atw: Re: Unreasonable/ Ineffective Contract term: Terminate for convenience

My mum was fired on Friday last week, two weeks short of the end of a three
month probationary period (other than that I'm not sure what else her
contract said) because "it's not working out", and specifically for "not
keeping the kitchen clean enough" and "not being a team player".

This, after almost 35 years experience in permanent employment (except the
last 2.5 years working as a freelance translator/interpreter) working for
large corporations and for senior management. It's just mind boggling!! All
that comes to mind as a reason is office politics - she was friendly with
the CEO who had given her freelance work in the past so maybe there were
others who were in the running and so she stepped on some unknown person's
toes. Or maybe they are just plain heartless. Or "age-ist".

Before getting the job she spent a good 2 months getting knock-backs for
being over-qualified and potentially bored by the jobs she was going for.
Is that another way of saying "we don't want you because you're too old for
the job"? And these guys come up with such lame reasons for letting her go.
Sheesh! I guess there's no recourse since they let her go within the
probationary period.

This kind of thing really gets me fired up!



A while back we had a discussion about contract terms, particularly this
one:
"<X> may terminate for convenience...."

At the time my wife was on a contract with a one-hour termination
clause.  She didn't think much of it at the time she took the contract,
but signed anyway.

Yesterday she invoked the clause.  She resigned, and left the place one
hour later.  What's more, she enjoyed doing it.

Apparently the management were somewhat taken aback.  It hadn't
occurred to them that an employee might take advantage of a clause that
was put there for the convenience of management.

Allan




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