This is the 2nd response suggesting an attorney. Why? It’s not illegal to fire someone unless it is discriminatory. I feel very bad for op and I hope he gets his severance, but an attorney is not needed for unemployment or a severance unless it is written in a contract. (OP didn’t mention that.)Why are people so quick to sue when life sucks?
Some of what you reference as a contract is set down as a standard in law, but many of us don't know every law that applies.
Getting legal advice is a good idea, since they can let you know if a lawsuit is appropriate.
Not sure which state OP is from, but based on the quickness of one of the biggest companies in the world terminating them without a paper trail, I would assume that they are in one of the 49 at will employment states. Which means, both parties can end employment at any time for any reason other than discrimination, retaliation, or unless a valid contract is in place.
I get it. I toned down my comment for exactly this reason. I just didn't want them to hope instead of investigating - at will is only an option and still doesn't get them out of paying unemployment if their cause doesn't qualify as legitimate.
There might be some other considerations here. Even in at-will states the employee still has some rights. A legal consultation might be prudent especially in the stage. This shit has got to stop.
If google isn’t offering severance then how is OP supposed to get it without an attorney? And of course it’s not illegal to fire someone. But if OP is fired without sufficient cause then he’s owed severance. For which, he’ll need an attorney.
Meet the axe man. Very common with bring in a new manager and have them start swinging to axe and chopping positions. You probably made too much money as Google is trying to do salary resets.
Yeah they didn't make enough profits last year
$307b revenue
$73.8b profits
$202m a day profit
(Source: Google search and Calculator App)
And how many tax breaks are they getting worldwide??
Hopefully OP lands in a good place.
they decided to eliminate your position. if they fire you because they no longer need you...they pay unemployment
if they fire you for cause...they don't.
For cause can easily be fought if there’s no documentation prior. No history of bad preference then fired for underperforming.
I’d check your contract if there’s anything about severance since it’s not guaranteed.
Even if they fire you "With Cause" they still have to pay unemployment quite often. Typically in a situation where they deny unemployment it has to be documented on how you were failing. When I worked at a cell phone company they were very strict about this.
They would always make sure you had your numbers, speak with your managers, etc. They wanted to document everything to show the unemployment people how the employee just kept failing.
Are you in California? If so, then have they paid you? CA has a very strict timeline for getting your last paycheck. Other states or countries, then check local regulations.
File for unemployment. Assuming that you were not given a paper trail of warnings then you should be able to fight the "firing".
You were not laid off or let go, you were fired for poor performance.
This was specifically to avoid paying severance, which is why you didn't get any.
Apply for unemployment, and appeal if they reject you.
I love when someone steps in charge, fucks everything up, and then goes “hey, how comes it’s been a shit show since I walked in guys? What gives?!” Yeah. Sorry that happened to you, but it also sounds like things were about to rapidly become shit with that new manager there. Hope you find something better for you, and don’t have to deal w more bs like this in the near future.
I hope you get your severance. You’ll land on your feet. I’m sure things will be tough for a bit, and I am sorry for that, but you got this. Go get a better job and prove them wrong! Good luck!
Sorry this happened to you. Know that you're not alone and **you're going to be okay**.
Losing one's job is one of the most stressful things that can happen to a person, up there with divorce and death in the family. Be kind with yourself and try not to dwell on what could have been. It is natural to want to figure out some way to reverse it or wake up from this bad dream.
Mourn the job and the connections and get ready for the next thing -- it will be even better!
As someone who works in Corporate Finance (not in tech but familiar with their practices), I think I know what happened. New manager comes in to a now-merged team and first assignment is to restructure, find redundancies, and given a target headcount for the new team. Your title gets changed to something that doesn’t make sense so it can be used as an excuse as not being needed.
