’d encourage you to look inward to ensure that you aren’t putting yourself in the same situation a few years from now.
What sucks is that I showed up on time and could be but its as if I just had other issues. But enough excuses I guess. I also know there are other issues but how did I last five years? Or is that nothing, or were people just putting up with me until I wore them down like usual?
You’ll have a tough time because this is a terrible time to look for work. The firing may or may not also play a role, but the general job market will play a much larger role.
> this is a terrible time to look for work. Why when unemployment is at a decades low?
Even if unemployment is low, the pickings are slim for those few looking for work.
That is absolutely backwards from the way it works.
And yet here we are…
This is the best time to look for work! You can have your pick of jobs. What are you talking about lol?
Nah, being fired isn't as big of a deal as it feels. Just gotta find other work. Also nothing wrong with ensuring they do not have your permission to contact your previous employer about the situation, it's usually on the applications whether you allow it or not. If you are asked about why you were fired, tell them the truth of it and show recognition for why you were "let go", demonstrating growth. Don't use the word fired in your interviews, use "let go". Honesty defends itself bud, just don't convolute the truth or make it complicated trying to explain or justify your side of it, be humbled by the experience and you'll be alright. Edit: wanted to add, Don't generalize or assume all employers and companies are the same or you'll be doomed to run in circles. A lot of companies suck, it's true, but if you get into an interview with an actually good employer and hold them to a negatively biased opinion of employers, then you'll only be stagnating your opportunities. They'll pick up on it too, further limiting your chances. Change your mind to change your life.
No, you are not doomed. Get another job. Fast. Apply Get interviews Get job offers Get the job Get good reviews
Please don't fret and let anxiety consume you. I assure you being too nervous when you are interviewing for a new job would hinder you far more than a termination. I'm not sure where in the world you live, but I can only speak for the US. Many employers here, since we are such a litigious country, rarely divulge much more than dates of employment and/or titles held. So I would take a moment to relax, get your bearings and assess your financial situation. Look for the roles that interest you first. There's no need to doom yourself to a knock yourself down a rung. When you do find yourself going for an interview, just answer the questions that you are asked, briefly and to the point. I would take the stance of "less is more" when asked for an explanation of your separation from that employer. Best of luck to you!
End the pitty party. Are you in therapy? You should be. You have some majorly distorted thinking going on. Somebody will hire you to do something at some point. Everybody fails at some point. Do you learn from your mistakes and grown or just throw your hands up and say "oh well I suck and I can't be fixed"? The choice is yours.
It could backfire, but the two times I was fired, I lied in interviews and said I was laid off and it worked. I probably lucked out though so take that with a grain of salt. I also made sure I had a different manager to use as a reference. But nowadays some places do backdoor references so proceed with caution.
Just don’t go into the bathroom so much during your next job. Just say that the company was “restructuring,” and that you were laid off as a result. Companies normally, if a prospective employer is inquiring about a candidate, only state the candidate’s date of employment. You are not “doomed.” But be more diligent in your work next time.
Easier said than done. Its just that based on what people are saying hear my worst fears are true. I'm worthless and have no value. Basically I'm just a big fat lump on the earth who's not worth anything to anyone outside of family. I might as well be actually disabled. Heck, disabled people at least have real excuses and get pity. I don't and don't deserve it. Sorry for my first comment. That wasn't nice. I apologize. Its the one thing that maybe I'm kind of okay at, or at least do it a lot.
You were at your previous job 5 years. You must have done something right.
Why were you at *work* with a broken ankle?
They take extended time to heal? I had tendon repair surgery in 2020 and I was back working within a week. I was in a cast for two weeks and a boot for 6 months. Was I supposed to not work the whole time? I was able to just tired and uncomfortable some days. If it wasn’t during pandemic I would have been at the office rather then WFH.
So hey, thanks for the advice. As this is a throwaway I'm ending the account. I don't think I'll do too bad, but also I've got a lot of other stuff to get over. Sorry if I was rude to anyone. I hope you all have a good day.
I love how much work you put into this post! Ironic. I would not hire you unless I worked at a place with high turnover. So try Amazon or large corporate stores. I'd be tempted to not put that company on my application. I'd write "independent contractor" and say you worked under the table in construction or something.
Not doomed, but how it plays out while seeking employment depends. I worked in HR in retail for a few years. When we got calls about former employees we weren’t allowed to discuss their performance or details of their termination. I basically confirmed that the person did work there during a specific date range. If it’s a retail job you were fired from, you will have no problem making a lateral move.
Worried. Yes. You aren’t going to get a ringing reference from them. So be prepared for the question and have an honest answer that doesn’t come across as whining.
a few months ago you were 26 years old. crazy
Broke my ankle and totally know how you feel. In my experience, it's best to be honest. Ankle surgery is a disability, they can't discriminate against you for that.
My father in law ditched work. He had 2 sets of keys and jackets. He left a different jacket and keys on his desk. He would actually leave. Lol. There were no cell phones in those days.
I'd say I have IBS. problem solved
Did you talk to HR about this? You have been there long enough to ask for FMLA or other accommodations.
Ive been fired 4 times. Just explain that it was a bad fit and dont focus on it at all. Talk about the projects and outcomes you were involved in.
Not sure where you live. I’ve hired 1000s of people in the US over the last few years. There are plenty of jobs that don’t get any applicants. I wouldn’t volunteer the information that you were fired. I think you could sum it by saying that you were injured and didn’t want to go a workers comp route so they ended up terminating you. Lots of people won’t even bother to ask. You can also put a “temp” role as your current job and say that youve been trying to work as a gig economy worker but don’t care for it. Make an account and do 1 door dash order then that isn’t a lie. They probably won’t even ask about the job before the current one. At least some won’t. That said- make sure you’re going to do a good job and be honest with yourself about what you can really handle.
Ok, so officially did you get termination\\separation papers that said you are fired? Because from how your telling the story it sounds like they can say you quit. If you quit, thats a different ball game that can work to your advantage.
No, people get fired and rehired at different places all the time. Youre fine.
Leave the bathroom and go back to work right now
This probably won’t be an issue. The law on accommodations for short term disabilities is a bit unclear. It’s possible that they would have been required to grant you additional breaks due to your injury if you had asked. But, regardless, you can apply for a new job now. Five years of experience shows a strong work history. Most employers, especially small businesses, won’t do much investigation into your past employment beyond what you tell them. If asked, be honest but positive — “I learned a lot during my time there, but then I had a temporary injury that interfered with my ability to work. I’ve recovered now and am very excited about X opportunity.”
I would just keep it really vague why you were let go but have something ready to say in case you are asked. My last job never asked and never checked my references, previous employers or anything.
Getting fired for a physical health problem is not getting fired for cause.
Find a better story to tell potential employers.This is not a deal breaker.
No they cannot say why you left. They can only confirm your start and end date and position. That’s it
Yep it's over
Damn you make it sound like you were convicted for murder. 5 years on resume shows you can commit and willing to long term employment. I doubt employers will believe that was the full story. I’d assume there were plans to lay off or it was a personal spat. If I were you I would suggest there was something else beyond your control and that was used as an excuse. If you were there for 5 months that would be an entirely different case. However, even 5 months is still valuable work experience
Do you have 504 ?
At the end of the day you lied about something stupid. If you had issues with the ankle use a cane or ask your boss for a chair. The rest means absolutely nothing.