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A job is not forever. Whether due to changing career goals, personal mistakes, or lousy management, virtually everyone experiences what it's like to say goodbye to their employer sooner or later. So when Reddit user Sometimes_Cleaver posted the question "Why did you get fired?" on the platform, they received a range of funny and infuriating stories that illustrate the chaotic reality of the modern workforce. One thing's clear, though: don't underestimate how quickly bosses can turn "I'm just trying to be honest" into "please pack your things."
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#1
The new shop manager was openly racist and the HR manager fired me because she was tired of being informed every time I got called cracker or honkey.
The opening arguments for my suit will be laid out in August- wish me luck.
RELATED:
#2
I was tasked with washing something that would have 100% electrocuted me. I refused. They fired me. Then asked another employee to do it. They were electrocuted. Sued into oblivion and the place is gone now. Missed my chance for a big payout but eh... didnt nearly die.
According to Heather O'Neill, a career expert from Resume Now—an online platform that provides useful tools and resources to job seekers—if you find yourself facing the challenge of being fired, remember that it’s an opportunity to regroup and move forward stronger than before.
"Start by reflecting on what happened and why," O'Neill told Bored Panda. "Understanding the situation clearly will help you identify areas for growth and create a plan to avoid similar issues in the future. This self-awareness is the foundation for rebuilding your career."
Next, she said, you need to refresh your resume to highlight your most recent role and, more importantly, your accomplishments. "Employers are looking for more than just a list of job responsibilities—they want to see measurable achievements," O'Neill added.
"Use bullet points to showcase the impact of your work, such as the number of clients you served, projects you completed, or goals you exceeded. Include any professional successes that demonstrate your value and set you apart."
#3
I got fired because I got cancer, and after the chemo I wasn't as sharp.
America, the land of the free, baby.
#4
Came in to do some mechanic work on my day off. I fixed small engines on go karts, taught by my friends dad. My main job was running the go karts but on my off days I’d come in for OT and to keep up on the maintenance of the cars.
The manager that day saw me working on go carts and told me to take over for whomever was running the carts that day. I told her I was there to fix some karts and do some regular maintenance as it was my off day. She told me she didn’t have the people to watch karts today and she needed me to do it. I had to explain that wasn’t my problem as I was there on my off day. She escalated and told me to go run the karts or I could leave and not come back. I finished the kart I was working on and left.
The general manager called me the next day and invited me in for a meeting where I got my job back, got an apology from the manager who fired me, and I got to watch the manager who fired me get fired after apologizing to me. It was wonderful.
I worked there 2 more years in the highlight of my teen years.
Penguin Panda Pop 11 months ago
This story confused me. Was the OP on paid overtime or not? If you're getting paid, then you should probably do whatever is a reasonable requirement during the normal hours. If you're not getting paid then, don't do that. Never do that. Never work for a company for free.
#5
Wouldn't sleep with 2 of the 3 managers. I was 16. They were grown men.
O'Neill believes it's also a good idea to ping your professional contacts.
"Now’s also the time to lean into your professional network. Reach out to former colleagues, mentors, or industry contacts to let them know you’re on the market," she explained.
"Networking can open doors to opportunities you might not find otherwise, and personal referrals can go a long way in securing interviews. Plus, when you land your next role, in some cases these contacts can serve as professional references."
And, of course, start preparing yourself for future interviews—especially the inevitable question, “Why did you leave your last job?”
Practice a professional, positive response highlighting lessons learned and enthusiasm for new opportunities. If you stay proactive and focused, O'Neill said, you’ll soon advance in your career.
#6
My dad was dying and the company didn’t want me spending so much time helping him. I offer to have my dad die at a more conducive time for them but they didn’t take that well so I changed my number in the company directive to a local pizza shop and got things in order.
#7
Not me, but my favorite nursing assistant was fired because she couldn't figure out how to apply for FMLA so that she could get off work and receive chemo. She was just old and computer stuff really confused her, but she was a phenomenal Aide. They let her work her full shift then fired her. She had just applied to nursing school using our program to pay for it. I quit a month later. The fact that they didn't have someone from HR sit down with her and show her how before it got to that point disgusted me.
#8
District manager emailed the whole store giving us a (large) list of tasks to complete before Black Friday. Jokingly, I simply typed "No." and showed my co-worker, just to get a cheap laugh. I was obviously not going to send that.
Before I could react, my co-worker reached over and hit "send". My heart dropped and I got a phone call later that evening saying I wasn't a team player, I was refusing a "direct order from a superior". I tried to explain it was a joke and that I accidentally hit send, then I got berated for "not taking the job seriously".
Looking back it was a blessing in disguise. It was the last Thanksgiving with my brother before he passed.
Understanding the statistics might also help you stay positive. While many of these stories belong to the extreme end of the spectrum, the phenomenon itself isn't rare. In fact, according to a report by Intoo and the Harris Poll, 40% of Americans have been laid off or terminated from a job at least once in their lives.
However, nearly half of employed Americans (48%) suffer from layoff anxiety. One-third of them say it's because they fear a pending recession (34%), while slightly smaller shares cite rumors around the office (32%), or a recent round of layoffs at their workplace (30%).
#9
I was 16 and working at an Ace Hardware as an after-school/weekend job. One of my responsibilities was taking out the trash at the end of the night. One evening, I was closing with another guy who was a long-time employee. He said he would get the trash and that I could go home.
Come in the next day to boss waiting for me. Says, "WonManBand, how come trash wasn't taken out last night?"
I respond that other employee said he'd do it and told me go home. Boss says that's not what other employee is saying, says I was supposed to do it and just left. I disagree, get fired.
Over 20 years later, still salty. Didn't even like that job but f**k you, John.
Edit: John is the co-worker, for clarity.
#10
Got fired because my company hired replacements while I was recovering from Cervical Disc Replacement under workers comp, from an injury that happened while on the job, at that company.
#11
Changed my status to "available for work" inadvertently while job searching on linkedin. Was connected to HR at the firm and they saw it. I realized my mistake a couple hours too late but they saw it and let me go.
Honestly was the best thing ever. I started my own business after it happened a year ago and am thriving. Thanks, a******s!
When you haven't been told to pack your things, it's best to focus on what you can control, especially during the first few months of establishing yourself within the company.
