You may know that you’re being fired before it technically happens. Your boss could call you into his or her office without telling you why, for example, or you could be told not to put your uniform on when you get to work. If you think you’re going to be fired unfairly, there are a few things you can do. One man who was terminated when he helped organize a union–he later got his job back–shared his own experiences, and he did the following things:
1. Ask to have a human resources representative in the meeting with you. This way, there is a third party to observe exactly what happens.
2. Ask to bring in a co-worker. If you can’t get an HR rep, or if there isn’t anyone in that role at the company, you still want to have a witness.
3. Confirm that you are being fired. Make sure you know exactly when it is going to take place–is it an immediate firing, or are you expected to work for any longer?
4. Ask why you’re being fired. It’s important to hear the reasons given, even if you don’t think they’re the real reasons. For example, it can help your case later if the executives say they’re firing you because of your performance, but you have the same performance numbers as everyone else.
5. Don’t sign anything. Your boss may ask you to sign paperwork that says any number of things, from acknowledging that you’ve been fired to admitting some sort of guilt. If you think the firing is unfair and there are other reasons–like racial or sexual discrimination–do not sign anything in that meeting.
Finally, make sure you know what rights you have and what legal options are open to you in New Jersey.
Source: Recomposition, How I Got Fired And Won My Job Back,” Emmett J. Nolan, accessed Dec. 10, 2015
