I just got fired

[kkt]

Being a temp cuts both ways, you can walk away whenever you want and so can they.

Also non-temp in "At-will employment" states, which is every state except Montana.

At a statewide level, yes, but there are also significant numbers of jobs in every state where there are union contracts requiring at least some notice when firing someone, and possibly a specific cause and attempt at correction as well.

[SectorZ]

I don't know about that, outright customer abuse towards employees is a thing that occasionally happens.  A couple years back one customer called in because he was late on his storage facility payments.  During the call he made the comment to an employee along the lines of "I'll come down there and kill someone if my stuff gets touched."  I actually called the police and had him legally trespassed. 

I had threats against me for outcomes of auto damage claims. I never took them too personally, especially since I was in Massachusetts handling claims for people 500 miles from me. One was an insurance agent, so I took particular fun in just filing a state complaint against him where they forced him to write a letter of apology.

[hbelkins]

In the age of social media, it's very tough just trying to hold on to a job, much less get one, because of the non-work related issues employers (current and prospective) have noticed on these platforms.

All of a sudden, Henry's online behavior got a lot more interesting.

Never, ever, ever, make your social media posts public. Limit them to friends or even certain subsets of friends.

Don't befriend a bunch of work associates on social media. Don't join work-related groups.

Don't post your current place of employment or job title on your social media profile. Limit what non-friends can see vs. what friends can see on your profile/bio.

Avoid posting selfies or profile pictures of your actual face.

The less that a current or prospective employer, or a work troublemaker, can see about you when they search for your profile, the better and safer you are.

[Max Rockatansky]

In the age of social media, it's very tough just trying to hold on to a job, much less get one, because of the non-work related issues employers (current and prospective) have noticed on these platforms.

All of a sudden, Henry's online behavior got a lot more interesting.

Never, ever, ever, make your social media posts public. Limit them to friends or even certain subsets of friends.

Don't befriend a bunch of work associates on social media. Don't join work-related groups.

Don't post your current place of employment or job title on your social media profile. Limit what non-friends can see vs. what friends can see on your profile/bio.

Avoid posting selfies or profile pictures of your actual face.

The less that a current or prospective employer, or a work troublemaker, can see about you when they search for your profile, the better and safer you are.

In all the years of doing what I do did the content of an employee's social media posts ever came once up as evidence used against them in an investigation.  And to that end the investigation didn't originate with the social media posts but rather a complaint by filed by an employee about something that happened at work.

The social media item I'm referencing in the example above involved a store manager sharing links with workers on Facebook.  Said links were of said store manager posing in silk underwear on a known pedophile site.  This wasn't the primary driver the investigation, there were many other way worse things going on. 

[SEWIGuy]

I've been fired from a couple of jobs before, and I've used them as a growing experience since then. In the age of social media, it's very tough just trying to hold on to a job, much less get one, because of the non-work related issues employers (current and prospective) have noticed on these platforms. So I hope you're extra careful not to let your dirty laundry get aired and further jeopardize your chances of finding employment. That aside, best of luck in your future endeavors.

I've never been fired and am active on social media. It's not hard to show restraint.

[Rothman]

In the age of social media, it's very tough just trying to hold on to a job, much less get one, because of the non-work related issues employers (current and prospective) have noticed on these platforms.

All of a sudden, Henry's online behavior got a lot more interesting.

Never, ever, ever, make your social media posts public. Limit them to friends or even certain subsets of friends.

Don't befriend a bunch of work associates on social media. Don't join work-related groups.

Don't post your current place of employment or job title on your social media profile. Limit what non-friends can see vs. what friends can see on your profile/bio.

Avoid posting selfies or profile pictures of your actual face.

The less that a current or prospective employer, or a work troublemaker, can see about you when they search for your profile, the better and safer you are.

Somebody's speaking from experience...not posting selfies on a locked down account seems a bit extreme, though.

[Max Rockatansky]

My current Facebook profile picture is of me and my wife somewhere on the Big Island.  I have about twenty co-workers who are friends on my account.  I haven't worried about them being there because I don't really have anything noteworthy to say online that would get me into work trouble. 

A lot of this social media advice reads to me as paranoia.

[kphoger]

Never, ever, ever, make your social media posts public. Limit them to friends or even certain subsets of friends.

[...]

Avoid posting selfies or profile pictures of your actual face.

The less that a current or prospective employer, or a work troublemaker, can see about you when they search for your profile, the better and safer you are.

A public picture on Facebook of my family at church dressed up for Easter:  what possible damage might I expect to come of that?

[thenetwork]

For the longest time, I was never "fired" from a job.  I either left on my terms, or it was a seasonal job with a finite length of time.

One day on a job in my 30s, I was asked to go to see the GM and my supervisor and was told I was fired for some petty reason.