"This is your chance to build relationships, learn the ropes, and demonstrate your value," O'Neill commented about this critical period, providing seven tips for making the most of it:
Understand expectations: The career expert advised to take the time to clearly understand what’s expected of you in your role. "Establish open communication with your supervisor and colleagues, and don’t hesitate to ask questions if something isn’t clear," she said. "Regularly check in with your manager to ensure your priorities align with their goals and the organization’s objectives."
Be proactive: Enthusiasm and initiative are some of the most valuable features employers look for in their workers, so O'Neill suggested to show them off by "volunteering for tasks beyond your core responsibilities." She said, taking on additional challenges not only helps you learn more about the company but also demonstrates your commitment to contributing at a higher level.
Seek feedback: "Make a habit of asking for constructive feedback early and often. This shows that you’re open to improvement and have a growth mindset," the career expert explained. "If possible, schedule regular check-ins with your manager to discuss your progress, address challenges, and fine-tune your approach to tasks."
#12
Worked at a gun store for a minute in my 20s. Boss was in his late 50s, and his wife was about 5 years older than I was. As I was bending over to close the floor gun safe, the bosses wife complimented my butt. The bosses office door was open.
Fired the next morning, and he attempted to deny my unemployment claim. "Fired for cause!" "What cause?". "Because!".
#13
I worked at a shelter for homeless teens. Admin staff were some of the most incompetent humans I've ever worked for. So incompetent one of our teens got r*ped.
I started raising hell because there was no accountability for the administration. They kept f*****g up and doing nothing when s**t like this would go down.
They scheduled a meeting to talk to me about "my concerns" while I was on vacation and then fired me for not showing up
Still makes my blood boil to think about it.
#14
Because I wouldn't let my boss at a new job put my name on a nasty email. I called her out and said I don't speak to people that way. She was awful. I was happy to see that pink slip in her hand a week later.
KatSaidWhat 11 months ago
I Blind copied my boss into a reasonable response to a really nasty personal attack from a client and they doubled down, so my boss got involved and told them that abusing staff is unacceptable and they need not return.
#15
The owner was from India. His son wanted Valentine’s Day off to go to a seven day wedding, but I already requested and had it approved. He crossed my name off the calendar and put his and told me if I wasn’t there I’d be fired. Expected me to pick up all his missing shifts the whole week. I picked up all his shifts, but I wasn’t there on Valentine’s Day. I was fired.
Be reliable: According to Resume Now's career expert Heather O'Neil, "consistency and dependability are critical in the early months[, so] arrive on time, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality work. Being someone your team can count on will help establish your reputation as a reliable and trusted colleague."
Build relationships: Next, she suggests connecting with your team and other colleagues. "Introduce yourself, engage in conversations, and learn about their roles and how they contribute to the organization. Building positive relationships helps create a supportive network and fosters collaboration."
Learn the company culture: As you begin to familiarize yourself with the people around you, "observe how things are done, from communication styles to meeting etiquette," O'Neil said. "Adapting to the workplace culture will help you integrate seamlessly and demonstrate your understanding of the organization's values."
Focus on continuous learning: Lastly, take advantage of any training opportunities, tools, or resources that are available to you. "Demonstrating a commitment to personal and professional growth can set you apart early on," the career expert concluded.
As this viral discussion vividly illustrates, we can never be one hundred percent sure that we will retain our jobs for as long as we want to. However, we can improve our chances!
#16
I told them in March I’m taking a week off in May. May comes and they tell me they can’t approve it because we’re short staffed. I remind them that we were short staffed when everyone else took their vacations this year and didn’t complain, so come May 15th I’m outta here.
They acted weird for a week after I got back before dropping the news. Wasn’t even mad, I was part time consistently pulling 32-38 hours. Thinking of reporting them to the department of labor.
#17
Reporting sexual assault to authorities when I was an exotic dancer and wouldn’t take the bribe offered to keep my mouth shut.
#18
They hired me, didn't give me any work to do, then fired me for not doing any work despite me asking for things to do.
Addendum: I was a junior PR associate then. Since I had nothing to do, I spent the time monitoring the social media pages of our brands to get insight (this was under my then-superior's advice).
One of the reasons why they fired me was "you spend too much time on social media while at work".
#19
Boss apparently didn't know I had a lazy eye(but able to control it consciously)
I was at this job for 3 years without an incident.(Transporting materials)
Calls me in and asks me about my vision.
Tell him I'm legally blind in right eye, but have been driving since I was 10.
Said we can no longer continue with you being employed here.
Was so out of my mind, I didn't even think to lawyer up.
But FU them, their new driver " accidentally" pierced 4 vehicles with the long forks... Within 1 week.
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 11 months ago
I'm curious if this was a liability thing and if OP was legally allowed to operate a vehicle/machinery, licensed. It sounds like another employee may have had something against you and said something about your eye/vision, to the boss. Either way it sounds like Karma worked her magic.
#20
Back in highschool, I didn’t invite my 30 something year old manager to my underage drinking party. Fired the next shift at work during a rush.
Ron Man 11 months ago
Why would you tell your 30 something year old manager about your teen drinking party? Sounds like someone else learned a valuable lesson early on in their work life than later when it makes a bigger difference.
Sophia Athene 11 months ago
Maybe he was eavesdropping or simply overheard while OP talked about it to someone else.
Load More Replies...
Robert Beveridge 11 months ago
If you fire a server during rush, you deserve the shellacking you are about to receive, amen and hallelujah.
Barong 11 months ago
I worked as a line cook in restaurants in highschool and was often invited to parties with the rest of the staff. I told my parent and went. I obviously couldn’t drink, but there were plenty of other non alcoholic options. I usually just drink water. The parties were fun. It was nice to see my colleagues in a different light as normal human beings. No ulterior motives, just hanging out.
Sami-Jo Ross 11 months ago
See, this is a catch-22. You either invite the manager and get fired for underage drinking, or you don't invite them and they do this.
#21
I put too many olives on a sandwich and got fired from Subway. On my first day.
#22
Worked at Rite Aid, some scammers came with stolen gift cards that were actually accepted by the system and they made a huge purchase, obviously I was suspicious and the manager approved the transactions. A month later, I was let go citing stating I wasn’t vigilant enough!
