FROM REDDIT
I was fired by my employer today. They wouldn’t let me collect any personal belongings from my desk except my wallet, my keys and my own personal phone. Can they do this and if so how long are they allowed to keep my things?
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MY CONTRIBUTION
On Wall Street, it was “common practice” for brokers (aka “financial consultants”, :”wealth managers”, etc. etc.) to keep a duplicate “shadow book” at home. This would be all their contacts and their information as well as portfolio holdings record. When they were “walked out”, their ”significant others”, who were not covered my NDAs or non-competes, would be on the phone letting “their Customers” know the news. Usually in a day or two, they were hired by a competitor and “their Customers” would be transferring their account to the new firm. Often, before a replacement was found for the departed, the Customer were already gone. That’s called “job security”. Brokerage house were always trying to discourage that “personal relationship” by inserting “assistants” into the process and relationships. But “high net worth” individuals want that “personal high maintenance touch”.
The lesson I learned was to keep duplicate files offsite and always remember that my “job” was to always be looking for my “next job”. Once, I had an offer in hand and resignation letter written, when I was fired as “surplus” about 2PM on a Friday afternoon. I was prepared to hand it in at 4PM and be “walked out”. Thanks to the timing, I was walked out with a very nice severance check which I wouldn’t have gotten if I’d quit. Started my new job on Monday with a renewed outlook to find my next job.
TL:DR Always be looking for your next job and plan / act accordingly!
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Reinke Faces Life 