I think my boss is looking to replace me... I'm very anxious.

[Papillon]

I just heard today that my boss has put out an advertisement in the local newspapers for a software developer, and that his P.A. is already fielding replies. I'm the sole software developer in our company, and the workload does not really warrant an extra person.

 

What really worries me is that this was done behind my back - I was not consulted in any way, I was not asked whether I need help, nothing.... (My boss is in NO way qualified to conduct an interview for this position...)

 

I might be overreacting, but the signs don't look good. My boss gave me a big increase last month (over 100%), and now perhaps he is regretting the decision...dunno...I can only speculate. The increase came through a huge fight, though - instead of a bigger increase I was offered a deal on a new car, but the terms of the deal were designed to put a stranglehold on me. I.e if I left I would lose the car, even though I'd still pay for the car, (I'd only score on the income tax). This wasn't to my liking at all.

 

Eventually, after lots of arguing and anger, we killed the deal - but then he wanted to pay me less than what was originally aggreed upon, against which I fought like hell, until he relented. But since then relations have been strained - plus the other day he called me in and shat on me from a great height for the few times that I've come late to work (never more than 15min, for which I MORE than make up for by working late for hours, almost every day, my clocking record proves that). I told him, NO MORE OVERTIME, and that didn't sit well with him, even though it was in my rights to do so.

 

I'd been making arrangements to buy a new car by myself, but now I have to put everyithing on hold, and I'm left with my dick in my hand, not knowing what the bastard is planning.

 

Sigh.

[moimeme]

Confrontation and fighting - hard - for one's 'rights' will seldom win you anything in any arena of life. Work is a particularly bad place for those tactics. It definitely sounds as though you're going to get the boot. If you do, learn from it. There are books and courses on negotiation skills which you might like to avail yourself of.

[amerikajin]

I tend to agree with what Moimeme said on this one. You've got to realize that unless you're the boss, you're in a tenuous position. You can always be replaced by someone else, and to the person doing the replacing (i.e. your boss) it rarely matters whether or not the person is as good at what you do.

 

Above all, managers put a premium on how well they get along with their staff. They don't won't incompetence, but they'll settle for someone who may not be quite as good as long as the relationship is there. I forgot where the statistic came from, but about ten years ago I read a survey that polled bosses who had recently terminated a subordinate. About 70 percent of them said that their reasons for termination simply had more to do with the fact that they didn't get along with their subordinates, rather than their ability to do the assigned job.

 

It's okay to express your disappointment and your disapproval of something that your employer does. But you must always maintain a professional demeanor and remember that if you don't get the kind of resolution you're looking for, you have a choice: you can either stay with the company or leave. If you choose the second option, make sure you've got another lilly pad to leap to. If you choose the first, make sure you don't piss off the bullfrog so badly that he throws you into the pond.

 

From the looks of things, it's ominous. At this point, if it were me, I'd see if I couldn't arrange a private meeting with him somehow, one on one. I'd tell him that you're aware he's looking for someone with similar qualifications and that you're concerned about what this means as far as your role with the company -- and I would say it in exactly that manner. Don't spend time talking about yourself and how you're worried about your career and your life.

 

Your attitude shouldn't be defiant; it should be humble, and your input should be productive in working toward some kind of resolution. You should acknowledge that there have been disputes and that, regardless of how passionately you feel about your beliefs, you should not have allowed the relationship to deteriorate to the extent that it is, and accept full responsibility for that.

 

You should be prepared to listen to whatever he has to say. You don't have to like it; you don't have to agree with it; but you should be prepared to listen to it and digest it carefully.

 

After all is said and done, you'll know where you stand and you'll have a decision about whether or not you should stay with the company.

[simplybrill]

Nothing is absolute, there is no guarantee that they will keep you on, even if you DO come out right side up if you confront your boss in a neutral manner - he may decide to cut costs more, and let you go anyways.

 

Keep a steady lookout for another job!. Even if you could keep this one, would you want to? It sounds like they're definitely taking advantage of you, and they're draining the life out of you.

