(Florida)
I live in the Tampa Bay area and have been with my company for 8 ½ years (May would be the 9th anniversary). I have been struggling for the last year with tardiness due to personal circumstances, but have worked long hours each week, made up the time and even gone overtime to accomplish the work.
I also only used ½ of my emergency days, and had to carry over a vacation day from 2011 into 2012. I am one of the most knowledgeable people in our department on most of the tasks we handle, however, I have been on a PIP for punctuality since June; and while I have made great improvements, they were not enough in the eyes of my employer.
So as you can imagine, I have been fired effective the end of this week. Since I have been with the company from the time I joined the workforce and this is the first time I have been without a job, I donât know if I qualify for unemployment and should even bother trying with it, or what my options are until I find another job.
Help?
Answer For: Fired for lack of punctuality – options?
Hi,
Doesn’t sound good .. does it?
What I do know is that you admit to being late, you were warned and placed on a PIP and although improved were still late to work.
Being on time to work is a standard of behavior even I think an employer has a right to expect .. unless the circumstances are significant and something you should have sought an accommodation for.
The rest .. how long you worked there and how knowledgeable you are is irrelevant to the issue of misconduct and a discharge for an attendance issue.
Did the employer follow their own policy? Did you receive a final warning that made you aware any more occurrences may result in being discharged?
What does sound odd to me is that you won’t be discharged until the end of the week. Why is that?