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“So What Will You Do? Fire Me?”: 35 People Share Their Most Absurd Resignation Stories
According to a recent study by Flexjobs, roughly 30% of employees are stuck in jobs they dislike and want to quit. The survey gave the following top reasons for why they feel this way: toxic company culture (62%), low salary (59%), poor management (56%), lack of healthy work-life boundaries (49%), and not allowing remote work (43%).
But saying goodbye to a toxic workplace is the first step toward healing and creating a better future for yourself. So let's take a look at the ones who made the leap toward starting their recovery.
Image credits: Dogmom200
A few weeks ago, Reddit user Dogmom200 submitted a story to the platform's 'Anti Work' community, laughing at their (former) boss, who, after receiving the worker's resignation, said they will still have to approve it. As time went by, people started sharing similar personal experiences in the comments, so we rounded up the most memorable ones and think it makes quite the read.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I was an operations manager at my last place, but pretty much just a pa/general manager to the business owner.
I called to let him know I had a great job offer and I'd be leaving, he said "I get it's a great offer, but what happens if I don't accept your resignation?". He absolutely thought I wouldn't be able to leave. We had a brief conversation about slavery.
Al Christensen 2 years ago
A friend had a similar experience. The place she worked was a mess and most of the staff were incompetent or lazy. When she resigned her boss said, "I won't let you." My friend said of the experience, "It was then I realized why the other employees were so bad. The boss told them they couldn't quit and they said, 'Oh,' and went back to their desks."
RELATED:
#2
I was working a job with a hybrid schedule, 3 days in office, 2 at home. At home days were Tuesday and Wednesday because they didn't want me "having a long weekend." Literally makes no sense, but sure.
Well, the place was already toxic as f*ck. Boss was writing me up for anything. Owner was demanding that I keep my lights on in my office even after I complained of eye strain. His excuse was that he "couldn't tell if I was there." When I filed FMLA, HR told my boss and the owner all the details, and they weaponized it. You know, all the fun things.
Finally, the parent company that bought us sees no use for the now ex owner and my boss and tells them when their last day will be. My new manager comes on board and it was end of December. I wanted to travel back home for family, but was a few hours of PTO short to request the full 2 weeks off I wanted. Now, the company gave us several days off for the holiday, so it came down to it that those last 2 weeks of December only equated to something like 6 or 7 days of work. I work from home 2 days a week, so there was really only a need for 3 days of in office time. I had enough PTO to cover one day, so I ask if they can just give me some grace, and let me work remote, from my hometown, for the whole 6 days.
Absolutely not. "It sets a precedence." We NEED you in the office those 2 days. And so on.
So I quit with 8 hour notice. My manager calls me and asks why and I told her, "if you can't give me 2 days, why should I give you two weeks?"
#3
I walked out on a job once (a high-level one) and all the partners called to threaten me that I had signed an NDA (I hadn't) and that I had a non-compete (nope), so I needed to come back because I wasn't allowed to work anywhere else.
Nothing like making an employee even happier about their decision to leave!
Party Poison (They/Them) 2 years ago (edited)
Non-compete sounds so unbelievable and stupid to someone not living in a capitalistic hellhole. Why should a company that has nothing to do with me anymore have any kind of control over where I work after that? It's just the companies being selfish and not wanting to lose out on profit, because a former employee now works for the competition, which on a normal free market, not the capitalistic company governed system of the USA, would be a normal part of supply and demand fueling the whole system.
#4
I submitted my 2 weeks notice at a dumpster fire of a job and the company seemingly accepted it. Then, at 4:30, security came up to me and walked me out of the front door, barely giving me enough time to grab my few things. No problem as I called my new job and told them that I could start a week earlier and took a week off. During that week I received a call from the old company about some procedures that I was supposed to be working on. I was incredulous but professional and told them where they were stored on the network. A few hours later I received another phone call asking me why the work wasn't completed. I stated that I was planning to finish them during my final two weeks but got walked out of the building. My old supervisor got on the phone and asked me to please consider finishing the work. After having a good laugh together I wished him a good day and hung up the phone.
#5
My old HR dept tried to do something similar.
I gave my boss ample notice (out of professional courtesy) that I was planning on leaving, and then put in official notice 30 days before. HR came back to me and said I ‘need to agree my final day with my management and get them to sign forms saying they agree to it, if they don’t then I can’t have that day as my final day’
“No.”
