The push I needed, (you gotta read this)

D

Detailing NY

New member
I really dont know where to begin so here is the story......



As most of you know I worked full time as an Insurance adjuster for a major company. I have been with them for over 5 years and have a total of 9 years in the industry. Well yesterday when i went into work, i got a little surprise. I was called into a meeting with the bosses and some people from HR.



Here is how the meeting went, they wanted to know about my detail business and how could i run 2 full time jobs. I explained to them how it is done and that the company gave me written permission to do the detailing.



Well they were saying that my detail business has grown to big and is creating a conflict of interest. So in short they terminated our relationship.



Ok, so now i am like WTF. I just got fired because my detail business is to big and my 4 yr wedding anniversary is today. I just bough my wife a new 2004 s60 as well. I am like holy sh!t, this really sucks.



So now i tell family & friends and they can't believe it. Then i tell this one friend who said "good". I was like why good. He said this is the push I need to do the detailing full time and i should see what happens.



So i said ok, i will try it. I am under benefits with my wife so what do i have to lose.



i start to think what i am going to do. Then it hits me, I will be doing all contract and damage estimates. With 24hrs of me being terminated, I now have a few more contracts and I now work as an independent adjuster. I already have assignments to go and look at vehicles that were crashed.



So being terminated may really suck, but one door closes and another one opens. At least when i am older I can say I tried it and not wondered "what if". So I will keep everyone posted and let everyone know what is going on.



The customers really like it that i come to them now during the week in the morning as i never could do it before.
 
My brother is in the same exact boat. He got laid off from his job as a system's analyst on Monday. He has a computer business on the side that he just hasn't had time to grow. Now he does. On Wednesday, he picked up a contract that alone is worth about 30-50% of his previous income. A couple more like that and he will come out ahead.



Good luck to you, Brian. I'm glad to hear you hit the ground running!
 
Well done. Your success, the qualities which make you unique, were eating at them. So they did the only thing they had in their feeble power to do.



The one time I've been fired, everyone I talked to offered condolences. Except for my uncle, who has been more successful than everyone else combined. He congratulated me.



I've just quit my Fortune 500 job and am moving from MA to CA next week. I don't really care what I do, so long as I'll be working for myself.
 
NYD,



Hey big guy! We missed you at the Poorboys World Detail day:nixweiss



Anyway, WHAT A BUNCH OF TOOLS! How did they come up with it was conflicting since you already had an agreement and in writing. :down Are they looking for litigation? Sounds like a very stupid move on their part!



Well at least it looks as things are looking up for you! You get to do the things you REALLY want to do AND make money while doing it!



We ALL hope it goes well and you start to enjoy the better thing in life while doing what you like best.



Keep us informed :xyxthumbs



See ya!



Deanski
 
If I were you I would talk to a lawyer. One that specializes in unfair terminations.



You may have some money coming your way.
 
BoxsterCharlie said:
Well done. Your success, the qualities which make you unique, were eating at them. So they did the only thing they had in their feeble power to do.



The one time I've been fired, everyone I talked to offered condolences. Except for my uncle, who has been more successful than everyone else combined. He congratulated me.



I've just quit my Fortune 500 job and am moving from MA to CA next week. I don't really care what I do, so long as I'll be working for myself.
Click to expand...



Amen to that!!



Welcome to Cali!!
 
Congratulations on your success with the detailing business and your positive outlook on the whole situation. You must be doing very well to have caught the attention of a major employer like that, and given it reason to feel concerned. Of course, unless you were regularly bidding on jobs that were brought to your attention by your adjustor duties, I think it's a stretch to find a "conflict of interest." It also doesn't seem like a pursuit that would be prohibited by a Non-Compete clause or agreement. Checking with an attorney couldn't hurt, but it might just be best to keep your energies with the positive focus you clearly have.



Best of Luck.



--Jim
 
I'm sure you probably have some legal recourse, if you want to go in that direction. You may even be able to get your old job back, then you can quit!
 
I did check with an attorney, he basically said it is an up hill battle. The company can fire you for what ever they want as long as it was not based on religion, sex, and stuff like that.



No big deal, this was just the kick in the butt i needed to get going
 
they can fire you for any reason at all, as long as it isn't a discrimination thing?!??? geez, makes me glad to live where I do. Here, after a 3 month probation period,w here you can be terminated for anything, it's pretty much impossible to be fired unless you do something incredibly stupid. And even if you do something stupid, they have to have given you written warnings about it in the past before they can decide to fire you. If what happened to you ever happened to me, I could sue the pants off my company. I work as a computer technician for a firm here in vancouver, and on the side I own and run a mobile computer consulting business (www.isidoresolutions.com It's not 100% done yet). I'm allowed to do what I want with that, as long as it doesn't happen during work hours.
 
Good luck ont eh new venture. Contract work will give you a lot of flexability to schedule more detailing jobs. Great determination.
 
"they can fire you for any reason at all, as long as it isn't a discrimination thing?!??? "



Sure, that's the basis of an "employment at will" job (which many if not most are in the US).



You can simply call in one day and tell them to take a hike, and

the employer can do the same to you.



Conflict of interest clauses get reallllllyyyy sticky when it comes to

someone that has a side hobby-turned-into-job kinda thing as many people do nowadays. The employer has to claim that the time you devote to said side job has affected your productivity during the time that they are paying you. For salaried exempt employees, as I mentioned, this gets sticky.



But anyway, good luck out there!

Jon
 
Can't believe a company can do that to you! If that happened to me, I'd be taking my employer to court, no question about it! I'm pretty sure I'd get a nice cheque at the end of it too! Obviously the laws are a bit different your side of the Atlantic... still like you said, it's the push that you needed to go and try something different. Good luck.
 
You will double your success in detailing and keep your people more informed and accountable. Congrats, I hope to be in that position in the near future.:xyxthumbs
 
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