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A job is not forever. Whether due to changing career goals, personal mistakes, or lousy management, virtually everyone has 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 "I'm just trying to be honest" can turn 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.
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#2
I got fired because I got cancer, and after the chemo I wasn't as sharp.
America, the land of the free, baby.
While many of these stories belong to the more 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.
So, perhaps not surprisingly, 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%).
#3
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.
#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 15 hours 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.
Career coach Sho Dewan says that after getting fired, it's healthy to take some time and let all your emotions out.
But then we need to put our energy into bouncing back. "It won’t happen overnight but take little steps towards accepting the situation and understanding that the past is the past," he writes.
"This predicament is only temporary and you’ll more than likely be able to find a new job (that may even pay better) soon. The key thing is to learn from the experience, and use that lesson to improve upon your skills."
#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.
#9
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.
#10
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!".
#11
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.
#12
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!
#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 9 hours 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.
#16
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.
#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
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.
#20
I put too many olives on a sandwich and got fired from Subway. On my first day.
#21
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 9 hours ago
"In baseball, they say "You can't fire the team, so you fire the manager." In business, it's the other way around.
#22
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 hours 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.
#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 16 hours 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.
#25
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.
#26
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.
#27
Called a customer a witch. And that was being polite. I could have and should have been a lot worse.
#28
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 15 hours 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.
#29
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 13 hours 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.
#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 7 hours 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.
Note: this post originally had 79 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
What do you think ?
michael reid 8 hours 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.
Mari 11 hours 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.
sweet emotion 8 hours 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.)
michael reid 8 hours 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.
Mari 11 hours 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.
sweet emotion 8 hours 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.)
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