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That settles it, then. No reason for me to accept.
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Jan 3, 2018 16:55
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If you're ever fired you should never sign anything* and should say no more than "I understand and I will be seeking legal guidance" according to my family members who are business owners and deal with employee rights (and friends who work in labor law) all the time. Getting into a game of legal chicken where you're silent on your end is a good place to be in. *If I got offered like 4+ months severance I'd probably sign it to be honest, that's plenty of time to get a new job and progress while being paid for it.
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Jan 3, 2018 16:58
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Note, if you're young and relatively healthy, COBRA can often be a outrageously priced option for health insurance. Another possibility is getting a short-term plan through one of the many providers. I typically check ehealthinsurance.com to compare the options, but I am in no way affiliated. It's a bit of a gamble, because the S-T plans aren't typically as inclusive as the 'Cadillac' plan COBRA likely continues, but I found one that was $100/m vs. $450/m for the COBRA, for instance. Unfortunately, the repeal of the individual mandate part of the ACA doesn't take effect until next year, so you still have a time limit on S-T coverage: it can only cover you for <3 months to avoid penalty. For me, it was a no-brainer, but you may want to carefully consider your personal scenario and weigh how likely you think you are to find alternative coverage before the 3 month mark.
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Jan 3, 2018 17:15
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Seems like a good time to clarify the impression I had that COBRA is between you and the insurance company. You just* continue to make that payments on the existing insurance contract that existed between your former employer and the insurer, right? * to the tune of "holy poo poo, how much per month?!" IME but that's the price we pay for freedom I guess
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Jan 3, 2018 17:40
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Pollyanna posted:So given that the severance pay (one paycheck/two weeks pay) isn't compelling enough to consider signing non-disparagement and release of claims clauses for and that they're highly unlikely to accept modifications to the agreement (to the point where I'm not even going to bother), I'm just not going to sign the agreement. I reserve the right to notify others of my poor experience with and concerns about the company at large, and refuse to waive my rights under the Civil Rights Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.  Just sign it and take the money unless you're actually planning a lawsuit, which while light on details doesn't sound like you have any real recourse or reason or plan to do so. If you are going to sue them, of course, don't sign it.And notifying others of your poor experience isn't going to do anything good for you professionally. Like, what do you plan to say in an interview other than "it wasn't a good fit"?
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Jan 3, 2018 17:49
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Mao Zedong Thot posted:
It hinges on how enforceable the non-disparagement and release of claims clauses are. If they're toothless, I may as well take the money anyway while not worrying about getting sued for writing a negative Glassdoor review or something. If it's enforceable, I just won't sign it.  I'm not gonna gently caress with our piece of poo poo laws and justice system.And all I'm going to say is it wasn't a good fit. A bad culture fit, if they really want to know. Good Will Hrunting posted:If you're ever fired you should never sign anything* and should say no more than "I understand and I will be seeking legal guidance" according to my family members who are business owners and deal with employee rights (and friends who work in labor law) all the time. Getting into a game of legal chicken where you're silent on your end is a good place to be in. I am definitely getting a lawyer to at least look at the severance. Munkeymon posted:Seems like a good time to clarify the impression I had that COBRA is between you and the insurance company. You just* continue to make that payments on the existing insurance contract that existed between your former employer and the insurer, right? B-Nasty posted:Note, if you're young and relatively healthy, COBRA can often be a outrageously priced option for health insurance. Another possibility is getting a short-term plan through one of the many providers. I typically check ehealthinsurance.com to compare the options, but I am in no way affiliated. Don't worry comrades, the glorious socialist revolution will bring us universal healthcare and this will all be over soon. 
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Jan 3, 2018 17:58
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Munkeymon posted:Seems like a good time to clarify the impression I had that COBRA is between you and the insurance company. You just* continue to make that payments on the existing insurance contract that existed between your former employer and the insurer, right? Basically. It's effectively the same group/plan that you had while employed, except now you're paying the part you used to pay (if any) + the employers cost + an admin fee. As you mentioned, that typically is equal to a holy poo poo amount, that is probably more than what even an ACA compatible plan would cost you on the market. It's also usually limited to 18 months if it was offered as part of a termination (as is the case here.) I was just pointing out that there are potentially other options for those 'between jobs' that may be preferrable. In general, the cost to you would typically be (in order from least to most): short-term plan health plan purchased on market (ACA compatible) COBRA The benefits would also increase in that order, but the gamble that you're not going to need expensive surgery during your job hunt may be worth the potentially $XXXX dollars saved.
