Starting a new job can be really scary. Suddenly, you have to get used to new coworkers, a new workspace, and figure out which workflow works best for you and your peers. It can be quite daunting, but also exciting.
But some people take these new opportunities and quickly become HR's worst nightmare. And we have some stories to prove it. Someone on r/AskReddit asked about the quickest they've ever seen someone get fired, and well, some of the answers are truly shocking. So, hey, if you're looking to hold on to your job, here's what not to do.
#1
Teacher here.
A new sub came in for 1 period then left and never came back. Still my favorite phone call:
Secretary: Hi, this is Tracy
Me: Hey, Ashley’s sub is not in the room and the kids are yelling that he quit.
Secretary: he ran out for a coffee, I’ll call him. Please watch her class.
2 min later…
Secretary: yea he quit. We will send someone else to cover.
Me: he quit after one 45-min class?
Secretary: he said he’d rather go back to work at the prison he just retired from.
A new sub came in for 1 period then left and never came back. Still my favorite phone call:
Secretary: Hi, this is Tracy
Me: Hey, Ashley’s sub is not in the room and the kids are yelling that he quit.
Secretary: he ran out for a coffee, I’ll call him. Please watch her class.
2 min later…
Secretary: yea he quit. We will send someone else to cover.
Me: he quit after one 45-min class?
Secretary: he said he’d rather go back to work at the prison he just retired from.
11points
#2
They started on 4th of January and didn't show up. Not even picking up the phone. They did show up on the 5th of January and just explained they "didn't feel like starting their new work on a Monday". And that was it.
10points
#3
His fourth day. I work in a fairly professional workplace, office and lab work, defined core hours - 10am is the latest start time, and it's 7.5 hours a day. Start times are agreed with your manager, and then have to be stuck to. Standard stuff.
First day, the guy was due in for 8:30am. Didn't arrive until about 10:30, very apologetic, blamed it on the trains. A bad start, but recoverable.
Second day, he didn't arrive until 11:00. Same excuse. No call to say he'd be late before he arrived. Left at 4pm, several hours short of a full day.
Third day, he didn't show up at all. No phone call, didn't answer his phone.
Fourth day, he again showed up well after 10am, with no phone call. He was sacked on the spot. I honestly can't fathom what was behind it all.
First day, the guy was due in for 8:30am. Didn't arrive until about 10:30, very apologetic, blamed it on the trains. A bad start, but recoverable.
Second day, he didn't arrive until 11:00. Same excuse. No call to say he'd be late before he arrived. Left at 4pm, several hours short of a full day.
Third day, he didn't show up at all. No phone call, didn't answer his phone.
Fourth day, he again showed up well after 10am, with no phone call. He was sacked on the spot. I honestly can't fathom what was behind it all.
8points
Finding the perfect person for a job can be challenging. From understanding who the candidate is to assessing their qualifications and determining whether they'll fit into the company culture — there's a lot to consider.
So much so that a global survey by CareerBuilder found that nearly 74% of employers admit to hiring the wrong person for a role, with the average cost of a bad hire exceeding $14,900. This figure accounts for the time and money lost to training and recruitment, as well as reduced productivity.
#4
Same day he started. Told him he needed to wear his safety glasses to protect his eyes and the dust mask whilst we cut chipboard as its toxic for your health proceeds to say no way and calls me a weak coward for wearing mine.
Unfortunately for him our operations manager was standing right around the corner and heard the entire exchange he was gone within the hour.
Unfortunately for him our operations manager was standing right around the corner and heard the entire exchange he was gone within the hour.
6points
#5
Two hours into day one. Dude stole a clearly labeled sandwich from the break room fridge that happened to belong to the HR director who had just finished giving him the office tour.
Security escorted him out before his company laptop even finished its first mandatory Windows update.
Security escorted him out before his company laptop even finished its first mandatory Windows update.
6points
#6
First week on the job he closed a deal with a client. People were hyping him up. However, after the client left the meeting, he realized he had forgotten to have them sign the pre-contract agreement... So he forged their rep's signature on it. It was noticed within 24 hours and he was fired immediately.
6points
#7
Working on ships, the various watch shift rotations mean that the mealtimes are pretty precise because it's not like everyone onboard can just stop what they're doing to go eat.
Day one of having a new cook onboard and some shipboard operations meant we needed to bring lunchtime forward an hour to accomodate for the impacts to the shifts.
