Are you about to lose your job? If you’re paying enough attention, you can usually read the signs that your days at a company are limited. Companies hired you to do a job and letting you go means they are going to need to find someone else to do the work. Here are five signs you’re about to get canned
1. Your Boss has you make a list
Your boss will set a meeting with you to get a list of your current responsibilities. It will be under somewhat false pretenses as they don’t really want to tip their hand that they are planning to let you go. It might be under the guise of allocating resources or putting you on new projects.
2. THere’s a new hire to “help You”
It might seem like a godsend at first. You’ve got work up to your neck. Suddenly the boss announces there is a new hire and they will be your “back up”. In the event that you take a vacation or are out, your backup can assist with tasks.
But in reality, this new team member is your replacement and you’re training them to do your work.
3. You receive a written or verbal warning
If a company wants to let you go, they tend to feel the need to justify it with a paper trail. A written or verbal warning may be an early indicator that you’re on the path to your termination.
4. You’ve been put on a performance improvement plan
A performance improvement plan or “PIP” for short is a euphemism if ever there was one. It’s the companies way of creating a trail of your missteps to justify terminating you. They really don’t even need a reason to terminate you but this is mostly a way of safeguarding against discrimination lawsuits.
5. You are feeling excluded
At some point prior to being let go, your teammates may get wind that your employment is on shaky ground. A lot of work is about appearances and politics and if coworkers sense you’re a bad seed they will not want to be associated with you.
It’s possible they may be able to sense you’re going to be let go or maybe the boss has asked them to make sure they inform on you if you make any mistakes.
What to do
Start looking for your next job. Alternatively, consider freelancing or taking a break from the grind. You can also read up on filing for unemployment. You also can contact me see about submitting an article to Getting Canned and tell your story.
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