Scared, need some advice

[Rogue Hawk]

My boss yelled at me again today. He was pissed that my internet connection at home is unreliable. I have also had trouble getting into different systems I need to do my job. He said, "This reflects on YOU, you are responsible" And he hints he is going to get rid of me. I am really scared. This is the worst timing imaginable. So if I lose my job, and I run out of money, I'll be homeless. Or can I save my home with bankruptcy? My parents went bacnkrup several times and never got kicked out of there (our) home. There are a few things I can do to save money. I can let the bikes get repossessed. but I need my car and I need to pay my mortgage. I know I am rabeling, but I can't help it. I have a diffucult life emotionally speaking. Not sure how to deal with this.

[RapidSpyder]

I don’t know if it’s any help but the internet connection reliability isn’t on you IMHO. It might be with your provider. With everyone begin stuck at home there’s a lot more bandwidth being used. I know mine is slower. Imagine a pipe carrying water, if you want more water, you increase the size of the pipe. I think the “pipes” are getting to capacity sometimes. Same thing happens when the cellphone towers are overloaded, dropped calls etc.

[2dogs]

I don’t know if it’s any help but the internet connection reliability isn’t on you IMHO. It might be with your provider. With everyone begin stuck at home there’s a lot more bandwidth being used. I know mine is slower. Imagine a pipe carrying water, if you want more water, you increase the size of the pipe. I think the “pipes” are getting to capacity sometimes. Same thing happens when the cellphone towers are overloaded, dropped calls etc.

I think the Hawk hooked yea. Three posts ago he said he was bored.

[canamjhb]

Good luck..... Jim

[YIRYDE]

Sorry to hear that you are going through this. I know the internet is heavily used at this moment but I would contact your provider and have them check it out. What is your current bandwidth plan you are paying for? It may help if you increase your internet service. Is your computer a WiFi connection to your internet router or connected with an Ethernet cable? A Ethernet cable will give you better performance than WiFi connection. If you have another computer/tablet to use try that one to see if it performs better. This would help determine if it’s your computer or the internet.

[UtahPete]

Are you serious? It's difficult to tell.

[Spyder Insyder]

Good luck..... Jim

Very well said.

[wyliec]

Rogue,

First, you don’t need to worry about food; you’ve got all those crackers. As for rent/mortgage, pick up a few squirrels to split living expenses. If you do lose your job, check with Hank, he’s one man/woman short right now, until next season.

If I can be of further assistance, let me know.

[jcthorne]

You need to check with your mortgage company and ask for a few months forbearance to help with the financial issues COVID is causing you. For most lenders, its nearly automatic right now. This will move a few months payments to the end of your loan and give you some breathing room. Do it NOW before your loan is past due. You should also do this with your other creditors. With a mortgage, you are actually in far better position than those renting.

[triplethreat]

My boss yelled at me again today. He was pissed that my internet connection at home is unreliable. I have also had trouble getting into different systems I need to do my job. He said, "This reflects on YOU, you are responsible" And he hints he is going to get rid of me. I am really scared. This is the worst timing imaginable. So if I lose my job, and I run out of money, I'll be homeless. Or can I save my home with bankruptcy? My parents went bacnkrup several times and never got kicked out of there (our) home. There are a few things I can do to save money. I can let the bikes get repossessed. but I need my car and I need to pay my mortgage. I know I am rabeling, but I can't help it. I have a diffucult life emotionally speaking. Not sure how to deal with this.

You could always change the internet connection to Dial up! Then tell your boss that you've got two speeds.................Slow......and Stop! And if he doesn't like the one you are doing now, he D&mn sure won't like the next one! Works for me all the time!

[Copperman]

So if I lose my job, and I run out of money, I'll be homeless.

No problem. Move to L.A. and you'll be fine living on the streets.

[dpetrick]

Sorry to hear about you issues. Check with your internet provider, they may be able to help, as some are doing plan upgrades at no additional charge, for a limited time during COVID.

[bscofield84]

Get a hold of the Department of Labor for your state and speak with them. They can tell you what he can and can't get rid of you for. Bad internet should not be a good excuses for lay-offs or terminations. I think they are your best source of information. Best of luck.

[Rogue Hawk]

I contacted my ISP, I can get 1gig download. It will start Monday. This is an irony. My boss said in a meeting today that he is leaving for other projects, same company This will give you an idea of what kind of person he is. In the meeting he said he is going to bad mouth me to my new boss. I don't know if I should bring it up when I meet my new boss. Managers stick together, so I have to be careful what I say. Until now, my work record has been good. He intends to soil me the best he can before he leaves. And I never said anything cross to him.

[MONK]

I wouldn't sound off to the new boss about the old boss or anything else. Let your new boss see what kind of employee you are. If you were good before, you'll be good now. If you were fair before, now's the chance to really shine and impress the new boss!

[bmccaffrey]

I would contact labor board. I just retired from Production Manager and had a mind of my own. Didn't listen to what other people had to say about someone else.I do know if he fires for that it's not ground for termination because out of you control. Know also not a good time but you should qualify for unemployment. If u have company handbook should be a section in there for termination.

Good Luck My Friend!!

[Rogue Hawk]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will trust my new boss will make up his own mind what he thinks of me. I just need to get thought these last 2 1/2 weeks with this guy. I never had someone go after me so viciously and for no reason.

[Saluda]

Good luck, these times can bring out the best and worse in people.

