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  1. #1

    Would you quit the job you hate if you knew you were getting fired?

    Hey All,

    So here's the situation. I'm 25 and I've been working at my current Job since Jan '06, I had left my previous job of 3 years (yes, I entered the work force young) to come to my current job via a former co-worker & friend (though I didn't know him before working with him) had referred me. A lot has changed in 6 years, I've worked overnight weekend shifts pretty much on a constant basis week in and week out, I met my wife and got married after switching to days, though still working 12 hour shifts 3-4 days a week and among other things, for that reason I have been casually searching for a different job for a couple months now. I've had a couple interviews and though it seemed promising at first, nothing really has panned out so far. I don't have a degree but I am working towards one even though my time really has been monopolized by my work since on the days that I do work, I'm either at work or sleeping.

    In the last year or so since the most recent round of layoffs (I've survived 3 rounds), this place has become really hell-bent on their policies and procedures. Essentially, this place has just about the strictest "3 strikes" type of rule you can imagine. In the span of 3 months you can't get 3 strikes. For strike one I was late due to horrible winter road conditions even though I left early and called while driving to let work know what was going on. Strike 2 I was literally ONE minute late another day, and strike 3 happened at the end of last week as I called in sick and even though I brought in a very detailed (2 page) doctors note, I will be getting randomly pulled this week to talk to HR and "discuss my job" here. It clearly states in the policies and procedures that at this point, I will be up for termination and for working here for 6 years. believe me, I've seen it (and far crazier things) happen.

    So basically, my situation is this...I know I'm going to be on my way out of here and my wife is aware of that as well. After being unhappy with my job for years, yet sticking it out anyway for the hopes of something better (there was a job posting a year ago for a position/promotion very ideal for me but they withdrew it because of a round of layoffs had just occurred and this position was no longer deemed necessary), I really, REALLY, don't want to have my job get the last laugh. I don't want to do anything immature or something that would put me at risk for getting sued (also something I've seen someone do) but I'm really looking for advice as to what I should do here and how I can leave in a way that doesn't make me or my resume look bad and that my wife can be ultimately ok with as well. I was thinking of telling my wife something along the lines of "I overheard my management talking about letting me go at the end of the week, so I just wanted to leave on my terms, etc." but I've never really thought I would be in this position before.

    As a final note, let me also add that I am not concerned with finding a new job, I know the economy sucks, etc...but I have plenty of friends and family to look to for any job connections and as far as my wife goes, I'm willing to use my dad's lawn mower and start cutting peoples grass (a summer job I used to have) here and there for any extra cash I can possibly earn.

    TL;DR version...I'm losing my job soon, but I don't want to give them the satisfaction. Can I quit in a way that wont piss my wife off?

  2. #2
    Deleted
    well, as a gesture of defiance it seems a bit pointless- they still get rid of you, whether they fire you or you "choose" to quit. On the other hand, quitting a job looks much better to future employers than getting fired- I'd quit if i expected to lose the job, and since you seem to hate the place anyway, i think that's probably the best way to go.

  3. #3
    Deleted
    Quitting would definitely look better on your resume than being fired.

    At least if you quit then future employers will ask you why you quit, and you can make up whatever bullshit excuse you want. If you get fired then they won't ask you why you were fired, they will ask your previous employer why. Pretty much a no-brainer.

    Break it to your wife and move fast. Start drafting the resignation letter right now. (At least that's what I would do)

    Make sure to choose a reason for quitting that will make you look good to future employers in your resignation letter.

  4. #4
    Deleted
    I would quit right away. Looks better on your resume.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Poundmax View Post
    TL;DR version...I'm losing my job soon, but I don't want to give them the satisfaction. Can I quit in a way that wont piss my wife off?
    Probably no. While there is a satisfaction is saying "you can't fire me, I quit" you will sound like the bad guy here.

    Your best bet is to be apologetic and see what you can do to remain at work even if you hate it. When you find another job then you can quit. Normally I don't recommend "burning the bridge behind you" but if you know you will NEVER need these people for a recommendation get things off of your chest. It can make you feel better going forward. When you have things you needed to say, but didn't it can weigh on you. When I left my previous job I sat the manager down gave my two weeks and spent the next 20 minutes explaining why I felt he was unqualified for the position he is in and barely qualified as a human being. I felt so much better and those two weeks I was treated with more respect then I had for the previous two years.

  6. #6
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    Can I ask where you are from? You could probably claim unfair dismissal if they do "fire" you. Calling in sick WITH a doctors note is certainly not a valid reason for them to fire you.. Some places still pay people if they call in sick.

  7. #7
    I am or will be in a situation a little relative to what you have right now. Our contract with the state ended which was basically our bread and butter, no one saw that coming as some other companies out bidded us even though we have been lowest bidders for a while. SO we all got a hint that we might be losing our jobs, so the smartest thing for us to is to resign while looking for new opportunities. But the situation right now is that, if you are uncertain on what will happen it is best to talk to them (HR or your manager/supervisor) on you current status and discuss with them your options. If they give a hint that you might be loosing your job (hope that doesn't happen) you can or should give them a letter of resignation. It's true that getting fired shows a negative impact on your resume. Also remember, don't rage and be impatient with people, for they are your only references you can give for your next job. It's always a tough situation you are facing and there are no easy ways to do it. Just ask/talk; you never know what the response might be, don't just assume. Good luck.
    Last edited by Anaeska; 2012-04-09 at 02:15 PM.

