Being let go from a job is rarely a joyous happening; but it can have a silver lining. For this redditor, the silver lining became bigger than expected thanks to their boss and malicious compliance.
After being terminated, the OP asked their boss about a certain detail regarding commission, and he told them to contact his lawyers. Little did he know that that would end up benefiting the former employee.
It’s important to pay attention to every detail on the employment contract
Image credits: August de Richelieu / pexels (not the actual photo)
This redditor nearly missed out on thousands of euros, which they eventually got from their former employer
Image credits: Michael Burrows / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Anna Nekrashevich / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: ExoticEquipments
It’s crucial to pay careful attention to everything that’s stated in the employment agreement
Needless to say, reading through your employment contract carefully is crucial; and stories like the OP’s surely prove it. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all of them have something that would eventually result in thousands of euros in your pocket, but it might help you avoid situations that are far less favorsome and ensure that all of the involved are aware of their roles and responsibilities.
Surveys suggest that less than one-in-five people read their employment contracts thoroughly before they sign them. Sometimes that leads to an unintentional breach of contract, which might get the employee in trouble, but it can also result in situations similar to the redditor’s who nearly missed out on thousands of euros for not reading their contract carefully enough.
According to employment lawyer Philip Landau, salary, benefits and bonuses—which in the contract should reflect what was suggested in the offer letter—are some of the main things that require thorough understanding. “You need to check [if] there is provision for payment of other benefits that have been agreed, such as an enhanced pension, car, private health cover, equity or share options, bonuses and commission payments,” he suggested in a piece for The Guardian.
Society for Human Resource Management found that roughly a decade ago, compensation and benefits were the second most important drivers of job satisfaction, preceded only by respectful treatment of employees at all levels. More recent surveys carried out by the Aviva insurance company show that nowadays, workplace benefits are second to salary and flexible working options, as people tend to focus more on prioritizing a healthy work-life balance.
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The contract typically covers all the information relevant to the soon-to-be-employed
Although undeniably important, salary and benefits are not the only things that should be meticulously analyzed when reading the employment contract. According to Landau, other segments to pay special attention to relate to the job title and the responsibilities it entails, the place and hours of work, restrictive covenants, as well as holiday and notice-related conditions.
These points seem to be not only important for legal reasons but also relevant to employees because of their personal needs and preferences. Aviva’s survey revealed that both location and working hours are among the main reasons people choose to work where they do, even though their relevance seems to differ between employed women and their male counterparts: 36% of females prioritize the location versus 22% of males, and 45% of the former do flexible working hours vs. 27% of the latter.
Whether it’s the hours, the location, the benefits, or the commissions it relates to, the information provided on the employment conditions is there for a reason. Luckily for the OP, the union knew exactly what to focus on; moreover, the boss’s disposition also ended up benefiting the redditor, significantly affecting the silver lining of being let go.
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The OP provided more details in the comments
Fellow netizens shared their opinions and applauded the redditor’s malicious compliance
