I got let go of my job less then two months ago, suspiciously timed to say the least and after some finagling with unemployment I got a letter stating I was let go for “poor work performance.” This hasn't been an issue for me yet with unemployment and my current in-between job. I write this post for two reasons. One to vent and one to ask if this is going to be an issue in the future. I don't know if there's anywhere I should argue this? My ex boss was running a very small operation (there were 4 of us total when I was let go) and would state “I don't know how much someone in this type of position should make” so when I went on indeed and compared my wages to similar larger scale operations I noticed a large discrepancy. So I spoke with my coworkers and while I was gathering evidence to talk to him, he let me go first. My hunch (which I can't prove by myself) is that my coworker mentioned it to him and he let me go because he didn't want to pay me what I was worth. My exit conversation was almost entirely him claiming, “you aren't happy here, go to a job that'll make you happier!” He assured me it wasn't because of my first minor mistake in 5 years but apparently that's what he's citing as his reason. Should I be concerned that this is what he's claiming? Can I fight this in anyway? For context my job involved filling vending machines and over the course of filling them for years without incident, one did not lock properly and some individuals stole a few snack products (no money was lost). Thanks for reading, I'm ready to burn this bridge to the ground, I was trying to be civil in case I needed the recommendation in the future but that ship has sailed.
TLDR: Ex boss let me go claiming it was because I wasn't happy to my face but reported to unemployment that it was “poor work performance.” Now I'm concerned about future problems and desire retaliation.