Terminated (fired) from bank/credit union position.

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Good afternoon,

Im posting here in follow up to my previous post of new job and depression. Im here to let all know that yesterday I was terminated from my bank/credit union job , after being there for only a few weeks. The reasons they provided was because I was not performing my job in a error - free way and I was not doing a great job of being self sufficient and barely asking for any help from fellow coworkers and management. The reality is that a week before , I had a meeting with the branch management team and they provided me a plan for the week to perform the functions of the job. However , they were questioning as to why I was keep forgetting procedures and asking the same questions over again to my managers and I explained to them that times I have short memory problems. Then I provided information and medical records to show to them that I have Asperger's ,so they can make the necessary accomodations for me to perform my job functions. When this happened , it was at a second meeting on Wednesday August 12. I did all withing my best abilities to be self sufficient and handle all types of situations within a high paced enviroment. The main problem here was that two of my coworkers were going to leave the branch (one for vacation and another got a promotion) and the pressure was solely put on me to perform my job without any help , even though I was there for only a few weeks.I believe I made improvements in a lot of areas and my errors were minimum , but they told me yesterday three areas in which I failed to meet expectations (accuracy , cash management and customer service) were not meet and that I still failed. Im not a robot and they were wrong to expect me to perform my position without any errors and knowing a lot of things , some of which I was not trained for. I truly believe that they fired me because of my disability , even though in the termination letter they said it was because of my overall job performance. Under the ADA ,Im not requiered to inform prospective employers about my disability and they cannot ask me in the interview if I have a disability , which cannot be factored as to making a decision to whether to hire someone or not. Right now , Im in the process of submitting application for unemployment and Im not sure if I should put something towards revealing my disability as the reason I was fired or just stating it was job performance. Also , im looking to get a lawyer to against this company and whether or not I have a strong case as the reason why they fired because of my disability. This is the first time ever I have ever been fired and it is unfortunate that it came from a job and company that I really wanted to work for since I was a member with them and had my banking accounts with them. Right now Im looking at options as to whether to return to two of my previous employers (struggling as to explain why Im coming back to them (choosing between Sams Club or Home Depot) , or keep looking for jobs and programs that really meet skills set or joining the military. The only thing clear right now is being enrolled and continuing my studies to finish my bachelor degree in business. Any help or advice would be appreciated as to right now Im going trough a very tough time and depression. Thanks.

I believe they can fire you if in their estimation, you can't fulfill the job-duties for which you were hired with reasonable accommodations. Think about it - if they hire someone who is crippled from the waist down for a factory job that requires lifting heavy objects all day, they can fire due to the disability, since there's no way that they can lift anything, and therefore they can't fulfill the job. So, if they feel, for example, that you can't sufficiently safeguard the assets (cash) in your control, they can terminate you, because that is a minimum job requirement. My point in this is simply to say that there's a decent chance you won't have a legal case against them.

To be honest, I'm impressed that you were able to do as well as you did for as long as you did in that position; my Aspie boyfriend couldn't stand to go to the bank to cash a check, let alone stay there more than 5 minutes, and I know from having been a teller that it can be a very hectic work-environment...so I'd say give yourself some major kudos for being able to do what you did there. It may not have met what they wanted, but you still did great, and it shows a lot of promise for your ability to overcome hurdles for future jobs.

That being said, now you have to figure out what comes next. I think you're making a wise choice by focusing first and foremost on finishing your degree. Jobs past the entry-level tend to be more Aspie-friendly than entry-level jobs, and getting your degree can help you get past those entry-level positions (or at least shorten your time in them). What do you hope to do with your degree once you get it? If there's any way you can start getting at all related experience, I'd recommend that over returning to Home Depot or Sam's (unless retail management is your goal), but if not, having a job is always better than not having one. One of my very good friends graduated with a degree in medical coding and his only work experience was a grocery store and Arby's, so not related to medical coding, but his work experience still helped him land the job over other candidates who had the same degree but no work experience. So, if you aren't sure what you plan to do with your degree, or there's no way to get related work, definitely see if one of your former employers will take you back.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks for the kind words. What I plan to do with the degree it is unclear to me at this time , but Im want to use it as a tool to be able to accomplish self-employment or starting my own business in the future. Right now , the jobs that interested me in the most is working in a library , whether as a assistant or clerk. But , to be able to get those jobs , I would need to acquire library volunteer experience so that can help me get a foot inside the door. Now , Im not sure as to return to my previous employers and I want to really find a job that I can really excel in the right environment , which is difficult and complicated to do in this environment. Also , you mentioned in terms of firing me and whether I get a chance to sue them , they fired me a week after presenting my disability , which constitute a discrimination act under ADA. The problem right now is that the paper they wrote says nothing about disability and only says about job performance as the reason why I was fired , which can make it complicated to have a good case against them in court. I see what I can do with my options. This is the first time I have ever been fired , but as of now I want to find what will finally guide me towards fulfilling my potential in this World.

