Privy to colleague’s impending firing - it sucks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

So, these grown ups are passive-aggressively treating a jr. level person and she's supposed to 'get it'. GTHOH

They are all grown ups. It's a tough out there, this is how jr level people develop a thicker skin and learn from mistakes.

Well, it depends—I think a place with a decent work culture would be trying to course correct and errors would have been discussed with them prior to a decision like this. Wonder what the deal is with OP’s friend.

I would hope, if it were me, people would be honest with me. It’s not kind to keep people wondering what happened, but at the end of the day, the incentives for any organization is to keep people in the dark to avoid exposure. No employee is worth a certain amount of trouble.

I’m going through a stressful situation at work and it’s kind of a test. It will go one way or the other, and I won’t take it personally.

[Anonymous]

I was involved in planning a massive reorg that I disagreed with that involves several high performers, who I respected and admired, being let go for BS corporate reasons. I held my nose and my tongue and did my job. You’re there to do a job and if you can’t do it, they’ll find someone who can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

This is a very immature and petty way to deal with employees. Being hostile shows the emotional maturity of an 8 year old.

This is the typical white old men senior management behavior.

No, this is 1000% mean girl behavior

Coincidentally, it’s also old male senior behavior. Meaning they behave like mean middle school girls in the workplace. And then complain about Gen Z wanting a more emotionally mature workplace experience. Go figure….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

This is a very immature and petty way to deal with employees. Being hostile shows the emotional maturity of an 8 year old.

This is the typical white old men senior management behavior.

No, this is 1000% mean girl behavior

Coincidentally, it’s also old male senior behavior. Meaning they behave like mean middle school girls in the workplace. And then complain about Gen Z wanting a more emotionally mature workplace experience. Go figure….

Amen. I’m excited for millennial managers to start taking over. It’s bumpy out there but it’s happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

So, these grown ups are passive-aggressively treating a jr. level person and she's supposed to 'get it'. GTHOH

They are all grown ups. It's a tough out there, this is how jr level people develop a thicker skin and learn from mistakes.

Well, it depends—I think a place with a decent work culture would be trying to course correct and errors would have been discussed with them prior to a decision like this. Wonder what the deal is with OP’s friend.

I would hope, if it were me, people would be honest with me. It’s not kind to keep people wondering what happened, but at the end of the day, the incentives for any organization is to keep people in the dark to avoid exposure. No employee is worth a certain amount of trouble.

I’m going through a stressful situation at work and it’s kind of a test. It will go one way or the other, and I won’t take it personally.

These things are often blessings in disguise when you are young. The industry is a bad fit, the job, etc. You can't make square pegs fit in round holes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

So, these grown ups are passive-aggressively treating a jr. level person and she's supposed to 'get it'. GTHOH

They are all grown ups. It's a tough out there, this is how jr level people develop a thicker skin and learn from mistakes.

Well, it depends—I think a place with a decent work culture would be trying to course correct and errors would have been discussed with them prior to a decision like this. Wonder what the deal is with OP’s friend.

I would hope, if it were me, people would be honest with me. It’s not kind to keep people wondering what happened, but at the end of the day, the incentives for any organization is to keep people in the dark to avoid exposure. No employee is worth a certain amount of trouble.

I’m going through a stressful situation at work and it’s kind of a test. It will go one way or the other, and I won’t take it personally.

These things are often blessings in disguise when you are young. The industry is a bad fit, the job, etc. You can't make square pegs fit in round holes.

Right, but I’m not young. Unless 40+ is young now? Wonder if the OP’s friend is young? They just said “junior”. Also, it sounds like it’s not just a layoff/reorg— “terminated” sounds like it’s for cause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

This is a very immature and petty way to deal with employees. Being hostile shows the emotional maturity of an 8 year old.

This is the typical white old men senior management behavior.

😂 spot on.


No, this is 1000% mean girl behavior

Coincidentally, it’s also old male senior behavior. Meaning they behave like mean middle school girls in the workplace. And then complain about Gen Z wanting a more emotionally mature workplace experience. Go figure….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

So, these grown ups are passive-aggressively treating a jr. level person and she's supposed to 'get it'. GTHOH

They are all grown ups. It's a tough out there, this is how jr level people develop a thicker skin and learn from mistakes.

Well, it depends—I think a place with a decent work culture would be trying to course correct and errors would have been discussed with them prior to a decision like this. Wonder what the deal is with OP’s friend.

I would hope, if it were me, people would be honest with me. It’s not kind to keep people wondering what happened, but at the end of the day, the incentives for any organization is to keep people in the dark to avoid exposure. No employee is worth a certain amount of trouble.

I’m going through a stressful situation at work and it’s kind of a test. It will go one way or the other, and I won’t take it personally.

These things are often blessings in disguise when you are young. The industry is a bad fit, the job, etc. You can't make square pegs fit in round holes.

Right, but I’m not young. Unless 40+ is young now? Wonder if the OP’s friend is young? They just said “junior”. Also, it sounds like it’s not just a layoff/reorg— “terminated” sounds like it’s for cause.

