Afraid of getting fired.

[faa2010]

Have you ever dealt with the fear of getting fired?

What would you do if that fear comes?

What would you do if the idea comes true?

[lloyd_cdb]

If it's even a thought in your mind, chances are it has some basis in reality. If you are afraid you might get fired you should be applying to other jobs, don't just wait for it to happen. I'm not sure what industry you work in, but in my field we are always looking for a new job anyway. I've applied to many jobs and actually went through the interview process for 5 of them in the last 2 years. If for nothing else to either leverage your boss for more money and/or a promotion or make them question how dispensable you actually are  , but every industry is different.

[ajspiano]

Have you ever dealt with the fear of getting fired?

Yes, I purposely confronted an employer in writing about his practices relating to employee payment and abuse of power (bullying staff). I was told quite bluntly (verbal, bullying tactics) that I would be fired on multiple occasions, and was formally asked to resign in writing.

What would you do if that fear comes?

I think that the whole experience helped me understand a bit better about how I valued the concept of a job in relation to my whole life..  essentially I got over it. Also I was able to garner from my employers behavior that it was unlikely that I would be fired and he was just looking to intimidate me into leaving for an alternative job in the hope that he could avoiding paying me a substantial amount of backpay.

What would you do if the idea comes true?

Well it didn't, I got paid what was owed and ended up with a reasonable relationship with the employer and left on good terms later on, because I wanted to, and without pressure.

However, I think in my country at least there is always a way to make money - and this wasn't a particularly wonderful job so I could easily have found at least a temporary alternative quite quickly. Its probably easy to feel like that's not possible though even here in a country with a lot of options..  but that's a bit of a trap, as soon as you feel like you need something, be it a job or otherwise, that thing owns you and you will start making "protective decisions" to make sure you can keep it. This seems like a good idea but really its not, there needs to be an assertive growth strategy for all areas in your life.. managed risk, in order to progress. One thing I learnt from that employer (and his relationships with quite a few of the staff there) is if you communicate that you can't afford to lose a job that's a great way to invite a boss to abuse their power, and allow them to totally control you.

And as lloyd said, be looking for another job if you think one is going to end..  and in turn, even if you don't think its going to end - be looking for a better one anyway, or be developing your skills in order to be able to attain a better one. Through doing that you become highly employable and you're less likely to be fired anyway because you're more of an asset to your employer.

[Bob]

Covertly prepare for not having a job.  That's wise.  Covertly though because ideas can morph into reality through other people.  You start prepping for something else.  Someone hears about it.  Then it becomes you're looking for another job.  Then you're taking another job.  Then your supervisor doesn't bother with things in reality for you -- because you're probably leaving anyway.

It's wise to keep your eyes open.  Know what your options are.  Know what you should be getting paid for what you do.  Maybe they are actually going to fire you, but that doesn't mean you're just sitting around waiting.  (Unless it's the rumor mill again... faa's getting fired?  Really?  And then faa hears about it and finds another job.  Meanwhile nothing at all was happening.)


Have I dealt with fear of being fired?  Yes.  

If fear comes?  Deal with it.  Freak out a little.  Prepare.  Have contingency plans.  Save some money.  Try to keep skills up in different areas.  Try to keep job options open in different areas.  Let go of the job.  It's just a job.  You can always be replaced.  Things won't last forever. Everything changes.  There are things that affect you that are beyond your control.  Save up some money if you can.  Dust off the resume.  

If it comes true?  Then you follow through on contingency plans.  You deal with it.  One thing happening is not the end of the world, and it's not necessarily bad in all areas.  It's change.  Things are always changing too.  There's nothing you can do to stop that.


Same old, same old.  Just do your best with what you have and deal with whatever comes up.  


The really scary things I've run across are when I can see if x, y, and z happen I have no money.  How I could lose where I live, etc.  All possessions, etc.  Scary.  Or if my quality of life would go down significantly.  Or if certain things I rely on or expect, etc. disappeared.  


I suppose too... If you think someone is eyeing you for firing... Lay low.  If it's "good" work hard.  Otherwise don't work hard.  I suppose by that I mean don't do your job so well you start upsetting the balance and create more work for someone else.  I've done that.  Fear of firing?  Work really, really hard... and start stacking up more work for someone else who will get pissed off about that.  Not a great situation.  If you're being fired anyway, there's no point on putting much effort in.  But you can't look like you're slacking off either.  

[iansinclair]

Have you ever dealt with the fear of getting fired?

What would you do if that fear comes?

What would you do if the idea comes true?

Question 1 -- yes... don't we all at some point?  I've been "reduced in force" twice; fired once, and managed to quite half an hour before I was fired from another job.

The one time I was fired came out of the clear blue sky - no warning at all.  Both reductions in force I saw coming and was able to plan for -- adequate financial resources and all that sort of thing.  The one time I managed to quit first was really a rather amusing show.

The most important thing to remember in all cases is that you are still you.  You are not defined by your job.  When it does happen, though, it is a good idea to take stock of yourself and figure out what it was that led up to the situation -- there is always something (the time out of the clear blue sky it turned out, on further investigation, that I hadn't been as kind as she thought I should have been to a soprano with a really wide vibrato who, on the side, was the mistress of the pastor of the church I was working for at the time -- quite a story!).  If that something is part of the way you are, well, so be it.  Be true to yourself.  If it is something which on honest self evaluation you could improve, well, work on it.

But it's never the end of the world.

[Bob]

Kind of freeing too.

Kind of nice to have a "so what?" attitude sometimes.