  8. #8
    Definitely don't quit. Not sure if it is the same everywhere, but my understanding of unemployment benefits is that voluntarily leaving your job automatically disqualifies you from unemployment benefits. And while you may not want to live off the state, paying your bills, keeping the house, etc, is the important part, not your pride. That's my take on it.

    And leaving on your own vs. being let go doesn't look any better one way or another - you don't write "FIRED!" on your resume. Given the economy, people leaving jobs left and right, being let go left and right, it just doesn't matter. And either labor laws or just most company policies (not sure which) prohibit companies from disclosing why you left (to prevent you from suing then for slanderous information or whatever). So don't worry about that part.

  9. #9
    Sounds like you need to learn to get to work more than 1 minute before the start of your shift. You'll find a great many employers that have very strict attendance policies. It's because many younger individuals don't seem to think it's very important.

  10. #10
    I am Murloc! Roose's Avatar
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    Here you can only claim unemployment if you get fired or let go. I have always been a quitter who gets fired during their 2 weeks. No worries about unemployment or burning bridges I would give them both guns. An epic quitting makes you a folk hero joking ofc. Or am I?

    Looks better on a resume? lol! Odds are you are not gonna use them as a reference if they want to fire you, so why would you ever say on a resume you were fired?
    Last edited by Roose; 2012-04-09 at 02:27 PM.
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  11. #11
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by crazyb View Post
    Definitely don't quit. Not sure if it is the same everywhere, but my understanding of unemployment benefits is that voluntarily leaving your job automatically disqualifies you from unemployment benefits. And while you may not want to live off the state, paying your bills, keeping the house, etc, is the important part, not your pride. That's my take on it.
    That is true, however I believe if you are fired you are also unable to receive benefits as the state sees it as willingly loosing a job. Otherwise you could just get yourself fired instead of quitting.

  12. #12
    I am Murloc! Roose's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rainmaker View Post
    That is true, however I believe if you are fired you are also unable to receive benefits as the state sees it as willingly loosing a job. Otherwise you could just get yourself fired instead of quitting.
    Not sure of the exact specifics, but we would always get stuck with shit employees because they would do just enough to not get fired and would never quit. They knew the system well.
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  13. #13
    You can not get unemployment benefits if you quit.
    I'm sorry, but i just have to tell you that you are an ignorant, closed minded fool, and you need to chill out, think more, and quit being such a douche. Your responses are shrill, closed minded, and ignorant. You need to think outside the box sometimes, and realize its blizzards game and you are not ghostcrawler.

  14. #14
    Pit Lord aztr0's Avatar
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    As others have said. If you quit you get no unemployment benefits. The job market these days are still pretty bad. But then, in your next job interview, they'll ask you why you left your previous job and if you said that you were fired... you better have an amazing reason or you're most likely not getting that job.

  15. #15
    Atleast here in Sweden, if you are fired you can recive benefits basically straight away (assuming you are in the unemployment insurance .. thingy) .. but if you quit you have to wait 3 months for any sort of benefit and would be forced to live on whatever cash you have saved/on you.

    I'd say you should wait to get fired, and as someone else said .. just dont name the company as a reference.
    Or simply say that you got laid off due cut downs in the company.
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  16. #16
    It is true you don't get unemployment benefits if you resign/quit (Fired/laid off - you are eligible for Unemp benefits). But companies don't give you that option of choosing between laid off or resignation. It will suck if fired - you have to explain why to your next employer. And yes your only references will be the people @ work, you said you were employed by them for the past 6 yrs. With that much of history your next hiring manager will require you to give references from this firm. I am applying for new jobs, the HR said he will need three references out of which two have to be from current job and one from a job previous to current one.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by crazyb View Post
    Definitely don't quit. Not sure if it is the same everywhere, but my understanding of unemployment benefits is that voluntarily leaving your job automatically disqualifies you from unemployment benefits. And while you may not want to live off the state, paying your bills, keeping the house, etc, is the important part, not your pride. That's my take on it.

    And leaving on your own vs. being let go doesn't look any better one way or another - you don't write "FIRED!" on your resume. Given the economy, people leaving jobs left and right, being let go left and right, it just doesn't matter. And either labor laws or just most company policies (not sure which) prohibit companies from disclosing why you left (to prevent you from suing then for slanderous information or whatever). So don't worry about that part.
    Bingo! Its all about this.

    Do not quit or you cant get unemployment. For the next job you can say you were let go due to unreasonable expectations or that you were laid off due to the economy. That might be one of the reasons they have such strict rules. If you're telling the truth, the reasons you got fired, werent normally enough to get fired and werent mostly your fault.

  18. #18
    Also, don't lie. If you get fired and it comes up, tell the truth. "They went through various rounds of layoffs and had a strange policy with regards to black marks on your record. 1 minute late one day was a mark, late due to a snowstorm was another mark, out sick (with a doctors note) was also a mark and they decided to let me go." And you can also use those (especially the one where you were out sick) to help support your unemployment benefits request in the event that the company fights it (yes, they can fight it). Showing that the termination was without cause will help to ensure that you receive your benefits.

  19. #19
    Dreadlord Kegler's Avatar
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    If my job sucked that bad i'd quit. Written up for being 1 minute late? Seriously, who would want to work there anyways. Also, how the hell can they reprimand you for being out side with a doctor's note? Sounds like the worst company in the world...

  20. #20
    Deleted
    God, no! In this country, if you get fired you are entitled to get job-seeker's allowance while you look for a new job, if you quit you get nothing. There is no way I would snub that financial support, I'm too poor.

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