'We have to fire you because you are too expensive': Employee gets fired, demands compensation for a full year then starts working for competitor

Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor

Sep 14, 2024 8:00 AM EDT

Imagine getting told by your boss that you're too expensive for your job and then costing them way more money to fire you. Let this story serve as a warning sign for some of the higher-ups out there that firing someone just might end up with more expensive consequences than keeping that person onboard.

Here, we have a Technical Director at a company in Southern Europe who managed to get full compensation for a year after his dismissal before signing on to work for his former company's biggest competitor. After being told he was "too expensive" to keep on the payroll, the employee gently reminded his boss about an agreement he signed designating that if he wanted to leave he would need to give notice a full year in advance. In that same agreement, the employee managed to convince his boss to allow for the same arrangement if the roles were reversed. You have to hand it to this guy because he clearly knew how to negotiate his contracts and how to gain leverage even when he was getting fired.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more, check out this post about a lieutenant who embarrassed his incompetent boss at an important meeting.