Michael Largey 11 months ago
"In baseball, they say "You can't fire the team, so you fire the manager." In business, it's the other way around.
#23
Got fired for quitting.
See, phones weren't allowed on jobsites. But, we were expected to call into dispatch before 5pm to get our next daily assignment. Buuuuuuut, we worked from 7a to 7p almost every day, so we couldn't call into dispatch. After being reprimanded for not calling in on time, I said "Ya know, this job isn't going to work out and I quit." Dispatcher said "You have no idea how stressful *you people* make things for me. You're fired, and no longer allowed to work for this agency!".
Rivka Ostroff 11 months ago
I also was once "fired" after r quitting. I told my manager I quit and she said no you don't quit I am firing you. Lol like that changes anything.
#24
Because I wouldn't lie to people. Worked for a cell service affiliate in college. Had the worst coverage, price, and customer service of any of the 4 major carriers in my area. Only feather in the cap was cool devices (for the time). Sales expectations were high, only way to get there was lie through your teeth. I refused. Spent most my shifts unfucking accounts other employees had f****d in order to get commission. Was actually relieved to get canned. Was destroying my mental health.
Robert Beveridge 11 months ago
So f*****g is censored but unfucking is okay? Actually I kinda like the poetic justice there, censorbot.
#25
It was my third day in a small warehouse that supplied ingredients to local pizza places. I was instructed to get a box that had a bag full of crushed red pepper and fill some shakers. The bottom of the box came apart and the bag fell, hitting the ground and scattering the pepper flakes everywhere and filling the air with dust. My eyes, throat, nose and lungs were almost immediately on fire. A coworker escorted me to the bathroom where I started having a coughing fit and throwing up. I couldn't see, I could barely breathe, and then the bathroom door bursts open and the owner is SCREAMING at me about the pepper flakes and how much money I had just cost him. F**k that guy. His business went under a year later.
#26
I pushed 10 carts at a time at target when the maximum is supposed to be 7. They were the last 10 carts in the lot and I didn’t feel like making 2 trips was necessary. Got fired the next day.
#27
Called a customer a witch. And that was being polite. I could have and should have been a lot worse.
#28
I was working at Taco Bell as a teen and forgot to turn off the headset and went on a full insult tirade to my nemesis.
Donna Peluda 11 months ago
Happens to me once over the walkie talkie at a job. My language is colorful on a good day so when I found out just as I was knocking of Friday that someone had forgot to get 300 T Shirtsfor a party at one of the clubs and I had to do a 300km roundtrip to go and pick the up I let rip.with realising that my finger was on the trigger. The whole company heard it. The up side was the owner did to and he made the guy who had forgotten to order the T-shirts go and get them. I also got reprimanded for using foul language, but I Shure I could see a hint of snail on the HR ladies face.
#29
After my training and onboarding, I was only getting 2 shifts a week consistently for over a month. Asked for more, was given the "we are unionized, we have to follow seniority, you've only been here 3 months" schpeel.
So I went and got a second job and started telling the first one which of the 2 or 3 days a week I'd be available to work for them. Got let go for not being available for shifts 7 days a week.
Verena 11 months ago
This is not how unions work in the European countries I live and work in. They are a support for all employees, members or not. The benefit for being a member (paying membership fees) is some financial support if you need a work related lawyer, and some little other things.
#30
I refused to uproot my entire life and move to New Jersey after 17 years of working on the other side of the country (the last two of which were done fully remote rather than in a satellite office).
Lila Allen 11 months ago
US - hey employees getting illegally fired. Most employment lawyers work contingency so you don't have to pay unless you win. Start fighting back.
#32
I worked as the setup staff for my colleges sporting events. Sounded cool at first, but it was horrible in reality. Insane micromanaging yet at the same time operationally it was a cluster f**k. I didn’t have an actual set supervisor, and nobody seemed to ever know what the f**k was going on.
So the minute I got a new job I went to put in my two week notice. I go to the HR office after class one day, and it was open but no one was in there. I go the next day, and same thing. So I left my written notice on the front desk, and made sure to email them too. I didn’t get scheduled for any games during those two weeks and just figured my time there was done.
I got an email 8 months later saying “you have been terminated for unexcused absences and are no longer eligible to work for (insert higher education system) again in any capacity.” I reach out and they’re like “we recently discovered you haven’t shown up for a game in months.” I told them I submitted my resignation months ago and they insisted I never did.
What’s funny is now I work at a different school in the same state system in a professional job, and when I was getting screened for my interview I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried it would f**k everything lol. Luckily it didn’t.
Brian Droste 11 months ago
If you have saved your email, you should have emailed that emailed back to them to show you informed them that you put your two weeks noticed in.
#33
I was a wastewater/drinking water operator in charge of the facilities at a local college. I was fired so that they could give my job to a person to be able to get them a visa to stay in the country. This was around the time of Covid, and they were having issues finding jobs for people they wanted to retain. While this guy had an impressive education, he was not certified to the job(there are several state licenses required). They initially offered for me to stay on as a crew member at less pay(and use my licenses). To the HR rep's shock, I declined and told them I either kept my job or left. They chose to let me go. I called the state governing body on my way home and informed them that I was no longer in charge of that facility. To the university's shock, they discovered it took a fair amount of time, educational courses, and work hours to get the licenses. I think they thought they would just stick their guy in an office for a few years until they could place him somewhere else.
SheamusFanFrom1987 11 months ago
The way I see it, letting OP go only got his old workplace a license to sink...
#35
Because the boss's son was a lazy liar.
When I was in high school, I worked Friday and Saturday nights from midnight to 6am at a 7-11. The worst part of it was dealing with people that wanted to buy beer after 2am on Sunday, but almost as onerous was having to put together the Sunday NY Times. It was delivered in about a dozen sections, each on neatly strapped into a pile. I had to take each section and put them all inside the main section. It was dull and repetitive and took half the night to put together hundreds of them.
One night, the NY Times was not delivered. I advised my relief (the boss's son) of this when he arrived in the morning and went on my way. Come next Friday I went in to work as usual and found the boss there, which was strange in and of itself. He told me that I was fired for not putting the Times together the previous week. I told him that they were never delivered, and that I told his son about this.