I was fired last year (something totally unexpected after being a loyal employee for 13 yrs). The reason I say this is because my employer also denied me unemployment and I had to live on my savings for 3 months. There's plenty of nursing jobs, but I wasn't getting many callbacks for interviews. I'd go back to your former employers because you'll need an income and health insurance. I couldn't afford the Obama Plan and I have savings. I also got a lawyer - it was a whistleblower case, but ended up not pursuing it. I sure didn't want my job back working with those same people - way too stressful and they would have just found something else to fire me over.

I ended up with a better job, but I came pretty close to a nervous breakdown. I decided not to go through with the case because of my new job and because of the fact I might have never been employed by another hospital if the case had went public. I decided to cut my losses and start over - I lost $500 in lawyer fees and seniority in my 401k. I try not to think about it and still can't believe it really happened, but the quicker you can move in and get started again the better.

Make a really nice résumé (since there's plenty of time to research that). I was going to pay to have one done, but it wasn't necessary in my field - it would have been $200 - $300. Have a nice suit, preferably navy or black and nothing extremely fancy (like cuff links). Get a decent haircut and shave. Cover all tattoos and take out piercings. Resumes are sent out by computer now, so after applying for several jobs make meticulous notes and call the business back a couple days after sending the application an résumé. Also, for every interview, get a business card of the person who interviewed you and send a follow up thank you letter (that's what sealed the job for me). Also, practice your interview questions - I was scared to death - I practiced like I was giving a speech. In the show "Adam", the main character has to practice over and over with his gf. Watching that show may just get you into the interview mood!

Thanks for the suggestions and advice people. Nurseangela i look closely into the adam show to improve my interview skills , even though I have done well in job interviews for most of my career. However , starting here and improving skills is key towards achieving success. SocofAutism, I talked with the president of the autism society in my area about launching a discrimination case against former employer , but told me because I was terminated during my probation period of 90 days and where I currently live is at will employment state , then I have no case against them because of that law , despite the ADA. Very dissapointing , but right now I filed my unemployment claim yesterday , so we shall see how it goes. Also I submited my application to work in the public library in my area as a volunteer for at least 10 to 15 hours per week. The ideal situation would be to have a part time job that I can receive an income so I can go to both part time work and volunteer work and school at the same time. My goal is to do everything possible within a month deadline. If I dont get a job or any opportunity before mid September , then I would seriously need to either go back to former employers or take the ASVAB and go in to join the navy. Joining one of the armed forces has been in my head for years and personally I wished I would have joined after high school. But right now at age 25 , I think I can join , but Im really not sure if this would be the answer to my career challenge. As of now , Im trying to save and spend all resources available to get back in track , my real goal now is to get into an career area that I can be successful despite my disability.

Banks seem to be a cutthroat work environment these days. Similar thing happened to my friend, he just let it go and now works as a bartender although that's not what he wanted. I don't think you would have a strong case with disclosing your disability, but you could argue whether they were right in their actual reasons, it would be good to get an opinion from a lawyer if its free.

I came here to ask if anyone has experience working in a bank. I had an interview with a bank and it seemed like it went okay. Sounds like a good company to work for.

But I'm not sure if I could handle the actual job tasks...it sounds like a lot of multi-tasking, remembering lots of information about different services, and of course being able to remember who all the customers are. I'm not good at recognizing who people are to begin with, much less being able to know them well enough to recommend some bank service to them.

