Perhaps this could have been handled better…
My father recently passed. My mom and I had just landed in New York on May 7. In baggage claim we learned the news and immediately flew back home. I was out of the office for a week due to the funeral. The management team and HR Director knew why I was out of the office.
The day I returned to the office, I was informed my position had been eliminated.
No one said a word about my father. Business is business but the utter lack of human kindness and compassion from a company that actually prides itself on valuing it’s employees wellness was appalling. The owner had even met my father.
I will move on to bigger and better things, but I must say I will never forget how incredibly badly this situation was handled.
This post was submitted by Karen.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:53 am
I think that’s awful how they treated you especially in light of your father’s passing. I’m tired of people using the old “it’s just business” to screw people over and think nothing of it. Mark my words, those people always get it in the end themselves. Karma’s a bitch.
June 8th, 2009 at 3:21 am
I was fired a week after my father passed. My father had been very ill for 65 days they let me go because I was missing too much work. I worked their for 4 years they said I missed too much work. My dad was sick for 65 days in and out of ICU, a nursing home and again in ICU. In the four years I worked their I took one vacation, I was off for 3 days then last November my dad got sick at the age of 80. I went to work about every other day and then he died I took a week off. I went back to work, 3 days later I was out and given 20 minutes to clean out my class room. I was an Instructor at a small vocational college in suburban Chicago.
June 8th, 2009 at 4:14 am
I was moved by your story. I was moved by the tone of your voice that came through your words. I know that there’s noting that no one can say that would of helped anyway. Maybe keeping their mouth shut was best for them. Maybe saying noting was playing it safe. Maybe they were caught up in their own hard-ships that they couldn’t see yours. What ever the reason, would it made any difference if they did?
June 8th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Absolutely beyond appalling. Employers these days are setting an excruciatingly bad example. I am so sorry this happened to you.
June 8th, 2009 at 9:47 am
You cant always expect people to have that kindness that is what ive learned along time ago even though im not partically the one who should be speaking sense im graduating from high school and your most likely older then me but i just felt like i should say i fell your pain i lost my mom a while back and i want to say I’m sorry for your lost. Also Keep your head up, You sound like a very determind person im sure you will get a better job or a carrer.
June 8th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Sadly, I think many companies who claim to pride themselves on “employees’ wellness” don’t practice what they preach. I hope you were able to find comfort from other individuals who still have an ounce of compassion.
July 15th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I think mine was worse.. the manager kept me on the phone after I called her to announce my grandmother’s passing, while she paged through the company handbook, on the phone, to determine if I could take three days off! “Did your grandmother live with you? because here it says..” she droned on and on, reading from the book while I was on the phone.