My brother, who worked the same shift I did, was standing right there, and backed up my account. The guy fired me anyway. At which point my brother quit. Which meant that the boss and his son had to work our shifts until they hired some more people.
#36
Only time I ever got officially fired from a job was from the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. I worked coat check, and was specifically told that on rainy days strollers needed to be folded by the parents before they could be checked in. I told a parent this, and this parent became a Karen (this took place way before the term Karen became a thing). After a pretty long time of complaining about why she shouldn’t have to fold her stroller, I simply told her that in the amount of time she spent complaining, she could’ve folded her stroller, been checked in, and been in the Museum. She complained straight to the top, and I got fired because of it.
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 11 months ago
Idk how some of these companies stay in business, when they fire an employee for doing their job. 🤦🏻♀️
#37
I worked in a supermarket. Boss doesn’t want us to work overtime. I finish at 4PM and so I pack up at 15:55 as I need to get clear of the shelves. Boss see me in the reserve at 15:58 and ask me “why you're packing up? You have 2 minutes left.” My contract get terminated the next fortnight.
ElfVibratorGlitter 11 months ago
You can't have it both ways management! The job I just left last month, we were supposed to be finished at 10pm, I never got out of there before 1030/1045 every night. It was frustrating but I did just get my overtime payout and that stuff adds up:)
#38
I was a girl.
Tech company. We were split into teams of 15+ people that reported to one supervisor. The company was primarily male, so some teams didn't have any girls. Those that did only had 1-3. My team had 2 girls on it, me (overweight and ugly)and another girl (who was a conventionally pretty young Asian girl). I was consistently average as a worker. She would take naps in the hallway while on the clock and couldn't tell you anything about the products we were supporting.
He would give the other girl random excuses or benefits, like not reporting her using incorrect time clock stamps that showed her data into the positive. He'd feed her easy tickets that would buffer her numbers. (He wasn't supposed to hand us tickets to begin with). Whenever she made mistakes, he would say it was because she was new, but she started just a month after me and at this point it had been around a year since we started.
For me, he'd find everything wrong that he could find. If I fixed an issue he brought up, he'd magically forget he asked me to fix it and just complain about the next thing that came up. He never told me how to fix weak spots. One he literally told me "you are the worst stats on the team, but at least there are 7 people worse than you at our company!" Didn't tell me how to fix it. Never told me anything positive. He'd send me tickets saying "You can handle this one, it looks easy!" And I'd be stuck with them for weeks because they would end up being super complex problems with unresponsive clients. He'd then chastise me for not solving "an easy problem. "
All the boys had very different experiences. He'd help them (but was bad at it), and they got just average treatment from him. Some of those who had been there longer than i had been had terrible stats but didn't get as much backlash over it. They eventually noticed that my personality was changing (depression) and started noticing the way he treated me. They started trying to help me themselves, and saw first hand some of the tickets he would give me. Not at all easy, which was obvious before he even sent them over to me. They helped significantly, but he kept undoing everything they did (saying I was doing things wrong, saying I was talking to my coworkers too much, etc). As one of my coworkers put it, everytime I got back on my feet he would shove me back into the ground. Upper management ignored us, even though we found out he had a history of teasing other girls this way. Pretty girls got special treatment, others got pushed away until they were off his team. (Either fired or transferred). It got to the point where I would seriously consider calling in such on days I knew I was supposed to meet with him, because I'd leave our meetings in tears.
Covid came and we went WFH. By this point, I was depressed, stressed, and shutting down. The lenient work from home policies we had because of the sudden shift meant I could get away with slacking off. I went from being a hard worker to barely scraping by. I couldn't even remember how to fix simple problems (like password changes) because he had dragged me so much through the mud that I was questioning every little thing I did. I lost all of the little confidence I had. I'd take tickets and then watch tv for an hour or two while pretending to work, or play games on my phone. I did the bare minimum, and my stats got worse. It didn't help that it was much harder to ask my coworkers for help, because instead of them being next to me they were miles away only reachable by chat.
At one point, I realized how bad things had gotten and tried to pull myself back up. At this point I was on an improvement plan (your last chance before firing) and I tried to get it together enough to keep my job. I bothered the hell out of my coworkers, started researching weak spots in my freetime, got better about reaching out to customers and closing tickets for my getting answers. My stats improved and I had my first somewhat positive meeting with my supervisor. He still found everything wing, but said if I kept improving then the next week I'd be off the improvement plan.
I got fired the week after. I got some really nasty tickets that tanked my stats, despite utilizing every resource I could. They were very weird issues that got pushed up to our engineering team, and I had several all at once. It was just your run of the mill bad week, we all have them and you can't avoid them. While it messed up my stats, they were still better than they had been for a while. But I got fired for it. During my meeting with him that week, he had an hr guy with him and they told me I was fired. At this point I had gotten enough confidence back to say that I didn't understand how I could go from "improving enough that I might get off the improvement plan" to getting fired in one week, without ANY warning or instruction during that week that this was a possibility. As far as I was aware, I was still improving and had no indication that this wasn't the case. The hr guy asked if I felt like I had received sufficient support, I said no.
My supervisor was fired the next week.
I'm now in a different field where I am very happy, and my confidence is the highest its ever been. I'm constantly receiving praise for how hard of a worker I am, how quick to learn I am and how coachable I am. My current supervisors are always saying I'm super easy to work with because I look for and respond to criticism and ways to improve. The issue with my past job was never me, and I can guarantee you it was because I was a girl.
#39
I was trying to report my bosses boss to HR for harassing and bullying me. He was taunting me on a phone call with a client, making childish voices and rude statements about me while pressuring me to work faster than I had been in the moment. He would ask me if something was done while I was working on things throughout the call, demanding updates every 15 seconds or so. I left the call and told my boss I was reporting this guy to HR, and I was told I was fired instead.
I ended up getting a call from HR the following week, and they hadn't yet been informed I had been fired. They opened a case on my behalf to look into these issues. Unsurprisingly, they investigated themselves, and found themselves guilty of no wrongdoing. They did tell me I had been terminated due to issues with my professionalism. That was painful, hearing he'd completely uno reversed me. I hadn't at any point been unprofessional, as I take great pride in these types of things for some stupid reason. Call me old fashioned, I suppose.
