Sent this to the whole office after being fired on the sport for asking for clarity after being told to download work software and use our personal cell phones to conduct business.
The Axel Group – Tinton Falls, NJ
While management may have shared with some of you that this wasn’t a fit and that I chose to leave, that could not be further from the truth. The reality of the situation is that I was wrongfully terminated on the spot.
I will admit that in that moment I was completely caught off guard and in shock around this news as I had only been working with The Axel Group for four days and in no way felt that I had done anything deserving of termination. My time with everyone had been nothing but positive and I had fulfilled every obligation and completed every task assigned to me. I feel it necessary to inform all of you of what transpired as I am disgusted by not only the reason for my termination, but also the way in which it was handled.
According to the owner, a leading factor in his decision was a follow up question that I had asked my manager about expectations of working hours and personal cell phone usage. When I am asked to link work accounts and download work software on my personal equipment, I like to know the full extent of what the expectation entails. Not an unreasonable question or concern in any way.
Please also note that at no point did I indicate that I was unwilling to do so, I simply asked for clarification so that I could fully understand expectations, do everything in my power to be successful and to effectively perform the role.
I was pulled into the owner's office minutes after lunch as if I had been caught doing something egregious. I was told the following:
· The “comments” I have been making around the office and are concerning.
· He told me that he couldn’t even entertain the idea of answering my questions or concerns regarding policy from earlier that day.
· There “Is no work-life balance” and how dare I even think to ask or question such things.
· He compared his leadership and The Axel Group to my service in the United States Army by asking me what would have happened if I had questioned one of my superiors and mentioned that he expected to get an obedient employee in me due to my time in the military.
· He stated that I was now going to be watched and monitored harder than anyone as a result of inquiring about the expectations of policies and subsequently asked if I even wanted to be here if that was going to be the case. This left me unsure if I was expected to defend myself and fight for my job or to sit there and purely accept their decision to fire me on the spot.
The way in which this was handled was completely unnecessary, unwarranted and unprofessional. There was zero attempt made to provide any sort of feedback or coaching around the concerns that he had, nor was I given the opportunity to fully engage in constructive two-way dialogue. Being called into the office mid-day (without the decency to even finish the day) and being fired on the spot for such a basic and reasonable question is not the way an effective leader handles his team.
I left a long-term, stable job to take this position with every intention of doing all that I needed to do to be successful and grow with the organization. The owner and management were well aware of this and showed no regard for the commitment that I had already made to them.
The owner's decisions, actions and leadership style have reaffirmed for me that he is not the leader I would ever look to emulate, work for, or someone that I could trust. He is not my commanding officer and nor will he ever be. How dare he compare himself in that way and how dare he think that I would ever value or serve an individual and follow them so blindly and question nothing. I fought for my freedom of speech and I will use it whenever I want including asking a clarifying question on day four of a new job in a new industry.
I understand more than anyone the importance of camaraderie and working towards a common goal to complete a mission. My leaders in the military led with honesty, integrity and valued individual thought – which couldn’t be more different than my experience at The Axel Group.
After the time that I spent with The Axel Group I can see that I was the one who dodged a bullet.
The culture at the company seems to be one of blind loyalty and nepotism. It seems to me that the type of person that The Axel Group is looking for is one who can’t think as an individual and will blindly and willingly follow all direction. I am not this naïve.
Perhaps they’ll have a revolving door policy and a high rate of employee turnover since it’s easy to get young, ambitious people with little life experience to question nothing. My guess is that this is a short-sighted strategy on their behalf.
At the end of the day, the Axel Group is going to do what they want with their company and I fully accept their decision and that my employment was completely at-will. Mindful of the fact that they’ll do what they want with their company, I can only speak from my unfortunate experience around their way of operating. Unprofessional and highly deceptive.
July 13, 2020 Interview with The Axel Group Recruiting Manager: What you love about working at the Axel Group:
“Our culture is unmatched, we create an environment where everyone feels comfortable being themselves.”
On that note – Thank God I don’t have to go to the endless work functions, attend the owner's personal “athletic events” or dedicate any of my free time to anything or anyone to do with The Axel Group.
I truly couldn’t think of anything less fulfilling.