Also I really doubt if I could stand being cooped up with the same people every day. They seemed nice and easygoing but...I have a feeling it just wouldn't work out.

Sorry that happened to you MasterJedi. It sounds like they put too much on you, too soon, when you didn't have enough training yet to handle it all.

I wonder if they decided you just didn't fit in, personality-wise? They were asking me a lot of questions about that at my interview...what my personality is like and how I am to work with...and telling me about themselves too. They said it was really important that everyone's personalities mesh together since you all work together so closely. But I think it's hard to know until you actually work with someone how it's going to go.

What killed that job was not doing well at customer service. Banks will work with you if it is just a speed issue, and maybe if you are a little over or under on your drawer. Not being that everything experience for the customer will get you kicked to the curb faster than anything else.

Did they say what was lacking in the customer service area?

If you have worked as a cashier, and were fairly decent at it, a bank teller job isn't that much of a switch. That is another reason why they were not willing to give you much more time to catch up.

I hope you land a much better fit job.

Good evening to all,

Sorry for replying this late , but I was out of town in the last few days. Vomeiche , I will see if I can get in contact with a laywer as soon as possible to see if there are any actions that can be done despite the state of Florida being a at will state and in conflict with the ADA. It sucks to what happened to your friend , but the only thing clear for us to deal with this in a day by day basis and overcome all obstacles to accomplish our goals.

Dianthus, the frustrated thing here is that they held meetings with me at least two weeks prior to the firing and they never mentioned that these were the 1st , 2nd or any type of warnings , which are given before being terminated.The basically wanted me to function as machine with no errors and basically not asking for help from anyone , even though there are times in which I went through situations in which I have never faced before and I needed help. The problem here is that they let me go just a week after giving out my medical diagnosis so they can be notified that I had these conditions and understand as to struggles in key areas of short term working memory , eye contact and fast paced multitasking.

Tawaki , what they said in terms of customer service , they said that I was not being efficient and being faster with the transactions , especially dealing with complex situations such as cashier checks and money orders from other credit unions (shared branch transactions) and because of dealing with situations where everybody coworkers and managers were unavailable for assistance . I was not able to efficiently handle the situations in which It was my responsibility to inform members and let them know when to contact back and fix the issue. However , in the last week before firing , I significantly improved in terms of handling multitask situations in which members called or came in having complex issues with their accounts and referring them correctly in the right way by either sending them to the correct department or letting them know in a service driven way that someone will be with them to help and go to lobby. In the member surveys , I got a high scores . with my first three surveys being perfect scores. I know that I made mistakes , but at the same time when you have branch that only has 6 people and two of them are leaving the branch , it is illogical to put all the pressure on a new hire just being there a few weeks and expect from him to be an expert and know everything about procedures , even with ones that I have not been dealt before. That was my frustation with the situation.

As of now , Im thinking about my first day of school tomorrow , but I have career counseling also , which I hope and pray that I can find a solution towards finding employment in an area that I can really contribute , especially with my disability.

Otherwise you could always try a job in a backoffice environment as a checker or so. It is pretty similar to a bank job, just without the customer service part. All you need to do is count and sort cash or if in an office backoffice just process paperwork.

I had a cash office job at a couple of stores and loved it. The only thing was they would rush me to finish counting down the money so I could come work out on the salesfloor afterward.

Maybe a bank is not the right environment for you. Taking the view of the bank for a moment, their customers don't want mistakes - I don't want mistakes when I am a bank customer.

It seems to me an Aspie, who has interpersonal deficits, should find a job with less direct contact with the public. I work in customer service, on phones and emails. In between contacts, I can do other things. If I need to delay a request for a few minutes while I get my head straight, I can. Would a job like this be for you?

BeaArthur,

That would be favorable environment to work on. When I applied for the bank job , I thought that because of my retail experience of working directly with the public and doing cash handling , that I would be able to overcome the challenge of working in a bank. Unfortunately , that didn't work out , but doesnt mean that Im a lazy worker.

Right now , I would like to work in a job that really matches my skills and that I can be the most effective , preferably a more behind the scenes position. I don't want to keep job hopping , which will damaged my resume. If a job similar to what you described in your job came around , that I would definitely look into it.