“But it’s our policy”
“But it’s not mine, you deal with it”
“I…uhhh…we’re not sure if you can do that”
Todd Campbell 2 years ago
HR is the most self important but least valuable departments to any company. Good for you.
#6
My old boss also tried this. I very much enjoyed the look on his face when I said It’s irrelevant to me what you want my last day is Friday, but I’m happy to take my sick days starting now if you’re unhappy with my date because you are certainly making me ill. This is the same guy that when I asked for a raise said do you really do this work for the paycheck. Yes sir. I do.
#7
Last company (investment advisory in US) told me that I wasn’t allowed to resign. They attempted to tell my clients I was “being promoted to a non client facing position” and that if I didn’t play ball I would get terminated for insubordination.
Record your phone calls and print your emails folks. These fools are paying dearly for their nonsense. My clients and I are happy at a new company and prior firm is under SEC investigation
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago (edited)
Accepting a job is NOT the same as becoming an indentured servant. You CAN quit if you’re unhappy or find something better. They can NOT tell you that you can’t, as I’d you have the rest of your indenture to pay them. That’s utter b******t, and the threat of moving to a different position as what, some kind of punishment or something? Also b******t. The only other position you’re moving to is one at another company. A*****e, Buh-bye.
#8
Reminds me of a time I worked for a sh**hole company and the guy firing me said he needed me to sign a paper acknowledging we had the termination discussion. I told him I wasn’t signing anything to which he said “you HAVE to!” I’m like, so what will you do if I don’t??? FIRE ME?
Really sucks when companies feel the need to place blame on the person being fired rather than on sh**ty management.
Seedy Vine 2 years ago
The last thing a company I'm leaving needs is my signature. They could do anything with it. Fock that shite!
#9
I once had an HR director tell me he didnt accept my resignation, i just laughed and walked out.
#10
My wife gave a 3 day notice at a job back in the 90's. Her boss became verbally abusive, screaming and cussing at her. Then he told her that she could not give a 3 day notice. She said, "You're right, I quit now."
#11
I quit my job on Friday and they nearly sh*t themselves when I gave them two weeks. My boss begged me to reconsider and told me how disappointed he is, that they are hiring more staff and it will get better. Its been 8 months of me backfilling a senior role that I am not remotely qualified for while still doing my actual job, for the same money. Dumpster fire is the best way to describe their management style. I looked my boss in the eye and said,
"I want to get off the ride now."
He backed off after that.
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago
Bet you anything, if you take a look at them in six months, there will be NO additional staff hired—-and that’s IF they’re still in business.
#12
I was let go when our marketing department "restructured" HR: We need to to stay on board for 6 weeks to transfer files to the new design agency platform and finish special requests." ME: No thank you. I'll clean my desk out today.
#13
When I was much younger, I had reached my limit with my immediate supervisor. I told him I quit. He said “Is that your 2 week notice?” I said “F*ck no! It’s my 2 minute warning!” Tossed my keys on his desk, grabbed my tool box and walked the f*ck out.
#14
Just quit my job at a hospital to move to a better paying one at another hospital. Incompetent management with giant egos tore my old department apart, which is unfortunate cause I really enjoyed working for/with the people in place before they guts all of our upper management. So I put in my two weeks and proceeded to burn through all my sick time and covid bank until my last day. The icing on the cake, when I called out on my last day I asked when my vacation pay out check would be arriving. Felt good man.
Always try to burn through your PTO and sick time before leaving, you worked for those hours and deserve to use them.
Tammie Braggs 2 years ago
Teacher PTO is transferred from one district to another. Glad I don’t have to deal with the issue on top of all the others we deal with.
#15
My first job was at a cafe/bakery that got bought out by some coffee chain. They moved the shop to a new larger location and everything was redone in the new branding. As I was the only one who was kept from the old store, they made me the closing lead. After a few months of the progressively worse working conditions I was already fed up. One day as the boss was leaving he tells me the store had to be absolutely perfect because they were having a shareholder meeting in the store the next morning. That night was extremely busy as we were the only coffee shop around and were near a college. We had customers until closing and were to busy to get any cleaning done. As soon as we closed, the two other people I was working with clocked out and left while I was cleaning the restroom. When I discovered they had left and I was stuck doing everything myself I was done. I pulled the register tills and put them in the safe, made sure the store was locked up then I printed up the companies resignation form, signed it, and left. I returned my keys when I picked up my paycheck.