This was so unexpected that it caused me a great deal of financial issues and completely tanked my credit in the process. Due to the time of year when it happened, it took nearly 4 months to start a new role and begin earning money again. I have so much debt now because of this guy bullying me directly, openly, and then immediately firing me for being "unprofessional".
Pro tip: if you're going to HR to report your bosses boss, do NOT tell your direct boss first. Corporate America will destroy you if you're a good person at heart.
#40
Using my vacation days as sick days.
Chronic illness is a b***h. Didnt know my autoimmune disorder was the cause at the time but some days my body just didn't work.
Captain Awesome 11 months ago
If you're in the US get FMLA if you have an auto immune disease. Doesn't guarantee you won't get fired, but it does help with time off. I get another bucket for FMLA when I have to miss due to a Crohn's flare up
#41
I worked for a European swine genetics company.
One of our selection and multiplication nuclei was outsourced to a neighboring country.
When animals of high genetic value had to be shipped to a customer, I would go to the farm and spend the day grading, sorting and marking the animals to be loaded on the truck.
Once, a client rightly complained about the poor quality of the animals we had sent them. I went to see them, and their identification numbers did not match the ones I had registered in my notebook. The farm had replaced them with others and, in turn, had sold the ones I had selected on their own.
After a meeting between my company and the managers of the multiplication farm, it was decided that we would continue to work together and that I would be the "scapegoat" for the customer.
I was fired.
#42
It's literally just for being a man. I worked at a local bookstore. Me and this other dude got hired to help with the Christmas season rush and because they needed people that could lift more the 50lbs. After 5 weeks me and the only other dude got called in to the owners office and basically got told that we were being let go for performance issues, which was a bunch a bull. Also, the other reason was cause the other employees, which were all women, didn't feel too comfortable around 2 dudes and that we didn't fit into the work culture. From me and that dudes perspective, we worked hard, we're respectful and positive. Honestly, I'm glad they fired me because I got an even better job.
#43
A long time ago I was fired from a massive retailer that's known for the color blue for "time theft."
Their own asset protection investigation showed I was actually owed hours above what I had clocked.
A fair number of other heads rolled for that one but they still refused to hire me back.
#44
I was working two jobs at the time. A manager at my part-time job didn't like me. So he changed my schedule so I'd have to work the same days as my main job. He did this after my shifts were over for the week, so I'd not see the change. I came to work on Monday and was informed I " no showed" 3 days in a row and was fired. Honestly, I was relieved. Working 76 hours a week was too much.
#45
Was working at fedex just part time and i couldn’t come in multiple days in a row because i had such bad back pain that i could barely walk let alone stand up. i explained this to my manager and he told me he agreed with my decision 2 days later all of my shifts were taken off my schedule without any call or text to let me know why. i call my manager to ask why. he said i was fired for not coming into work. these were the only days i ever missed there. but the fact I had to call them for them to tell me i was fired really pissed me off.
#46
Because I smelled bad.
They weren't wrong. I had just recently moved out on my own for the first time, nobody was really encouraging me to take care of myself, I was struggling with depression and just.. didn't bother.
It was pretty f****n embarrassing.
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 11 months ago
I hope you filed for unemployment, they could have at least said something to you in private, and given you a chance to take a shower and address the problem.
#47
I put 12 chickens in a chicken coop overnight instead of 6. I was just told the chickens had to be in a coop.
Immortal Jellyfish 11 months ago
Company I worked for had a storeman/labourer that was missing one eye and had a massive thick lense for his other. He was also the traffic marshal!
#49
Quality standards kept changing unpredictably while time limits kept crunching tighter and tighter. Eventually my quality slips one too many times and boom, that's all folks.
The entire program shut down about a year after I fell off. The company had lost their contract. I sure didn't have to wonder why.
#50
First time was from Walmart. I wouldn't kiss the manager's a*s at all because he was a useless f**k stick and he made up reasons to fire me including doctoring the time clock and cameras. A few months after I left he got busted doing it again by the GM and fired.
Second time was doing door to door frozen food sales and some lady claimed I hit her stupid expensive road bike. She claimed it was sitting across the road behind branches of a downed tree after a storm. When I said so why was a several thousand dollar road bike just left next to the road 300 yards from someone's house? She couldn't answer that but I got blamed anyway.
#51
I asked too many questions but also did too much on my own without asking for clarification. Then I pointed out that those two things in my review conflicted, and they really didn’t care for that.
#52
Work biotech, was fired from my first job
I was originally in charge of package receipt at a smaller company where RAs (and even Sci's) were handling a lot of the logistics. We eventually purposefully hired a guy to handle alot of these roles because they effectively were getting in the way of us doing sciencey stuff. Showed the guy the general ropes of where we receive shipments, how to distribute and logging receipts, etc.
Well three weeks later, I was pulled into the boss' office and was told I was being fired. I wasn't necessarily mad but more so confused so I asked what made them come to that decision. Apparently that douchenozzle just blatantly forgot to check packages one day and voila... a multi-thousand dollar (and several months to manufacture) specimen was left to thaw and die at the receiving area. I was fired so I just protested that wasn't it this guy's job to do all of that. Was told I was still expected to check in on him to make sure he did his job.
Then just hit em with "The f**k am I supposed to know if he did his job or not if we hired him in the first place for all of this." Got up and went to pack my shiz at my desk and walked out.
I know its not the most exciting story but that's my only story of being fired. I have been laid off once though.
#53
The first time - I was a 21 year old hostess at a new restaurant. I was in a sorority and you have to take like 2 whole weeks every summer for recruitment - one week for training and practice and another for the actual recruitment. It's incredibly exhausting. Most girls get really sick. I got so terribly horribly sick, I had to skip our bid day activity and it still breaks my heart. I slept for several days. I told the restaurant I was very sick and couldn't come back yet and they said not to worry and to take the rest of the week off. The schedule for the next week comes out and I show up as scheduled. Then about an hour into my shift, I got pulled into the back and fired for not telling them I was coming back. You gave me the week, I took the week, then showed up as scheduled. Wtf. He also told me that they purposely hired too many people anyway.
#54
I caught my boss falsifying an employee's d**g test, so I asked HR what should I do? She said to talk to his boss, so then went to his boss...who called me a liar and told me I must be mistaken. so I went back to HR...where it was never mentioned again. Until the end of that year, in which I could nothing right apparently...and the "undermining" was one the things brought up during my termination meeting. Also, my bosses didn't like me asking too many questions or my disciplining my employees when safety policies were broken.
