Bored Panda
People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
CuriositiesSEP 23, 2021

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones

175
24
Finding a dream job that you thoroughly love is one thing, but keeping it… keeping it is a whole other challenge entirely. Just because you’ve passed all the interviews, signed the contract, and already introduced yourself to all the guys and gals at the watercooler doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily be around for long. Sometimes, people do the most gosh darn stupid things and end up getting fired at the drop of a hat.
Redditor r/njaana asked their fellow r/AskReddit users to open up about the fastest that they’ve ever seen a new coworker get fired and, wow, did they deliver! Their stories are candid, hilarious, and will make you consider the wonderful fact that the global economy is still intact when there are so many ‘employees’ like this moving from job to job.
When you’re done scrolling down and reading the stories, don’t forget to give the ones that caught your attention the most an upvote. Be sure to let everyone know which ones had you laughing and cringing the hardest and share your own experiences about fresh-faced but inadequate colleagues in the comments.
Redditor u/njaana, the author of the thread, shared with Bored Panda the inspiration behind their question and also went into detail about the reality of the job industry in India and how unfair things can be. Scroll down to read what they had to say.

#1

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
I worked at a bill collection firm in the early '90s (don't judge me). A guy started working there, went through the two days of training, and then started working. After about an hour, he got up and left. Didn't say, 'I quit.' Didn't say, 'this job isn't for me.' He just got up to go to the bathroom, went through the front door, and drove away. It took the managers a few hours to figure out that this guy had gotten the job with a fake name, and erased his own debt on the computer.
395points

#2

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
He slept with the boss's daughters — yes, daughters — the night he got hired. The real twist was that one of those daughters is now his wife, and his former boss is his mother-in-law. So, I guess he got the last laugh, and a lot of awkward family dinners.
221points

#3

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
I worked at a fast-food restaurant. The new guy came in for his first shift, which was an evening shift in the drive-thru. He literally posted where he was and what he was doing on social media, and told all of his buddies to come through for free food. He then started screwing up orders on purpose, and handed his friends free stuff. The manager called the police and he got arrested.
208points

The author of the viral thread, u/njaana, said that they'd seen a lot of TV shows where people got fired for doing stupid things. Naturally, they wanted to check if there's some truth to that or if it was all made up for entertainment purposes. We'd say they got their answer! Sometimes, fact is stranger than fiction. According to the redditor, the core reason why people act this way and get immediately fired is their lack of maturity. Meanwhile, they shared that the very worst thing they've seen their coworkers doing is sleeping on the job.

The redditor explained that in India, the locals really value their jobs because getting them is a challenge. They also mentioned that the system is very unfair, with people ruthlessly vying for government jobs that offer job stability. "I am not from the U.S or a developed nation, I am from India. Here, people really value a job as it's hard to get even if you have the required qualification due to the large population, so people are more inclined towards government jobs because it has job security and other benefits and the chances of getting fired from it are very low," they told Bored Panda.

#4

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
We had a new IT hire. It was his first full-time job, he had good qualifications, and seemed okay. His first night, staff called me. He was spamming women with messages on their private phones. One woman's husband called me, saying her phone's camera was on nonstop and wouldn't turn off. He also installed software to switch on their cameras remotely. On day one. He wasn't allowed back on the premises.
191points

#5

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
Boss hired a vegan to work in the cafe were we do coffee and mainly breakfast food. So lots of eggs, cheese and meats and you know, milk. She refused to touch anything with animal products and lasted about 15 minutes. Not sure how she survived the interview process and didn't pick up on the use of milk in coffee drinks or what breakfast food had in it.
191points

#6

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
We had a guy start in London on a Monday, and he left for a a conference in Seattle later that week. I met him at Heathrow with his badge and laptop on his first morning, and boarded the flight with him. Longish story, but he ended up slapping a member of the flight crew because she wouldn’t let him sit in business class. I called HR when we landed and fired him in baggage claim. We paid for him to fly back to the UK next day.
178points

The author of the thread, u/njaana, explained to Bored Panda that government employees have far too much power compared to everyone else. "Government employees can do whatever they want and most of them treat tax-paying citizens [badly]. We, the people of India, don't have any idea of our rights, we fear police who are supposed to protect us, the police are corrupt here, they often take bribes and break laws, and use their position for personal vendetta," they went into detail about the harsh reality of everyday life in India.

