Jesus wept, that's bad. Are we allowed to ask who the employer was so that we can boycott them? Not really as bad as that, or in the same category as I knew the axe was coming, but when I was made redundant by the Australian Government I received final notification via email on Xmas Eve. The notification included details of my redundancy package & final pay - but when I checked online to see that my bank had received it, all that had been paid was three days pay for some strange reason. My first act was to ring the Pay Dept in Canberra to ask what the hell was going on - when someone answered the phone, it was quite obvious that there was an office Xmas going on and no-one could be bothered helping. Didn't get paid until February either...
20 years ago I had a motorcycle accident coming out of University one night whilst on day release from work when some numpty did a u-turn on a zebra crossing putting me in hospital and writing the bike off. After a couple of weeks off with whiplash and other injuries before returning to my work as a machine operator, alas probably at least a month too soon: I aggravated some muscles in my upper back whilst operating a lathe and had to go to see my GP and was signed off again. Long story short I was constructively dismissed as a result. They settled on the eve of going to Tribunal, but I didn't get to graduate with my colleagues (deferred a semester due to my injuries) had no job, no qualification, no reference, no bike (insurance company wriggling) and a shed load of worries for several months. Firm went bust 18 months later. Karma!
It's a long time ago and I've put it out of my mind. Some years later I started up on my own and have so far lasted 23 years. A struggle but gives satisfaction occasionally, a bit like supporting Watford really!
That chimes with me too. The day after my mother died, the md of our business ( I started it with him in his house 15 years before) was the senior person after him, told me to leave. No explanation , and a moderate sum in return for not setting up in competition. (fortunately, I managed to hang on to my shares until the business was sold.) I started on my own - no choice really, survived pretty well until I retired and unlike the previous business, never declared a loss. Curiously, though some my happiest working times were in the earlier business. Best to remember the good bits really.
That reminds me. I was working for a small manufacturing business in Ballachulish. I was employed on strong suggestion of Enterprise Co to try and get the owner to actually run the business as a business rather than a hobby. He did exactly the opposite of what even an incompetent business person would do much to the dismay of the Enterprise Co who gave him lots of support & ££. One day a letter came addressed to someone who was a consultant to the Enterprise Co, I opened it and on reading it found it to be a letter from a friend congratulating him on getting my job! It was just before Christmas too. Typical of the owner not to be upfront about it and tell me that the Enterprise Co wanted there own man there. TBH I wasn't bothered as I was about to hand in my notice anyway as I was so fed up with it all. I don't think the new bloke lasted very long once he found out what he had let himself in for. I could have got him for constructive dismissal but knowing how much £ he had it would have been pointless and probably made 6 people unemployed as a result.
