Do not worry , some European companies do this via backstabbing and hiding behind "procedures" and hr behaves like a banana republic court, or wannabe junta.
They try to make sure as little as possible is spilled to the public.
If they do and if you can, have them fire you and then send the corresponding tribunal after them.
Also make sure to post a candid review on glassdoor. Perhaps google and LinkedIn.
Do not forget to hit back, do not be their punching bag. You will find out that bullies crumble very fast when facing resistance.
This is one of the reasons why I will always support unions, as long the employers and managements cannot get their egos in order.
I faced this as a foreigner working as a post-doc at a French company where it turns out French labor laws are a double-edged sword. I was offered a much better job towards the end of my contract and therefore handed my resignation in. I was then summoned to a meeting by HR and told if I wanted to leave before the end of my set-term contract (CDD) I was required to pay a considerable amount of money.
Thankfully my own manager (whom I was leaving) had my back and pointed out that since I was leaving for a permanent role (CDI) which my current employer had not yet offered to me in writing (though informally expected me to carry on), I could get around this.
I honestly don't know what they were expecting. How can you carry on working for a company against your will with the threat of being sued if you tried to leave, what sort of a working environment is that?
Sorry to hear about that.
It is very important imo to always remember that it is just a job. Even if you are career driven, self starter, workaholic, try to soak up as much knowledge and do not do crazy overtime except maybe a bit in a startup if you are one of the first 10 employees and believe in the product.
No company will say thanks for wrecking your personal life and ending up burned out.
It is still perfectly possible to climb the career ladder without overtime and doing extra tasks for no extra pay etc.
Time is a persons most valuable asset and the companies know that. Do not waste it on repetitive monkey tasks which are the result of multiple product development failures covered up by incompetent managers. There is not much to learn in these places. These are for people with sub average ambitions, fair enough.
Your point with the hr would be funny if it weren't so sad and real. Anyone who was ever subject to such will immediately understand why concentration camps have happened.
Never trust HR beyond rota planning and perhaps payroll.
They are the ones posting these ridiculous developer job adverts, we have all seen them.
In the sporting world, the disgruntled employee just implies that they aren't or won't play to their ability, and the team quickly looks to move them on. Of course, the club is generally getting something back in the form of a trade however.
Well, if you sign a fixed CDD contract, then you are also expected to stay till the end. By law, both sides cant cancel it, except with common agreement.
If you dont expect to stay till the end, then dont sign, or ask for a shorter cdd which can also be renewed at most one more time depening on the company, or concerted into a cdi
It's this kind of rigid adherence to bureaucracy which has no bearing on reality that drove me mad. They have absolutely zero leverage here and it's in everybody's interest to let an employee leave at that point.
Ok so I don't officially leave, but I just stop turning up for work. What are they going to do, fire me? Ça marche, adieu...
In the worst case, you would risk getting a "faute grave" added into your police register ("casier judiciaire"). Your employer could also sue you for damages.
Best is always to find an agreement with your employer.
They try to make sure as little as possible is spilled to the public.
If they do and if you can, have them fire you and then send the corresponding tribunal after them.
Also make sure to post a candid review on glassdoor. Perhaps google and LinkedIn.
Do not forget to hit back, do not be their punching bag. You will find out that bullies crumble very fast when facing resistance.
This is one of the reasons why I will always support unions, as long the employers and managements cannot get their egos in order.