#55
A mutual distaste between my boss any myself. My firing was the nicest thing he ever did for me. It got me out of a dead-end and freed me up to discover a job I spent the next twenty years at.
#56
I openly mocked my supervisors spelling errors and didn't show up to a shift they scheduled me for after I specifically told them I couldn't work that time.
#57
I accidentally snitched on myself lol. Used to work at radio shack and I tried selling a personal cell phone to a friend (not realizing that the phone wasn’t working properly) so I switched it with a brand new phone from our store. Months later a radio shack internal affairs guy came in and said I can fess up to what I did or basically get in trouble with the police. I told him about the phone thing, welllll as it turns out he was there because the company suspected me of credit card fraud which I did not do so they fired me for the phone incident and made me pay back the full price of the phone. This was back in 2005.
#58
Worked second shift for a beverage company as a shuttle driver. For 5 weeks I couldn't get a fuel card and used 2 of the other drivers' fuel card. One day they weren't there and had enough fuel to do 1 run instead of the usual 3-4. I called my supervisor who was at home and told me to figure it out so I packed my bag full of free soda and went home. The next morning he called me and asked why I didn't make the runs I told him to get f'd and hung up.
#59
Owner's granddaughter graduated from college with a degree in accounting. I knew they were going to fire me and bring her in.
Also, I asked the owner for a private meeting at her house, we needed money. She gave it to me. Said she couldn’t tell anything to her kids (president and vice president) but pretty sure she did.
I was glad actually, the president (owner's son) liked to splurge on equipment he had no business buying.
They were so far in the red, and the owner (woman in her 70’s) floated that company for several years.
#60
I just got fired from the job I had been at for over 10 years last Monday. I am 33 years old, so I basically spent my entire adult working life there. I watched as the upper management slowly made the place miserable. It was an office type, state job. I hadn't gotten a raise in 4 years, no one was ever replaced ... the work just fell on the rest of us. I just stopped putting in any effort to meet their constantly changing expectations. Took 4 years, but they finally let me go. I had seen the writing on the wall though and had already lined up something else to start in a few weeks. This has been the best vacation ever.
Geoffrey Scott 11 months ago
Document,document,document. They change expectations, send an email or demand some written proof of expectations. Create a 'CYA' file in your computer for reference.
#61
I failed to successfully interpret: "I need you to stay a little later than your shift officially ends to help close.", "We can't pay you.
Lila Allen 11 months ago
I would interpret this as an illegal request to work without pay and immediately call the labor board.
#62
I drained my FMLA because of migraines, and I had thought I had sent in all the necessary paperwork as I had been in communication with HR. I was sleeping off a migraine when I got a missed call that I had to come into the office that day or I would be fired by the afternoon. I naturally did not answer and it was too late when I got the message.
It sucked how they kind of sprung a termination on me, but at the same time I understand they need people who can actually work to be there. I eventually got approved for disability after a two year fight for it with no pay and almost losing our home.
Robert Beveridge 11 months ago
The amount of time it takes to get disability in this country is horrifying. I had to crowd fund my life for nine months during the application process. Nearly ended up homeless (again) in the process. And I'm one of the lucky ones! Had a relative (way, way worse off than me--no working liver, on dialysis, waiting list for transplant, etc.) die while in his fourth year of waiting for them to clear yet another round of paperwork...
#63
My boss told HR I was behind on all my projects, which was true, I was behind because all designs were waiting on my boss's approval.
#64
I was in pharmacy school and working as an intern at Walmart. To be a pharmacy intern you have to register with the state and stay in pharmacy school. I had already had to repeat a semester and was on academic probation. Then I absolutely bombed one of my exams the following semester. I had 3 weeks before the final and needed a really high grade to not fail and get kicked out of pharmacy school. So I called my boss and told them I couldn't come into work because I needed to study. They said they understood and let me off.
A couple days later I got a call from my boss saying his boss told him that I would not be retained in the intern program that Walmart has. Didn't really matter as I ended up not getting the grade I needed and was kicked out of pharmacy school so I would have been let go anyway.
I did eventually get back in and was able to graduate but I decided not to seek regular employment so I could focus on school.
nottheactualphoto 11 months ago
Wait... are you saying that Wal-mart pays its interns? That is very off brand for them!
#65
On my second day at Subway, my boss told me I didn't have "it".
16 years later I still don't know what that means.
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 11 months ago
"It" is either something you have or something you don't have, it is not something that one can learn, usually, so not really attainable. At least that's what I've been told throughout my life.
#66
Worked at a start up. And these were their words verbatim:
"You're too soft on the team"
"We need someone that can come in everyday at 7AM"
First off, upper management (business bros) goes over my head and drives my team to the bone. We're talking 10 hour sporadic shifts trying to sell and demo their product to investors every month of so. My team appreciated my efforts to protect them from the b******t.
Second, no one is in the office until 9.
Basically I wasn't a yes man and cracking the whip.
Edit: Also f**k the product management guy. He was trying to get me fired and it worked just because I challenged his ideas on how to do my job. He was good friends with one of the founders.
#67
In high school I had a job at a place called Mr. Fix-It. Just as you would imagine - a one-room mess of a place where he would do everything from simple electrical work on an appliance to welding.
I was fired for mixing epoxy on a newspaper.
Clearly there was more going on. But I was 16. F**k ‘em!
#68
I left a USB stick with sensitive files plugged into a computer that was turned off, inside a locked office, which was inside a secure area.
#69
I was making a lot of money working banquets and the restaurant as a busboy way back in 2006-2008. Someone got jealous and made up rumors, and I got fired. I didn't know about my rights back then.
#70
I threw a fit cause i was stuck washing dishes alone when everyone else went out back to drink beers and smoke pot on the clock. Then they came back inside and complained that they couldn't leave until the dishes were done and that I was taking too long.
Brian Droste 11 months ago
Should have walked out and as you were walking out should have said If I am to, slow you can do it yourself.
#71
I started working at a rough time of my life and had to force myself to cope with personal issues while trying to work. I took a few too many sickies along the way.