40 isn’t so old that you need to be desperate to hold on to a bad fit job.
I lost my first highly paid job at this age, guess what, I am at a much better place now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

This is a very immature and petty way to deal with employees. Being hostile shows the emotional maturity of an 8 year old.

This is the typical white old men senior management behavior.

No, this is 1000% mean girl behavior

Coincidentally, it’s also old male senior behavior. Meaning they behave like mean middle school girls in the workplace. And then complain about Gen Z wanting a more emotionally mature workplace experience. Go figure….

Amen. I’m excited for millennial managers to start taking over. It’s bumpy out there but it’s happening.

Millennials managers have their own issues. While I don’t expect butt in chair, I do expect a high competency in modern technologies, just made my team of CPAs learn data coding this quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well why are they firing her?

Must not be government.

Cultural fit issues;
Skill no longer fit for Business’ new direction: ie planned to do in house development but decided to outsource;
Found cheaper resources, etc…
It’s not a problem, making a random business decision personal is where the issue is.

That's corporate speak for someone in power does not like her. Unless it's a large layoff, these decisions are rarely about business decisions. The hostility shown to OP's colleague, to push her out without having to do the firing, is proof of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she on a PIP?

No, but they’ve been increasingly hostile to her in recent weeks/months (she is a junior person working with senior leaders).

So, these grown ups are passive-aggressively treating a jr. level person and she's supposed to 'get it'. GTHOH

They are all grown ups. It's a tough out there, this is how jr level people develop a thicker skin and learn from mistakes.

Well, it depends—I think a place with a decent work culture would be trying to course correct and errors would have been discussed with them prior to a decision like this. Wonder what the deal is with OP’s friend.

I would hope, if it were me, people would be honest with me. It’s not kind to keep people wondering what happened, but at the end of the day, the incentives for any organization is to keep people in the dark to avoid exposure. No employee is worth a certain amount of trouble.

I’m going through a stressful situation at work and it’s kind of a test. It will go one way or the other, and I won’t take it personally.

These things are often blessings in disguise when you are young. The industry is a bad fit, the job, etc. You can't make square pegs fit in round holes.

Right, but I’m not young. Unless 40+ is young now? Wonder if the OP’s friend is young? They just said “junior”. Also, it sounds like it’s not just a layoff/reorg— “terminated” sounds like it’s for cause.

40 isn’t so old that you need to be desperate to hold on to a bad fit job.
I lost my first highly paid job at this age, guess what, I am at a much better place now.

Agree. Any job that is a bad fit isn’t worth it, particularly the older and more experienced you are. Youth isn’t really a factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well why are they firing her?

Must not be government.

Cultural fit issues;
Skill no longer fit for Business’ new direction: ie planned to do in house development but decided to outsource;
Found cheaper resources, etc…
It’s not a problem, making a random business decision personal is where the issue is.

That's corporate speak for someone in power does not like her. Unless it's a large layoff, these decisions are rarely about business decisions. The hostility shown to OP's colleague, to push her out without having to do the firing, is proof of it.

What hostility? OP didn’t really say much. It might be that the company was protecting itself and it seemed hostile as a result. That’s where the obliviousness comes in, and is an issue.

[Anonymous]

In my experience, "obliviousness" is a tactic used by individuals under a lot of stress. There are cases where a person is truly oblivious to events around them, but I think in most cases, she/he knows that the work environment has changed, she is being shut out, heavily criticized, ignored, whatever. There often isn't a way to fix the issue, so the person hopes that by keeping her head down, the issue will blow over. And sometimes it does blow over because the issue becomes a non-issue or more information comes to light that takes the person out of the firing line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, "obliviousness" is a tactic used by individuals under a lot of stress. There are cases where a person is truly oblivious to events around them, but I think in most cases, she/he knows that the work environment has changed, she is being shut out, heavily criticized, ignored, whatever. There often isn't a way to fix the issue, so the person hopes that by keeping her head down, the issue will blow over. And sometimes it does blow over because the issue becomes a non-issue or more information comes to light that takes the person out of the firing line.

Sure. And then there are the not so rare sociopaths out there that really aren’t aware of the impact they are having… or don’t care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well why are they firing her?

Must not be government.

Cultural fit issues;
Skill no longer fit for Business’ new direction: ie planned to do in house development but decided to outsource;
Found cheaper resources, etc…
It’s not a problem, making a random business decision personal is where the issue is.

That's corporate speak for someone in power does not like her. Unless it's a large layoff, these decisions are rarely about business decisions. The hostility shown to OP's colleague, to push her out without having to do the firing, is proof of it.

What hostility? OP didn’t really say much. It might be that the company was protecting itself and it seemed hostile as a result. That’s where the obliviousness comes in, and is an issue.

Again, this is corporate speak for "i want to push someone out". If a junior employee is a business risk (this made me laugh but ok) you fire them on the spot, you don't need the circus of increasing hostility. This circus is reserved for instances when you want someone out but it's not going to be easy or quick, so you make them miserable.

Also, OP has no skin in the game. If increasing hostility is obvious to outsiders like OP, it's probably awful for the recipient.