Quick story from 2020.
I was working with an organization and seemingly fulfilling all requirements. Reports were submitted on time and free of errors. Never heard a complaint, rather always got passing compliments. “The report looks good. Thanks” I had a good rapport with members, staff, and leadership
Covid hits and membership takes a dive. After several months I start getting feedback from my boss, who was considerably younger than me, saying I’m taking too long to complete reports. I had 72 hours for each. She would assign them Monday morning and want them by COB on Wednesday. I pointed out that this was not 72 hours but rather 56 hours.
Then she started marking up my reports with reviews and asking questions already answered in the report. Often times answered in the very next sentence.
I worked a minimum of 80 hours a week on salary, usually 9AM to midnight or later almost everyday.
I get put on a performance plan and after a month I’m terminated but given a one month severance. The job was posted a short time later and it was $20k less than what they were paying me.
I worry say they fired me because of performance when I don’t think anyone could have done more or better. I think it was due to budget concerns caused by covid but they wanted to manufacture a reason.
I have several other stories I might share about other experiences with jobs but this one was nagging my brain today and I wanted to share. Since then I’ve been working contract jobs with the most recent dangling the carrot of regular employment but are starting to back off on that promise due to “changing needs of the business.” I’m regularly a top performer on the team and averaging 130% of production goals with no QA errors. I hate the work I’m doing but it’s a job with adequate but not good pay. No benefits, no PTO, but it is WFH and I’m not allowed to work more than 40 hours. I just shut it down and walk away so I have that going for me, which is nice.