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Jan 3, 2018 18:01
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Seems like the senior on my team who I have been mentioning here and conferring with through this debacle is actually also transferring teams. Very likely, at least. The new team lead, while smart and a good worker, is totally a Boss Apologist when it comes down to it and tries to make excuses for everything. Shocking! I'm checked out entirely. I have no hope of change. The only reason I'm not immediately applying (atm merely just beginning my search) is because of the thicc bonus check coming through within the next few weeks and also the fact that some developers just want to watch the people they have a grudge against burn.
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Jan 3, 2018 18:04
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Good Will Hrunting posted:Seems like the senior on my team who I have been mentioning here and conferring with through this debacle is actually also transferring teams. Very likely, at least. The new team lead, while smart and a good worker, is totally a Boss Apologist when it comes down to it and tries to make excuses for everything. Shocking! I'm checked out entirely. I have no hope of change. The only reason I'm not immediately applying (atm merely just beginning my search) is because of the thicc bonus check coming through within the next few weeks and also the fact that some developers just want to watch the people they have a grudge against burn. Have fun! Definitely hold out for the bonus check, but keep yourself sane while doing so. Mental health is important.
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Jan 3, 2018 18:06
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Pollyanna posted:Have fun! Definitely hold out for the bonus check, but keep yourself sane while doing so. Mental health is important. I'm convinced that the only way to work full-time at a lovely job, conduct a full-on job search, and stay sane all at the same time, is to not do it. It's not so much the search that was "difficult" (I say this in terms of mental tax) as much as the whiteboarding prep, take home assignments, balancing phone screens, etc.
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Jan 3, 2018 19:08
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Pollyanna posted:I’m especially hosed off at the position this puts me in, since I left another job to pursue the opportunity and I’m already unceremoniously out on my rear end after a month in. Now I gotta deal with finding a new job, changing insurance again, etc...I get that it’s business, but I can’t help but feel offended and disrespected as an engineer and an employee. You would think a company would be more on the ball than this. Your exact story happened to me back in January 2017. My resume is long enough for me to land on my feet and I think my new job is better in most respects, but I'm still angry about it. My manager did at least provide me a nice letter of recommendation, so be sure to ask for one of those. Worst they can do is turn you down. Get used to working for total fuckups, though.
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Jan 3, 2018 19:25
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Most companies suck, don’t be so down on yourself. Start-ups vary tremendously in quality and unless you’re already in with the folks that have a track record of success you’re unlikely to get much of a payout. The primary value in a start-up as a non-early employee is to build up your resume super solid and less so to have less barriers for getting things done (money is oftentimes the barrier in a start-up, although many V.C. backed companies spend money super fast in order to bring stuff to market faster).
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Jan 4, 2018 16:17
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My last job (first real engineering job) was at a start-up. I was the 28th employee. The cool thing was that, even though he was a bit obnoxious at times, our CTO gave a huge poo poo about us devs and for the first two years would gladly put me on any project he could see me gravitating towards and wanting to help with. Looking back, things slowed to a crawl my last year there but the first two were a pretty awesome balance of having a hands-on mentor when I needed help (who gave me the wheel to build a gigantic API all on my own) and a CTO with power like that. I absolutely could not see this happening at my current company, also a start-up, even if I was the 2nd engineer or so. It's really just a gamble.
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Jan 4, 2018 16:23
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I just don't feel comfortable in a startup environment and haven't had a good experience with it. Unfortunately, it looks like most companies trying to hire these days are early stage startups so there's not much opportunity for a Type B in the tech industry  I am not a go-getter, and I benefit from structure and direction - it's just how I am. I feel like the industry doesn't accommodate me in that sense.
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Jan 4, 2018 17:28
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Pollyanna posted:I am not a go-getter, and I benefit from structure and direction Everyone benefits from structure and definition except the neckbeard rockstar 10x Javascript Shaman who would rather sit in a corner and code by themselves all day. Good news: they aren't very sustainable in team environments and people generally hate them. It's just a matter of finding the right culture fit, especially since you're at a junior level. For example, when my old CTO I mentioned above RT'd a tef Tweet about mentorship I felt more comfortable bringing things up to him.
