I worked for Computer Security Products for approximately six months before I fell ill with a stomach virus and had to take 4 days off of work.
I went back to work with a doctors note in hand saying that I was told to stay home due to illness.
In my inbox when I logged in was an email from Vernette O'Neill (owner), telling me that my absence from work had caused company productivity and morale to go down while I was away, and that my absence had become excessive.
I took offense to this and responded with an email back to Vernette O'Neill saying that I did not appreciate her email and that I still was not 100% healthy enough to be at work, but that I had felt bad and decided I couldn't stay home anymore. She wrote back saying that she was sorry for her email and the way I had taken the message from it. I replied back saying that I didn't take her email in any other way than it was written.
I did not hear from Vernette for two days. I came in to work on Thursday morning at 8:30 AM (as I did every day) only to find all my logons to my PC frozen. I sat there at my desk doing nothing for three hours until Vernette finally called me.
Here is how the conversation went:
Me: Daniel speaking.
Vernette: Hello Daniel. You must have an idea of why I'm calling by now? Right?
Me: Well, I guess I can gether what is happening.
Vernette: I've decided that I'm going to have to let you go. It's just not working out.
Me: Okay?
Vernette: So, I am going to have to ask you to gether all your things and leave the office within 10 minutes or I'll call the police and have you arrested!
Me: Arressted for what?
Vernette: The staff there are afraid of you.
Me: Like who, you know I get along with everybody other than Ian but I never, ever posed a threat.
Vernette: Daniel, I have had people call me this morning telling me that you're punching holes in the walls and wrecking things in the office!
Me: That is a total lie Vernette. I will respect your wishes and leave but my lawyer will be hearing about this one.
Vernette: Oh Daniel, I'm sorry. I went about this whole thing the wrong way. I don't want to fire you. Why don't you go home, relax, call me at 7PM tonight? We can talk and all have a fresh start tomorrow.
I hung up, grabbed my stuff and thought I'd better just leave the office. You never know.
Just when I hung up the phone, I heard a lot of discussion by our reception area. It was building security coming up to investigate a complaint made by Vernette O'Neill that she had let an employee go the day before and that the employee had come back and was causing trouble in the office. She asked bulding security to call the police on me before she called me herself but building security refused to do it and said they would still go up and check that everyone is okay. Thank GOD for me. Anyhow, our receptionist and other employees had no idea what building security was talking about because Vernette was lying to them about everything. No one was let go the day before and no one was causing trouble that day either.
I left the office and went staright down to building security to ask if I would have their testimony if this ever came to court. They assured me I would. After that I went to the police to make sure she hadn't called anyone on me. The police officer told me I should have satyed in the office and have her call the police. When it was shown I had done nothing wrong, she would have been charged with public mischief.
I called her at 7PM that night like she had requested where she proceeded to fire me for a second time in less that 8 hours.
Can you ever imagine yourself working for an employer like this one?
Daniel
Burlington, Ontario
Canada
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