This global recession is affecting almost everyone. Companies are losing money because the economy is doing so poorly. One way companies can offset losses is to lay off their employees, thereby reducing a major cost center. Of course, if you have an employment contract, it becomes much more difficult to get fired… but not impossible.
When you first started on the job and signed the contract for the first time, neither you nor your boss probably thought about firing you. It was just a distant possibility, not something to think about at the moment. For whatever reason, things may have gone wrong somewhere along the way; Whether it’s because of the recession or some other reason, your boss may be looking to get rid of you. What is your job?
The first thing you should do before doing anything else is review your employment contract. Don’t just look at the severance clause that shows you the details of what a company must pay you if you terminate the agreement. Also be sure to pay attention to any other sections you think your boss might use to avoid paying severance pay, or might use to pay less severance than you deserve. Be sure to review the “for cause” section which will describe in more detail the conditions under which you can be held in violation of the agreement, at which point your employer does not have to pay you anything.
The next thing you need to make sure you do is follow all the provisions of your contract to the letter. Don’t give your boss any excuse to fire you without severance pay. Go to every meeting, stay at work all day, and don’t violate any company policies at all…not even the smallest stupid policies. Don’t even bring home a pen from the office, so you can’t get fired for theft. Realize that they may be looking to fire you for whatever reason; even a stupid reason.
Next, you need to collect evidence of your situation. Create a file that lists all the good work you’ve done for the company; I am referring to the good reviews you have received from supervisors, documents or memos that show how you have achieved certain goals, things like this. Anything that can make you look good so they don’t suggest you’re a bad employee.
You can then request an evaluation of your work to date. This shows that you are open to criticism and actively working to do your best. Similarly, you can try sending a memo to your supervisor discussing the current status of whatever project you’re working on. In the memo, say things like “we are currently achieving the goals of this project.” Even if they disagree with you, you can present this memo later as evidence that you were doing your job right.
None of these things will prevent you from being fired if your boss has already decided to fire you. What they will do, however, is allow you to file a case for full compensation and ensure that you are not cheated out of what you deserve.
But every little thing you can do in this regard will surely help in the end.