One of the owners later told me that when she walked in she knew I had quit. It was a mess and they had to deal with it, fort6the manager and district manager had to help as well. When I picked up my final paycheck and returned my keys, the boss smiled at me and said he didnt blame me one bit.
#16
I had something similar happen. Resigned, let them know I'd be leaving on x day in 2 weeks. A boss and HR lady tried to tell me I needed to stay for at least a month to help the transition and I said no, I start my new job the day after my last day here. They tried to tell me they "never agreed" to my resignation date and "set me a new one" for the end of the month. I wasn't particularly hurting for money at the time and didn't have anybody depending on me for the health insurance id lose for those two weeks, so I just said f*ck it and bounced after they went back to their office, lol. After the fact I was actually kind of happy they did that; I would've happily given them 2 weeks of my time as a courtesy, but instead they made me realize how much i deserved a two week vacation camping and drinking with my buds.
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago
Good for you. You need that break between jobs anyway, to dump the toxins from the old job so you can start the new one fresh and toxin-free.
#17
I worked for a PT clinic for about 4 years as an Office Manager. Absolutely loved my job and the people I worked with, but the insurance benefits were complete garbage and not worth the premiums. So I ended up with insurance through the marketplace for the first 2 years of my job. At my 2 year review, the owner of the clinic asked what it would take to keep me there long term, and I told him my misgivings with his offered insurance plan and said I would stay for life if he made this one adjustment. Well year 3 goes by and no change to the insurance plans even after discussing options with him multiple times. By the time year 4 passes, I'm done. I'm over it. I've gone above and beyond for this job and the owner wont give me the one thing I need to stay happy in that position. I finally find a new job and gave him my resignation with a 2 week notice. 1 week before my last day he holds an impromptu meeting with all of his employees (myself not included but I was in the room only feet away), and he proceeds to hand out $2500 bonus checks to all of the employees except for myself. He then says as he's passing these checks out that these are "A thank you during this difficult time of transition, and that loyalty is rewarded." I packed up my stuff and walked out that day. So glad I quite that place.
#18
I quit my job of 14 years with zero notice once I finally had enough of them making every aspect of the work a nightmare.
Went in at the beginning of my shift, put my key on my manager's desk, said "I quit" and walked out.
About 90 minutes later the rancid b**ch actually texted me to say I needed to make a formal resignation.
Get f*cked, you useless sh*t heap. I don't take my orders from you any more.
#19
Exact same thing happened to me last week. I gave my 2 weeks notice and my boss was like "Oh, I can't accept this, someone's already out on maternity leave and we'll be too short staffed." So then they got zero weeks notice because i just kinda...left.
#20
A guy who has a similar job as me had an employee give two weeks notice. More time is always nicer but zero is required and 2 weeks is customary in my Industry.
Anyway the other boss freaked out, called me up super pissed about how "unprofessional" it was. I reminded him that he once fired a guy with no notice at all. It was a serious reason but still: if you can fire someone instantly they can quit instantly.
The knife cuts both ways.
#21
Years ago I quit a fast food job on the spot over the boss stringing us along on raises. I got the "you are required to give us two weeks notice!" nonsense (I was not in fact required to do that). My reply was "Fine. I'm quitting in two weeks. Oh, and don't schedule me for the next two weeks because I won't be coming in".
Pam Page 2 years ago
40 years ago I managed one day at Arby's. The manager walked by me and I felt his hand on my a*s. I was stupid and young and knew nothing about workplace sexual harassment. An hour later he did the same thing. This time I yelled, with a lobby full of customers, "keep your nasty hands off my a*s". Like a badass (which I wasn't) I took off the apron and hat and left.
#22
I quit my job of five years in May. I was pulling out my own hair trying to stay for the “two weeks”. They pulled shady sh*t on me right after I resigned. Some of the things were uncharacteristic. One being the VP of our office decided to make an email announcement two hours after I told them I was leaving. The email announcement was to my entire team telling them “Insert name has resigned, but don’t worry we will replace her ASAP!” I was shocked and left the next day. F*ck them! Five years of my life and through the pandemic and no thank you’s. Just a bold announcement as if they were happy I FINALLY RESIGNED. Now, I’m delivering goods and foods for the meantime until I find a better job! Best of luck.
