partner getting sack?

Question

hi my partner will probably get the sack today, he started a new job in august for a big store. hes been basically running the furniture department, the manager of dept walked out but she has 13 weeks to improve, but my partner was given just a week to 'turn the dept around' there isnt enough staff. he's running about doing everything they're really putting him under pressure. giving ridicuolous time constraints to get everything done before the weeks up.he has a meeting today where he thinks they will sack him

what should he do? must they then give a weeks notice? my partner does a gr8 job but he cant work miracles, he's being made a scapegoat. theyre keepin a sales guy who got the sack from last job cos he was caught stealin and he threatened a customer recently (the bosses thinks the sun shines out his ***)

he knows all this too, my partner thinks he'll be made supervisor (he's goin 2b out of job @xmas) :0(
what should he say 2 them 2day/do? his weeks up 2day plz/thanx?

Answer 1

You don't say what role your partner has, nor why he was taken on by this store. I can however say that retail industry politics is always a little bit strange, but I don't think your partner is going to be sacked. It would be totally unreasonable of any store or company to expect someone to step up to the plate and do a job that the previous manager (they assigned that responsibility to) baulked at!

The mention of 13 weeks sounds like the store was desperate for someone to turn the store round in a season - depending on the complexity of that job - only truly big money could get someone to do that (do they think your partner is Lee Iacocca or something?).

The thing to realise is that you and your partner know the difficult nature of this task, the store knows it and the store's competitors know it too. Who can honestly predict fashions within the furniture industry, where everyone has their own individual tastes?

The idea of giving someone who has recently started a week to make radical changes, sounds a little odd. I realise that modern-day company's expect their employees to hit the ground running - but be reasonable! Lee Iaccoca made some radical changes at Chrysler - but that had a fairly heavy cost and he wasn't the most popular person for doing it. Some still bless / curse his name.

Despite being with the company for such a short time, your partner would be expected to know about the industry he works in - from the perspective of his role. To secure a promotion, he should focus on presenting a case for either continuing with the previous manager's plan or ask for more time to be able to consider his own strategy. If the plan defined by the previous manager isn't working or needs more time to implement - provide feedback on that - he needs to show that he has been doing the job he was paid for and that he is ready and capable of handling the workload. :Long-term changes that will affect a department's viability are not easily made and won't be made within a week - or even thirteen.

Given the lack of security within this situation, your partner should be sending out his CV or résumé, possibly even in different areas of the retail market outlining his skills and knowledge and providing real-world applications of his transferable skills. In the meantime (assuming there is a meantime), if he can identify what made the previous dept manager walk (does he still talk to her? - Why did she see fit to go?) If he does this, he can try to get a fuller overview of the situation.

Sometimes the best management decision is to make your preparations and go.

Answer 2

If you are in the UK, the Citizen's Advice Bureau in your Town will give you all the information regarding his legal position.
If money is going to be tight and you have a mortgage, ask your lender if you can go onto an Interest Only scheme till he is back in work.

Answer 3

If he can't fix all the problems in the department, then he should tell his boss of his plans to fix them over the next month or so.
That will show his boss that he knows what are the issues are and with time will get them sorted out.