Was I upset?  A little...but I turned the tables and thanked them.  I told them that this was the first time in my nearly 20 years in the workforce that I got fired and I refused to acknowledge what they considered was "poor performance" in their eyes, as until then, I always had stellar references from my past jobs.  Plus they were playing favorites as others had far worse job performances and yet they were there longer than myself.

[JayhawkCO]

Never been fired. Never been documented for anything other than not showing up for a lunch shift one time when I was 21 because I forgot I had picked it up from someone.

[hbelkins]

Never, ever, ever, make your social media posts public. Limit them to friends or even certain subsets of friends.

[...]

Avoid posting selfies or profile pictures of your actual face.

The less that a current or prospective employer, or a work troublemaker, can see about you when they search for your profile, the better and safer you are.

A public picture on Facebook of my family at church dressed up for Easter:  what possible damage might I expect to come of that?

I'm just not a fan of posting my picture on the Internet for the world to see in general. And I've been like that for years.I prefer my anonymity.

[Scott5114]

I'm just not a fan of posting my picture on the Internet for the world to see in general. And I've been like that for years.I prefer my anonymity.

I mean, you have that right, and I don't fault you for it...But you're also the only one on this forum whose face has appeared on TV multiple times with a big honking chyron underneath with your name and employer. 

[Rothman]

Never, ever, ever, make your social media posts public. Limit them to friends or even certain subsets of friends.

[...]

Avoid posting selfies or profile pictures of your actual face.

The less that a current or prospective employer, or a work troublemaker, can see about you when they search for your profile, the better and safer you are.

A public picture on Facebook of my family at church dressed up for Easter:  what possible damage might I expect to come of that?

I'm just not a fan of posting my picture on the Internet for the world to see in general. And I've been like that for years.I prefer my anonymity.

Well, then it sounds like a personal rule rather than a general one.

[ZLoth]

In the middle of my lunch break today I got a phone call from my temp agency saying their client was firing me. I am absolutely devastated and scared and I was hoping for some moral support.

Any luck on a new position?

[Max Rockatansky]

Facebook profile pictures aside my actual name gets used on this forum all the time.  So much so that I get some amusement out of times when people think my actual name is Max.  I only chose this screen name because I had just seen Fury Road shortly before registering on the forum.

[Rothman]

Facebook profile pictures aside my actual name gets used on this forum all the time.  So much so that I get some amusement out of times when people think my actual name is Max.  I only chose this screen name because I had just seen Fury Road shortly before registering on the forum.

I can't believe Fury Road was ten years ago.

[Max Rockatansky]

Facebook profile pictures aside my actual name gets used on this forum all the time.  So much so that I get some amusement out of times when people think my actual name is Max.  I only chose this screen name because I had just seen Fury Road shortly before registering on the forum.

I can't believe Fury Road was ten years ago.

That and it took almost a decade for a follow up film.  Even my wife liked Furiosa when we went to go see it.

[seicer]

I haven't chimed in, but seeing such a broad spectrum of opinions on this is interesting. This is just my take on 20 years of experience in the coal/steel/higher education/contract industries:

• Your coworkers are not your friends at work. People are at work to keep a business operating, and a business only sees you for your contributions.
• If you are terminated, you should leave. For security and legal purposes, your access to various systems will likely be terminated at that point. If you want to say goodbye, you can do that on LinkedIn.
• Social media can be positive and negative. If your opinions are polarized and you publicly express them, that can influence your relationship with your colleagues and employer. If you are looking for work, it will impact your job search. I can't begin to tell you how often I reject applicants based on a 10-minute search of that person's name on Google. If I find something too polarizing or controversial, or posts and comments demeaning to other people, I'll pass on that applicant.
• That said, my media and social media presence benefited my last two employers. The writing and skillsets I have used in developing my three sites over 20+ years were a factor in my employment (per conversations with the individuals who had hired me). I keep my online presence tailored.
• Nothing on social media is private. Don't post about it if you don't want it out there. Not everything in life needs to be shared.
• A contracting position can bring a lot of money, but it's also not stable long-term. You may make more money, but you don't have a vested interest in the long-term goals of that employer. You are also at-will, so any infraction or misstep can lead to immediate termination.

[JayhawkCO]

Your coworkers are not your friends at work. People are at work to keep a business operating, and a business only sees you for your contributions.

I keep seeing people post this, but, as a rule, I disagree with this completely. When I got married, of the 200 people who were at our wedding, I'd bet around a quarter of them were current or former co-workers, including bosses.  You're certainly not forced to be friends with anyone you work with, but, in my experience, it's way easier to feel a part of the team at work if you like the people you work with and they like you too.

[Max Rockatansky]

A large percentage of people who I would now consider close friends are those who I either worked for or worked for me.  Cultivating people who can vouch for you long term on a professional or non-professional level is not bad thing. 