Captain tell the cook. The cook says no. The Captain makes a face.
"Cap, what I do is art. The meal will be ready when it's ready."
Yeah. He was gone that afternoon.
Day one of having a new cook onboard and some shipboard operations meant we needed to bring lunchtime forward an hour to accomodate for the impacts to the shifts.
Captain tell the cook. The cook says no. The Captain makes a face.
"Cap, what I do is art. The meal will be ready when it's ready."
Yeah. He was gone that afternoon.
6points
But even with that number in mind, while getting let go on your very first day is quite extreme, the numbers show that being pushed out of a job early on is actually pretty common.
Research by BambooHR, an onboarding and HR analytics firm, found that 31% of employees quit a job within their first six months. Even more surprising, a significant number of employees walk out or are asked to leave within their first week. And after reading these stories, we're not surprised.
#8
Police Department hired a new officer. Hours later, they learned he'd been fired from a nearby department and was pending losing his law enforcement certification. Fired on the same day of hiring.
6points
#9
New Hire walks in. Stellar interview, super composed, knows what he’s doing. He meets his immediate supervisor, and she says she’s looking forward to working with him. The New Hire says:
“I don’t work with [c word].”
He immediately goes to the Manager, asks who his supervisor is. The Supervisor reports what he said, and the Manager confirms it with another employee. The New Hire tells the Manager that he won’t work under a woman, and when the Manager says that he will fire the New Hire if he doesn’t apologize and work under her, the New Hire asks the Manager if the Supervisor is sleeping with him.
New Hire gets escorted out by security.
“I don’t work with [c word].”
He immediately goes to the Manager, asks who his supervisor is. The Supervisor reports what he said, and the Manager confirms it with another employee. The New Hire tells the Manager that he won’t work under a woman, and when the Manager says that he will fire the New Hire if he doesn’t apologize and work under her, the New Hire asks the Manager if the Supervisor is sleeping with him.
New Hire gets escorted out by security.
6points
#10
About 5 hours. It was this girl’s first day driving the ambulance, and I was her FTO. I had been correcting her all day for following too closely to people and braking too late. We came up on some traffic, and she was not paying attention and slammed into the car in front of us, who drove out of the way, then she continued to slam into the car in front of him and pushed that car into another vehicle.
Even though she had crashed the ambulance, that still wasn’t a fireable offense. What she did get fired for however, was disappearing for 3 hours before showing up for her mandatory test. We figured she was trying to find some clean urine, because she had also asked me what would happen if she didn’t pass her test.
I still have chronic neck pain from that accident.
Even though she had crashed the ambulance, that still wasn’t a fireable offense. What she did get fired for however, was disappearing for 3 hours before showing up for her mandatory test. We figured she was trying to find some clean urine, because she had also asked me what would happen if she didn’t pass her test.
I still have chronic neck pain from that accident.
6points
#11
I don't know if this counts but my daughter's school hired a new first grade teacher. The first day of school she took dozens of pictures of the students and put them on social media, and for some unknown reason listed their names in each of the pictures. Of course this is big time against school policy, so by day 2 of school she was fired.
Social media is destroying us. It's the first day of school how about you put your phone down and focus on the kids for a bit? Not everything has to be posted online.
Social media is destroying us. It's the first day of school how about you put your phone down and focus on the kids for a bit? Not everything has to be posted online.
6points
#12
4 hours, he cornered a lady in the factory and was yelling at her to "show him her chest". The lads in the factory moved faster than I ever seen and he left with some black eyes and a bloody nose.
Report
6points
But not everyone who walks out is necessarily an incompetent worker. Sometimes, it's the promise of a different experience that makes employees want to leave or walk out altogether.
A study conducted by The Muse found that 72% of job seekers experience something called "shift shock." This happens when they suddenly realize the job or company culture is completely different from what they expected during the interview. Unfortunately, that's where many first-day clashes begin.
#13
Worked a delivery job in college. Had a new hire quit after 45 minutes of riding around with me on his first day. He didn’t even do anything yet, just riding in the passenger seat and said “ nah, this is not for me.”
Fastest I’ve seen someone actually get fired was when I was working at a big box store. New cashier made it through the couple of days of computer training. Within 30 minutes of being put on the floor for the first time, she got busted taking pictures of people’s credit cards and texting them to her sister who was buying stuff online with them. She was sitting in the back of a cop car within an hour of starting her actual job.
