Just got fired - need advice

[DrFaroohk]

So I used to work for this company called Irving. After 6 years there I was considered one of the best assistant managers in the district. Not bragging, and there were people better than me, but I was near the top. I was good enough that the district manager decided to transfer me to a bigger, much busier store, as she felt my abilities would be useful there. I didn't want the transfer, I insisted I hated that store, but I was sent there anyway.

Being childish and stupid, I went in with a shitty attitude and in about 3 weeks I got fired. Fair enough.

This was back in the late winter/early spring. Since then, having worked for a bunch of other places, I realized that Irving was actually pretty good to work for. They have their flaws, but the crap I had to put up with there was not nearly as bad as the other places I've worked.

Now Irving has become a new company, it's called "Circle K" and I guess it's one of the biggest in the country (I never heard of them this happened)...

As it happened, back around the end of September, the manager there was pretty short handed and he had a shitty crew and he needed some extra help. For my part, I was short on cash and needed a job - something I'd be good at and could advance quickly. I spoke with the manager, and he felt that I deserved a second chance, if only to try it out. We both figured that with it being a new company, there wouldn't be too many suits complaining about me being hired back.

So for the past 6 weeks I've been hauling ass there, to the point that I was everyone's favorite employee and the manager said hiring me back was the best decision he ever made.

Then yesterday, the district manager came in for a visit - she's different from the one I used to work for but we still knew each other. She recognized me, knew I'd been fired, and threw a hissy fit (probably because we didn;'t get along so well years ago).

The biggest problem is that my mother in law works there too so they're saying it's a nepotism issue. That's bullcrap. We never work the same shifts or even see each other, even off shift I rarely spend time with her. Besides, she was my mother in law when they first sent me to that store anyway. They're just using this as an excuse to get rid of me because they can't think of anything else. I know they're acting like "well company policy is company policy"...except she was my mother-in-law back when they transferred me there too, and every company hand book I've ever read clearly states that the rules in there are guidelines and that the company can pick and choose which ones to follow if they want.

Is there ANYTHING I can do here???? I've thought about maybe sending an e-mail to the company and explaining my situation...this is the only job I've ever been good at and I love working for these people. They treat me good, they appreciate me, and best of all they understand me and what I need to able to crank out maximum efficiency. I can't even fathom going back to work for some douchebag employer again.

What do I do????

[Kiwi]

All I can think of is ask to be transfered to a different store where your mother in law isnt working?

[DrFaroohk]

Well the problem with that is that there's only two other stores around...one is twenty miles away, which my wife managers, and the other is about 50 miles away, and I just quit a job in that area because gas was too expensive and it wasn't worth it.

Plus, the motherinlaw thing was bs...the fact is the DM doesn't care for me and was just looking for excuses.

[Crazeyal]

If all else fails, pay a lawyer $100 to write a letter (Most of them won't work for free, but if you start with a small payment with set parameters you can get off light... usually) and threaten a lawsuit.

[Geek King]

Honestly, the only thing I can think of is go up the food chain. Her being a DM, this will be harder than normal, but possible. Be apologetic about your past actions, make them believe you've grown past that as an employee. But you have to get to the people that are over the problem DM. If this isn't possible, you're probably better off cutting your losses and moving on. Get the manager who wants to give you another chance to stand up for you, if he's willing to risk her wrath.

[Kiwi]

so have you been fired again or are they just making noises about firing you?

[wagegoth]

I would make the same recommendation as Crazeyal, spend the money to talk to a lawyer. I don't know where you're located, but, if it's possible, find one that specializes in employment law.

BEFORE you see the lawyer, get a copy of the employee handbook. Read through every applicable section. Clip any areas that might contain information for and against your position. THEN take it with you to the lawyer's office. Let him review it before anything else is done. He needs to have some knowledge of company policy before he can help you draft any kind of letter.

[Dave1982]

It seems to me that if they think it's a nepotism issue, then it's your mother-in-law, not you, who should be in hot water. Not that I'm saying she should be getting in trouble, since you say that's not the real reason. It's just that if nepotism were involved, then your MIL would have been the one to pull the strings, and therefore SHE would have been responsible for any conflict of interest.

[DrFaroohk]

I doubt I have a leg to stand on legally....fact is they're right. I can't work in a store with a relative. Fine, fine, except NO ONE CARED! I could totally understand if there'd been a slew of complaints and many many occasions of things where my MIL was giving me privileges that no one else got.

Ah well, it's their loss.

Oh, and as a nice touch of revenge, the manager was so pissed about losing me that he's threatening to quit now - and their only option would be snag my wife up to come fill in for a while - and when they do, she's going to point out the fact that she can't work in a store with her mother. Haha....shot themselves in the foot there.

[DrFaroohk]

One more question on the matter, actually....

While they are legally right to fire me, is there any sort of exception in the law where I can point out that this legal reason was just a cover? i.e. the nepotism was not actually an issue at the store, and the boss was just using it to cover up a personal reason?

[wagegoth]

The legal term is "pretext." If something is pretextual, that means it's either a lie or misleading, and being used to cover the true reason.

[workerbee222]

Often nepotism is technically against policy, but realistically doesn't make a difference.

It becomes a sensitive issue if

A. One person has the right to hire and fire people, therefore giving his/her relatives first refusal for a job. Other situations that occur: the supervisor giving preferential treatment to their relatives, (giving them the best shifts) or not holding them to the same standards as the other employees (looking the other way when they slack off or don't adhere to company policy.)

Or B. With family members working together at different levels within the organization, the opportunity to steal from the company becomes easier.

I've worked a couple places where relatives work in the same store: it was arranged in such a way that one was never a supervisor of his/her wife/sibling/Mom.