[Papillon]

Thanks for the replies! I think Amerikajin's response is excellent, I think I will do what you suggested and speak to him.

 

South African Labour law is very employee-centric, and it would be illegal for him to retrench me and get someone else in that position. As I have no disiciplinaries or written warnings on my file, he also has no legal recourse to decide to fire me. Even so, he might just decide to try it, but then the legal battle is going to be a huge hassle.

 

Or...I might be seeing smoke where there's no fire. I really like my job, it's diverse and interesting, and even sometimes challenging.

[amerikajin]

Good luck.

[rockstarmusician]

Originally posted by simplybrill

Keep a steady lookout for another job!. Even if you could keep this one, would you want to? It sounds like they're definitely taking advantage of you, and they're draining the life out of you.

 

I totally agree with you there!

[soccorsilly]

If this were in America, I would say that your instincts are right on the money. But, I am not familiar with South African employment law.

 

Doling out a 100% increase in salary for any employee is tough in this economy and yes he is probably regretting it financially. Doling it out because of a confrontation was probably a stop gap measure--if I say no, he walks and I am out a programmer, so I say yes, recruit and replace.

 

You have already done the damage and essentially laid your cards on the table with the confrontation and I am sure he feels that you have lost your desire to work there. I know that when someone turns in a resignation, I always accept it--because there is a problem somewhere that motivated them to resign.

 

As for the car, did you expect to leave the company and keep the car? I imagine vehicles in South Africa are expensive to import and this is a HUGE investment.

 

You may be able to salvage it if you want to, and you can eat some humble pie, but speaking from an employer perspective, I would say that it is a remote possibility.

 

Additionally, if you do try and salvage this, be prepared to be let go IMMEDIATELY. Right now the boss thinks you are appeased and have his best interests at heart. Once he realizes that you know he is looking to terminate you or you re-express your interest--anything that you touch (company info, etc) is now a threat for disclosure to a competitor. Again, when someone gives me two week's notice, I terminate immediately even if I need to pay unemployment because I do not want any of my data, business practices compromised any more than they probably are.

[Papillon]

The difference is that he gave me the 100% increase BEFORE we had the car argument - afterwards his "memory failed". I had to remind him that a deal is a deal.

[moimeme]

He can get around the employment rules by altering the job description enough that he can claim you no longer suit. I've been around staffing long enough to know that there are always tricks that can be used to get around rules and laws. I agree with the others, time to look elsewhere. You've burned your bridges, unfortunately.

[amerikajin]

Excellent insight, Soccor, and I hadn't really thought about it coming from that angle. I was once an employer myself, but it was a small not-for-profit business. We didn't have a lot proprietary information to protect; we had relationships to protect but I never let my staff get in the way of them. I suppose I was thinking of it while reflecting on those experiences.

 

Maybe Soccor's right. Perhaps you should just go ahead and start looking and just deal with it.

[unloved]

I was let go today and I could see it coming. It's a horrible feeling and I wish I listened to my inner voice and found another job first. It's a very depressing situation and you may save yourself a lot of anxiety in the long run.

[amerikajin]

It is a horrible feeling, but sometimes it can also be a liberating one.

 

I was let go after 100 days on the job with this trade group I worked for down in Florida. I had just moved from Louisiana, and I was initially excited about the job because I knew the people I was working with (well, I thought I knew them).

 

It was clear to me within the first few days that a lot of the things that were said to me to make me feel comfortable about joining their team weren't exactly true. I was traveling much more than I had requested, and there was eventually pressure placed on me to move after I had been told I could work out of my home.

 

Probably the worst thing about it was the fact that I didn't really have a job description for two months, and even after I got one it was routinely interrupted by my boss.

 

It wasn't long before the confusion and miscommunication began taking its toll. I got frustrated with my boss; he got frustrated with me.

 

Even so, I still didn't see the train coming. Not until about four days before it happened when I got a call on my cell from my boss who clearly seemed agitated.

 

What I didn't know was that some of his board members were beginning to question my utility and the need for the position I had just created. And I never did blame them a bit for their curiosity -- I had begun asking the same kinds of questions myself.

