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sad · New User Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 9 Career Advice: +0/-0

I live in florida.
I worked at a gourmetmarket for over a year.i got hired before they even opened.I was the"manager"of my deptarment(bakery),but had no control over any decisions made.
so i brought in my own recipes and created a bakery.
no guidebooks,handbooks,concepts whats so ever.
they are still knew to the businessworld and don't seem to know the right way to do things.
so 2 weeks ago on sat(which is the last day or payweek) i got called into the office by Gm and daughter of owner(i don't really know what her title suppose to be) they told me they have to let me go for 2 reasons:
1) i worked overtime

i never signed anything that said we weren't allowed,aand actually i worked overtime a lot in the beginning and on holidays,the GM was aware of that.

2) there was something wriiten on a myspacepage ,calling the place a funny name,like the"cranky____",that happened 6 mo ago.I have no idea what that was,some kind of a joke i guess.

so I stayed quiet cause I couldn't believe it.I had worked really hard there .I packed up my things ,said goodbye to people and left.

The GM said they would give me a one week severancepay.i waited for it but it didn't come.I emailed him about that and he said that in their handbook it says no overtime and also i took recipes with me that where theirs.nobody had ever given me any recipes.after being fired i was supposed to leave my recipebook behind.
He also said to stay quiet and maybe he could get me back in,he didn't wanted to fire me,cause he liked me work.

I'm thinking that they didn't want me there because I started voicing my concerns about the way food was being handled(flour that was used for tossing chicken was put back in flourstoragecontainer,etc.. )
and also employees have no way of seeing their hours.you clock in and out and get your paycheck by the end of the week but you can't see them.they go in and change employees hours whenever they want(like somebody didn't clock out for lunch)

I never received a warning,there was no writeups,no complaints from anybody.
I was in the middle of setups for xmas,i had orders from costumers.if I ran into any of those costumers they will ask me what happened,how emberassing.

I applied for UC ,a lady called me and said she needs to take my statement for my side of the story.

Its xmas and nobody wants to hire right now,so I need some money just to get over the holidays.If my old employer makes up some other stuff and I get denied I probably flip out.

why would they change their minds about the severancepay?
and after working there for over a year shouldn't I get my vacationpay too?

Pauloz · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:04 am Post subject:

sad-

As far as I can see, these people are cheapskate, trashy, jerks. All of that points to real incompetence, too. The most likely way of getting your money would be official or legal.

The myspace incident doesn't mean much. Anyone could have posted that. It doesn't mean you did, which is the relevant issue.

You are fully entitled to all your pay, (you didn't sign up for unpaid work, either) but that doesn't look like how they work.

As you obviously know, the food handling methods are illegal. Contaminated flour is a very good way of spreading disease, don't be surprised to hear of some flourishing salmonella.

Actually, leaving there might turn out to be a good career move. You can truthfully say that you raised those concerns, nobody did anything, so you're in the clear.

On your CV, this is a "disputed" period of employment. Any new employer should be told upfront that you and they disagree on the reasons for your leaving, and just state your version of events. Don't trash these people in an interview, (however much they deserve it), just say "They fired me for reasons which I consider false and unfair, and didn't pay me."

The penny should drop, and any employer will be able to see that all this was a bit sudden, and the logic's not too good, firing someone after a year's otherwise good work.

Suggest don't trust any approach, see some cash upfront before you do anything.

lexa10881 · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:42 am Post subject:

They are treating you very unfairly. I do not kow about your vacation pay, that should be specific to your comapny and in the employment contract that you signed.

As for UC:

http://www.cvtips.com/unemployment_benefits_in_florida.html

Randy · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 7:21 am Post subject:

Oh, first thing I'd do is place an "anonymous" call to the local health department. I'd tell 'em the place was infested with flesh-eating roaches the size of chupacabras....anything to make sure they paid them an unexpected visit.

As for being embarrassed? Pffft. I'd make sure to tell everyone to avoid the place like the plague.

As you say, it's Christmas time. You had the great fortune to work for a Scrooge. Makes 'em easier to spot next time.

You already know you'll probably never see a penny of what you're owed and there's likewide probably very little you can actually do about it. But again, it IS Christmas time, the time of great hope and true miracles. Your situation is not pleasant, and certainly no fun. I know. But it will get better and even more importantly: You'll be better for it.

UC Help Center · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:05 am Post subject:

You should receive your UC benefits - but you want to answer the examiners questions as directly and succinctly as possible. Going on a rant with unemployment might only serve to confuse the examiner.

The bottom line is that you were terminated without warning and through no fault of your own. You need not get into detail about how great a worker you were - the standard is whether you worked to the best of your ability, and it seems that you did. The examiner does not need nor want examples.

Please let us know how you make out with unemployment.

lexa10881 · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:38 am Post subject:

Yes, please answer any questions as directly and completely as possible. It can make it easier and faster for them when processing your claim, tempting as it may be to go off on a rant.

But, I would call the health department Twisted Evil

http://www.cvtips.com/surviving_unemployment.html

botweety · Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 4:40 am Post subject: somebody read my rant,please

I'm a little late posting this but here it is. All you tell the uc people is that you were fired for working overtime and that something was posted on MySpace. Inform them that you were never told not to work overtime or that you were working too much overtime. Also, to not admit to the MySpace posting, even if you did. The employer will have to prove you did the posting. It sounds like you should be eligible if you limit your answers to the specific reasons you were fired. I agree with the other posting that if you go on a rant, you may lose. I had one claimant discharged for stealing food without paying for it and denying it. Later on, when given the opportunity to add further comments, the claimant said something like, "I did take some food once but it was out of date." I denied him on the spot, just because he couldn't keep his big mouth shut. Don't rant.

sad · New User Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 9 Career Advice: +0/-0

I don't think I'm going to get any benefits.The examiner called me and ask me like 1000 questions about that myspace.I told her I didn't know what that was about but she had a printout of it.It was something written 6 month ago.aslo she had a memo that my former employer supposely given to us a year ago about that overtime has to be approved.I told her that I always worked overtime.everybody else there is on salary.she ask me if overtime was approved and I said yes but I don't have it in writing,I said that everything was always word of mouth.
well after talking to me she realized that the real reason for firing me was that myspacething and she said she has to talk to my former GM again about the overtime.
I can't believe these people,they throw me out with no reason ,no severance pay and don't wan't me to have unemployment just so I can get over the holidays .
oh yeah did I mention that the GM is a gambler?he makes $2000 a week after a day he gets paid he's already broke and has to borrow money from coworkers to put gas in his car to get home.pathetic.

lexa10881 · Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 4:18 am Post subject:

Well, there's not a lot you can do about your GM's personal decisions to be a gambler, and voicing your opinions about that to the examiner might be detrimental to your case. Again, one of those situations where watching what you are saying may be the best option. And, remember as such in any interviews you may be attending: do not bad mouth your previous employer!

Be careful.

http://www.cvtips.com/getting_interview_feedback.html

sad · New User Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 9 Career Advice: +0/-0

well i got a letter today from unemploymentoffice saying that my benefits are denied because of misconduct connected with work.reason I worked unauthorized overtime.
supposely there was a memo that said that overtime has to be approved.I always worked overtime and told the GM he should put me on salary,everybody else was on salary.
so if the GM says overtime was unauthorized and I say it was ,now what?
everybody there workes overtime,soem of the employees even brag about ti.so if he wants to get rid of somebody all he has to say he didn't approve of overtime.
I guess I try an appeal.

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