Thanks for updating. Many of us were rooting for a positive outcome for you. Hope you find something better soon!

I'm sorry OP. Good luck finding something new, and hopefully with better management!

I hope this is the start of something better fro you. YES you qualify for unemployment. How long were you there? 2 weeks severance is a little stingy depending how long you were there. See if that is negotiable.

Oh no, I was sure you would be back with a positive lunch story! That really does suck. Thanks for updating and I am so sorry you got this news. At least it is in no way a reflection on you. It speaks highly of you that this guy chose you out of the whole office to confide in and ask about consulting. Good luck moving forward, let's hope you wind up in a better situation, and this proves to be a blessing in disguise.

Anonymous wrote:So sorry, OP. Do you want to do consulting for them? At least it might bring some money in in the short term. Your boss really shouldn't have drawn it out like this. Poor management skills.

He made it sound like he would personally (or as an owner of some new firm) ask me for consulting, not that the existing company will. I am skeptical that anything like that will happen, but if it does, I will definitively accept. I am surely not in a position to refuse any work!

Apply for unemployment!

Anonymous wrote:OP, be sure to apply for unemployment.

Am I allowed to do that? DH has a job and got 2 weeks severance pay.

Oh, that sucks - so sorry. Hope that something better comes up quickly.

OP, be sure to apply for unemployment.

So sorry, OP. Do you want to do consulting for them? At least it might bring some money in in the short term. Your boss really shouldn't have drawn it out like this. Poor management skills.

Oh, no, I am sorry. I was hoping you would have good news, not bad.

Ugh, OP. I'm so sorry.

sorry OP. You will be fine. Good luck.

Hi all!

Sorry for the late update but the lunch was very long and I wanted to talk to DH first. Thank you for waiting!

Unfortunately, my employment has been terminated as of today. The twist - which kind of explains why it was (or could be done) over the lunch - is that the CEO is kind of terminated as well (not officially gone, but renegotiating his contract which was supposed to run for another year). In fact, the whole office is closed in addition to 2 other offices (there is only one office left).

We met at his hotel (Hilton at 16 & K) and walked to some Italian restaurant (close to Metro Center station). It was a long walk - he asked about my toddler and husband, talked about his kids, and bought some pens along the way. Then, when we came to the restaurant, he started complaining about the company (the big one that owns us) and kind almost forced me to ask if the DC office is closed. Then he said, yes, I am here to deliver bad news etc. But the lunch went forever - he talked about his plans (starting a new business) and how he wants me to be a consultant in that, and to ask him for references... and then back to how the big company is doing things wrong etc. Which all kind of explains why he felt comfortable doing it over lunch because it looks like it wasn't really his decision. At no point was I or anything I did or not do mentioned in relation to my own termination.

It sucks.

Anonymous wrote:I got fired once in a public place and that didn't prevent me from freaking out and laying into my boss.

What did you do? You are my new idol.