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Woman Decides She Doesn’t Like A New Coworker, Files A Complaint And Gets Him Fired
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Woman Decides She Doesn’t Like A New Coworker, Files A Complaint And Gets Him Fired

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Starting a new job can be nerve-racking. You may have sailed through your interview with flying colors, but now the hard part starts. Meeting colleagues, remembering names, learning protocol and trying to ask an appropriate number of questions to ensure that you can keep up but don’t become a nuisance is a lot to juggle. As long as you don’t get fired, though, you’re doing just fine!

Unfortunately for one man, however, he couldn’t quite make it through his first day of work due to no fault of his own. Below, you’ll find a story that he recently shared on the Anti-work subreddit detailing how a coworker made it her mission to get him fired.

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    This man showed up to his first day on the job eager and ready to learn

    Image credits: YuriArcursPeopleimages (not the actual photo)

    But his career at the company was abruptly halted after a coworker decided she didn’t like him

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    Image credits: FoToArtist_1 (not the actual photo)

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    Image credits: Emotional-Moment7729

    Most companies in the US are allowed to fire employees at any time for any reason

    Many jobs require employees to undergo a probationary period for their first few months at the company. They’ll learn how to do their job under the assumption that they’ll be around for much longer, but it’s important to assess their progress at the beginning, to ensure they can handle all of the responsibilities. So it’s often impossible to completely relax at work until you’ve really gotten the hang of your position. Getting fired on the very first day, however, is a bit extreme.

    According to Sagaser, Watkins & Wieland PC, most workers in the United States are employed “at-will,” meaning that their bosses have the power to terminate their employment at any time for any reason. So technically, you can get fired on your first day, regardless of how brutal it may sound.

    Unless the company has a specific policy in place stating that employees must receive a warning before being fired, or that they cannot be fired until a certain amount of time has passed, there’s nothing workers can do about being let go on their first day.

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    Unfortunately, toxic colleagues can be found in almost any workplace

    Image credits: Christina Morillo (not the actual photo)

    In this particular case, though, the issue seemed to be a toxic coworker, rather than a boss who was too hasty with their firing. And sadly, many of us are familiar with dealing with an immature or dramatic colleague. According to a survey from CareerBuilder, 77% of employees say they’ve observed childish behavior from a coworker. This often includes whining, pouting, tattling on another employee, making faces behind someone’s back, forming cliques, pranking colleagues, starting rumors, storming out of a room, throwing a tantrum and refusing to share resources.

    Alison Green at Slate also says that there’s usually one culprit that all of the drama in an office can be traced back to. She points out that all of the passive aggressive notes that appear on your workplace’s fridge and printer are likely left by the same person, who has a knack for bringing toxic energy into the office.

    But because it’s often only one person who’s the real issue, leaders and fellow colleagues can work together to try to keep the energy positive in the workplace. Melanie Gallo, PhD, at Forbes recommends focusing on the bright side of every situation, having a clear mind at work, giving your dramatic colleague time to express their emotions, allowing for productive conflicts to play out and accepting that sometimes you’ll just have to agree to disagree.

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    If someone is actively trying to get you fired, don’t be afraid to speak up

    Image credits: RF._.studio (not the actual photo)

    So what should you do if you happen to have a coworker who is actively trying to get you fired? (And you actually have time to do something about it because it’s not your first day.) Office Topics says it’s important to know your company’s policies. Trying to get someone fired can be a form of harassment, so don’t let this behavior go unnoticed and unpunished. 

    It can also be helpful to start documenting your work, in case you are accused of not being productive or not completing your tasks in time. Document online and written communication you have with the person who’s trying to get you fired. If they intimidate or threaten you, you’ll have evidence. And don’t be scared to seek help from your boss or HR. They don’t want to be in a toxic work environment either, so if they can help eliminate the problem, they likely will. And if they don’t, you can try to go to their supervisors too. Don’t give up.

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    We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever been fired from a job this quickly or had a colleague go out of their way to sabotage you? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article, check out this one discussing some of the fastest ways people have ever gotten fired.  

    Readers shared their thoughts on the situation, noting that getting fired might have been for the best

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    Some even had similar stories from their own workplaces to share

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    Adelaide Ross

    Adelaide Ross

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

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    Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

    Read less »
    Adelaide Ross

    Adelaide Ross

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

    Gabija Palšytė

    Gabija Palšytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Gabija is a photo editor at Bored Panda. Before joining the team, she achieved a Professional Bachelor degree in Photography and has been working as a freelance photographer since. She also has a special place in her heart for film photography, movies and nature.

    Read less »

    Gabija Palšytė

    Gabija Palšytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Gabija is a photo editor at Bored Panda. Before joining the team, she achieved a Professional Bachelor degree in Photography and has been working as a freelance photographer since. She also has a special place in her heart for film photography, movies and nature.

    What do you think ?
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    Panda Kicki
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To fire like that without discussion is bad. But I do wonder how a bad back and leg issue would have worked for warehouse tasks. Isnt it a job with a lot of lifting?

    Gardener of Weeden
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Going through an agency, the job description would match up with the OP's qualifications and limitations.

    Load More Replies...
    Kazza
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    100% this didn’t happen this way. Red flag #1 is the “(thanks army)” comment. Every male in this story is cool, every woman is the bad guy. The red flags continue: “I’m not judgmental”…Yes. Yes you are. “I’m easy going”….No. You’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t be posting this on Reddit looking for strokes to soothe your fragile ego.

    Fussy1
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nailed it! In all honesty, I don't think I'd work well with this person. Even his replies to the comments, keeps repeatedly bringing up the meth thing. Just bad vibes from the get go.

    Load More Replies...
    The Starsong Princess
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m willing to bet that the “Office Lady” has a completely different story to tell. Most companies will let someone go if they get into it with an established, trusted employee on their first day because I can tell you from experience that the new employee rarely improves after that. Also, she may have been put off by his casual sexism - it’s people who work in the office, not office ladies.

    Load More Comments
    Panda Kicki
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To fire like that without discussion is bad. But I do wonder how a bad back and leg issue would have worked for warehouse tasks. Isnt it a job with a lot of lifting?

    Gardener of Weeden
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Going through an agency, the job description would match up with the OP's qualifications and limitations.

    Load More Replies...
    Kazza
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    100% this didn’t happen this way. Red flag #1 is the “(thanks army)” comment. Every male in this story is cool, every woman is the bad guy. The red flags continue: “I’m not judgmental”…Yes. Yes you are. “I’m easy going”….No. You’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t be posting this on Reddit looking for strokes to soothe your fragile ego.

    Fussy1
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nailed it! In all honesty, I don't think I'd work well with this person. Even his replies to the comments, keeps repeatedly bringing up the meth thing. Just bad vibes from the get go.

    Load More Replies...
    The Starsong Princess
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m willing to bet that the “Office Lady” has a completely different story to tell. Most companies will let someone go if they get into it with an established, trusted employee on their first day because I can tell you from experience that the new employee rarely improves after that. Also, she may have been put off by his casual sexism - it’s people who work in the office, not office ladies.

    Load More Comments
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