I feel I was unjustly terminated from my job? What do I do?

Question

I was recently discharged from my previous employer due to a verbal altercation eith another associate, whom was totally in the wrong. While servicing customers from three different areas of my job, I became overwhelmed and asked for assistance from the other associates whom were tending to personal business and eating in their windows rather than waiting on customers. After asking for assistance a second time, I was hysterically confronted by one of them and was verbally attacked. I turned to my acting supervisor at the time for assistance who's response was for me to ignore the associate. After continuing to work and ignore the associates raves and finally settling down, she started again later only more abusive and stepping in my path of walk. I had previous to this day spoken with management regarding the unfair workload and accountability, as well as the workplace hostilities. This associate had in less than two weeks been verbally abusive and confrontational with three associates prior to me with no reprimands or writeups, except to return to her window and be quiet, which she didnt do after management was not present. We were both eventually fired, but my frame of mind on this is that had she been reprimanded for her previous bad acts, and the issues I presented to management were addressed as they said they would, the incident that resulted in me loosing my job would not have happened. I did not swear at nor did I touch her. I feel that had management protected me rather than tell me to ignore her or address the issues they said they'd already acknowledged previous to my complaint, I would not have had a need to defend myself. What do I do now? I have been out of work for almost three months, denied unemployment because they classified it as misconduct (viloation of company policy), and the telling the truth in employment application is working against me. Please help.

Answer 1

Wow I'm sorry to hear about your job.. That really sucks.. Well what i did was when one of my friends got fired kinda for the same thing as he snapped at a co-worker, he was let go, he was kinda a bad worker anyways so he had that going against him.. When he went to look for another job and added the company that fired him.. He just used me as a reference and supervisor even tho I'm not but i still put in a good word for him to get his next job.. Thats the only thing i can think of.. Good luck and keep your head up.. Let me know if you want me to be a reference but you would have to tell me a bit about your job.. It works..

Answer 2

Well, it's good that the other person got fired and sad that the managers just told you to deal with her.  That is an example of bad management but hey, where don't you see that nowadays?  

The next time someone is up in your grill at work, just smile at them and tell that that they are not worth losing your job over.  Also, telling the truth about being fired on an application, especially in today's economy, is never going to land you a job.  I would avoid even listing the place on an application.

Answer 3

It might or rmight not have been unfair, but not illegal to fire you.

Good luck for finding a new job soon.

Answer 4

That really stinks. Like others said this is an example of bad management. Nothing you can do but move out and find another job. Depending on how long you were at the previous job you will still need to list it (if only a couple weeks then it isn't as important as if you were there a year or more).

Be honest with new employers. The situation got out of control and management decided it was best to let you the both of you go. You feel that management misunderstand the issue but you understand why they made the decision they made. This shows that although you disagree about being let go you can understand why companies make the decisions they do.

Employers understand that not all situations are cut an dry. Someone will give you the opportunity.

Good luck!