 

In my naivete, I began to enjoy the paycheck without really thinking about my ability to survive such an unstable situation. I didn't look. I didn't ask questions. I just took the money and took orders. Big, big mistake, and one that I will never repeat.

 

I accept the fact that while I disagreed with a lot of the things my boss did and the manner in which I was let go, it was partially my fault. I should have asked questions - a lot of questions. I should have taken much more initiative in not just asking what I was supposed to be doing, but demanding to know what I was supposed to do, and when, and in what manner. I didn't, and while I received a fairly decent wage, I ended up paying a lot more for it later.

 

That said, I was pissed off at how I was let go. Without any kind of warning. Without any grace. No severance. No nothing. Just, "Bye".

 

The only thing he offered me was a chance to move closer to their office in Ft. Lauderdale, but I had already told him that the likelihood of that was low.

 

This was someone I thought I knew. Had he told me that we don't think this position is going to make it past the end of this year, I wouldn't have been pissed at all. I would have understood.

 

Had I been told more about the nature of the "position", I probably wouldn't have taken it in the first place. What I got were half-truths, and I didn't appreciate it.

 

After I was let go, he called me up the next day and said he would try to find me a job. Someone actually did offer a connection but I was so bitter I refused. I probably shouldn't have done it, but I decided if I was going to get run off, I was going to leave on my own terms as much as I could.

 

So I basically told them to stuff it. I wrote them a letter and said what I wanted to say.

 

Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it felt good. No profanity, just truth - that he was an incompetent, unorganized f*ck tard (in more polite terms).

 

I never bothered to use them as a reference again. I've never had to since. It's just a blank spot on my resume.

 

I have no regrets. I didn't leave on my own terms, but I reacted to it that way.

[katie79]

As an Administrative Assistant, I can tell you one thing...we know who's coming and who's going. We are the eyes and ears of the company. That happened where I worked, when they were thinking of letting one of the accountants go, I knew before she did. Part of my job is viewing resumes, discussing it with the presidents, scheduling interviews, and recieving an evaluation on the candidate's performance. We know when there is a high need to replace somebody. If you are close enough with an admin, maybe you can hint around as to what the status may be with your position.

Of course, I am from the US and you are from S. Africa, so things out there can be very different. However, regardless of that, keep your eyes open for another position. I never hurts to surf the web or answer a help wanted ad for something in your field/field related. My father always says, the second you get hired for a new job, that's the day you start looking for another one! What he means, well, in America, business is very cold, and times are hard, you never know when they might suprise you and tell you to get lost. It's always good to be diligent with job searching. I look around, but I am not serious about moving on. I like my job as of now and would like to move up there, but we'll see. I always keep my eyes open.

Don't feel bad if you do wind up getting canned. It doesn't reflect your job performance, your work, or your capablities at all. If they gave you such a high raise, it's b/c they were soooo pleased with your performance and they wanted to motivate you to keep up the good work. Perhaps whoever made the decision to give you such a high raise got in big trouble for offering that. Sometimes, that happens. They obviously can't tell you they are reducing your salary, they know you'll be pissed and leave, so they replace you for someone who can work just as good as you for less pay. At least that's the way it works out here. Business is business my friend.

Don't be so worried. If you do get canned, you'll find something better. The job may not be meant for you anymore if so.

[Kizzyfur]

Ever wonder about people who say they are giving more than 100% ?

We have all been to those meetings where someone wants over 100%. How about achieving 103 %? Here is a little math that might prove helpful.

What makes life 100%?

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then:

H A R D W O R K

8 1 18 4 23 15 18 11 = 98%.

K N O W L E D G E

11 14 15 23 12 5 4 7 5 = 96%

But,

A T T I T U D E

1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5 = 100%

And,

B U L L S H * T

2 21 12 12 19 8 9 20 = 103%

So it stands to reason that hard work and knowledge will get you close, Attitude will get you there, and Bull**** will take you over the top.

But look how far ass kissing will take you.

A $ $ K I S S I N G

1 19 19 11 9 19 19 9 14 7 = 118%.

So the next time someone asks you to give more than 100%, you know what is required of you