45 Outrageous Things People Did That Got Them Instantly Let Go From Their Jobs (New Pics)

The Bye Bye Job subreddit has only been around since 2020, but it has already amassed an impressive 650K members. So clearly, there are plenty of people out there making terrible mistakes that cost them their jobs! From behaving inappropriately with colleagues to posting hate speech online, some people just don’t know how to behave, regardless of whether they’re in the office or not.

But it’s great to have a space where we can hold people accountable for their actions, and if this online community contributes to making workplaces safer and healthier, that’s a huge win! We sincerely hope that no one on this list reminds you of your own boss or coworkers, but if something seems familiar, it might be time to have a chat with HR.   

While we’d all like to believe that we know how to keep things professional at work, it’s clear that many people don’t. And being around inappropriate colleagues can have a huge impact on your job satisfaction. According to a 2025 survey by iHire, a whopping 75% of employees in the United States say they’ve experienced a toxic work environment. 

And over half of employees have actually quit jobs due to receiving poor treatment at work. When it comes to what kinds of toxic behavior most workers have witnessed, many reported that their company’s leadership showed a lack of accountability, displayed favoritism or bias towards certain employees and displayed unethical behaviors or practices. 

It’s also clear that you can work in the same physical space as someone yet have an entirely different experience than them. iHire's survey found that nearly 83% of employers would rate their work environment positively, while only 45% of employees would say the same. And over two thirds of workers who have escaped a toxic work environment reported that there was poor communication across the board in the company.   

Unfortunately, just because someone is a problematic boss doesn’t mean that their actions will actually have consequences. When it comes to why that is, High 5 Test notes that many just refuse to admit fault when they’ve done something wrong. And if no one reports them, the higher ups may not even realize that there’s a problem. At the same time, their problematic behaviors can often go unnoticed for a long time. If unhappy employees simply quit without saying anything, it can be challenging to find the root of the issue.

Another tactic managers use to get away with inappropriate behavior is to be extremely productive or always present. If they’re meeting all of their deadlines, showing up early each day and very involved in their team, it might seem like they’re a wonderful boss on paper. However, if you actually speak to their workers, you might hear a different story.

A bad manager can also fly under the radar if the higher ups simply don’t want to go through the hassle of removing them and finding someone new to take their place. What if they can’t find anyone better? And how much money will the onboarding process take? They might be under the impression that it's best to just keep them around if they’re not burning the place down, especially if the entire company is dysfunctional.