[NicoleBriz]

Unfortunately, I lost my job recently at a large company, and I'm really feeling down about it. To make a long story short, I was unwillingly place within a new department about 8 months ago. The manager didn't seem to want anything to do with me from the start and even wrote me up after the first month for nonsense reasons. I wasn't the only person in the department who was miserable though, so I stayed close with these people while the manager and her little posse of friends ignored, excluded, and heaped work upon us. The manager and her friends were terrible team players, unprofessional, all of them hated their jobs, but they stuck around to collect their pay checks, and just overall not very good or qualified people.

I started going to HR about the bullying and the lack of team spirit. The HR rep sounded like he wanted to help at first, but didn't do anything. In fact, he got very salty with me at one point and told me I needed to change my perception, which I tried to do but my manager was also going behind my back and saying bad things about me. In the end, I was pulled into the HR rep's office with upper management who told me I was being fired for my attitude. When I inquired what attitude I had, the upper manager simply told me that I was excluding others and not being a team player. I was also told that the favoritism and bullying I saw from the rest of the team was "all in my head" and since I seemed unhappy, they couldn't allow me to work there anymore. I was really shocked at what I was hearing! I didn't realize I could be fired simply for going to HR about the issues. I feel like everything I said was turned around on me to make it seem like I was the one at fault. I was especially disappointed in the HR rep who knew what was going on...and decided it was better to sweep everything under the rug instead of dealing with the problem. My manager wasn't even present to confront me and sent upper management instead (who is clueless) to do her dirty work.

Luckily, I went to someone higher up in the company about the issues I had with the team before all this went down. This higher-up is someone who works directly under the CEO and is kind of like an unofficial HR person. He offers comfort and advice to a lot of people who are having life and work related problems. Thank goodness he believed me (especially since it wasn't the first time he heard about that department being a problem), and went and spoke with upper HR on my behalf. It didn't stop me from being let go, but he was able to clear my record with the company and still get me my severance pay. So, if anyone looks at my record in the future, it will just say I left the company on my own terms and no other reasons will be given. The write-up and the "attitude problem" are gone. The higher-up told me that he will do what he can to get an investigation going, but it will be a slow process...and he couldn't guarantee that anything would happen to the manager. He did tell me that he wants me to return to the company eventually and be apart of another department, but the problem now is that the whole thing is fresh on the minds of HR. While he claimed they don't hold anything against me, he said that company policy dictates I should wait at least 6-8 months before trying to apply for any new jobs.

I guess my dilemma is that I'm just not sure about returning when I know they handled my situation in such a poor manner. I'm forever grateful to the higher-up who helped me when he could have just ignored it like everyone else, but it all still hurts deeply. It's also not a guarantee that I can return in 6-8 months because I would have to apply as an external employee, and the company is so popular that it's difficult to get into. Of course, I do have a leg up in this matter because I worked there previously and I have the support from the higher-up, and I have a lot of friends who work at the company. I love the company...just hated that department I was shuffled into. I'm having a very love/hate feeling right now and I'm not sure how I should react. I'm really angry and shocked but at the same time, I don't want to work for anyone else, yet at the same time I'm nervous about who will still be around if I DO happen to get back in...but I saw a future there and I want that opportunity back. Ugh!

Has anyone else ever been close to this situation? How would you feel? I've been trying to be positive and find other jobs to do now and it's just so hard. It's especially difficult since I have social anxiety so I hate hate hate having to start over again and try to do interviews, etc.

[kaliope]

gosh, what a sucky situation. i want to say just move on and find a friendlier place to work. who wants to work for a place that did that to you? but it seems like you have your heart set on employment there. maybe finding emplyment to hold you over until you are able to apply again, and you will open up to see there are other possibilities. take care.

[hvert]

I was in a similar position with a boss who wanted me out and who did everything she could to make me quit/fire me. It really is a crappy thing. The good news is that you are out with severance!!

I agree with kaliope about moving on. I would not go back to a company that treated you that way unless they drastically clean house. I'd ask your senior connection for some job leads or introductions at different companies. It might help you skip some of the job hunt steps that are the most nerve wracking!

[ShaggyChic_1201]

How freaky. I'm in MO and could have written most of this, right down to management and HR ignoring my problems. Only difference is I haven't been fired yet, though I did just have a promotion rescinded b/c someone in my department called the division that was going to hire me. I feel completely paranoid, tho my suprvisor says it's in my head. I know it's not!

No idea what to tell you or what to do, but you have my sympathy!