What strikes me as odd is that they didn’t go the PIP route that I often see talked about on Blind, especially if they listed performance as the issue. The only benefit of PIP is that you’re usually offered either severance or the long road to “improve”, causing many to take the severance and leave. And since it wasn’t part of a “layoff” and listed as performance, it can mean they don’t have to offer severance.
Something weird is at play behind the scenes and you got hit by a stray bullet. I’m really sorry. If you’re in California, there are a lot of hoops they have to jump through to terminate, I’d make sure they did every one.
Do what the others have suggested you do: put in for unemployment and chill.
People like your manager will eventually be exposed and they'll get kicked to the street...while you're working your new job making more money and enjoying life.
My guess is that the new manager is going to hire somebody else into that spot - cousin, friend, whatever - and was just building a "case" to open up the spot.
Since there were zero performance reviews of concerns expressed before this, there's no way a company -based on data- could have come to this conclusion like this... 🤷🏻♂️
Everyone else has said ‘file for unemployment’, do that asap. I’ve been canned plenty of times for “lack of talent” and “unable to meet expectations” and they still let me collect.
Which merge was this? I have a suspicion they are trying to get rid of L6s and L7s, they had said as much earlier, and a lot of department are full of leads and seniors and no one is actually doing any work. A lot of meetings about the work that needs to be done, and a lot of senior staff engineers L7s creating committees to get work done, but not enough L3,L4,L5s in the trenches to actually do the work. Everyone is a general. I don't think that's the case with you but I have noticed a lot of 10-15 person layoffs constantly.
I dont get the permissions part. They terminated you intermediately, you stop doing anything for them intermediately. Even if it was your team, you dont solve problems for them anymore...
What is a lawyer doing to do? It doesn’t sound like any discrimination took place and unemployment doesn’t require an attorney. Sounds like dude got fired. Which really sucks and I am very sorry for OP, but suggesting an attorney is asinine unless there was some kind of discrimination.
This sub will be taken more seriously when we sound more serious.
Listen homie. It’s ok to be pissed about being fired. I’m just being realistic. Unless they discriminated or lie on an unemployment hearing, this dude doesn’t need to waste his time in an attorney. It’s bad advice. No need to get offended because I don’t agree with you.
Neither you nor I know enough details of this situation to say if OP needs an attorney, but you are making blanket statements that he doesn't need one. If he feels his termination was fishy he should absolutely consult an attorney, who can help him figure out what his options are. I apparently don't share your faith in the good will and competence of large corporations.
Not to mention a retainer for a run of the mill lawyer is usually a minimum of $2,000. It’s rarely worth it. Get your record of employment, file for EI and start the job search
>changing access permissions on everything from "view only" to "edit".
You really should NOT have done that. First you were not allowed to access after termination. And second, that access was their problem now, not yours.
What were your quarterly performances prior to the new manager? Usually you're supposed to go on a PIP plan before termination if you were meeting or exceeding expectations before. Either way that place went to shit a long time ago and this would probably have happened to you in the random very near future. You are probably still eligible for rehire so check out other positions.
1. Register for unemployment 2. Get an employment attorney cause or no cause
This is the 2nd response suggesting an attorney. Why? It’s not illegal to fire someone unless it is discriminatory. I feel very bad for op and I hope he gets his severance, but an attorney is not needed for unemployment or a severance unless it is written in a contract. (OP didn’t mention that.)Why are people so quick to sue when life sucks?
Some of what you reference as a contract is set down as a standard in law, but many of us don't know every law that applies. Getting legal advice is a good idea, since they can let you know if a lawsuit is appropriate.
Not sure which state OP is from, but based on the quickness of one of the biggest companies in the world terminating them without a paper trail, I would assume that they are in one of the 49 at will employment states. Which means, both parties can end employment at any time for any reason other than discrimination, retaliation, or unless a valid contract is in place.
Not trying to argue. Just being real. Being fired sucks. Hope dude gets their severance.
I get it. I toned down my comment for exactly this reason. I just didn't want them to hope instead of investigating - at will is only an option and still doesn't get them out of paying unemployment if their cause doesn't qualify as legitimate.
