Life against me?

[Joe]

Have you ever at some point in your life felt that life was against you and not working with you at all? I'm at that point now and I'm on the verge of breaking down. It all started a few weeks ago when I posted something on a message board about my jog, wasn't false information but rather looking for advice.

 

Well, my boss had saw this and because of this I was written up and suspended for 3 days. My job life is really going down hill, I've pissed off management and I think a co-worker is pissed off as well.

 

You know about that match.com thing, where I met this girl through it and so on and so on. Well during my 3-day suspension I get an e-mail from her basically being blown off, she says she has no time for me and blah blah blah and instead wants to set me up with her sister. In a way this hurt me, I felt turned down.

 

I'm one that hasn't ever felt love before, I was never popular and I have only a few friends (like 1 or 2) and only had maybe 2 girlfriends in my life. So I was excited about her and everything and then she shut me down. Perhaps her sister will like me?

 

Well I go to pick up my paycheck tonight and inside the locker where they put our paycheck sits an envelop with a letter from my General Manager. Like a month ago we got new employee handbooks, we was to sign our names to state that we read and understood the policies.

 

Well, I had thought I turned my in but apparently not. So inside this envelope was a letter with a copy of this form I needed to sign.

 

The letter states "Failure to return the form by 5:00 PM Tuesday, August 28th 2001 will result in disciplinary actions up to and including dismissal". Well, today is Sept. 7th and just found this in my locker, I never check my locker expect on payday.

 

Combine my failure to do that with my 3-day suspension I just finished today that doesn't look good, in fact I'm probably going to lose my job. If I lose my job, I have no idea what I am going to do. It bothers me that if this form is so important then it should of been handed to me personally and not just left in my locker assuming I would get it.

 

Had it been handed to me, no problem I would of signed it and returned it that day. I feel that the letter is nothing but a threat "Fill this out or be disciplined".

 

I've laid in bed, can't get to sleep, debating whether to resign when I go to work tomorrow, thus not giving them a chance to fire me so it wouldn't look as bad. I'm about ready to up and leave this town and start a new life elsewhere, I've made 10 resume's and resume tapes and now just need to start sending them places.

 

Any advice on how to not be depressed or what I should do? SHould I resign before giving them the chance to fire me?

[arthropod]

man, quite a job mess you have there, joe! i wouldn't resign from your current job . . . simply fill out the form, and state what happened. it did say "up to", so that's not a definite for dismissal. then, try like HELL to get out of there!!

 

sounds to me like it might be time to start new somewhere. now, if you feel you're "running away" from your problems, you may want to deal with those first, because moving might do NOTHING for you otherwise . . . same crap, different place.

 

i also think i'd forget about this girl's sister -- just don't think that'll turn out to be a good situation for you.

 

i think everyone goes through these low points . . . as corny as it might sound, these are what make you appreciate the good things. also, this teaches you a little about where to vent about your job or whatever -- how did they know it was even YOU on that post?!!

Have you ever at some point in your life felt that life was against you and not working with you at all? I'm at that point now and I'm on the verge of breaking down. It all started a few weeks ago when I posted something on a message board about my jog, wasn't false information but rather looking for advice. Well, my boss had saw this and because of this I was written up and suspended for 3 days. My job life is really going down hill, I've pissed off management and I think a co-worker is pissed off as well. You know about that match.com thing, where I met this girl through it and so on and so on. Well during my 3-day suspension I get an e-mail from her basically being blown off, she says she has no time for me and blah blah blah and instead wants to set me up with her sister. In a way this hurt me, I felt turned down. I'm one that hasn't ever felt love before, I was never popular and I have only a few friends (like 1 or 2) and only had maybe 2 girlfriends in my life. So I was excited about her and everything and then she shut me down. Perhaps her sister will like me? Well I go to pick up my paycheck tonight and inside the locker where they put our paycheck sits an envelop with a letter from my General Manager. Like a month ago we got new employee handbooks, we was to sign our names to state that we read and understood the policies. Well, I had thought I turned my in but apparently not. So inside this envelope was a letter with a copy of this form I needed to sign. The letter states "Failure to return the form by 5:00 PM Tuesday, August 28th 2001 will result in disciplinary actions up to and including dismissal". Well, today is Sept. 7th and just found this in my locker, I never check my locker expect on payday. Combine my failure to do that with my 3-day suspension I just finished today that doesn't look good, in fact I'm probably going to lose my job. If I lose my job, I have no idea what I am going to do. It bothers me that if this form is so important then it should of been handed to me personally and not just left in my locker assuming I would get it. Had it been handed to me, no problem I would of signed it and returned it that day. I feel that the letter is nothing but a threat "Fill this out or be disciplined". I've laid in bed, can't get to sleep, debating whether to resign when I go to work tomorrow, thus not giving them a chance to fire me so it wouldn't look as bad. I'm about ready to up and leave this town and start a new life elsewhere, I've made 10 resume's and resume tapes and now just need to start sending them places. Any advice on how to not be depressed or what I should do? SHould I resign before giving them the chance to fire me?

[Tony T]

No, life isn't against you...you are.

 

In the United States, you can't be suspended for writing something on an Internet message board expressing your feelings as long as you don't give away company secrets. However, if you put something on the Internet and used your real name, you deserve not only to be suspended but to be fired. Employers give you a check not only for you to do a good job for the company but to give them your loyalty.

 

If you put something up on the Internet that revealed confidential or derogatory company information and used your real name, well you're getting what you deserve. This is just a learning situation for you.

 

As far as signing the document, if you are not required to go to your locker everyday to check for memos, they have no basis for firing you because you didn't read and comply with a directive that was left inside of it for you. Anything requiring this kind of action should have been given to you personally. There are laws in most countries that would deal with something like this.

 

If you put up material on the Internet that was derogatory to your company and they could easily tell it was you that put it up, you obviously don't want to work with this firm any longer. You are obviously not happy there. They aren't very happy with you either at this time.

 

If you think you can get a job elsewhere fairly quickly, you may be best served by finding an employer with whom you are more compatible and about whom you will not feel compelled to post about on the Internet.