#23
I submitted 2 weeks notice at my previous job. They didn't offer me a larger salary or anything to stay, but they did ask if I could make it three weeks... Still friends with some folks that work there and the owner said in a meeting that he offered me more money but I refused to stay. That of course was after a lot of people said he was making a mistake by "letting me quit."
#24
HA. Classic. I gave notice once and the boss wanted me to rethink it. I said, "I'm not asking, I'm leaving. In case you're confused"
Classic. Somehow we got to be friends after that. Still are
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago (edited)
Depends on the boss. Sometimes they’re OK people, but pressured by their own bosses to say certain things when an employee quits. I’ve had bosses like that, who weren’t bad people, but whose own bosses were huge assholes who forced them to act like the bad guys. If they told you to rethink it, then whispered to you that their boss makes them say that and they just want to get it on record that they did, basically just for CYA, then that’s not so bad.
#25
Happened to me a few weeks ago.
Car crash of a project. And they didn't want to listen to me to help - because it's too complicated (their words).
Resigned on the spot.
They'll be concerned because they might know you're on to something.
I'm still talking to some of my ex colleagues because my resignation sparked big debate apparently (small company).
I told them I either do my job correctly and the way I've been trained to (elsewhere) or I don't do it at all.
Your mental health will thank you for sticking to your guns.
#26
I worked at the “we can save you $15” blah blah insurance company about 6 years ago. My team in Los Angeles had been just bleeding people. We were fine under our first manager - the job was tough but he always handled things for us and kept our schedules clean and workload manageable. Then he got promoted and we got a new manager - it was a complete 180. He’d throw us under the bus, get more work assigned than we could do, try to look like a super-tryhard for upper management, scold everyone like they’re 5 in front of others because he liked to power-trip. Well, we went from 6 adjusters to 2 - myself and one other to manage one of the busiest areas in the US. One day that boss said I had to go get a $.48, yup that’s cents, refund from a shop over a $4500 estimate. I told him that was a waste of everyone’s time, and he told me he was going to write me up. I was super stressed because I was taking on 2-3 times my normal workload, it was hot as sh*t outside and I had to travel from Irvine to Pomona to get some of these things done. I had like a minor anxiety attack and just decided that I’d rather just watch it all burn.
I told him he could find my company car, laptop and all other company property at one of the partner shops and hung up.
That man blew up my personal phone with emotions ranging from angry and yelling to practically begging me to come back because “we literally have nobody else and sh*t will be unbearable”.
He tried to pull the whole “You can’t quit! You never told me what was wrong! How can we fix things if we don’t know? I’ll expect to see you tomorrow.” The dude was f*cking clueless. He lost 5/6 of his team and just couldn’t for the goddamn life of him figure out that it was HIM being the problem. Sure dude, see you tomorrow - as in never because f*ck you.
I never answered or called him back. HR sent me an exit interview and I told them everything, but I didn’t care if they acted on it or not.
F*ck em. I went back to school and got my degree.
jmdirks 2 years ago
I got a better job offer with more money. Gave my manager 2 weeks notice and told him about the better pay I would be making. He said if I was fishing for a raise that he didn't play that game. He was in total denial about me quitting because I was still on the schedule AFTER my last day. I reminded him it was my last day and he said, "But you never gave me a chance to counter offer." I just laughed and left. Found out later he was arrested for pocketing the deposits other employees never got paychecks.
#27
I remember i told my toxic boss i was puting in my 2 weeks. He said thats not professional and i need to write a formal resignation letter. I wrote i quit halfway across the page and signed and dated the bottom.
#28
I gave Tesla my resignation and three days later they told me I was fired. I felt like I was on the TV show punked waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out and say gotcha.
#29
Had a similar situation. They refused to confirm my end date, so I stopped doing work and told them that I would not produce any more work product until a date was set.
My boss blew up and told me that if I couldn’t get with the program, that I could “get the f*ck out.”
So, I told him that sounded like my last day is today and left.
Too bad. I was on an important project and wanted to see it through, but my project manager wanted to take it day by day . . .
