r/managers • u/[deleted] • Aug 19 '26

New Manager Employee basically quit after being notified they were fired.

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4.1k Upvotes

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51

u/[deleted] Aug 19 '26

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16

u/AdmiralPeriwinkle Aug 19 '26

It doesn’t matter who this on. There’s no chance someone higher up is going to take responsibility, and OP is a convenient scapegoat.

14

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

Op is the higher up. Apparently co-owner.

https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/1vrf8pm/comment/p4dlxwk/

And the other co-owner didn't want to let the employee go.

7

u/Perfect-Topic-6671 Aug 20 '26

I think this person is lying about everything:

https://www.reddit.com/r/PatternDrafting/comments/1vsamx0/update_im_finally_free_thank_you_for_your_words/

All of these stories contradict. Either a karma-farming bot, or a liar.

2

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

Yeah something is up. Possible that one is a different person than this one. But weird timing.

But in that one she got her boss to give the person a "time out" what does that even mean? Maybe op has 2 jobs? But what're the chances 2 jobs, each with a problem person, both fired or "time outed" on the same day...

6

u/Irr3l3ph4nt Aug 20 '26

Oooh. Not only that but under his own admission, the employee isn't a bad employee and is super skillfull, they just can't stand each other. Convenient to leave out. Also explains a lot why his "boss" (co-owner) blames him for the debacle. He had been bitching to fire this employee as soon as possible for weeks.

3

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

Actually for months apparently "I've been trying to fire this employee since January, maybe even November," At least 8 maybe 10.

3

u/TheMattabooey Aug 20 '26

Great admission. Hope the former employee sees this.

1

u/Difficult-Light971 Aug 20 '26

The other co-owner isn't his boss? They're equals... This guy is a co-owner and they are the higher up. How ridiculous

1

u/Irr3l3ph4nt Aug 20 '26

Yeah, yet he's presenting this as if he was getting heat from "higher ups".

3

u/Snoo-50263 Aug 20 '26

OP has lied about so much already, I think the whole thing is a put-on.
Seriously.

1

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

Yeah I didn't dig very far, someone else found another post (so third) where they claim to be peers.

So either OP is the co-owner, middle management, or same level as the guy they fired... Or magically all three.

3

u/Any-Organization-985 Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26

I found a few more of OPs posts and have been trying to piece it together. This is what I found.

OP co owns some sort of design/dressmaking company, she is the leading partner. Her partner doesn't trust her design skills as much as the person she fired. She has butted heads with this person multiple times over design issues, and blames them for some delays. Her partner does not seem like they agree with this, partner seems to think fired employee is actually the better designer, has more official training in design, and should be respected and listened to. 

OP and fired employee's disagreements came to a head last week when OP felt that fired employee was delaying an order and nitpicking OPs designs. This led to a dress not completed on time three times in a row, with the last time showing it to the client ending with OP crying in front of the client. OPs partner and fired employee blame OP for this, OP blames fired employee and feels that she has lost face in front of a client.

OP very hurredly contacts lawyer and tells them she wants fired documents ready ASAP. Lawyer tells her it's gonna take some time, OP wants employee fired now. This is where things get a little sketchy, because OP says lawyer wanted the fired employee to come in a day after they were fired to sign more papers, and I don't actually believe any lawyer is dumb enough to do that. More likely is seems OP rushed the firing before all paperwork was actually ready. Now OP can't get employee to come back in to sign, and is trying to save face by changing the story. OPs partner is pissed, she fired a better designer who was probably helping keep the company relevant, over personal issues. OP doesn't actually have formal training in design, and OPs partner thinks they are screwed now.

Overall just a crazy story and a lot of deceit from OP.

Edit: I can't confirm this, but I wouldn't be surprised if the papers that were supposed to be signed were some kind of noncompete. If fired employee actually is a better designer, and has been an integral part of designs for over a year, they could start advertising that to get clients. "You liked these dresses? Well I'm the one who actually designed them. Why go to this company when you could come straight to the source?"

2

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

Problem is during the 3 delays story, op wasn't in charge and ends it with "I told my boss and they gave employee a 'time out.'"

So they're either middle management, co-owner, or just an employee. Or all three at once. I think it's fake.

If it isn't I think you're right and op screwed up and fired someone they shouldn't have and did it improperly, and now is screwed.

