Explosive Departure
Explosive Departure
(OP)
Not sure this is exactly the right forum but:
Recently had a fairly senior apps guy leave the firm, basically he was disgruntled with his lot and the management.
Having been escorted off the premises later that day he sent an email to about half the site, in which he blasted management, big time.
Whilst arguably (or not so arguably) unprofessional and certainly burning bridges I couldn’t help but find it slightly amusing.
Anyone have any similar stories worth sharing.
Ken
Recently had a fairly senior apps guy leave the firm, basically he was disgruntled with his lot and the management.
Having been escorted off the premises later that day he sent an email to about half the site, in which he blasted management, big time.
Whilst arguably (or not so arguably) unprofessional and certainly burning bridges I couldn’t help but find it slightly amusing.
Anyone have any similar stories worth sharing.
Ken





RE: Explosive Departure
After what seemed like a lifetime of deafening silence, my colleague erupted, he called the boss every name under the sun, stormed out of the building and tried to slam the door. Unfortunately the door had a closer on it which made it somewhat difficult to slam. So he figured his foot would help. Well, glass door vs closer vs size 11 boot ... you figure it out. He never came back.
RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
He also included an eight page diatribe that had me shaking my head regarding his possible sanity. Although, when you got through the hyperbole, he actually raised some good points.
While not an explosive departure (he still works here), it definitely raised more than a few eyebrows. So it sort of fits the loose category of "amusing but bridge burning stories."
Patricia Lougheed
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RE: Explosive Departure
Most of the recommendations were later adopted ... and the boss claimed ownership of the ideas.
RE: Explosive Departure
I have always tried to leave a job on the best possible terms. I work in a fairly specialised field so you keep coming across the same people, I see no point in trying to upset anyone as it can always harm you in the future.
At the very best he is likely to get unfavourable an unfavourable reference and possibly harm his future some where down the line. By sending something in “writing” that the company can intercept depending on how he badmouthed the company and or management he could be landing himself in trouble legally.
All in all it seems pretty stupid to me.
RE: Explosive Departure
Hg
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RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376
RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
Being goody goody, is I feel hypocrisy and will not serve any purpose.
RE: Explosive Departure
At least one other fairly senior person here has decided he's a hero!
So I suspect what he got out of it was an immense sense of satisfaction.
Surely everyone here has dreamt of telling the management off as some point in their career; though I guess most of us consider it wise not to pursue this option, at least not as far as this guy, for the sake of our career.
RE: Explosive Departure
But looking at the discussion of bad referrals, etc., if someone is leaving because of problems with management, is there any way at all to let management know that there was that kind of a problem, without burning the kind of bridges referred to here?
How necessary is a referral from a former boss?
Hg
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RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
As he was trying to leave, the elevator was not working, and there was no one around to help him. He saw the CEO in the lobby talking with clients, and at first asked nicely to get help for him. The CEO blew him off, gesturing towards the client. The guy in the chair exploded, screaming at the top of his lungs, issuing every conceivable swear, curse and foul word in his extensive vocabulary. It didn’t take long for the CEO to find several people to not only help him down the stairs, but also to his car and to the street.
The second situation wasn’t explosive, just plain scary. At another company an employee was terminated, and it was generally known that he was a survivalist, conspiracy theorists, and was very anti-government. When they escorted him off the property, he had made a few unsavory comments about the company president and his inability to keep himself safe. Within the hour we had 4 armed security guards on the property, 2 plain-clothed, 2 in uniform. They stayed for 60 days until the president no longer felt threatened. The funny thing was, several weeks after this person was fired, our main power transformer shorted. Since the weather could not be blamed, everyone suspected the former employee.
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
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RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
I had recieved three consecutive bounced paycheqes, and every time my boss found someone to blame (our HR person, the bank, clients, etc). I usually had to wait an extra week for my pay, and I had to cash the cheque at our company's bank branch.
After rubber cheque number three, I was behind on my rent and my bank account was in overdraft. The last straw was when I found out that my boss had just bought a one year old Yamaha R1 with cash. It must have taken me 5 minutes to write my resignation, drop it on his desk, pack my stuff and get out of there. I haven't looked back since.
RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
Ed
www.engineerboards.com
RE: Explosive Departure
The reason is simple; Top Management must admit to making a mistake in hiring and/or keeping them before they can be discharged.
Since Top Management hardly ever makes mistakes, you can see that there is a strong disincentive toward characterizing said managers as crazy, stupid, etc.
There is no point in pointing out the obvious in an exit interview, for two reasons:
1. Everyone who should know, already knows.
2. HR will transcribe your exit interview, and use parts of it, taken out of context, to defame you, when prospective employers call for a referral.
2b. Giving HR _any_ material to work with, especially already transcribed, is just stupid.
;---
Getting a referral from a former boss is a waste of time; nobody believes anything that you supply.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
That is pretty much the case in the states, also. To avoid opening themselves to any liability, dates of employment and position worked are all that most previous employers will give, especially if their true opinion is negative.
RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
Right out of the Army (I was like 20 at the time), I worked at a reception hall. One Saturday, several hours before an even, the owner started b****ing about a fryer being broken. She aother lady and I were the only ones there. I had no idea how to fix it. The manager was not in and had never either assigned the task to me or even showed me how to work on it.
I explained to the owner that I would be glad to work on it, but had no idea how. She went off, started hollerig anf proclaime that she would call the manager. I couldn't take it. I went on to mention that now I could see why her kids were so spoiled- because they got it from her.
I jumped in my car, floored it through the parking lot, went a little too fast and didn't quite make it around one of her many gardens in the lot. No problem there, except it scared the h*** out of the gardner!
www.engineerboards.com
RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
http://www.i-resign.com/uk/letters/
The "funny" section starts half way down the page. Some real pearlers.
Happy POETS day (Pss off Early Tomorrows Saturday)
FOETS
"social drinker with a golfing problem"
RE: Explosive Departure
Not really sure what became of him or his company.
RE: Explosive Departure
RE: Explosive Departure
I found out later that all these characters were history in the company. Apparently, I was not the only one earmarked for separation. Their actions caused loss of a big contract with Ford. It revolved around a shady plastic gear supplier who was sourcing materials from China.
So much for the 10% per year price reduction.
RE: Explosive Departure
One comment was something along the lines of.
"We've nicknamed my department manager Napoleon. Not after the famed French Emperor but after the character in the movie, Napoleon Dynamite"
RE: Explosive Departure
In addition, why give good recommendations for "free" in an exit interview?
If you have good ideas that could help the company, why not try to sell them once you have left the company and can work as a consultant?
Kind regards,
Joseph
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