Or have encountered any of the other tactics Schwab leadership uses to avoid paying severance when letting someone go? Ironic for a company whose motto is "trust is everything...earned over time, lost in an instant" to try to cheat employees out of their severance using crooked methods.
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Strongly discourage specifics in this forum. However, I can share examples that have occurred.
- Not assigning work and then criticizing output.
- Assigning too much work.
- Assigning multiple objectives, verbally saying A is priority and then criticizing that B wasn't completed.
- Failure to do something when that something was never assigned.
- Blaming team for canceled project when project was canceled for non-performance reasons.
- Failure to get SendWords.
- Failure to hit OKRs or KPIs even when your duties didn't intersect with same.
- Not taking vacation days (PTO). Seriously happened, but there were other reasons included.
Some or all of these are combined. The general tactic is surprise, no disclosure in 1-on-1s, no coaching and then drop. Sometimes there are hints or even direct disclosures. IT really depends on the manager.
- Record everything. Seriously. Regardless of policy and state law. Near real-time notes can be used also, but nothing beats a recording. Much better to have it and struggle with one party laws later.
- Never trust HR or the ombudsman. Ever.
- Watch for gaslighting. This is really common in some groups. They will try to make you doubt yourself.
- Be honest. If you're a bad employee, admit it to yourself. Most of the time you aren't.
- Record everything off site and off system. Everything. Assume each day is the one you will be locked out. And also assume that every work "friend" isn't. They often are friends of convenience.
Coaching memos and written warnings are beatable. And our company will settle even when the state law wouldn't necessarily protect you. But you have to be ready and move to representation when it gets to that stage. No one should be their attorney.