The Reality of "I Might Get Fired"

## The moment the thought "I might get fired for this" crosses your mind

One day, my child got a fever and I was called by the nursery school.

I had to cancel an afternoon meeting and contact my boss while apologizing.

The next day, a mistake was discovered in a project I was in charge of.
I couldn't stop the cold sweat.

"Maybe I couldn't focus because of my child."

"Maybe I've already lost their trust because I couldn't attend that meeting."

—— "Could I get fired for this?"

Such anxiety crosses my mind.
As someone supporting a family,
I blame myself more than necessary, fearing that a single lapse in judgment or delay in action will affect my performance review.

If you are a father who feels a strong sense of responsibility and is also raising children,
haven't you felt this kind of "fear" at least once?

## In Japan, "getting fired immediately" is almost non-existent

In fact, in the Japanese work environment,
cases where "a mistake equals immediate dismissal" are extremely rare.

Under the Labor Contract Act, for a company to dismiss a full-time employee, it requires
"reasonable grounds"and"social appropriateness"are required.

For example, according to data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2022 Survey on Employment Trends),
companies that responded that "there were people in the company who were dismissed or encouraged to resign" accounted for
8.8% of the total.

Among them, the percentage of people who were personally targeted is even smaller.

Even if a mistake, error in judgment, or trouble occurs,
it is common for companies to prioritize "identifying the cause," "preventing recurrence," and "providing guidance for improvement."

Getting fired immediately for a single failure is almost impossible unless it involves a serious breach of trust or a major accident.

## What is scarier than being fired is "becoming unable to act"

Nevertheless,
why do we think, "I might get fired"?

It is because the more responsible a person is,
the more they tend to overestimate the risks themselves accordingly.

"If I keep making mistakes, I will be a burden to those around me."

"Maybe I am being 'soft' for trying to balance work and family life."

When you start doubting your very existence like that,
you become afraid to propose anything, to take action, or to speak up.

As a result, you stop making decisions or taking action
—this is the true risk to your trust and reputation.

## 3 Tips for "Acting Without Being Too Afraid"

So, how can we avoid being too afraid and
make decisions and take action in a positive way?

As a father raising children,
I would like to introduce 3 tips to keep in mind to protect both work and family.

▪ Trust your intuition and act with supporting evidence

"I feel like this is a bit off."
"This might be dangerous as it is now."
When you feel that way, do not disregard that "intuition."
You are the one who knows the situation on the ground best.

Instead of acting on feeling alone, articulating the reasons and background for why you thought that way will lead to evidence-based proposals and reports.

▪ The value of overcoming the "difficulty of speaking up"

"Is it okay to say this?"
"Maybe it will look like I'm arguing with my boss."
Everyone faces that wall of "difficulty in speaking up."

However, what is truly needed in today's workplace is
not a perfect person who never makes mistakes, but "a person who can improve while sharing information".

Being able to speak up and ask for help—
that in itself leads to trust.

▪ Be conscious of the balance between speed and sincerity

Being unable to act until everything is perfectly prepared—that is also a reflection of your sincerity.
However, what is needed on the front lines is to act first.
Even if it is somewhat incomplete, the person who can communicate, correct, and apologize quickly is the one who will ultimately be relied upon by those around them.

## The judgment to protect both family and work comes from daily actions

You want to cherish time with your children.
But you also want to meet expectations at work.
Balancing both is by no means an easy task.

However, I want you to occasionally remember the fact that we are not in an environment where you get fired immediately,
but rather in an environment where you can grow while being supported.

That is precisely why it is important to
accumulate 'decisions to take a step forward' instead of stopping out of fear of failure
.That, in turn, leads to peace of mind for your family.

## First, start with a small step

'Should I say this?'
'I might have caused trouble. But is there still time?'

Moments of hesitation like that visit us almost every day.

Especially for dads raising children, there are many days when you lack time and mental space,

and you tend to hold yourself back, thinking,
'If I speak up now, I might interrupt them,'

'What if I say this and my evaluation drops?'

But try to remember.
When you were helped by someone on your team, was it with 'perfect timing' or 'perfect words'?
In most cases, wasn't the act of them 'mustering a little courage to speak up' what you were most grateful for and what stayed in your heart?

More important than 'not failing' is the memory of
'how you acted when you were hesitant'.

And that memory becomes a major ingredient in cultivating your own 'judgment'.
'It went well when I did this before.'

'They helped me just by me saying one word.'
Such

'accumulation of experience' makes your next step easier.

If you have a moment of hesitation today, it doesn't have to be perfect, so please choose to 'step forward just a little bit'.

Someone at work might be watching you take that step.
And above all, your children are surely sensing that presence, whether they realize it or not.

Your step brings a positive breeze to both your home and your workplace.
Don't be too afraid; let's believe in ourselves and take the step we can take today.

## In closing

Working while raising children
uses more of your heart and mind than you can imagine.

"I want to cherish my family, but I also have heavy responsibilities at work."
—Dads in that situation often find themselves constantly caught in the middle.

But precisely because of that,the power to act without being overly afraidis the key to protecting yourself, protecting time with your family, and maintaining trust in the workplace.

One step at a time is fine.
You don't have to be perfect.

Today's choices—like "I was hesitant, but I spoke up" or "I reported it a little earlier"—
—those kinds of choices will surely change the way you work.

Thank you for reading until the end once again.

I will continue to strive to create articles that are helpful to all my readers, so your feedback would be a great encouragement!☆

"I want to make the future for children brighter."That is why I take action.

Well then, have a great day out there! (｀･ω･´)ゞ
Or, good night. (。-ω-)zzz. . .