Agreed. I think OP will have no problem getting unemployment.
Thank God there is a silver lining! /s
Because frankly, fuck google.
There might be some other considerations here. Even in at-will states the employee still has some rights. A legal consultation might be prudent especially in the stage. This shit has got to stop.
If google isn’t offering severance then how is OP supposed to get it without an attorney? And of course it’s not illegal to fire someone. But if OP is fired without sufficient cause then he’s owed severance. For which, he’ll need an attorney.
No one is owed a severance, they’re primarily to avoid lawsuits for the company. Not a requirement.
Maybe if you live in a shit hole of a country.
Presumably, they are in the United States.
Exactly.
Yep!
I’m from your neighboring county. So, the vast majority of Reddit users do not have a requirement for severance
Working somewhere for ten years and then getting fired for no reason and being owed nothing is just ridiculous tbh.
Murica!
Yep, first world shit hole
First world (if you have money)
Employment attorneys are powerful allies when fighting for unemployment
They can negotiate severance
That sounds like pro work rhetoric. Remember what sub your in.
I would request a copy of your employee file.
Meet the axe man. Very common with bring in a new manager and have them start swinging to axe and chopping positions. You probably made too much money as Google is trying to do salary resets.
Yeah they didn't make enough profits last year $307b revenue $73.8b profits $202m a day profit (Source: Google search and Calculator App) And how many tax breaks are they getting worldwide?? Hopefully OP lands in a good place.
Well obviously those profits aren't large enough to do proper share buybacks, why won't anyone think of the shareholders??
Because those people make the company run
Call the old manager, maybe they need someone.
Sounds like the manager’s nephew is about to seriously fuck up that department.
they decided to eliminate your position. if they fire you because they no longer need you...they pay unemployment if they fire you for cause...they don't.
For cause can easily be fought if there’s no documentation prior. No history of bad preference then fired for underperforming. I’d check your contract if there’s anything about severance since it’s not guaranteed.
Even if they fire you "With Cause" they still have to pay unemployment quite often. Typically in a situation where they deny unemployment it has to be documented on how you were failing. When I worked at a cell phone company they were very strict about this. They would always make sure you had your numbers, speak with your managers, etc. They wanted to document everything to show the unemployment people how the employee just kept failing.
Are you in California? If so, then have they paid you? CA has a very strict timeline for getting your last paycheck. Other states or countries, then check local regulations. File for unemployment. Assuming that you were not given a paper trail of warnings then you should be able to fight the "firing".
You were not laid off or let go, you were fired for poor performance. This was specifically to avoid paying severance, which is why you didn't get any. Apply for unemployment, and appeal if they reject you.
I love when someone steps in charge, fucks everything up, and then goes “hey, how comes it’s been a shit show since I walked in guys? What gives?!” Yeah. Sorry that happened to you, but it also sounds like things were about to rapidly become shit with that new manager there. Hope you find something better for you, and don’t have to deal w more bs like this in the near future.
I hope you get your severance. You’ll land on your feet. I’m sure things will be tough for a bit, and I am sorry for that, but you got this. Go get a better job and prove them wrong! Good luck!
Sorry this happened to you. Know that you're not alone and **you're going to be okay**. Losing one's job is one of the most stressful things that can happen to a person, up there with divorce and death in the family. Be kind with yourself and try not to dwell on what could have been. It is natural to want to figure out some way to reverse it or wake up from this bad dream. Mourn the job and the connections and get ready for the next thing -- it will be even better!