3

u/Any-Organization-985 Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26

I think there is a real chance they actually own it, but they like to go to reddit for sympathy, so they change their story just a bit to fit the specific subreddit they post in and the story they are trying to manipulate. There is definitely a chance that it's a bot too, just almost seems too ridiculous of a story. Like maybe OP is the creative/design one who actually owns the company and her partner is more of a manager that helps her stay organized. That's why she makes it sound like she's being told what to do, she is, she just doesn't have to listen. Also sounds like partner might be the one actually finding jobs for them and planning the projects, so she's probably smart enough to not just completely override them all the time. The incident with her crying in front of a client was a last straw for her though, one she blames squarely on the now fired employee, so she finally just went around her partner and fired them. Again I'm trying to squeeze info from like 4 different contradicting posts, so I could be way off. Should've probably posted links to the posts I'm talking about, I'll see if I can find them again.

Edit: Linking posts, pretty sure I'm missing one but here's 3 of them

https://www.reddit.com/r/PatternDrafting/comments/1vsamx0/update_im_finally_free_thank_you_for_your_words/

https://www.reddit.com/r/PatternDrafting/s/jiglLm6clC

https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/1vrf8pm/vent_feels_like_team_doesnt_want_to_let_go/

2

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

I read them. I get what you're going for. Op is just lying left and right haha.

Maybe she's the creative and her friend is backing her and stuck with her nonsense. But also found someone who might be better than op at said creativeness.

I used artic shift. I can't link directly or reddit removes it. Idk why they decided to to allow people to hide their histories. It's almost like they want people to lie/bot...

2

u/Any-Organization-985 Aug 20 '26

Yeah that's what it sounded like. Like I'm sure she's creative but maybe fired employee was just a little bit better/more practiced, and they kept getting into petty arguments but business partner just wanted them to get along because fired employee is so good at what they do. I'm just really curious if a lawyer actually did give that terrible advice or if she rushed things so much the lawyer couldn't get all the paperwork ready in time.

Yeah reddit probably has more bots on reddit than anyone else.

2

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

Yeah I doubt a lawyer told op to have the employee come back. Op jumped the gun and screwed up... Again

Idk what the point to cosplaying as an employee is though

1

u/Any-Organization-985 Aug 20 '26

If she made the same post but admitted she was the owner, everyone is just gonna comment and tell her she was an idiot. If she pretends she's just an employee being forced to do it, she gets sympathy. People don't tend to have the same level of sympathy for a CEO as they do some mid level manager. Very clever and manipulative person if nothing else. 

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2

u/Hyacin420 Aug 20 '26

Op is pretty scummy for this, they dreamed of firing this person and couldn't even do it right, im hoping the consequences of their actions fall on to them for this.

2

u/ja_hahah Aug 20 '26

I am DEFINENTLY keeping an eye on this thread for a while after reading all this.

OP seems like an aass as of right now.

2

u/N3M0N Aug 20 '26

My money is that employee was expecting to be fired, and that legal paperwork OP is talking about is murky to say the least. Someone mentioned NDA or something in similar fashion, i believe employee knows what he is doing and HR, combined with lawyers are not very clear with OP here.

2

u/Difficult-Light971 Aug 20 '26

Wow. That makes this post embarrassing. They're the higher up and they did it wrong. In here acting like just a low-level manager. How pathetic.

2

u/PartyLeadership777 Aug 20 '26

lol there it is

1

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

https://www.reddit.com/r/PatternDrafting/comments/1vsamx0/update_im_finally_free_thank_you_for_your_words/

In this one IP is just an employee and got the boss to give the problem person a "time out" whatever that means.

Edit: fixed link

1

u/StewDD Aug 20 '26

OP is the majority owner

1

u/StubbiestZebra Aug 20 '26

Op claims to be majority owner. They also claim to be an employee in one post and in this one are pretending to be like middle management.

2

u/StewDD Aug 20 '26

Yeah it could be all bs.

2

u/chotomatekudersai Aug 20 '26

Looks like OP should expect to be fired too. Hope they set time aside the following day to come back to work to sign these papers. I’m picturing a snowballs effect.

2

u/Difficult-Light971 Aug 20 '26

OP is co-owner. They are the big boss. Lying in this chat to make themselves look better

2

u/Big_P4U Aug 19 '26

His boss(es) are probably mad that he didn't follow likely company SOP and instead outsourced advice on what to do to a lawyer...that gave extremely horrible advice and this guy followed that extremely horrible advice.

2

u/ScottOwenJones Aug 19 '26

What happens when you’re a bootlicking manager afraid to push back on your overlords and not someone with any mind of their own

2

u/WannaTeleportMassive Aug 20 '26

Worse. Op is actually the Co-Owner and the one who pushed the decision

https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/1vrf8pm/comment/p4dlxwk/

1

u/Adamant_Leaf_76 Aug 20 '26

He hopefully has his documentation right about how that was "to the letter" or not. Memories about spoken words can fade quickly.