The thing is that Steve send me an e-mail saying very briefly that we needed to talk, infamous words that usually means bad news, and then he sent me another mail asking me to bring the material I've been using, so I was prepared.
I was doing one hour a week teaching for him without a contract and he was paying me cash-in-hand, not social security, nothing. Plus, last month he forgot to pay me all the hours I worked (he sent me an envelope with 3 hours worth of wages instead of 4) and I had to send him a mail asking for the whole amount and he answer was "sorry, you're right, I don't how it happened". He also asked me a month ago to take more hours with him but I declined because that meant leaving my already established hours with the other company.
So, I went to see Steve and first he handed me an envelope with my money, plus the hour he forgot to pay me last month. Then he said that the students complained that I was arriving later and leaving earlier to the class. I did arrived later a couple of times but I never left earlier and I told him so so. He said "so, there seems to be a difference of opinion there" to which I simply reply (in what I hoped was an assertive way) "yes".
I think you either believe your employees and you backed them up when there's trouble or you don't, and maybe I should have told him so. He choose to believe the people who pay him. Fair enough as this is his business.
He then added that I failed to attend one class and I didn't call the students or him. That's correct and the reason was that it was the next day after Darwin died and I was in such an state of shock that I totally forgot. I explained that and added that I was sorry about it and that I did send an e-mail to him, admittedly, after the event.
I should have added that he forgot to pay me and that I didn't hold that against him as mistakes just happens. Of course, I only thought of that on my way home.
He then went on to add that we cannot work together like this, to which I agreed, and that he had to ask me to return all the material he gave me for the classes. As I only took the book that I was currently teaching, I said that I'll send then asap and that was the end of it.
It's never a good experience to be fired and I was a bit shaken when I left, especially because he could have been nicer or more understanding about the reasons why I failed to attend one class. I only once before failed to attend one class that I was doing for him and that was the day after I crash the car.
I think Steve's quite a shy and insecure man and to compensate he comes across as arrogant. He wasn't comfortable dealing with this and he obviously made up his mind well before our meeting, so I felt I couldn't have said anything to change his mind and I certainly didn't do anything to keep the job as I have enough hours and I'm comfortable working with the other company.
With whom, by the way, I did sign a contract, they do pay my national insurance and such taxes and they just raised my wages. They seem to believe that I'm a good and responsible employee and they trust me.
So, after a while, the shock of being fired vanished and I'm ok.
... although I have to say that I'm very grateful that the year is finishing really soon as New Year is a sort of clean slate and in my mind the one that's finishing is most definitelly my "annus horribilis".
I totally understand that Chinesse (?) curse "may you live in interesting times"* as this year made interesting reading, as some people told me about this blog.
I do wish we're going to have very uninteresting times for next year, very uneventful and peaceful. And, from my heart, I wish the same to all of you, faithful readers.
* May you live in interesting times is reputed to be the English translation of an ancient Chinese proverb and curse. It is reported that it was the first of three curses of increasing severity, the other two being:
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- May you come to the attention of those in authority
- May you find what you are looking for
It is often argued that the word interesting is meant to be a synonym for turbulent or dangerous, while others suggest that no such similarity is necessary for the statement to be imposing. However, both of these theories miss the essential irony of the saying in light of the value Confucianism places on stability and constancy.
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