10 Quickest Ways People Have Seen a New Coworker Get Fired

Everyone’s gotten fired from a job at some point. Sometimes even more than once, and we’ve all seen it as well. But getting fired within a short amount of time begs the question. What happened? Some of these people lasted mere hours on the job.

1. Strike! You’re Out

A teen worked at a bowling alley and witnessed the new girl’s brief employment. Unable to reach the hour mark, she quarreled with a customer and dropped a bowling ball on their foot. The boss fired her immediately. Talk about starting off on the wrong foot.

2. Party Animal

This grocery store trainee lasted around four hours. A fellow trainee recounts that the girl requested to go home during their evening training due to a headache. After getting the okay, she shopped in the store, buying alcohol. When the store manager asked if she was having a party, her head was too clear, and she responded yes. Hopefully, the party wasn’t to celebrate her new job.

3. Who Is That Man I See

A Home Depot employee recalled a guy who lasted around three hours on the job. During his first day on the job, he vanished for three hours. He returned clearly under the influence of something. A manager saw him staring at his reflection in the mirror and fired him. After reviewing the cameras, the manager realized the former employee had stared at his mirror image for half an hour. Maybe it was his doppelganger on this side of the mirror.

4. Fired Before You Start

Some firings are comical, but not this one. A fellow trainee, and friend of the poster’s wife, had orientation for a plant job. Unfortunately, the friend was in a car accident. Though she contacted the job, explaining that, although the accident wasn’t serious, she had to wait to give a police statement. They told her not to bother showing up. She brought the police report and photos, but they did not care. Some jobs show their toxicity before you even get to work.

5. Lobster Mayhem

A timeframe wasn’t given, but I’m guessing, based on losses, it was swift. Another former grocery employee saw a new coworker take a lobster out of the tankful of lobsters. He removed the bands on its claws and put them back into the tank. Now unhindered, the lobster killed his competition in the tank. To say the employee put himself in a pinch would be an understatement.

6. Produce Pelting

The third grocery store job on this list and the second three-hour firing. Coincidence? Fed up with dealing with an irritating customer, the staff member pelted her with a cabbage. The manager fired him asap, but on the upside, the employee didn’t appear too distraught, so maybe it was worth it.

7. Seafood Caper

Perhaps there’s a laissez-faire attitude with grocery stores. A former Publix worker shared how a newly hired 19-year-old vanished within days. They saw him only twice at the seafood counter, the young adult’s assigned post, then no more. A coworker relayed that after closing, the new employee walked out when about five pounds of crab legs fell out his pants where he’d stashed them. As it happened, the closing manager was right there, so he was caught red-handed. Or red-clawed.

8. Small-town Business

During a summer fast food job, one worker remembers an associate who lasted a couple of days. Everyone, including the manager, thought she was incompetent. However, the death knell came on her third day. She claimed her mom was hospitalized due to a car accident. Lying in a huge city is one thing, but in a small town where it’s easy to know your neighbor’s business? If her ability to lie is a metric for her work skills, it’s easy to see why she was let go.

9. TMI

This IT tech man didn’t even get to start the job. A fellow company worker shared how the new IT hire’s introductory email contained embarrassing personal details. His email looked more like a Grindr or Tinder profile about what he enjoys in the bedroom. He apologized and explained a friend played a prank on him, but the job didn’t budge. Was it a friend? That’s something an enemy would do.

10. Road Rage

First day on the job with foot-in-mouth syndrome. A commentator shares how the man, who bought a new Camaro celebrating his new job, was angered that a stranger parked near his beloved car. Following the stranger in, the man then cursed him out. The stranger was the CEO, visiting the branch. Ten minutes later, “he was signing release papers.”

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