I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. This can’t be real.
My company underwent a management change a month or so ago. I was encouraged to stay on even though it is typical during this kind of transition for employees at my level to be let go. The rest of my team quit and I stupidly stayed on. I showed up for work one day and was locked out of my office and was informed by someone who works below me that I no longer had a job because new management had attempted to reach me at some unspecified point and couldn’t. No one had called, texted, or emailed me. New management didn’t even bother to show up. I’m not even sure if I was officially terminated, I didn’t even sign anything or see any paperwork. I was in shock and simply said “okay” and walked to my car and drove home.
When I got home it sank in that I never got my personal belongings out of my office and that I didn’t return my work phone, they didn’t remember to ask either. So I email the contact I have for the new management company and explain I was shocked and forgot to leave the phone and that no one asked for it and to let me know when it would be feasible for me to drop it off and collect my things. She replies and copies the person who told me I was fired and says that they’ll be in touch to let me know. I reply “okay” and list my availability. Crickets.
TWO WEEKS LATER – I get a voicemail from a random number, it’s the woman who replaced my boss who quit, I’ve never met her. She’s saying I must return the phone today or she’s calling the police. I call and explain I’d reached out and heard nothing back yadda yadda and say I can bring it in tomorrow morning. Hang up and realize I have an interview in the morning then a coffee meeting with a friend of mine who’s hiring in the area. I text her and let her know that that time doesn’t work for me but for her to let me know what other times work. Instead of being accommodating she responds “phone needs to be in my hand by 10am tomorrow or I’m calling the police.” I not so gently tell her that I reached out and waited two weeks and heard nothing back and I’m sorry that she just now decided this is urgent but I can’t drop what I have planned just because she says so and ask her to again let me know when would be a good time. She doesn’t respond.
The next day I get a text from the local police after missing their call – I need to call them by 3pm or they’ll pursue criminal charges. I return the officers call and explain the situation, he says he was told they couldn’t get in contact with me and to get in touch with them to coordinate and that he’s not going to pursue charges because I’m clearly cooperating.
So I text her again asking when is a good time. I was unceremoniously let go and I don’t feel comfortable just showing up whenever. I’m also busy job hunting and working on my side business so I’m not going to go out of my way if I don’t have a confirmed time. Anyway, she doesn’t respond.
Today I was planning on leaving for a music festival (didn’t happen I’m leaving tomorrow), so I texted her AGAIN and said that I hadn’t heard anything but I’m going out of town and will be back next Tuesday and is Tuesday morning a good time. She responds that she’s already contacted the police and I need to check my voicemail. I let her know that I didn’t ask about that and to please let me know if Tuesday works, she responds “return our property!” I respond that I am getting ready to leave town and don’t have time to go out of my way(they’re in the opposite direction about half an hour) but I can put it in the mail on my way or I can drop it off Tuesday. She responds that I am harassing her and to return the phone immediately.
At this point I was so fed up. I live in a large building with a concierge so I left the phone with him and said someone would be picking it up. I sent the address and exact instructions to find the concierge and let her know that if she needs the phone so urgently she can pick it up at her convenience. She ignores me. To cover myself I also texted the officer I’d previously spoken to and let him know that Id attempted to coordinate with her and she was not amenable and that I’d left the phone with my 24/7 concierge and made it available for her to pick up.
Just now, she texts me back saying that when I return the phone myself I can have my belongings back and that clearly I’m a criminal for leaving with the phone in the first place because I was terminated.
I sent a screenshot of the pickup instructions and let her know I’d be blocking her number and if she needed anything further she could email me.
She can keep my stuff if it means I never have to see her insufferable face.
For clarification, I had no corrective actions on my file. I’d never been coached for anything or spoken to about my performance. My previous boss loved me and I was never anything but professional in my role. I’m completely floored and a little heartbroken, I worked my ass off for my previous company. I’ve certainly learned my lesson about making work my life. Looking forward to being a bitter employee who does only what is asked/expected and nothing more.