#72
Was a supervisor for one department and was sleeping with a supervisor from another department. we would hook up in the car on breaks. Plant manager 1 week before I was fired, did my evaluation, which was the highest in my plant and top 10 for the entire company, received a 6% pay increase. Termination was for not fulfilling my job duties.
Dragon mama 11 months ago
Well... I don't know what they expected considering the first sentence.
#73
I missed a “busy day” and couldn’t “find someone to cover my shift” because my girlfriend was sick and kept passing out. They told me “can’t she take care of herself?” Yeah they can lick my nuts.
#74
We used the water slide after hours as a beer bong.
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 11 months ago
That's disgusting, imho. The amount of germs and bacteria that are on that water slide, would definitely had deterred me from consuming any of that beer. I'm sure some of them got sick, no thanks.
#75
Pandemic, and most recently the interest rate environment as I pivoted into the mortgage space after getting through COVID.
I’m really starting to doubt my ability to work, as it’s been 4 years of this really grueling time finding gainful employment. All this, in “the land of opportunity”. I really wish I could find a stable well paying job, where I enjoy the work and people I work with. It’s been my dream since getting to college 13 years ago and I’m writing this as a way to manifest it.
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 11 months ago
A stable, well paying job, that one actually enjoys going to and also has great co-workers that you enjoy being around as well, is clearly asking way too much. You're lucky to find a job that offers 2 of those things, nowadays.
#76
Losing my s**t one day and just trying to get back at the company lol. I was a TL for Target and it's a very stressful job for the s**t pay. Each year Target ASKS their employees to donate money to one of several charities at any amount but really try to push you to do something like $5 but to agree to have it pull from your check once per month for 12 months so $60 or some amount like that. Really saying stuff like "it's only a cup of coffee per month!" They don't hide it or be sneaky about it they're all up front about how it works BUT they make it seem like the employee can write this off during tax season because they give you a receipt to show your donation. But surprise surprise Target claims the donation and takes the tax break so you can't.
So I decided f**k that and would inform my teams about this and tell them if they want to donate go do it on their own directly. They don't need to donate through Target and give them another tax break just to fire us all later to hit their bottome line.
Well obviously my prissy sit in office all day SD and HR lead didn't like this so they decided to pull a skeleton out of my closet they kept for a rainy day when I asked a coworker out but they weren't interested and nothing ever went past that. We even had a great work relationship together for almost a year without it ever coming up again. But I guess she told a friend who told a friend that landed on HR's ear and they kept that information for until they needed it and said they "conducted and investigation" into my work ethic and fired me for it saying it counts as harassment.
I just laughed and said "okay wtf ever helps y'all sleep. Where's my check?"
Ended up doing me a huge favor doing that because being young at the time I was stupid and was trying to move up in Target but f**k that s**t. I now have a career in a feild I'm actually interested in at a great company making even more money with 20x less stress! Thanks for being a s****y company Target!
Pencil McGovern 11 months ago
This trope about how companies use employee and customer charitable donations to get a tax write-off for themselves has to stop. It simply isn't true. The benefit to the company is in the PR they get from it. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/06/10/fact-check-false-claim-checkout-charities-offset-corporate-taxes/7622379002/
#77
Supervisor yelled at me, I tossed him off the loading dock. He did get fired for yelling first, but obviously I also got fired.
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 11 months ago
Well that escalated rather quickly. OP physically assaulted their supervisor for yelling at them and yet the supervisor was fired first? For yelling?? OP deserved to be fired for literally throwing his boss, from the loading dock, which is likely a few feet from the ground. I hope the supervisor reported this to the state or Department of labor and got some compensation and his medical bills paid, at least.
#78
Because I wasn't very good at the job.
I was originally declined for a promotion because I *didn't have the experience and knowledge* to do it. A few months later, the senior management team reached out to me. They indicated the position was still vacant as nobody else wanted it. They offered it to me. Only thinking about the $$, I took it.
I did the best i could, but wasnt effective at getting the desired results. 6 months in, I got called to a meeting with my supervisor. He candidly asked if, given more time, did I think I could get better at the job. I candidly answered him, "NO!" The next day, I was terminated.
What do you think ?
ElfVibratorGlitter 11 months ago
Only job I was ever fired from ( I was laid off a few times but that was like me and 600 other people) was when I was 16 and working at an ice skating rink. I was working in the snack bar and another coworker, Kaitlyn, went into my purse without my knowledge and took some caffeine pills I had. I wasn't even aware. I then went home after my shift. Apparently, Kaitlyn over exaggerating her symptoms, said I'd given her d***s, and I got fired. Oh yeah, Kaitlyn's older sister Megan, was my manager. So.....
Shadow 6 months ago
Did you report the theft. After all, she went in your bag and took something, what if it had been much needed medication that she stole?
Load More Replies...
Mari 11 months ago
Once I was hired as a secretary. I had to work in the boss his private home, he was always out to work on construction sites. A bit weird, but I needed the money.Every day after my shift he asked me if he could me drop me off of bring somewhere. I always said there was a busstop nearby, so no thanks. After a week he invited me to dinner because he was so glad with such a good secretary. I said I was just doing my job, so no need to thank me. The next day I was looking for the bathroom in his house and I saw a women and child in the hall. She told me she was the wife of the boss and the child his son. She came from a foreign country. She felt very alone and was so sad.That week she asked me the whole time to come to the kitchen, to eat with her and keep her company. At the end of the week the boss called me and said he wanted to go out with me, that this time I couldn't refuse. I said ok, we can go out together with your lovely wife and son. He fired me of course.
Mike F 11 months ago
Very few companies are out for anything other than their bottom line. If I hear about how wonderfully pure the intentions are of European employers I'm going to scream because, if they are, in fact, pure as the driven snows the laws ensuring that they cannot misbehave would not be necessary.
michael reid 11 months ago
I was working away from home and had a company-paid-for hire car. I left it on the beach and the tide came in, totally ruining it. They fired me! It was so unfair.
Sami-Jo Ross 11 months ago
Sprained my ankle getting out of the car after my first day. They wouldn't provide accommodation even though I couldn't put any weight on my ankle.
Chelsea Bates 11 months ago
Reported an employee for sexual assault to me. I got fired because they "didn't believe me"
Richienotsorich 11 months ago
I dont know why Americans put up with these awful labour rules. You can basically be sacked at will for ridiculous reasons and none of you really seem concerned!
