Laid Off - Again!

After such a long difficult tax season, we were looking forward to a break, but didn't expect one like this. The day after tax season ended, April 16, Dave (his boss) called Kenny in and told him 'it wasn't working out.' How convenient.

He was told he wasn't social enough because he came into work each day and went to his office and worked. Then went to lunch and back to his office to work. Then at the end of the day, he wanted to go home to his family. Apparently, the other co-workers stand around and visit during the day and at lunch. Sometimes in the evenings, they go to the bar and get a drink together. Kenny just goes home, so he doesn't fit in. So basically he got fired for working hard and not goofing off enough, during the BUSIEST season of the year.

He was also told he didn't stay late enough with Dave at night. Kenny is a morning person, he thinks best early in the morning and is twice as productive in the morning than in the evening. Most days Kenny was the FIRST one in the office, usually by 6:00 am or earlier and leave around 7 or 8. Everyone else would come in around 7 or 8 am. Dave would show up around 9 or 10, sometimes after noon. At 5 pm most of his co-workers left car-pooling together, Brent stayed until 8, 9 or 10. Several times, when Kenny said goodbye for the day (after 12-14 hours!!), Brent would question him leaving already. Kenny told him he would stay, but knew his quality would be better if he waited until the morning. Dave agreed and would send him home. Kenny consistently had the MOST hours per week and month, the ENTIRE tax season. When he left, he had over 180 hours of overtime worked in just 3 months - the most of ANYBODY in the office - including Dave. If you consider working 40 hours/week for 4 weeks (1 month) that's 160 hours in an average month. Kenny did 4 and a half months work in 3 months time (not to mention his own personal clients at home)! So, basically he got fired for working harder than ANYONE else in the office.

Dave went on to say how great Kenny's quality of work was and how hard of a worker he was and he would be happy to give him a great reference for future work!

WHAT?!?! WHY WOULD YOU FIRE ME THEN?

We believe, Kenny was hired only for tax season, but was told it was a full time position (and anything else he needed to hear) to make him pass up other offers he was given, and take the job. In the accounting world, people working part-time or seasonal, won't be your best quality trained people. But you can mislead someone that is into working hard all season long, then let them go the day after. An employee earns the company enough to cover their entire YEARS salary within the first quarter of the year. So if they fire you at the end of tax season, they save the money for your salary when business is slower. Then rehire someone again before tax season. It's not common, but not unheard of among small firms. Dave denied doing so. But, he never ordered business cards for Kenny (after 3 months). Dave didn't introduce Kenny to a SINGLE client. When Kenny asked about vacation time after tax season, Dave said to schedule ANYTHING he wanted (because he wouldn't be working there anymore). Kenny said as time went by, he could feel that Dave wouldn't keep him long after tax season, but didn't think it would be the DAY AFTER!

So FRUSTRATING to trust people to do what they say and they don't!!!