I’m going to get a little personal here.
A year ago today, I was fired.
Usually when someone is fired you’d think they did something wrong. This was not the case. I worked for a company that I dedicated my time, energy and efforts to for five whole years. I know some people that worked who retired after 30+ years with the same company and I struggled with the thought that this was it for me.
Was this it for me?
I always strive for more, however, this company requires you to have a bachelor’s degree in order to have promotions, that aren’t lateral moves. I was halfway through my bachelor’s degree in 2016 when I realized, I felt overwhelmed and I was studying Information Technology, something that I am good at but not passionate about it.
I didn’t want to continue feeling overwhelmed for something that I wasn’t 100% sure of. I was already a single mother with two daughters without help, a full-time employee and active at my church. Even when the church services ended, my work was never finished: editing photos, practices, meetings, studying the Bible and praying at home, etc. Which I’m thankful God uses me - I wouldn’t have it any other way. The point is I was at my max and I decided not to continue my education.
One thing that only few people know, upper management was bullying me for months. Making statements that weren’t true about my work ethic and performance. They had Human Resources on their side as I pleaded my case over and over again. My request for some sort of moral and honest protection fell on deaf ears.
Someone slipped and said that they wanted to add someone who was bilingual to the department and I knew that they weren’t able to add to the department so they had to remove and replace someone. They did things like blaming me for mistakes or issues that had nothing to do with me and my workload. They also assigned me projects and responsibilities without formal and professional training and expected me to execute without issues on top of my regular higher priority workload. I believe that they wanted me to quit.
The turning point was when they put me on a ‘performance plan’ where they were able to suggest things that were far from the truth. My direct supervisor (who was brand new and never had any experience as a supervisor compared to my 8 years of supervisory roles in my past jobs) stated “You don’t care about your job” and “I don’t trust you.” This was in response to me struggling to do a project that I was not properly trained on. This company is known for great training and they usually do everything they can to ensure everyone’s success. After this meeting, I completed the project on my own and the results of my work, the thing that caused me so much grief and ended me on a performance plan - went untouched for a whole month and beyond. How important was said project?
I wholeheartedly believe the difficult project and lack of training was used to set me up for failure. No matter how much I communicated this fact to the correct parties it didn’t matter. I knew that any day now they were going to fire me for absolutely no reason at all. I mean, they need someone who is fully bilingual and I’m not so anything goes.
A year ago today I was sitting at my desk in a Godless building thinking about how much I prayed for my business to take off where I focus on photography full-time. I didn’t know if it was my destiny to leave my job and I wasn’t confident enough to quit.
I sent a few emails that morning after being accused irrationally for yet again making “another mistake” with a sales person in the field. I didn’t have anything to do with that responsibility so it couldn’t have possibly been me. I responded with professionalism and I knew I was addressing my direct supervisor and she was still fairly new to the department.
I gave her references to our procedural library where she could have done light research before her accusation. The documentation showed her the roles of the department responsibilities. I also showed her screenshots and I thoroughly investigated the concern of the sales person in the field. I addressed the sales person’s concerns by forwarding the email that I sent to my supervisor (with all previous emails on the thread) which is what I always did with my previous supervisor. No coaching was given that it was incorrect in the past. I forwarded the emails to HR thinking that they would see my concern of constantly being the reason for everything being “wrong” in the department. I clearly wasn’t and for sure they could see it. But they didn’t want to.
I got a call at 4:00 pm right before my time to leave. I went into the office with my supervisor and HR manager and they addressed my emails from that morning. They allowed me to say how I felt about my supervisor’s approach. I told them that she was not thorough and she should’ve done some digging before pointing fingers right away. And then she pointed towards a few things in the email saying that it was insubordinate to direct my supervisor to the department procedural documents and that it was unprofessional to forward the email my supervisor sent to me to the sales field.
I was on guard when I sent those emails and rightfully so. With the way things had been going those months prior to that day, I was on my toes knowing they are going to try to figuratively, hit below the belt on anything they can. However, I remained professional through it all.
I started to defend my emails calmly and professionally saying that my intention was not what they were saying it was. I was interrupted with the HR manager saying they were going to let me go. I instantly felt that it was no longer in God’s will for me to be there. This was the only thing that kept me calm through it all. The enemy had his way far too long in that place and it was time for a new season. I requested that they not touch my things as I packed up 5 years worth of items at my desk and they did not honor my request. They were rude and completely prideful throughout the whole situation.
I learned that it was best for me to invest in my own dreams and in my own vision. I learned that I could make enough money for my family without relying on people at a job. Jobs similar to the one I had started with an idea. The visionary hired employees to fulfill their goals, business needs, and finances. Surely other employers in other establishments will take advantage of me and will end up claiming false things about me if they wanted to. I would be stuck with no one to turn to just like in this case. I never want to work for a company ever again. God gave me many talents. I have a lot to offer to others but most importantly myself.
I spent months afterwards, reflecting on how I could have possibly done things differently over those months that I was bullied and falsely accused.
I don’t think I could’ve done anything where the result was a different outcome.
In the long run, I’m grateful for how things turned out. In life, things happen and sometimes they can be blessings in disguise. I would’ve stayed there no matter how difficult it was. I would have persevered and stuck through all of the unnecessary adversity. But God had something better for me. I felt it was a push in the right direction. I had just turned 30 years old and it was like God was saying I graduated from being in situations where I am devalued and unappreciated.
I am so excited for my business. I am thankful for all of my customers that believe in me that see my true heart and positive work ethic. My clients have nothing but great things to say about me because this is the truth. I give everything my all. The same as I did at this job for 5 years, after being unappreciated and run into the ground by upper management. I’m thankful that Jesus had something better for me. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