[johnsimion]

1. If you have cable internet, your problem may be related to your wireless router and/or your modem. Either one could cause this problem. My router goes bad about every two years and they say three years is all your modem is good for.
2. If you have an employee manual at your work, consult that to find out your rights. Or, if there is a union where you work, ask the union. Maybe you have a right to a hearing before you can be fired.
3. Agree with the others about asking forbearance from your mortgage and other lenders, although you don't have much grounds for that as long as you're still working.
4. If worst comes to worst and you are fired for your internet connection, you would be entitled to unemployment compensation. There's no way that a bad internet connection could be considered "fault" that would bar you from benefits.
5. I'm not claiming to be a great expert in bankruptcy, but I have represented a few clients who went through it and this is my experience: If you don't have a huge amount of equity in your house, the bankruptcy trustee will "abandon" the house to the bank, but the bank will let you keep the house as long as you are current on your payments. Banks don't want houses, they want $$$. Foreclosing on houses is slow, expensive and not usually profitable for banks. Once the bankruptcy trustee abandons the house, the bank afford to let you stay in the house and make payments, knowing full well that they can foreclose on the house later on if you start missing payments. Note, the situation would be different if you had a large amount of equity in the house. Other creditors could then demand the bankruptcy trustee sell the house to pay THEIR claims, but in my experience that would be very unusual.

[UtahPete]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will trust my new boss will make up his own mind what he thinks of me. I just need to get thought these last 2 1/2 weeks with this guy. I never had someone go after me so viciously and for no reason.

I don't know enough about your situation to offer any pointed advice. Every workplace is different. But, having been fired twice by the same malicious *******, I can appreciate how miserable it is to work in a hostile environment. Looking back on it, I can honestly say it was painful but survivable. He probably did me a favor, because it provided the space to rethink what I was doing with my life and set me on a happier (not easier) path.

I will say, though, that to lose your toys and even your home, is not the end of the world. Be proactive and shed debt. Avoid bankruptcy at all costs.

Good luck.

[trikermutha]

Document everything and keep in a safe place. Time , dates etc.

Some try the scare tactics to try to get more results.

Good Luck and suggest you look for employment elsewhere.

[wyliec]

Okay Rogue,

If you are serious, I take back what I said.

I suggest going to HR, and let them know what was said at the meeting.

A long story short, my boss and I get into a shouting confrontation. I almost lost it and I was going to make a second doorway into his enclosed office, using him as the template. There were 20 open cubicle offices, and believe me they were afraid of what would happen next. About a 1/2 hour latter, one of those in the open cubicle offices came by to say that I scared everyone there.

I then went to HR and told them what had happened, and that my boss had a habit of shouting at everyone. He was called to HR to tell his side. Then, we were both called to HR, and read the riot act, and we were told if that happened again, we were both fired, and would receive no retirement benefits that we had accrued.

If you are covered by a contract or in a union, don't bother to read what is next. I was actually told something similar to this, by HR, when I had the flare up with the boss.


"Unfortunately, getting fired without a reason can happen to just about anyone. In many cases, unless there is a contract or bargaining agreement, employees are considered covered under employment at will, which means your employer doesn't need a reason to fire you."

[carbonation]

Well, originally I thought this was a joke, but seems as though it isn't.
First: You are working from remote from home, logging in. Your employer has to provide internet service that meets their requirements, including speed and VPN protection for their data. You should not be expected to provide a pipeline for their use.
Second. If you lose your job, you won't immediately be homeless. That would take quite some time, and there are a lot of gates to go through before that happens, especially in light of the current situation. Get rid of that fear now.
Third. So your boss is a jerk. Many are, and I bet we've all had one and survived. If a jerk is over a group of people, it's likely that company will move that guy on as part of their corporate strategy. Peter Principle at work. I've been at my job 40 years. On my 15th manager. Last guy lasted 2 years. It will pass. If you are good at what you do, you'll be there after he is gone.
As far as a difficult life... A chat board about a vehicle is probably not the place to find what you need. You are still employed.. Use your benefits for some counselling, life coaching, or therapy. When you can deal with whatever you have emotionally, you can deal with other stuff that comes along because youl'll have the resources and strength to do so.
Fourth. Get a resume together, and start looking. Always have a plan B. My best friend just went through this. 35 years, same company. Downsized. He was devastated. Took a couple weeks for it to settle in, then acceptance, then anger. Got his stuff together, landed at Dell, assigned to aerospace doing cyber security, making more. He took a negative and turned into a positive. You can too.
Go get 'em tiger....

[Rogue Hawk]

Yes, this is not a joke. Thanks again for the advice. I remember about eight years ago we had a guy who just could not cut it technically. They had to make a 'paper trail' before they could let him go. It all has to be legal these days. My boss has not officially documented any of his displeasure with me. He threatened to fire me, but am I right not to worry because nothing is documented? Well, in two 1/2 weeks he will be gone. Then I will be free.

[wyliec]

Yes, this is not a joke. Thanks again for the advice. I remember about eight years ago we had a guy who just could not cut it technically. They had to make a 'paper trail' before they could let him go. It all has to be legal these days. My boss has not officially documented any of his displeasure with me. He threatened to fire me, but am I right not to worry because nothing is documented? Well, in two 1/2 weeks he will be gone. Then I will be free.

Unless you have a contract or are in a union, they can fire you without cause/reason. They can just say you are no longer needed.

Here is what they have to say in Illinois:

https://www.chicagoemploymentlawyer....loyment-state/