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I had been working at a store for 2 months. All of a sudden the manager informed me I was not being hired beyond my probationary period and that I wasn't working there anymore. There was never any previous discussion of issues. There was someone from the operations department there too, but he didn't say anything.

I had thought I would be provided with something in writing but the manager said no. Is this an issue? If you're terminated should you get something in writing?

I asked the manager if I could use him as a reference and to my surprise he said yes, absolutely. Should I be skeptical of this since he did just terminate me?

Technically speaking was I fired? If not what would the term be.

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    What country are you in mate? Also were you fired or your employment simply not extended past probation period? – Tymoteusz Paul Oct 1 '20 at 21:20
  • @TymoteuszPaul well he never used the words fired or terminated, but he also said I can go home even though my shift wasn't up and it was clear I wasn't coming back to the work place though I had more scheduled shifts. – oneonetwothree Oct 1 '20 at 21:23
  • And the country you are in? What type of contract will be needed too I guess. – Tymoteusz Paul Oct 1 '20 at 21:24
  • @TymoteuszPaul Canada. There was no mention of a probation period in the contract. – oneonetwothree Oct 1 '20 at 21:24
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    @TymoteuszPaul no, indefinite. – oneonetwothree Oct 1 '20 at 21:32
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Based on your description, you have not been terminated. Basically, they have decided not to renew you after the probationary period. However, it will depend on what is said on the initial documents you received when you joined. Although this doesn't make an apparent difference to you in terms of your current employment status, what is important to note is that they have simply decided not to keep you but not 'fired' you. It could be due to various reasons, which may or may not be because of your performance.

I would suggest that you have a conversation with your (ex) manager and try and get more information. If he gives you a good reason for not renewing your contract (something that is not related to you - for example downsizing) and is happy about your performance, it won't hurt to use him as a referee for a new job. Many potential employers are keener to know about your more recent work experience.

And with regard to receiving something in writing, it will depend on what the original contract says. If the contract says it ends by a particular date, then to me it sounds like they are not required to provide you with a letter of termination, because as I said before, technically it does not sound to me like a termination. Also, have a look at the relevant laws applicable to your jurisdiction if there's any ambiguity.

On a personal note, try and stay positive, get constructive feedback from your manager and good luck on your new journey!

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You were "terminated without cause" (one can assume, since they did not provide a cause). There may be notice and severance you would be due, depending on what province you are in, but with only two months in it's unlikely - see this chart for the requirements per province. Evaluate if you were due notice or severance you didn't get, if so you should be able to request it (if the store is part of a chain, contact the actual HR or whatnot about that).

They don't need to provide you with anything written on termination because your employment contract should have relevant information in it already. Not everything has to be in writing, it just makes things more provable when they are.

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  • Unless they were working in Manitoba or Newfoundland, they didn't work long enough to qualify for any severance. (per your link). – Resigned Oct 2 '20 at 17:14
  • Apparently he's in BC per that 10k link above in the comments. – mxyzplk Oct 3 '20 at 2:26
  • If it's just left up to a verbal discussion doesn't that mean anyone could claim they were laid off, even though that's not really the case. Because saying you were laid off usually sounds better than terminated. – oneonetwothree Dec 9 '20 at 12:33

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