Manager asks employee over text message to join meetings and assist with "knowledge transfer" after firing them: 'Are you available to jump on a call?'

A remote employee is abruptly fired without warning, but their company still expects them to assist and engage with business interests.

Being fired has a certain finality to it. For better or for worse, it's the end of an era in your life. It's a hard reset. It's falling out over the edge of known existence and into the unknown. While it might lead to a lot of uncertainty, this push might actually push you to take a look at your career and better your situation in the long run. While it all might feel bad in the moment, at least you won't ever have to hear from your boss again.

Well, most of the time.

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Author image for Brad Dickson Brad Dickson
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  • An employee defiantly carries their belongings out in a box after being fired
    via Vitaly Gariev

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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  • Not so for this worker, as being told "you're fired" inexplicably didn't mean "We're through." In exchange for two paltry weeks of their leave being paid out, which wasn't even the entirety of their accrued leave balance, their boss still expected them to assist with "knowledge transfer" and to essentially be on call to answer any questions they might have about their processes. It's almost like they were being paid for their knowledge and process in the first place, and if their employer can't figure it out on their own, then it makes you wonder why the decision was even made to fire them in the first place. 

    Their boss even then tried to establish a quid pro quo that their cooperation in the matter would lead to glowing references for future employment prospects. The thing is, all being fair, it should be their good work and efforts during the course of the employment relationship that guarantee a good reference, and it should not be dependent on what basically amounts to a favor after their employment had ended.

    Frustrated, the worker shared the background details of their experience along with the text message exchange that occurred between themselves and their boss.

  • "Manager wants me to work after firing me.. is this legal?"

    Background: I was fired on Thursday from my company in California (remote worker in Texas), he let me go with no warnings, just sudden loss of all my access then he followed it with a phone call affirming this. I was supposed to train my colleague on Friday (the next day) on a process | have done for the entire time I've been with the company (2.4 years),
    via Express_Opening5490
  • manager let me know that that's canceled given I'm being fired. So I let him know I have security authentications I'm willing to hand over since those codes come to my personal cellphone (company is too cheap to get a work phone), and I also asked for my accrued vacation (my last vacation was in August of 2024)
    via Express_Opening5490
  • After firing me, he said he'll think about it and call me back. Then he called back saying he'll pay me only for two weeks vacation, and I should consider myself on vacation now because he's paying me AFTER two weeks on the next pay cycle (for my vacation) and will give me a glowing reference for my next employer in exchange of me handing over the remaining accesses and answering the most basic questions about my role to my college.
    via Express_Opening5490
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  • Now he's changing the story, saying I owe them knowledge transfer/training during that period, even though I was already terminated. I haven't been paid for my accrued PTO yet, and it's been several days since my termination. I'm wondering if I have legal grounds to file a complaint with the California Labor Board for unpaid PTO and possibly for the way they're handling my "final pay" and post-termination demands.
    via Express_Opening5490
  • Thursday 6:10 PM ? I'm not able to access my email Yesterday 4:44 PM Are you available to jump on a call with and I? HO can you please tell me the purpose of the call? Nothing more than what we agreed to last week. We have several question as to how a few things in different areas have been done. Edited
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  • As per your direction and agreement in our last call, there will not be any knowledge transfer meetings or trainings. It was supposed to be for baseline questions and code/access transfers only. And I have been answering Ryan as much as possible. Questions that require detailed steps fall into knowledge transfer and training which we agreed these 2 weeks are my PTO. I'm still here to answer any base line questions.
    via Express_Opening5490
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  • that isn't what we discussed. I said we wouldn't ask you to do any further work but if we had questions we would ask them and you agreed to answer them. Knowledge transfer was never discussed or omitted. Will you consider your stance and provide us the answers to our question and honor what we discussed and we'll do the same?
    via Express_Opening5490
  • Knowledge transfer was discussed, I specifically asked you "Does that mean that I'm not gonna have knowledge transfer/training with -- and you specifically said: "No, we've got that covered" And that's the reason I was supposed to have a meeting with him the next day, which was Friday, but you canceled it. So im 100% honoring what was discussed. And you also promised me before ending the call that you will message in a group chat recapping the convo, but I never received that text.
    via Express_Opening5490
  • There is some confusion nere. YesT canceled the Friday meeting but that was only specific to that meeting. We absolutely have a few questions which I think you can help us to better understand how and why you managed a few processes the way you did and the 2 week separation agreement that you suggested and agreed to was to address these types of questions as well as a few of the potential security type questions. Are you no longer willing to do this?
    via Express_Opening5490
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  • This isn't what I agreed to. I have only agreed to baseline questions and security transfers, not trainings of processes. I'm not going to be spoon I'm willing to answer feeding basic questions. I hope this clarifies the confusion. Today 3:38 AM me, I am not asking you to train anybody. I'm ask you to answer questions. The deal goes both ways. We agreed to pay you and provide positive feedback as a reference in Delivered
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  • Today 3:38 AM ✓ I am not asking you to train anybody. I'm ask you to answer questions. The deal goes both ways. We agreed to pay you and provide positive feedback as a reference in exchange for this. If you wont answer questions we don't have an agreement. It was you that suggested the “soft landing", not me. Please reconsider your position and let me know. + iMessage
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  • grjacpulas Stop writing back. Move on with your life.
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  • Awkwardpanda75 They fired you; they should have thought about knowledge transfer prior to that. Tell them to get f'd.
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  • krumbs2020 Walk away. You were fired. You weren't laid off gently- you were fired... and now they need. something from you and the story keeps changing. You had an agreement and your old boss is not honoring it. He said he would recap the discussion in writing- didn't do it, and now you are stuck in a verbal he said/she said. Legality- find a lawyer.
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  • bingle-cowabungle Stop communicating with this person other than to demand the accrued time off you're owed. If he or the company refuses, get in touch with an employment lawyer.
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  • Bostonphoenix I believe your accrued vacation is owed to you regardless of any of this other stuff. There is usually some writing about having to be paid fully within a 24-48 hour period of time. You should offer to go back on a consulting fee that you determine and should be higher than your hourly rate beforehand.
    via Express_Opening5490
  • QuesoHusker None of this matters. If you are on the payroll you go to the meeting. If you're not, you don't. Full stop. Tell this guy to go fuck himself.
    via Express_Opening5490
  • teidnb My dude, you were FIRED. You don't owe them ANYTHING. Fired for no reason by the looks of things. Don't even entertain this fool go get your money somewhere else.
    via Express_Opening5490
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workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employee employment-discussion job work i quit quit employees overworked-employees workplace Horrible Bosses quitting employment in the workplace
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