Fastest I’ve seen someone actually get fired was when I was working at a big box store. New cashier made it through the couple of days of computer training. Within 30 minutes of being put on the floor for the first time, she got busted taking pictures of people’s credit cards and texting them to her sister who was buying stuff online with them. She was sitting in the back of a cop car within an hour of starting her actual job.
5points
#14
How fast he got fired isn't really the interesting part, it's how he got fired:
He got highly elevated on the job by spraying WD40 on his cigaratte then smoking it.
He got highly elevated on the job by spraying WD40 on his cigaratte then smoking it.
5points
#15
Had an intern start, go through orientation Monday and Tuesday, then get fired Friday.
We had a going away lunch for someone retiring. He got food, then cut the line to get more before others had had their first turn. He then put his head down on his desk to take a nap. After that he wandered over to talk with the CEO who was sitting on a bar stool talking to people where he knelt down to try and look up her skirt. She then stood up and asked the room who this person reported to. When the team lead came over to claim him, she just said "he's done. Get him out of here!"
It was a entertaining train wreck.
We had a going away lunch for someone retiring. He got food, then cut the line to get more before others had had their first turn. He then put his head down on his desk to take a nap. After that he wandered over to talk with the CEO who was sitting on a bar stool talking to people where he knelt down to try and look up her skirt. She then stood up and asked the room who this person reported to. When the team lead came over to claim him, she just said "he's done. Get him out of here!"
It was a entertaining train wreck.
5points
#16
Myself, one of my first jobs.
Temporary job office offered me a callcenter job.
I was told I'd help people who struggle subscribing to some kind of insurance. "A bit like tech support?", I remember asking.
Once I arrived, I got told to cold-call people to get them to subscribe. I got told to follow a script that had nothing to do with my job and was straight up lies, and explained how I should insist more with the elderly to boost up my stats.
I modified my script to make it truthful, then told them during the lunch break that I wasn't willing to scam grandmas to feed myself.
Karma must have liked it, I ended up getting an actual tech support job a few weeks later and didn't starve.
Temporary job office offered me a callcenter job.
I was told I'd help people who struggle subscribing to some kind of insurance. "A bit like tech support?", I remember asking.
Once I arrived, I got told to cold-call people to get them to subscribe. I got told to follow a script that had nothing to do with my job and was straight up lies, and explained how I should insist more with the elderly to boost up my stats.
I modified my script to make it truthful, then told them during the lunch break that I wasn't willing to scam grandmas to feed myself.
Karma must have liked it, I ended up getting an actual tech support job a few weeks later and didn't starve.
5points
#17
20 minutes.
Manager liked this consultant (lady in her mid 60’s) that was helping on / off for about a year and was converting her into a full time employee.
Manager sent the division wide email out to like 250 people saying “Please Welcome Judy, the newest member in accounting” and then 20 minutes later HR sent an “effective immediately Judy has left to pursue other opportunities, please wish her luck”
Found out that she failed the substance test twice. First was a diluted positive and the second was a positive.
Apparently the manager really liked her and was trying to ram through the conversation even though she failed the test for. They thought if it was announced, HR would be embarrassed and just allow it.
Funny enough, “Judy” given a 60 day notice of the test.
Honorable mention was a guy in IT who told his boss (a pretty cool boss at that) to go do himself, twice on the first week.
Manager liked this consultant (lady in her mid 60’s) that was helping on / off for about a year and was converting her into a full time employee.
Manager sent the division wide email out to like 250 people saying “Please Welcome Judy, the newest member in accounting” and then 20 minutes later HR sent an “effective immediately Judy has left to pursue other opportunities, please wish her luck”
Found out that she failed the substance test twice. First was a diluted positive and the second was a positive.
Apparently the manager really liked her and was trying to ram through the conversation even though she failed the test for. They thought if it was announced, HR would be embarrassed and just allow it.
Funny enough, “Judy” given a 60 day notice of the test.
Honorable mention was a guy in IT who told his boss (a pretty cool boss at that) to go do himself, twice on the first week.
5points
#18
The fastest I’ve fired employees,
Daniel- 10 minutes…. Showed up for his first day and some Asian buyer walked in. He in front of everyone says “don’t bother with them they’re cheap and don’t buy anything.