Pencil McGovern 11 months ago
Some of us are deeply concerned. Unfortunately, many others have been brainwashed into believing that protecting workers is socialism which will destroy America and that if we just suck it up long enough the bounty will start to "trickle down" and we'll all be rolling in money and guns and freedom.
Load More Replies...
panther 11 months ago
I was fired because my boss said I didn't seem happy. Found out it was actually so he could hire his friend. Then he lied to the unemployment agency about why I was fired, saying I would disappear when there was work to be done. Hell I was skipping lunch and breaks to get things done. Found out later that he fired his friend because he didn't like her attitude, maybe it wasn't her attitude that was the problem Peter.
sweet emotion 11 months ago
Late 1990's, I worked for a name-brand temp service and was assigned to a big name mortgage company. I was go-fer for 5+ loan officers - pulling reports, gathering and sending faxes, entering data. They loved me because apparently I was faster and more accurate than previous temps. A month in advance I got approval from both the office manager and my agency manager to take a Friday off for my birthday weekend. Got home from a great trip on Sunday to find a message from the temp agency saying that I was no longer needed. Never got an explanation, and it took them two weeks to deliver my few personal belongings to the temp agency for me to pick up. (n.b. - a couple of months later I was head-hunted by that mortgage company's primary competitor and just celebrated my 25th anniversary with them.)
Makenzie McNeal 11 months ago
I'm applying for my first job soon. I pray this doesn't happen to me.
SAF saf 11 months ago
America...you know our employment system is a joke right? We did it to our selves and celebrate those in charge that continue this BS system.
Ron Man 11 months ago
If you think it's a joke, you don't understand employment rights. If you're in the US there should be a large poster in a common area (like breakroom) that tells you all of your rights and what to do in certain cases. If you're choosing not to read that, you're choosing to give your rights away.
Load More Replies... ElfVibratorGlitter 11 months ago
Only job I was ever fired from ( I was laid off a few times but that was like me and 600 other people) was when I was 16 and working at an ice skating rink. I was working in the snack bar and another coworker, Kaitlyn, went into my purse without my knowledge and took some caffeine pills I had. I wasn't even aware. I then went home after my shift. Apparently, Kaitlyn over exaggerating her symptoms, said I'd given her d***s, and I got fired. Oh yeah, Kaitlyn's older sister Megan, was my manager. So.....
Shadow 6 months ago
Did you report the theft. After all, she went in your bag and took something, what if it had been much needed medication that she stole?
Load More Replies... Mari 11 months ago
Once I was hired as a secretary. I had to work in the boss his private home, he was always out to work on construction sites. A bit weird, but I needed the money.Every day after my shift he asked me if he could me drop me off of bring somewhere. I always said there was a busstop nearby, so no thanks. After a week he invited me to dinner because he was so glad with such a good secretary. I said I was just doing my job, so no need to thank me. The next day I was looking for the bathroom in his house and I saw a women and child in the hall. She told me she was the wife of the boss and the child his son. She came from a foreign country. She felt very alone and was so sad.That week she asked me the whole time to come to the kitchen, to eat with her and keep her company. At the end of the week the boss called me and said he wanted to go out with me, that this time I couldn't refuse. I said ok, we can go out together with your lovely wife and son. He fired me of course.
Mike F 11 months ago
Very few companies are out for anything other than their bottom line. If I hear about how wonderfully pure the intentions are of European employers I'm going to scream because, if they are, in fact, pure as the driven snows the laws ensuring that they cannot misbehave would not be necessary.
michael reid 11 months ago
I was working away from home and had a company-paid-for hire car. I left it on the beach and the tide came in, totally ruining it. They fired me! It was so unfair.
Sami-Jo Ross 11 months ago
Sprained my ankle getting out of the car after my first day. They wouldn't provide accommodation even though I couldn't put any weight on my ankle.
Chelsea Bates 11 months ago
Reported an employee for sexual assault to me. I got fired because they "didn't believe me"
Richienotsorich 11 months ago
I dont know why Americans put up with these awful labour rules. You can basically be sacked at will for ridiculous reasons and none of you really seem concerned!
Pencil McGovern 11 months ago
Some of us are deeply concerned. Unfortunately, many others have been brainwashed into believing that protecting workers is socialism which will destroy America and that if we just suck it up long enough the bounty will start to "trickle down" and we'll all be rolling in money and guns and freedom.
Load More Replies... panther 11 months ago
I was fired because my boss said I didn't seem happy. Found out it was actually so he could hire his friend. Then he lied to the unemployment agency about why I was fired, saying I would disappear when there was work to be done. Hell I was skipping lunch and breaks to get things done. Found out later that he fired his friend because he didn't like her attitude, maybe it wasn't her attitude that was the problem Peter.
sweet emotion 11 months ago
Late 1990's, I worked for a name-brand temp service and was assigned to a big name mortgage company. I was go-fer for 5+ loan officers - pulling reports, gathering and sending faxes, entering data. They loved me because apparently I was faster and more accurate than previous temps. A month in advance I got approval from both the office manager and my agency manager to take a Friday off for my birthday weekend. Got home from a great trip on Sunday to find a message from the temp agency saying that I was no longer needed. Never got an explanation, and it took them two weeks to deliver my few personal belongings to the temp agency for me to pick up. (n.b. - a couple of months later I was head-hunted by that mortgage company's primary competitor and just celebrated my 25th anniversary with them.)
Makenzie McNeal 11 months ago
I'm applying for my first job soon. I pray this doesn't happen to me.
SAF saf 11 months ago
America...you know our employment system is a joke right? We did it to our selves and celebrate those in charge that continue this BS system.
Ron Man 11 months ago
If you think it's a joke, you don't understand employment rights. If you're in the US there should be a large poster in a common area (like breakroom) that tells you all of your rights and what to do in certain cases. If you're choosing not to read that, you're choosing to give your rights away.
Load More Replies... You May Like 50 World’s Weirdest Jobs That Pay Out Quite Well Employee Denied Time Off After Covering A Crisis All Weekend: “The Stupidest Person Alive” Office Left In Chaos After Ridiculous PTO Rules Are Announced: "Our Calendar Looked Like Cheese"
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