Sooo, I got sacked yesterday.

[The Curmudgeon]

Believe it or not, as Curmudgeonly and smart-assed as I can be, I've only ever been fired once before, in my second ever job. It was a couple of things; refusing to call my boss "Mr Hynde" (it was just plain old "Jim" to me), refusing to come in (on my fucking DAY OFF) to count stock or some shit.. but anyway, when the time came to leave, my final words to "Mr Hynde" were, "well, Jim. I'd like to say it's been fun, but that would be a complete lie." The end. And I've had all kinds of problems with authority figures since, but nothing that approached ever really being kicked out the door.

Until now.

Here's the story; I got a new job with a life insurance company. It was within walking distance of my house, the money was OK and I didn't work after 5pm. Sold. When I got there it was a backroom little shit-hole that pretty much enforced bullying tactics to sell life insurance. Fuck that. So I walked out after two hours. I tried to get back in with the place I had left before, but something about me saying the company was "the worst place I have ever worked in my life" and walking out put that plan to bed.

So I got another job, not so close by, not so great hours but the money was still OK. No problem. Except when I finally start my new boss takes an instant, scorching dislike to me, taking me into the back three days after I started, saying I seemed to have a problem. I hung around with two girls from the team (one, it must be said, who is mighty fine), and I was accused of "poisoning" them towards the company, that we were, as a trio of terror (sadly, not their words), belittling the entire team and hurting moral. I really have no idea how that's even possible, but I suggested that the three of us wear leather jackets and walk into the office with "Bad to the Bone" playing.

Anyway, this goes on for a few more weeks, with me then having a yelling match with a stand-in for my boss, who I then discovered was the assistant manager of the entire company. Oh. She said she was "sick of your tone, your attitude, your back-chat, your negativity" etc etc.

Bottom line - I got sacked yesterday. But fear not, for I am actually taking the company to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal. We'll see who gets the last laugh yet.

And if nothing else, you can be sure of more Fortress updates over the next few weeks. Every cloud...

[trashcanman]

Bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-baaaad. Bad to the bone. Awesome. I've been written up at every job except my current for "insubordination" (the current hasn't given me an excuse). It's a fucking badge of honor. But no way have I ever approached termination. I'm too industrious. Last time I got slapped with an insubordination charge was for not showing props to a tribal member (I was working at am Indian casino) who took it upon herself to act a fool and take me to task for helping out a customer ('twas my job, yeah?). Turns out she was my manager's cousin or something. So there I was in the office with three of my supervisors letting them have it and accusing them of racism since if I had been a tribal member (or if she hadn't been), we would not be having that discussion. I knew they thought it was wrong and had no choice, but it was too much fun watching them stammer and try to rationalize it. My favorite supervisor walked in while I was ranting (she'd later nominate me for employee of the year, which I got), stopped dead, smiled at me, and turned and walked right back out. She knew she wanted no piece of that pie. Good times.

Good luck with your case. So if you win are you getting a settlement or your job back?

[The Curmudgeon]

Na, not the job back but I'd get some cash from it. At first I wasn't sure (never really done anything like that before. Well, never needed to), but Mrs C went through a similar thing a few years back and she won her case. They take that shit VERY seriously over here, so who knows? Can't hurt.

So what was the big problem with you and Big Chief Fucking Bitch?

[trashcanman]

An elderly customer asked me to ask the hostess at the restaurant a question for her so she wouldn't have to get up and leave her machine. I walked up to the door, opened it and asked the question without so much as poking my head in and this man-woman in a security uniform starts shouting at me from down the hall and then sits there and chews me out because we are not allowed to go into the restaurant while we have our cash on us. I protested that no part of me entered the restaurant and I was doing a favor for a daily customer and she wasn't impressed. Apparently, she didn't like my attitude. I can't remember what I said specifically to really set her off, but my supervisors wasted no time pulling me off the floor to write me up. Tribal members are like gods in these casinos. Even if they come in visibly intoxicated and violent, even casino security isn't allowed to detain them. The most they can do is ask nicely. Only tribal security from the reservation is allowed to lay hands on a tribal member. They were also given the power to literally take any job they wanted. The person in that job would be demoted or fired and the tribal member would take it and then decide that working was for losers after a month or so and quit (they all get massive monthly checks, seasonal bonuses you could buy a car with, and live rent-free). So what we had was a place where almost nobody was qualified to do their job at the top of every department and did not have to follow labor laws. No lawyer or DA in the state would touch a Native American reservation for a lawsuit or any such thing. Worst. Place of employment. Ever. Plus in addition to tribal members who were aggressively antagonistic to the people who bust their asses to support their very lifestyle, you had customers who were the lowest of the low. Bums, drunks, thieves, prostitutes, drug dealers, con men, junkies, gambling addicts leaving their children in cars for hours in summer while they lose their rent money; you name it. I wouldn't recommend working at a Native American casino as a career choice.