Re: Can your employer remove you due to unlikability?

gardening2012

Hi There,

I have worked with my present employer for a few years now but in all my 121's my personality comes under question. You see I work hard, am polite, reliable do my job but I don't share anything in common with my co-workers. To be fair if another opportunity came up I would leave, but in this market there aren't any. You may wonder why I don't talk too much, but after so many 'run ins' with people I decided long ago that it would be best to just put my head down and work and try not to involve myself. I don't think myself any better than anyone else there, if anything I think the complete opposite. But I do worry that after finally realising I can't change what people think can they sack me or get rid of me on the basis of not winning the office popularity contest?

Uncertain

gardening2012 wrote: »

Hi There,

I have worked with my present employer for a few years now but in all my 121's my personality comes under question. You see I work hard, am polite, reliable do my job but I don't share anything in common with my co-workers. To be fair if another opportunity came up I would leave, but in this market there aren't any. You may wonder why I don't talk too much, but after so many 'run ins' with people I decided long ago that it would be best to just put my head down and work and try not to involve myself. I don't think myself any better than anyone else there, if anything I think the complete opposite. But I do worry that after finally realising I can't change what people think can they sack me or get rid of me on the basis of not winning the office popularity contest?

Sadly the answer to any "can I be sacked for this" question is yes.

If the resulting dismissal is later held to be unfair by a tribunal then you may get some compensation. However, if your employer is prepared to take this risk then nobody can stop them.

Would such a dismissal be fair in law? From what you say, probably not but without far more information about the whole situation it is hard to know.

Emmzi

if the only way you can disagree with someone in a work context is a "run in", some negotiation or assertiveness training may be in order.

I'd ask.

tincat

I don't know anything about employment law but maybe you should join a union now before anything does happen or gets suggested if you're worried.

Alfrescodave

121 discussions are not just for handing out praise and criticism - once a negative comment has been made then the management should try and improve this situation.

Ideally this should be in the form of some sort of training, either internally or externally. Has your management offered any sort of help to resolve what they see as a problem ?

scheming_gypsy

Well the OP said that the 1-2-1 comments are down to their personality, which is because they just get their head down and work. So i can't see any training resolving the problem.
They're turning up, doing their work and not interacting with anybody so it's not a training issue.

BackOnTrack

It's not about winning the popularity contest it more just making a little bit of effort to enter it in the first place. I don't really care about football but I keep up to date with what is happening so I can join in the occasional conversation with some of my colleagues. A token bit of effort like this can make a lot of difference.

TrickyWicky

While BackOnTrack says keeping up with the footie makes a difference, will your colleagues return the favour with regard to the ops interests? - I very much doubt it.

I've been in workplaces like this before, sometimes its best just to keep your head down and carry on. Don't even bother trying to get the boss onside they're already biased due to the stirring from colleagues.

asparagusnextleft

I got sacked from my first office job (when I was 16) for 'not fitting in'. Everyone else there knew each other outside of work (they all went to the same church apparently) and I wasn't prepared to join in with the sniping and backstabbing so they sacked me.

Acc72

TrickyWicky wrote: »

While BackOnTrack says keeping up with the footie makes a difference, will your colleagues return the favour with regard to the ops interests? - I very much doubt it.

I've been in workplaces like this before, sometimes its best just to keep your head down and carry on. Don't even bother trying to get the boss onside they're already biased due to the stirring from colleagues.

I am not sure how you can make the first comment without detailed knowledge of the OP's individual situation.

With regards to the second point - the OP does "keep their head down and carry on" already, and this approach isn't exactly doing them any favours is it ?

You don't have to be best mates with your colleagues, but surely everybody benefits from working in a friendly environment where you can at least exchange "good mornings" and pleasantries ?

scheming_gypsy

Very true Acc72. I've worked in places where I had nothing in common with other people and I was ready for scooping my eye balls out. They'd play Final Fantasy together at night and then come in and talk about it; at home time they'd be arranging what time to meet up in the game. On a Monday morning they'd talk about and then the X-Factor, and these were all blokes.

If yuo can't talk to your colleagues and have some banter during the day then it can be a very depressing place to work.