Joe- 30 minutes….lied to me about having a car then demanded I pay for his uber to get there…..
Braden- 5 hours…. Actual nut job. Verbally berated other employees then took his shirt off and tried to fight me because I didn’t agree with his actions.
More details below
Braden then text me after about his hours, he calculated them on a crumbled piece of paper with a crayon and sent me a picture of the crayon calculations.
He was calculating hours for days he didn’t work……. And that’s he’s calling and that he’s calling an employment lawyer and suing me.
I had to explain to him that he didn’t start on a Monday…..
He started on a Thursday……
The Grand Finale …….. I mail his check because I don’t want him coming into the office and being belligerent.
He starts texting crazy that i robbed him and where is his money…..
I tell him I mailed it.
He said “how? you don’t have my address?”
Dude, the address you put on file the day of onboarding….. which wasn’t even 48 hours before the check was cut.
He then tells me that he gave us a FAKE address because he doesn’t like people giving his information……
Bro, I’m your employer. I have your whole a*s social security number, copy of the physical card and your drivers license!!!!
Typing this made my brain hurt….
Daniel- 10 minutes…. Showed up for his first day and some Asian buyer walked in. He in front of everyone says “don’t bother with them they’re cheap and don’t buy anything.
Joe- 30 minutes….lied to me about having a car then demanded I pay for his uber to get there…..
Braden- 5 hours…. Actual nut job. Verbally berated other employees then took his shirt off and tried to fight me because I didn’t agree with his actions.
More details below
Braden then text me after about his hours, he calculated them on a crumbled piece of paper with a crayon and sent me a picture of the crayon calculations.
He was calculating hours for days he didn’t work……. And that’s he’s calling and that he’s calling an employment lawyer and suing me.
I had to explain to him that he didn’t start on a Monday…..
He started on a Thursday……
The Grand Finale …….. I mail his check because I don’t want him coming into the office and being belligerent.
He starts texting crazy that i robbed him and where is his money…..
I tell him I mailed it.
He said “how? you don’t have my address?”
Dude, the address you put on file the day of onboarding….. which wasn’t even 48 hours before the check was cut.
He then tells me that he gave us a FAKE address because he doesn’t like people giving his information……
Bro, I’m your employer. I have your whole a*s social security number, copy of the physical card and your drivers license!!!!
Typing this made my brain hurt….
5points
#19
Day two or three of training. A guy said something homophobic in a group discussion about retail customer support and after a fifteen minute unscheduled break he didn't return.
It was so out of the blue too, just no reason for it.
It was so out of the blue too, just no reason for it.
5points
#20
One week.
I had lunch in the cafeteria with someone I had just hired the week before - just to find out how things were going so far. She spent the time complaining that the job was not what she expected. It was an IT Desktop Support job.
During her interview, I had given her a tour of the facility, introduced her to her fellow IT support team in the Help Desk room and pointed out her workbench and desk in the shared Help Desk room. I also walked her through a typical day of taking help desk calls and visiting coworkers' desks to help troubleshoot their computer issues. The IT Help Desk staff was present and participated in the discussion. She had a copy of the job description when she applied for the job.
She told me at lunch that I had promised her her own office and ensured her that she would not have to get up to go visit coworkers for desktop support issues. I felt like I was in the twilight zone.
After lunch, I went directly to HR and explained to them that I wanted to let her go as soon as possible. In less than 30 minutes, I had her meet me in HR and said, "Today is your last day with the company..."
I had lunch in the cafeteria with someone I had just hired the week before - just to find out how things were going so far. She spent the time complaining that the job was not what she expected. It was an IT Desktop Support job.
During her interview, I had given her a tour of the facility, introduced her to her fellow IT support team in the Help Desk room and pointed out her workbench and desk in the shared Help Desk room. I also walked her through a typical day of taking help desk calls and visiting coworkers' desks to help troubleshoot their computer issues. The IT Help Desk staff was present and participated in the discussion. She had a copy of the job description when she applied for the job.
She told me at lunch that I had promised her her own office and ensured her that she would not have to get up to go visit coworkers for desktop support issues. I felt like I was in the twilight zone.
After lunch, I went directly to HR and explained to them that I wanted to let her go as soon as possible. In less than 30 minutes, I had her meet me in HR and said, "Today is your last day with the company..."
5points
