Toronto Employment and Labour Blog: Sure Signs You Are About To Be Fired - Sign #9

SIGN #9 THE PAPER TRAIL - 

You suddenly begin to receive emails from your boss telling you that you are not doing your job.

Once your superior begins to document your failings, you know he is building a case for the early termination of your employment, probably for justifiable cause and without any severance payment. It will require more than one email to make the case that your performance is substandard and that you had been provided with adequate warnings to pull up your socks…or else. You ignore this paper trail at your peril.

If inappropriate conduct is itemized in the communication or if you are accused of failing to fulfill your job responsibilities, it is important that you respond in detail to the accusations, refuting them, if it is possible to do so. Your response should be detailed, businesslike and focused on the specific complaints. If you do not respond or delay your response, there is an assumption that the alleged failures are, in fact, true. It is important to respond to each allegation so that there is no admission of guilt by failure to respond.

Never attack your employer’s motives by letter or email. Nor is it necessary to recite a long litany of your past achievements in order to justify your current behaviour. Telling your employer what a good job you have done for the company over the years is not an adequate response, particularly if your employer’s current concerns are legitimate.

If your responses are focused and convincing, you will have avoided possible termination for justifiable cause without compensation. If each and every complaint is met with a reasonable explanation, then termination for cause is unlikely. An employer who is determined to end the employment relationship will be forced to offer a fair severance package. If the employer attempts to terminate your employment for cause and without compensation where there is an inadequate paper trail, he will ultimately pay substantial court-ordered damages for his ill-advised conduct.

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