You’re Fired: Warning Signs to Watch for that Signal You Might be Terminated

Video Transcript:

Hi, my name is Kraig Marton.  I’m the head of the employment law section at our firm.  As such I represent both employees and small to mid-size employers in all kinds of employment matters.

Warning Signs to Watch for That Signal You Might be Terminated

When an employee has been working at a company, I sometimes see them come in one day and get fired and it’s a complete surprise.  The employee had no idea they were about to be terminated.  But most of the time, if an employee looks, there are warning signs that should put them on notice that they may not be long for their employment with that company.  For example, exclusion.  If an employee suddenly finds themselves not being invited to important meetings, not going to the weekly one-on-ones they used to have with their boss, not being asked out to lunch when they used to go regularly with management, that’s a red flag.  If an employee finds themselves suddenly being written up, especially if for not a real good reason, that’s a red flag, and if they get written up a second time, it ought to be a waving red flag in bright red colors.  If an employee finds themselves suddenly at the tail end of criticism when they weren’t used to that, if the employer generally had been, or the boss/supervisor generally had been complimentary or polite and nice, and all of a sudden they start criticizing and finding fault with little things, that’s a red flag.  In the end, common sense should tell an employee that there are red flags on the wall that are warning them that the employer is not happy and when that happens, the employee ought to either try and protect their job by doing a better job, having an open conversation, improving their performance or the like, or the employee might want to start looking for employment elsewhere.