This is in California for legal context.
I’ll try to keep a long and stupid story short.
I started working at a hotel as the restaurant’s event planner at the beginning of February. It was a dream, I don’t have exact experience in that field or a degree in anything related, but I have a unique mix of transferable skills that, at the time, seemed to be exactly what they were looking for. And of course, I also came cheap for that reason – with what should have been obvious caveats like, “will need at least minimal training and oversight.”
Turns out, “what they were looking for” was actually someone to do three jobs at once, and fill in wherever needed, while also building the restaurant’s event systems from the ground up. Oh, and without training or any real oversight whatsoever. For a couple bucks over minimum wage.
I honestly thought that for the compensation I get, I was fucking killing it. A few slip ups here and there, a few unanswered emails, nothing anywhere near irredeemable. Making good money for a restaurant that’s been struggling since before the pandemic, getting rave reviews from clients and staff.
I also genuinely thought I was well liked and seen as an asset, which honestly hurts the most.
HR called me in today to ~oh so apologetically~ tell me I wasn’t meeting executive’s expectations (whatever those were? They change every time I ask), and that the position wasn’t what they thought it would be, so it was being eliminated. She said that they “don’t want to lose me”, so I should consider other positions throughout the hotel.
Reasons I actually think I’m being tossed out:
-
I’ve done all the work of building out the restaurant’s event systems so now the salaried conference salespeople can take over with much more ease.
-
I was a very proud hire of a General Manager who wasn’t very well liked before he was basically run out (which was an issue that pre-dated me, and I stiIl actively worked hard to stay neutral in)
-
No one wants to take responsibility for managing and supporting me in the ways I need to actually succeed in these conditions, now that the old GM is gone.
-
They’ve fired lots of people in the last few weeks for petty things, so maybe they’re just avoiding layoffs.
I don’t know how to proceed. I don’t have a plan except for some small business dreams, and no savings. HR wants to know by end of next week.
Here are my options as I see them:
-
Finish out my events for the next two weeks and quit. I think this option disqualifies me for unemployment.
-
Indignantly dump all events planned for the next two weeks onto the other sales coordinators with no instruction, and quit ASAP. Also no unemployment, and I burn a bridge that I guess is still intact. Bonus con, I fuck over all service staff in the building pretty much.
(Also my top choice right now) -
Finish out the next two weeks and transition to a new position in the company. I just checked and they’re all at a significant pay cut that I know they would force me to take. I’m also really put off at this point.
-
Something I haven’t considered yet.
I also wonder if the replacement position is a con, and they just plan to not hire me for whatever I apply for, then I can’t qualify for unemployment.
Everyone I’ve asked has a different opinion. Does anyone know from experience?
TIA