Doesn’t work that way once I’ve resigned.
One of the reason I resigned was that they micro-managed. You literally spent every day waiting to be told what to do. I worked nights and weekends. I desperately needed some control over my life.
#30
One time I resigned as the role was insanely stressful and we were being “asked” to work more and more hours. I had an unofficial talk to discuss the least impactful leaving day. Handed in my notice with that date as my last day. They were absolutely furious - tried everything to get me to stay.
When it went official the management pulled me into a room and said you’ve accrued so much holiday (read: we’ve not let you take holiday this year) they asked me to work for free till my end date! I sh*t you not, free. I immediately burst out laughing and said no chance.
Their final words were if you do this you’ll never work here again, you’d have burned all your bridges. Classy.
… got a better paying job later that week. Best decision I ever made.
Side note: none of the team or management ever spoke to me again. Was branded as sell out, as**oles
David Zeller 2 years ago
That doesn't make sense. If you accrued vacation time, you were "owed" money/time, so it makes no sense that would be the reason they would ask you to work for free.
#31
I've given a 30 day notice, during tenure as a GSA contracted employee, and on my final day they threatened to sue me! They pulled out my 2 year contract, claiming breach of contract, and attempted to stiff arm me into staying. I pointed out the loophole of giving a 30 day notice of resignation, showed them the email (from 45 days back), pulled out my resignation paper (signed by my immediate supervisor), and walked out.
#32
Some companies are just… gross. My partner was on sick leave. We sent 2 emails - 1 to HR and other to her Manager directly (just in case because those emails magically could get lost - it happened in the past) with all details, doctor and hospital note. Her manager called her after few days, when she was in a hospital threatening her to write her up and take her to HR if she won’t show up at work right away. Mind, she was still cover by doctor’s note, but Manager just refused to acknowledge it. He called her next day, this time screaming. I could hear him and he was not on the speaker. She quit, turned off her phone. I started then getting calls from him. It went from “welfare check” to screams and threads of investigation. At the end she got letter that she got fired, haha. We regret that we were not in a mind space to record those calls.
#33
I had a job try to demand six months notice. Then tried to pretend I hadn’t quit or given notice as an attempt to blackmail me into staying (they changed my schedule, I said I would quit if they didn’t accommodate me, they called my bluff and didn’t think I would follow through.)
Seadog 2 years ago
I can't get how anyone could actually demand you work a given number of days notice. Something seriously wrong with any government that would stop you from just walking out. Just think about the liability implications. They make you stay and you get hurt, and/or if you're quitting due to some kind of threatening issue in house, you or your survivors could end up owning the company where if you left it never would've happened.
#34
I was in the same situation. They didn’t let me go, so I just cruised through work, interviewed for the next job whenever I needed, and whenever I disagreed with anything, always reminded them they can fire me, I already quit.
#35
I had an employer like this. I gave 30 days notice and proceeded to only do what I wanted to do and took my sweet a*s time getting to work every day. On the last day I brought a bottle of tequila to work with me and went around getting hammered doing shots with friends I had made over the years on the job and then took a cab home. It was glorious.
What do you think ?
Ace 2 years ago (edited)
Anyone used to working in Europe is scratching their head about this. Every work contract has a minimum notice period specified, usually at least one month after any probation period. When you want to leave you simply give the notice that's required by your contract; the employer can insist you work that time or let you go home as they see fit, but they must pay for it anyway. Unused holidays may be taken or paid for as well, although this isn't quite the same across Europe.
AndThenICommented 2 years ago
After awhile reading I realised that the at least a few of these management-fail archetypes are reading these experiences. Let this be your sign bad managers, that introspection can go a long way for everyone. Stop being a douche
Ace 2 years ago (edited)
Anyone used to working in Europe is scratching their head about this. Every work contract has a minimum notice period specified, usually at least one month after any probation period. When you want to leave you simply give the notice that's required by your contract; the employer can insist you work that time or let you go home as they see fit, but they must pay for it anyway. Unused holidays may be taken or paid for as well, although this isn't quite the same across Europe.
AndThenICommented 2 years ago
After awhile reading I realised that the at least a few of these management-fail archetypes are reading these experiences. Let this be your sign bad managers, that introspection can go a long way for everyone. Stop being a douche
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