"It's true in the case of most government employees, they are rude and don't do any work properly. In my country, only people with power and money are treated as citizens and it's horrible, so I wanted to know how was the situation in other countries, that's why I really made the post to know if what was portrayed in the TV shows was true."

#7

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
I used to train new hires at a warehouse. We have a floor for robots to zoom around on, full of merchandise, and cold spite. Only certified technicians could set foot on that floor. The rest of us? Instant termination if we did it. We stressed this frequently throughout orientation. I was training a group of new hires at a work station on their first night. One of our managers came over to introduce himself. One guy, who had already been copping an attitude, asked him about stepping on the floor. The manager reiterated what we told everyone: Do it, and you're fired. The guy said, 'You mean don't do this?' And put one foot on the floor. Away he went. I heard the rest of the new trainees laughing over how stupid he was. He was even whining about it the whole time his termination was being processed.
176points

#8

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
On her first morning, she wrote an email to her manager about how grateful she was to be with the company, how she looked forward to working for us, etc. She also wrote an email to her friend about how she'd got a cushy gig, and would scam them for as much training as possible for the first couple of months, and then leave. Apart from the general lack of wisdom of saying this on the company email system, when writing such contradictory emails, it's vitally important to put the right addressee on the right email. She walked out the door after two-and-a-half hours.
166points

#9

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
Many years ago, we hired a line cook that had a decent amount of experience. He started on steak night. The first steak was undercooked. Re-fire, undercooked. On his third try, undercooked. Fourth try, the cow was still mooing when it came off the grill. The front of house manager goes to head chef and tells him to kick the cook off the line, so he does. His new job was to replace me on the sauté station. The first order he got there was for a side of asparagus, so he put the asparagus into the hot pan and added enough oil to deep-fry them. He turned on the stove. Oil escaped and hit the flame, and started a fire. He went to grab water, and if not for my head chef stealing the cup, we might've had a bigger fire. Just like that, gone. It turned out, all of his previous jobs were real places, but his supervisors were just friends who lied. Total time of employment: three hours.
160points

This isn’t the first time that Bored Panda has written about new co-workers getting fired: it’s a popular topic on Reddit. Here’s an article that we put together on the topic earlier in case this list hasn’t fully sated your hunger for workplace drama.

It’s fairly obvious that you shouldn’t come to work drunk, hungover, or worse for wear. However, some people think that such obvious rules don’t apply to them, hence all the stories on Reddit about new co-workers getting fired quicker than the ink on their hiring paperwork had the time to dry.

A large part of a new colleague’s initial success comes from finding a balance between being ambitious and energetic, as well as humble and keen to learn. Starting a new job means learning how all the processes work, who your coworkers are, what’s expected of you, and what the greatest challenges you’ll face are.

#10

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
On the first day of a new daycare hire, she spanked a child.
155points

#11

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
A new employee showed up to work early on her first day to eat. We worked at sub restaurant, and she came in with a competitor's stub and started eating in the lobby while in uniform. The boss nicely asked her to eat in the back so customers wouldn't see. She started screaming and throwing a fit, so the boss told her to leave and not come back. I'm not sure if you can really even say she got fired...she never clocked in once.
149points

#12

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
guy drove a forklift into a fire hydrant, in front of a safety rep for the company. His supervisor was called over, and he immediately tells the supervisor that he won’t pass a piss test, as he used his only bottle of clean piss earlier that day when he hired in.
Everybody standing there immediately burst into laughter, which continued as security (also laughing) escorted him off site. Even the supervisor was all smiles...just gave him a pat on the back and wished him the best of luck. It was wild.
147points

That’s why it’s so important to put your ego aside and absorb all the knowledge that you can. Ask questions. Heck, ask a lot of questions. Double-check things if you’re unsure even if you feel like you’re repeating yourself: it’s always best to be sure than to make a mistake later on just because you didn’t want to ‘inconvenience’ someone. And if you do make a mistake? It’s no big deal, as long as you learn from it. Your attitude and willingness to adapt are vital if you want to make a good first impression. Meanwhile, a penchant for breaking rules will most likely not.

The Leadership Lab suggests avoiding comparing your old workplace to your new one. It’s something that you should completely avoid doing in your first days and weeks at your new job, according to them.