[Scott5114]

I can't begin to tell you how often I reject applicants based on a 10-minute search of that person's name on Google. If I find something too polarizing or controversial, or posts and comments demeaning to other people, I'll pass on that applicant.

I used to be extremely against this sort of thing—what people do outside of work is generally their own business, not the employer's—but I can't say it isn't fair to pass on someone whose social media trail paints a portrait of someone who's an asshole who would be a pain to work with.

You're certainly not forced to be friends with anyone you work with, but, in my experience, it's way easier to feel a part of the team at work if you like the people you work with and they like you too.

A large percentage of people who I would now consider close friends are those who I either worked for or worked for me.  Cultivating people who can vouch for you long term on a professional or non-professional level is not bad thing. 

No, but it should be recognized that getting too chummy with coworkers can be hazardous in some cases. If you tell the wrong person you have a non-standard religion, or orientation/gender identity, or political affiliation, or whatever, you can find yourself dealing with a whole lot of shit you wouldn't need to deal with if you'd just kept your lips zipped.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't ever become friends with people at work, just use discretion and don't assume everyone is your friend when they're not. (And even then, sometimes people you think are your friends will play dirty when you're both up for the same promotion, or you did something they take as a slight.)

[JayhawkCO]

Back in the day, I used to pass on applicants who didn't bring their own pen when coming in to fill out an application at the restaurant I managed. You knew you were coming to fill out an application, but you didn't bother to prepare yourself? Wouldn't likely bode well for a fine dining restaurant.

[kernals12]

In the middle of my lunch break today I got a phone call from my temp agency saying their client was firing me. I am absolutely devastated and scared and I was hoping for some moral support.

Any luck on a new position?

Nope, I haven't even finished updating my resume.

[Max Rockatansky]

I can't begin to tell you how often I reject applicants based on a 10-minute search of that person's name on Google. If I find something too polarizing or controversial, or posts and comments demeaning to other people, I'll pass on that applicant.

I used to be extremely against this sort of thing—what people do outside of work is generally their own business, not the employer's—but I can't say it isn't fair to pass on someone whose social media trail paints a portrait of someone who's an asshole who would be a pain to work with.

You're certainly not forced to be friends with anyone you work with, but, in my experience, it's way easier to feel a part of the team at work if you like the people you work with and they like you too.

A large percentage of people who I would now consider close friends are those who I either worked for or worked for me.  Cultivating people who can vouch for you long term on a professional or non-professional level is not bad thing. 

No, but it should be recognized that getting too chummy with coworkers can be hazardous in some cases. If you tell the wrong person you have a non-standard religion, or orientation/gender identity, or political affiliation, or whatever, you can find yourself dealing with a whole lot of shit you wouldn't need to deal with if you'd just kept your lips zipped.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't ever become friends with people at work, just use discretion and don't assume everyone is your friend when they're not. (And even then, sometimes people you think are your friends will play dirty when you're both up for the same promotion, or you did something they take as a slight.)

In my particular case the folks I'm referring to are those I've now known for several years.  There is a substantial difference between let's say someone who only worked for me over two months versus another I hired seven years ago and has been promoted twice.

[kphoger]

I'm just not a fan of posting my picture on the Internet for the world to see in general. And I've been like that for years.I prefer my anonymity.

I mean, you have that right, and I don't fault you for it...But you're also the only one on this forum whose face has appeared on TV multiple times with a big honking chyron underneath with your name and employer. 

Not to mention that his username here is his actual name (minus the -ayes part, of course), and his profile has the state he lives in and a badge identifying his employer.  For someone who likes anonymity so much, he sure does share a lot of personal information about himself right there in his forum profile.

You're certainly not forced to be friends with anyone you work with, but, in my experience, it's way easier to feel a part of the team at work if you like the people you work with and they like you too.

A large percentage of people who I would now consider close friends are those who I either worked for or worked for me.  Cultivating people who can vouch for you long term on a professional or non-professional level is not bad thing. 

No, but it should be recognized that getting too chummy with coworkers can be hazardous in some cases. If you tell the wrong person you have a non-standard religion, or orientation/gender identity, or political affiliation, or whatever, you can find yourself dealing with a whole lot of shit you wouldn't need to deal with if you'd just kept your lips zipped.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't ever become friends with people at work, just use discretion and don't assume everyone is your friend when they're not. (And even then, sometimes people you think are your friends will play dirty when you're both up for the same promotion, or you did something they take as a slight.)

Not to mention that the best friends can eventually make the worst of enemies.

At my own company, I've witnessed employees become romantically involved and then break up—even to the point of marriage and divorce.  The work relationship at that point is never good, and most times one of them has left the company.

But there are a lot of others who have developed friendships that outlasted their mutual employment.  My closest co-worker and her husband (who used to be my boss) still hang out with a field tech who hasn't worked for us in more more than a decade—and my former boss now works for him elsewhere.