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Jan 4, 2018 17:41
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Good Will Hrunting posted:Everyone benefits from structure and definition except the neckbeard rockstar 10x Javascript Shaman who would rather sit in a corner and code by themselves all day. Good news: they aren't very sustainable in team environments and people generally hate them. Thing is that I keep getting recommended mid-to-senior level positions by recruiters and people I've networked with, even three years in. I genuinely have no idea what I'm supposed to be  I'm going to be a piece of poo poo and say that I don't fit in well with a hustling, 16 hour work day startup-like culture. I like a 9-to-5, a work-life balance, and security in my role and value to my company such that I don't have to get a new job every other year. If that's what my experience in the industry is going to be like, I don't think it's for me. That said, there's definitely the right place out there for me...it's just that the startups get more attention and are more prevalent.
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Jan 4, 2018 17:50
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A 16-hour day (heck, over 8 hours) sounds like a really good way to make sure your startup fucks up a lot and sucks. 8 hours a day of coding is the very, very top of the ceiling I can handle. After that the diminishing returns are a complete waste. Any company that doesn't understand this isn't worth your time.
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Jan 4, 2018 17:51
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I'm going to have to ask basic loving questions like "what's your workday hours" and "do employees get lunch breaks", aren't I? 
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Jan 4, 2018 17:54
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Pollyanna posted:I'm going to have to ask basic loving questions like "what's your workday hours" and "do employees get lunch breaks", aren't I? Ugh yes that's like one of my first questions. I'm not about to work at some sweat shop.
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Jan 4, 2018 18:02
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Pollyanna posted:I like a 9-to-5, a work-life balance, and security in my role and value to my company such that I don't have to get a new job every other year. Are any universities or local governments hiring around you? The ones around me tend to list their jobs on their organization-specific Careers pages and didn't show up in the "main" job listings, when I was looking for work last year.
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Jan 4, 2018 18:25
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Pollyanna posted:Thing is that I keep getting recommended mid-to-senior level positions by recruiters and people I've networked with, even three years in. I genuinely have no idea what I'm supposed to be While you may have the technical skills for mid-to-senior positions, you seem to lack the soft skills and depth of experience that are also important for such roles. My suggestion would be to find a role that is not particularly technically challenging, so you can focus on developing soft-skills more. They are a huge part of being a successful developer and tend to get under-emphasized.
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Jan 4, 2018 18:27
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Pollyanna posted:I'm going to have to ask basic loving questions like "what's your workday hours" and "do employees get lunch breaks", aren't I? Isn’t that just, “Do you violate state and federal labor laws on a regular basis?” At least here there are mandated breaks for any employee working over a non-trivial time.
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Jan 4, 2018 18:28
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Hughlander posted:Isn’t that just, “Do you violate state and federal labor laws on a regular basis?” At least here there are mandated breaks for any employee working over a non-trivial time. Likewise, it's posted on a required board in our kitchen too.
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Jan 4, 2018 18:33
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They're not requiring their employees to work more than 8 hours a day and do a working lunch, they just reserve the right to let them go if they don't.
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Jan 4, 2018 19:01
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Pollyanna posted:They're not requiring their employees to work more than 8 hours a day and do a working lunch, they just reserve the right to let them go if they don't. It's generally more subtle than that (pressure to work long hours, remarks about your performance relative to the team if you don't, etc) but basically this.
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Jan 4, 2018 19:07
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Che Delilas posted:It's generally more subtle than that (pressure to work long hours, remarks about your performance relative to the team if you don't, etc) but basically this. That's why I'm really not broken up about getting let go, aside from being annoyed that I gotta go job hunting again. It's not the kind of culture I want to be associated with. The problem I see is that more and more workplaces are pulling this poo poo...I wish we had a union, and that the United States wasn't so loving terrible. I feel bad for the people who still work there. They are most definitely getting a raw deal of some sort.
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Jan 4, 2018 19:19
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Che Delilas posted:It's generally more subtle than that (pressure to work long hours, remarks about your performance relative to the team if you don't, etc) but basically this. Must I remind everyone... quote:I consider myself to be a fairly patient individual. However, one thing I don't tolerate well is lack of belief or dedication or plain ignorance.
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Jan 4, 2018 19:32
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Literally rushing due to bad management and not any real time lines, less than worthless. They could employ teams across the globe and have follow-the-sun development if they really wanted to push things.
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Jan 4, 2018 19:37
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Good Will Hrunting posted:Must I remind everyone... Where's this from?