“Your job is not to criticize what you see. You don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or offend your co-workers right when you’re starting a new job. Being positive and giving constructive criticism after learning more about your new company is a much better way of creating positive change in your current workplace,” they explain that we should opt for learning instead of criticism and for positive change instead of poking at all the various flaws that we see.

#13

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
There was a new guy hired as quality control inspector after a lot of vetting. The job site was an aluminum extrusions factory — lots of hot, sharp, and heavy things that could crush your hands and slice you up, not to mention all the moving parts. He showed up first day on the job reeking of beer. He said, 'I was just celebrating my new job with my friends before work!' He refused the booze blow test at a nearby hospital. Paperwork was completed and he was fired after 90 minutes by the supervisor and HR.
138points

#14

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
I worked in maintenance at a beach resort. One of the housekeepers managed to get her son a job as a 'runner', someone who would collect the dirty laundry after the housekeepers stripped the beds. She was actually worried when he started working, because I guess he'd a bad track record with other jobs. About three days after he started working, his mother confronted him about his new, expensive-looking athletic shoes and a gold chain around his neck. He just shot back something about having a job now, which didn't make sense because he hadn't even been paid yet. About the same time, there were a couple of reports at the front desk from guests who were missing large sums of money. A police report was made, and people were questioned. So after only about four days, this kid was fired and went to jail for stealing from guest rooms.
130points

#15

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
Several years ago, working as a lifeguard at the town pool, we get a new guy named Tim. Tim showed up to his first shift 30 minutes late, gets into the chair, and spends the entire rotation turned away from the pool. We were all very confused. The chair rotated on the stands, and he was actively facing away from the pool.
Turns out he was really hungry, and was enjoying the smells coming from the snack bar. This was the actual explanation he gave his new boss. He was fired in the first 15 minutes of his first rotation.
A true legend of stupidity.
129points

Whether you’re extroverted, introverted, or an ambivert (like most of us), you really ought to put in the effort to get to know your department, as well as the colleagues you’ll be closely working together with daily. If you come together as a team, your job will be far easier. You’ll end up learning a lot about the hidden ins and outs of the position while the relationships you foster will mean that you’ll end up receiving support when you need it.

So take the time to get to know your coworkers. Go and grab a cup of coffee together. Join them for lunch or even for a drink after work. Don’t feel like you’re forced to do these things, however, keep in mind that these are the people you’ll be spending a third of your waking workday with.

#16

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
It was his second week. The guy came to work very drunk, picked up the emergency axe, and trashed the place with it. He was instantly fired and processed in court shortly after.
128points

#17

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
I worked in construction for eight years. Guys would quit all the time but the fastest was this kid named Austin. Austin was rail thin and wouldn't stop looking at his phone. Our boss told him to run a wheelbarrow full of dirt to a pile and he sighed before trudging over to it. The kid moved that wheelbarrow maybe fifteen feet, set it down and started looking at his phone again. Boss asked him what he was doing and he said it was "too hard" and he was calling his girlfriend to pick him up. Austin lasted a grand total of five minutes.
125points

#18

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
Girl wouldnt stop texting during orientation, despite being asked to stop.
She was escorted out in an hour.
124points

Meanwhile, Forbes points out that new employees should avoid giving unsolicited advice to their coworkers. You should also avoid announcing all the changes you plan on introducing without first getting to know all about why the things that are done are done the way they are.

Forbes also suggests avoiding boasting to your coworkers (nobody likes a braggart) or bossing them around like you know much better than them. You should also avoid showing your frustration if your coworkers can’t meet your high standards. Be humble at the start. Be willing to learn. First, adapt… then consider making improvements.

#19

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
Worked in an office where the manager was a bit on the curvy side.
They hired some new guy who was also a rotound man. Whenever the manager walked by he would visibly stare at her butt and go "MM!"
When I got back from lunch all his stuff was gone.
111points

#20

People Are Sharing Stories About Their Coworkers Getting Fired Almost Immediately, And Here Are 35 Of The Most Interesting Ones
I was working in a small grocery store and we had a new butcher start. He showed up and asked the boss to pay for his taxi because he didn’t have any money until payday. He worked for a few hours and then left for lunch and never returned. We find out why when we went to close the cash register and it was off by about $1,000. So we checked the cameras and watched him shove the cash into his big rain boots. The kicker though? He went to play poker and that’s exactly where the cops found him hours later, with some money still in his boot.
102points
175
24