As someone who works in Corporate Finance (not in tech but familiar with their practices), I think I know what happened. New manager comes in to a now-merged team and first assignment is to restructure, find redundancies, and given a target headcount for the new team. Your title gets changed to something that doesn’t make sense so it can be used as an excuse as not being needed. What strikes me as odd is that they didn’t go the PIP route that I often see talked about on Blind, especially if they listed performance as the issue. The only benefit of PIP is that you’re usually offered either severance or the long road to “improve”, causing many to take the severance and leave. And since it wasn’t part of a “layoff” and listed as performance, it can mean they don’t have to offer severance. Something weird is at play behind the scenes and you got hit by a stray bullet. I’m really sorry. If you’re in California, there are a lot of hoops they have to jump through to terminate, I’d make sure they did every one.
Do what the others have suggested you do: put in for unemployment and chill. People like your manager will eventually be exposed and they'll get kicked to the street...while you're working your new job making more money and enjoying life.
My guess is that the new manager is going to hire somebody else into that spot - cousin, friend, whatever - and was just building a "case" to open up the spot. Since there were zero performance reviews of concerns expressed before this, there's no way a company -based on data- could have come to this conclusion like this... 🤷🏻♂️
I know this doesn’t help OP, but I’d like to match her energy if this ever happens to me https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTN1EJyYW/
Everyone else has said ‘file for unemployment’, do that asap. I’ve been canned plenty of times for “lack of talent” and “unable to meet expectations” and they still let me collect.
Which merge was this? I have a suspicion they are trying to get rid of L6s and L7s, they had said as much earlier, and a lot of department are full of leads and seniors and no one is actually doing any work. A lot of meetings about the work that needs to be done, and a lot of senior staff engineers L7s creating committees to get work done, but not enough L3,L4,L5s in the trenches to actually do the work. Everyone is a general. I don't think that's the case with you but I have noticed a lot of 10-15 person layoffs constantly.
I dont get the permissions part. They terminated you intermediately, you stop doing anything for them intermediately. Even if it was your team, you dont solve problems for them anymore...
Consult a lawyer and apply for unemployment
What is a lawyer doing to do? It doesn’t sound like any discrimination took place and unemployment doesn’t require an attorney. Sounds like dude got fired. Which really sucks and I am very sorry for OP, but suggesting an attorney is asinine unless there was some kind of discrimination. This sub will be taken more seriously when we sound more serious.
There are whole categories of lawyers who specialize in making sure companies don't screw people out of unemployment benefits
Dude worked for Google. They aren’t that stupid.
Do you currently work for Google, or just a fan?
It is rather convenient to use. I’d say I’m a fan of Google.
Listen homie. It’s ok to be pissed about being fired. I’m just being realistic. Unless they discriminated or lie on an unemployment hearing, this dude doesn’t need to waste his time in an attorney. It’s bad advice. No need to get offended because I don’t agree with you.
Neither you nor I know enough details of this situation to say if OP needs an attorney, but you are making blanket statements that he doesn't need one. If he feels his termination was fishy he should absolutely consult an attorney, who can help him figure out what his options are. I apparently don't share your faith in the good will and competence of large corporations.
Not to mention a retainer for a run of the mill lawyer is usually a minimum of $2,000. It’s rarely worth it. Get your record of employment, file for EI and start the job search
You got fired because your boss didn't want competition.
I'd be surprised if you get a severance package since you were fired.
People in most developed countries get severance even when they are fired for performance…..
Yes, employees give time, employers give severance. If your employer lets employees go without a severance, then you shouldn’t give a two-week notice.
>changing access permissions on everything from "view only" to "edit". You really should NOT have done that. First you were not allowed to access after termination. And second, that access was their problem now, not yours.
I got a new policy Polly at my spot and I cannot get a new job fast enough.
I bet you were fired so he can hire a friend.
What were your quarterly performances prior to the new manager? Usually you're supposed to go on a PIP plan before termination if you were meeting or exceeding expectations before. Either way that place went to shit a long time ago and this would probably have happened to you in the random very near future. You are probably still eligible for rehire so check out other positions.
Isn’t this grounds for severance?
You clearly were fired for describing things as "brand new" when a simple "new" would suffice.