A Story of Getting Fired and Nothing More

My friend was fired from work last Monday.

She came straight out of a long vacation then suddenly found herself jobless and short of cash. To make matters worse, she was expecting her salary on that unfortunate Monday but management decided that she can only claim it until next month.

I feel sorry for her and at the same time, infuriated at her irresponsibility.

You see her supervisor already had a talk with her regarding her poor performance which was mainly the effect of her frequent absences (twice a week!) and her tardiness (almost everyday) from work. She was already warned once about it and yet she didn’t take it by heart. She was closely monitored by her supervisor the whole month before her termination and yet she didn’t take it seriously. She was actually great at her work (she was on her 7^th month) but she missed the basic rule in being an employee, especially in a traditional company: minimize absences and tardiness and take your work seriously.

It was actually baffling the way she handled the warnings and advices of her impending termination. She took it nonchalantly, showing no motivation to change for the better and even scoffed and gossiped at her supervisor’s heeding behind the latter’s back.

I badly wanted to tell her; did she really think her supervisor was just joking with her? Was warning her once about her absences and her performances not enough? Was she expecting to be reminded twice, thrice, even four times about it? Was she not afraid of losing her job when she knows that she had a lot of bills to pay? That losing her in the company won’t make a difference as they are easily replaceable? That turnovers are a norm in their large company and people are merely cogs in their corporation? Or maybe she had a Plan B and she intentionally wants to get fired?

Well after seeing her puffy, red eyes and tear-streaked face, I knew Plan B didn’t exist.

I know I shouldn’t be assuming things, I know I’ll never really know until I’ve put myself in her shoes but I do know a couple of things:

1.) When your boss gives you a warning, don’t wait for the second one.

2.) Work is called so because it is so. I didn’t get the memo about it being a pastime.

3.) When one is going to be late for work, that doesn’t necessarily translate to one should just be absent for work.

4.) Save, save, save. Metaphorical rainy days can’t be forecasted.

Currently, she’s still feeling depress. Who wouldn’t be when all you have is a few hundred bucks to get by for a month? We’re helping her to back on her feet but we know she’s the only one who can help herself, if she wants to. I hope she has learned her lesson. And I hope she’ll be able to move on and find a job as quickly as possible.