Bet this is not noticed or upvoted or however it works here, but I will post anyways. I mainly read the articles and many of the comments and appreciate this site. I rarely comment on items, as others have already said it better than I. It is the 2nd site I go to everyday.
But maybe this may be interesting:
Before I was in Tech. I worked in Insurance as a Field Adjuster working on Commercial Claims, Public Body Claims and just about anything that could create a Claim. I worked for the 2nd largest Company in the World at the time. They went through a major merger in the early 80's. They brought in an outside Claims Manager for our 150 - 200 person Office. Said Office handled Underwriting, Loss Control, Claims and support services.
The Manager took it upon himself to harass those in the Claims Department as a soon as he arrived. I had already had been in the business for 7 years and knew what I was doing. He started with the Adjusters first of which I was one of 12. He made life hell for 6 of us and then came to me.
I did not take any of his shit. And dished it back and then some. We had some heated one way discussions, where I took the lead pointing out where he was a prick and wrong. My language was that of a raging sailor and I was not shy as to whether others heard me. When he took me on, I had already started to network and was actively looking for a job. To give myself time, I filed a Stress Claim with the backing of my Doctor and took 2 weeks of paid time off. Claim was accepted by Workman's Comp. Very soon I secured a job at a different company with no difficulty that gave me more benefits and a 15% increase in wages. My responsibilities actually were decreased in the new position.
I got the new job on a Tuesday evening. On Wednesday morning, I gave notice that I was taking my 2 weeks vacation, starting on Friday, that I had a new job and my last day there was Friday of that week. Wednesday morning I ceased answering my phone [had a very good relationship with the main receptionist and she supported me and routed "all" my calls to the Manager and I received many calls in a day]. I sat at my desk Wednesday, Thursday and Friday doing nothing. I read the paper. Called friends. Read books. Took long lunches. And just behaved myself in my cubicle. I did this until Friday at 4:00pm, the time for the Exit Interview. Being a Field Adjuster I had an assigned Company Car which I continued to drive.
On Friday I had my "exit" Interview. I left nothing out. Every gory detail was given. I had kept notes. Although it was not my purpose, I had the H.R. person in tears. I apologized to her profusely, said it was not her fault. She was in tears because she knew this guy had destroyed a department and affected others in other departments.
I finished up at about 5:45pm. The Manager approached me, I told him to fuck off and have a good life. No one had made arrangements about the Company Car, so I had driven my wife's new Nissan 300xz that day and left the Company Car at home. I gave him the keys and had him sign a document I had prepared, absolving me of any responsibility as to the Company Car parked in front of my house.
Did I burn my Bridges? No. The Claims Community in my major PNW metro area was close knit. The message had gotten out.
The Manager was fired 6 weeks later. I also learned that he stopped his harassment immediately. The other 5 Adjusters in line later thanked me.
To the best of my knowledge he never worked in the Insurance Field again.
9 months later, I received a call from Bill H., an Owner of an Elite and well respected, Independent Adjusting Company. I was happy where I was at with my new Company, but he persuaded me to come and talk to him anyway. I ended up taking that job and a very substantial increase in Salary and Bonuses. Independents work on the Billable hour, so in less than a year I had doubled my Income, not including more benefits and a better Company Car. And as an Independent, I was as close as being self employed in that Industry as one could be. If I wanted to come in at noon, no problem. If I wanted to work until 10:00pm, no problem. If I wanted to leave at 2:00pm on a Friday, no problem. Earning capability and Expense Account was through the roof.
Here is the interesting part, I was recruited for this job because of how I handled myself at the job where I trashed the Manager at the old job mentioned earlier. I had received glowing recommendations from two of my Intermediate Supervisors, when Bill H. had contacted them for a Candidate for his Independent Firm.
So did I accomplish anything? Yes. I ended up with a better job and saved a lot of my co-workers grief.
Did I have Tricks up my sleeve? Yes. I was a Professionally Trained Negotiator and the Company in question had paid for that training. And I had used that training day in and day out for 5 years on some pretty complex claims.
Getting bored with claim work, later I moved into the Tech Field.
In other exit interviews, I have just done the old yes and no, song and dance and have moved on. Though one time, I did give HR a lot of grief at a pretty sizable inept Tech company when we parted ways. They wanted signatures on some legal documents and I would not comply.
But then I have taken on injustice and fighting for myself and others since I was 19. I am now 60. Have not lost yet, as I choose my battles wisely.
