The Next Steps if You Are Fired
If you get fired, the uncertainty you feel can be polarizing. If you don’t know what to do next, you can end up making the wrong moves which can lead to you losing out on what you’re owed.
If you have been fired, or if you are worried about your future at your job, keep this guide in mind to cover your bases.
Ask the Right Questions
Your emotions or going to be running high if you are fired. This may feel like your best chance to tell your boss what you think about them, but you should take a deep breath and focus.
Ask why you are being let go. More likely than naught, you are being fired due to structural changes at your work, or strictly for financial reasons. The reason why you are being fired may also be a mistake that you can discuss with your boss instead of just being let go.
Finally, you should ask whether or not there are any available positions at the company where you could work instead. If there are, you may get a pay cut, but you will at least keep a job while you work for something else.
Negotiate Terms
When you are let go, you are typically offered a severance package. This is a sum of money given to an employee who has been let go all of a sudden in order to fulfill the business’s end of the employment contract.
You may want to have a lawyer take a look at your employment contract to make sure that you are getting the severance that you deserve. For example, you may not get money for the PTO that you never used. If that is owed to you, you need to make sure that your former employer knows.
You also should talk about when your last day will be, and when you need to clear out your personal belongings.
Get on Unemployment NOW
Getting on Unemployment can take a long time, and can also be a grueling process. Speaking from experience, check to see if you are qualified for Unemployment benefits immediately, and apply for them as soon as you can.
You don’t want to wait until you’re really struggling before you start this process.
Check Your Insurance Coverage
Depending on how long you were at your job, you may be able to stay on your insurance for awhile, or you may be off of it relatively soon.
If you are going to lose your insurance you need to make a plan of attack to make sure you don’t go without benefits for long. This may include calling your parents to see if you can put back on their insurance plan if you qualify.
Make a Plan Before Jumping Back Into the Job Search
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when you get fired is to jump back on Indeed immediately. Instead, you should make a plan on what you want to do. It may turn out that you want to take some time off or maybe pursue a new line of work.
Before you start sending off applications, you should consider hiring a professional resume writer to take a look at your resume. A lot may have changed since you last applied for jobs, and they can help you out!
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