- Original Poster
- #1
Hi, slightly left of field topic, it's nowhere near as dramatic as it sounds - I am a contractor, I had my contract terminated, amicably (these things happen, I was their most expensive resource and they said they needed to cut costs, so what are you going to do) and was working through the notice period. The flip side to this is that my immediate manager and I (not line manager, more team leader) and I did not see eye to eye, she's 10 years younger, the business loves her, she aces the performance reviews but I wasnt sure she really knew what she was doing, she was however awesome at schmoozing senior management which is a skill all of its own. I never raised my voice once with any other member of the company during my entire tenure, but madam and I would regularly scream down Teams at each other, and the customers, when I spoke to them lived in mortal fear of her. She was very my way with no highway option. People fell in line.
So anyway, I am working through my notice period, she accuses me of not doing any handover to the new guy (I was on the phone to him for hours every day, I was managing around 7 projects, and he was turning paler and paler, which, given he is Southern Indian is quite a feat, poor lad only has 2 years of PM experience) so I had done all the handover I could. With 2 weeks left Madam and her boss (all are Indian, although this is not important to the story, Madams boss and I work extremely closely, he's awesome and we get along well, under somewhat trying circumstances), anyway, they tell me I am not to speak to anyone, external or internal. I obviously query this. External - ok sure, new guy needs to take the reins, but internally - not so much. I have all manner of in flight activities I am closing down, finishing off, or handing over. After querying it I was told in no uncertain terms - no comms. If we have questions we will ask you. No questions came my way either. Time to buy some little umbrellas to stick in my Pina Coladas.
Then, with a few days to go, Madam calls me up in a rage saying I'm lying about the handover, I have done nothing on one of the project to handover, which is actually kindof true, the project had only started a week before I was released, I had all the PM'y stuff there - comms with supply chain, BOMs, all that stuff, there simply wasn't anything else there. She is now incandescent with fury, saying she's going to bad mouth me to the customers (both of whom offered me work the moment they found out I was going) and report me to HR.
Later that day I was told I was terminated with immediate effect. Then they went to radio silence except for one senior director telling me I should apologise to Madam. I would wee a meal of Beaujolais and asparagus on her grave before I ever considered an apology.
Now - the company in question needs to give me a reason for my termination. Its in law. (Gov.uk/dismissal - its the first point mentioned) - they won't, because what happened was Madam went to senior management who high handedly said Off with his Head - I've got friends up there too who told me on the quiet.
What do I do in this situation - I'm not after compensation, hell, 2 weeks into my notice period I had already started another consultancy role, but I need them to explain themselves. How do I do this?
So anyway, I am working through my notice period, she accuses me of not doing any handover to the new guy (I was on the phone to him for hours every day, I was managing around 7 projects, and he was turning paler and paler, which, given he is Southern Indian is quite a feat, poor lad only has 2 years of PM experience) so I had done all the handover I could. With 2 weeks left Madam and her boss (all are Indian, although this is not important to the story, Madams boss and I work extremely closely, he's awesome and we get along well, under somewhat trying circumstances), anyway, they tell me I am not to speak to anyone, external or internal. I obviously query this. External - ok sure, new guy needs to take the reins, but internally - not so much. I have all manner of in flight activities I am closing down, finishing off, or handing over. After querying it I was told in no uncertain terms - no comms. If we have questions we will ask you. No questions came my way either. Time to buy some little umbrellas to stick in my Pina Coladas.
Then, with a few days to go, Madam calls me up in a rage saying I'm lying about the handover, I have done nothing on one of the project to handover, which is actually kindof true, the project had only started a week before I was released, I had all the PM'y stuff there - comms with supply chain, BOMs, all that stuff, there simply wasn't anything else there. She is now incandescent with fury, saying she's going to bad mouth me to the customers (both of whom offered me work the moment they found out I was going) and report me to HR.
Later that day I was told I was terminated with immediate effect. Then they went to radio silence except for one senior director telling me I should apologise to Madam. I would wee a meal of Beaujolais and asparagus on her grave before I ever considered an apology.
Now - the company in question needs to give me a reason for my termination. Its in law. (Gov.uk/dismissal - its the first point mentioned) - they won't, because what happened was Madam went to senior management who high handedly said Off with his Head - I've got friends up there too who told me on the quiet.
What do I do in this situation - I'm not after compensation, hell, 2 weeks into my notice period I had already started another consultancy role, but I need them to explain themselves. How do I do this?
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