'Ummm you fired me?': Teenager gets fired for missing a shift to attend a funeral, then their desperate ex-manager begs them to return a month later

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jan 15, 2024 7:00 PM EST

Your first job creates a lasting impression on your work life. You learn valuable lessons like how to clock in, be on time, and deal with customers, and although we whittled away our first few paychecks on useless purchases, these worthwhile grains of wisdom stuck with us. What you never expect to learn at your first job, however, is how to garner the expectations of a compassionless, soulless manager.

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  • It's usually around the time of your second or third job that you learn about terrible management, but in our next story, a young teenager learns some quick lessons about foolish management and the ‘eff around and find out’ stage of shift scheduling. After calling out of a few shifts to attend a funeral abroad, u/sciencelover12345 was fired immediately. Talk about a terrible display of human empathy…

  • However, the truly shocking part of this story is that after OP was fired, the manager audaciously begged them to return. Scroll for the entire silly story that makes us all reminiscent of our own first jobs and how lucky we were not to have a manager like this.

  • 01
    r/retailhell Posted by u/sciencelover12345 2 days ago A I'm not coming to work because you fired me 4 weeks ago A Funny Thing Happened... Just remembered this one from when I was a teenager (15 or so). I needed to go to New Zealand on short notice for a funeral, when I spoke to
    via sciencelover12345
  • 02
    my boss on the phone about it she told me I can't go. I told her that I am, and she said that my job isn't going to be here when I come back and to never contact them again. Well I went to NZ, came home, a few weeks passed, and my ex boss calls. She says where are you? You were supposed to start half an hour ago? So I said, ummm you fired me?
    via sciencelover12345
  • 03
    She didn't even register that I told her she fired me and goes, so are you coming or not because you're rostered on? lol?? This was in 2011 so the rosters were on the wall and not electronic, you had to actually go into the shop to see the roster hahaha. I laugh when I think about it
    via sciencelover12345
  • 04
    MrBowls 2 days ago Sounds like she got really, really desperate one day lol ✩ 646 Reply Share sciencelover12345 OP. 2 days ago It was worth a shot hey
    via MrBowls
  • 05
    cugrad16 2 days ago. edited 2 days ago Omg I can relate. Happened to me a few years ago on a contract position. Recruiter 'informed me' that the client canceled bc of budget changes. Yet the boss lady still called a few days later asking me where I was, that I was supposed to finish something I was working on bc "her people" had their deadline "that day"
    via cugrad16
  • 06
    Told her that wasn't my problem. They'd canceled the assignment, and to go through the agency about it. She asked if I was still coming in? Or else she'd never recommend me for a thing Imbo. Talk about clueless and narcissistic.
    via cugrad16
  • 07
    sciencelover12345 OP 2 days ago Yeah it's like hahahahaha what other outcome were you honestly expecting if you tell me I'm no longer employed by you Just have to laugh
    via sciencelover12345
  • 08
    kaitabong 2 days ago I had a boss tell me I couldn't go next door to purchase period products when I unexpectedly started during my shift. I would have been gone 5 minutes max. He told me to just deal with it until my scheduled lunch 4 hours later. Told him no way, I'm going next door ill be right back, he said don't bother coming back if I left. 30 minutes later he's blowing up my phone wondering where I was and when I was coming back. Oh no, sorry, not bothering coming back there, buddy.
    via kaitabong
  • 09
    Unquestionable. 2 days ago That's one of the most awful things I've heard in regards to not letting an employee have a minute. Like I'm a guy and only employee but I even keep some product in the bathroom at my store in case someone has an emergency, it's come up a few times over the years with customers who were desperate.
    via UnquestionabIe
  • 10
    Waerfeles 2 days ago I remember one job gave me fewer and fewer shifts, to the point where it was probably only about fulfilling the minimum to keep me on the books. It was about 4 hours a month. I got the "Where are you???" one time and "It's on the roster" and had to explain I didn't just hang around the store??? Checking the roster in case I had a shift that week???
    via Waerfeles
  • 11
    bobthemundane. 2 days ago If that happens to everyone, file for unemployment. Cutting hours drastically makes you eligible for unemployment. 63 Reply Share Maleficent_Amoeba_39 2 days ago Did this to a previous employer once and my hours magically went back up.
    via bobthemundane
  • 12
    jojosiwasponytail. 2 days ago I had a job where I was repeatedly fucked over. One day I got tired of it and told my boss I was tired of being treated like shit, told them I quit, gave them my badge and keys and went home.
    via jojoiswasponytail
  • 13
    They called me the next day to ask if I was coming in. "No. I'm not coming in ever again. I quit" "Well I wish we knew that sooner" "I quit on your shift. I came into your office to tell you I quit. I gave YOU my badge and keys." "Well I didn't think you were really going to do it"
    via jojosiwasponytail
  • 14
    DooferAlert-38- 2 days ago That's why I blocked my bosses after I quit. Didn't want them hitting me back up asking for anything from me 24 Reply Share 277clash 2 days ago That's how to do it.
    via DooferAlert-38
  • 15
    Spectre7NZ 2 days ago What the actual heck. I hear these stories, and it's just unbelievable how these people function from day to day, let alone be a manager. Reply Share 20 sciencelover12345 OP 2 days ago I've wondered this too. Especially now that I'm an adult so I'm the same age now as they were back then. Wild
    via Spectre7NZ
  • 16
    Kels121212 2 days ago 3 weeks after I left a job, the girl who took my place emailed me a report and said I needed to do the report because she didn't have the answers. Mind you, this was private information about the company that I should no longer have access to.
    via Kels121212
  • 17
    squirtlemoonicorn 2 days ago - After I quit one job I had the manager calling me at my new job asking about client files from the old job. (FYI my files were always kept up to date and with all relevant information. If he cared to look)
    via squirtlemoonicorn
  • 18
    thefuzzyone85 1 day ago My very first job was at a nursing home doing laundry. I didn't last long and it was whatever. Fast forward 3 years and friend of mine still worked there needed a ride because his car was in the shop. I was sitting on the front porch of the place, having a cigarette with some residents who I recognized when the maintenance manager stuck his head out the door. "You know employees can't smoke out here" "You know I got fired 3 years ago, Brad?"
    via thefuzzyone85
  • 19
    . swim_and_sleep - 2 days ago So did you go 47 Reply Share sciencelover12345 OP 2 days ago No hahahaha I told her I'm not sure what she was expecting and hung up on her They really werent that inconvenienced me going to nz in the first place, they were just power tripping with a 15 year old imo and I recognised that at the time
    via swim_and_sleep
  • 20
    chzygorditacrnch. 22 hr. ago Something similar happened to me, I worked a double shift as a server and I was supposed to be able to leave first since I was doing a double, and I wasn't allowed to, so I quit and left. Next morning they texted me asking me to come into work. I said "no I quit!"
    via chzygorditcacrnch

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