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Jan 4, 2018 19:58
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rt4 posted:Where's this from? I posted it 8 months ago or so as the first piece of evidence that my boss was insane and toxic. Little did I know, that was just the start and rather tame. The email is like three times that length and says literally nothing but serves as a great example of a borderline threat that's mostly "the implication".
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Jan 4, 2018 20:06
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Oh, of course! Congrats on the 
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Jan 4, 2018 20:17
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rt4 posted:Oh, of course! Congrats on the I'm not there yet don't jinx me!  The prospect of joining a different team seems good at the moment it's just a timing matter that's being looked into.
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Jan 4, 2018 20:22
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While I agree with several posters' analysis of Polyanna's potential weaknesses regarding soft skills, this in particular:quote:When I asked for more details, he said (in his words) that it was "not a fit with the way they work, can't say much more" and that his response was "very vague" but that he unfortunately couldn't say more.
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Jan 4, 2018 21:18
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raminasi posted:While I agree with several posters' analysis of Polyanna's potential weaknesses regarding soft skills, this in particular: From what I know of the hiring and firing process, saying why you're letting someone go potentially opens you up to lawsuits in exchange for basically nothing. So, saying absolutely nothing at all is the best policy, because then they can't claim any discrimination or question the decision. With at-will employment, this is completely legal. Welcome to America. 
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Jan 5, 2018 00:06
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leper khan posted:People hate change. Don’t make people hate you by being an agent of change. Even if you are one. Although I know this is the oldie thread, feels weird to cross-quote this in the newbie thread so I'll just ask my question here. This point brought up something in me. I've been about 2-3 months into my new (and first ever!) developer job after doing a bootcamp over the summer. Our team mainly works on C# and some front end stuff with jQuery/vanilla JS/Backbone, etc. although there's a large company-wide push towards putting our JSON APIs in Node and doing client side rendering with Vue/React/Angular. I was presumably brought to the team to help with this transition, and I've helped by building a PoC in Node along with some other things, and one of our clients is now asking for a large new project which will be done in React, which is new to everybody save one person on the team. I get along with my team pretty well and my manager has had nothing but positive things to say and recently mentioned that he likes how I gel with the team, so things are gravy there so far. However, I'm wondering how to best manage these things in the long run. We have bimonthly team tech meetings where we help introduce each other to new technologies, explain some things others might not know, etc. and so I've been trying to share my knowledge by explaining some of the Node and React stuff in these meetings. I'm wondering if there are other ways to help this transition so that I'm not seen as "that new young guy coming in with all the hot shot fancy modern tech pushing us oldies aside". I remember a few people were a little anxious about the upcoming changes, but I haven't detected any resentment or negativity towards me, and I want to make sure that never indeed happens. Any tips on how to navigate this kind of thing?
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Jan 5, 2018 01:30
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The Dark Wind posted:Although I know this is the oldie thread, feels weird to cross-quote this in the newbie thread so I'll just ask my question here. I think it depends a lot on the culture of the company/team and also the nature of the changes. Nobody wants the new guy coming in and saying "Everything you guys have been doing is poo poo, here's how you SHOULD be doing it!" but gradually introducing new concepts as you grow in a team is probably ok as long as you are reading your audience. There is also a distinct difference between a company mandated change that you are helping with and a new person coming in and trying to make changes on their own. People probably recognize that you are just doing your job and are more likely to be accepting of what you're saying.
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Jan 5, 2018 01:40
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Just to be explicit, I most certainly didn't run in guns blazing screaming "everything you guys have been doing is poo poo, here's how you should be doing it". I can tell you that from now on I will be less opinionated about it.
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Jan 5, 2018 01:43
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Pollyanna posted:Just to be explicit, I most certainly didn't run in guns blazing screaming "everything you guys have been doing is poo poo, here's how you should be doing it". I can tell you that from now on I will be less opinionated about it. I was referring to an abstract person, not you specifically. That kind of person really exists, but I have no clue if you're that kind of person. Don't be that person in any case.
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Jan 5, 2018 01:57
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Software Project Survival Guide is a good book that helped me get a grip on actually running projects instead of just writing code.
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Jan 5, 2018 02:31
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Pollyanna posted:I'm going to have to ask basic loving questions like "what's your workday hours" and "do employees get lunch breaks", aren't I? Things I definitely ask during interviews: - How are the hours? - How often do you find yourself in crunch time? - How much PTO are you offered, and do you use all of it?
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Jan 5, 2018 06:06
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