'There is no evidence against me... I still got fired on the spot': 15+ Employees who got fired from their toxic jobs

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 18, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

Some bosses just set their employees up to fail, and their workers aren't taking it well. 

There are some workspaces where employees just can't seem to win, no matter how hard they work or how diligent they are about keeping up with their priorities. Some people work 60 or 70 hours per week, and their managers still won't praise their efforts or let them work any less. It's almost like these companies are setting their workers up to fail so that they don't need to dole out promotions or raises. Instead, they count on their workers burning out and leaving. Then, these managers will welcome in the next batch of new recruits, and the cycle continues. Check out a bunch of stories below from people who got fired and decided to share their tales. 

Next, read the story and update from the 20-year-old woman who told off her mom and step-dad for their terrible prank on her younger brother: "You might be laughing now, but you'll be crying later." 

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  • 01
    'I get a call from regional manager apologizing... and asking me if I want to return. I hung up.'
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    What's your "got fired, but was totally worth it" story?
    via u/NamelessDaedra
  • 03
    padjapoiss Worked at a "big" supermarket chain. Did cashier job, placed out products and some behind the scenes management. One day i get called to the back. It was the regional manager, said my deficit after my shifts as cashier is getting out of control, about 10-50 bucks every shift. Threatened me with cops saying that they surveillance
    via u/padjapoiss
  • 04
    videos showing me stealing the money. I said sure, get the cops here, i'll just wait. After 30 minutes cops arrived. When we started watching the footage there was nothing showing that i stole the money, cops said there is no evidence against me, and took off. I still got fired on the spot and they even banned me from entering their stores all over the country.
    via u/padjapoiss
  • 05
    Few weeks later i get a call from the girl that was working there with me, covering me for smoke breaks when i was cashier. Teared up, choking from crying. It was her stealing the money all the time while i used my breaks. Got charges pressed against her, did 120 hours community service and paid a huge fine.
    via u/padjapoiss
  • 06
    Few days after that i get a call from regional manager apologizing for the inconvenience and asking me if i want to return. Told off and hung up. him to
    via u/padjapoiss
  • 07
    totallyoriginalnam... Kinda quit/kinda fired. While I was backpacking I got a part time job at a chain restaurant, I had management experience back home but I wasn't looking for a management role there. I just wanted to carry food from one place to another place.
    via u/totallyoriginalname2
  • 08
    Maybe drinks as well. Somehow the current 'restaurant manager' (aka chief plate carrier) heard that someone with more plate carrying experience was on the scene and was after her job. She made my introductory shift a living h I, she gave me half the floor to run (I didn't even know the table number lay out), with 3
    via u/totallyoriginalname2
  • 09
    staff whoe's names I didn't even know. As you can image the entire shift was a cluster f not only for me but the poor patrons just trying to eat their dinner. As last orders where called I tried to make sure all our customers were happy. Then I ripped off my apron (yeah it was the kinda place where the waitresses wear aprons)
    via u/totallyoriginalname2
  • 10
    and name tag and threw it at the sh stain 'restaurant manager'.
    via u/totallyoriginalname2
  • 11

    This story is both infuriating and ultimately very satisfying for the employee

    Tw... I was working in a small accounting firm making less than minimum wage $30000 (minimum wage in Australia is $38,000). The boss was exploiting the fact that people like me were desperate to get their foot into the door of accounting as it is very competitive in Australia.
    via u/Twic3
  • 12
    One day i was stupidly posting on a forum about my situation and looking for advice. The boss found out and fired me on the spot. Feeling pretty spiteful about the whole thing, i reported my situation to fair work ombudsman Australia. A month later i got payment. for the amount i should have been making at minimum wage for the 6 months i was there.
    via u/Twic3
  • 13
    About a month after that i landed a much better role at large company making almost double what i was making previously. The icing on the cake is the firm ended up getting investigated by fair work and i can only assume they received a hefty fine because they are no longer in business.
    via u/Twic3
  • 14
    savemoney2121 Went into a business meeting for the ice cream shop I managed Bold Stone I was told that the girl that was 7 months pregnant need to be written up as much as possible so they could have a legal reason to fire her. Told them it wasn't going to happen and they suggested that I put in my two weeks and find other work. So I did, then I was
    via u/savemoney2121
  • 15
    told that I was going to be gone in two weeks and might as well just fire her. Was no way in h II would do that.I walked into that meeting with a 50 hour a week decent paying job and left with nothing but my integrity. I then preceded to drive to my store and pull the girl aside and let her know what was going on. Last I checked I believe she manages the store now.
    via u/savemoney2121
  • 16
    flappydappy22 I was working a full time job and three part time jobs. I worked everyday and on the weekends I would work nights. I rarely slept and this went on for 6 months. One of the jobs was for the well known lotion and scents store. The pay and hours. really didn't make a difference but I enjoyed working there. My manager was going out of town and
    via u/flappydappy22
  • 17
    was leaving a new supervisor in charge I hadn't gotten to know all to well and he did not like me for some reason. Well, the stars aligned and I got a weekend off except for a morning shift with them. My manager before she left offered me the day off but me knowing it would leave her short handed I declined. She told me that if I overslept or was late it was ok due to how much I've been working. So I
    via u/flappydappy22
  • 18
    go home that night and crash out hard. The feeling of my bed was the greatest thing. I set my alarms and out I went. I woke up over 30 hrs later not realizing I had slept through my shift until I saw the voicemail on my phone. The new supervisor had "fired" me and put me down as a no call no show which was rightfully so. I called the store and he refused to talk to me. So I called the manager and told
    via u/flappydappy22
  • 19
    her what happened. She said it was fine and would take care of it and to come for my next scheduled shift. Well long story short this little a of a supervisor submitted my termination. files to corporate and classified me as a no rehire.
    via u/flappydappy22
  • 20
    My manager was p ed and fired him shortly afterwards. The sleep was the best I had had in years and still on my top 10 sleeps. Totally worth getting labeled as a no rehire.
    via u/flappydappy22
  • 21
    Rakofgor Was working in dialysis when another competing company came to town effectively eliminating the monopoly my current company had on treating kidney failure. The company I worked for had already lost their physician group and was so afraid of losing staff (and the patients that would follow them) to the new company they gave out
    via u/Rakofgor
  • 22
    huge retention bonuses. After receiving my bonus I was fired for a manufactured problem beyond my control. I was hired by the new company, got a $10,000 signing bonus and took a couple dozens patients with me to the new company. Got my picture in the new company's brochure they mailed out to all the dialysis patients so they knew where I ended up. Just having a
    via u/Rakofgor
  • 23
    new company come to town to provide competition was also amazing for the patients. They got new heated massage chairs and new TVs with more channels. and better/more staff to take care of them. The old company's dialysis centers across town that did not get competing dialysis units put nearby didn't give those patients anything.
    via u/Rakofgor
  • 24
    umanouski I worked 2 jobs, my main one is Monday through Friday, and my second one is on the weekends. When interviewing, I stated to the second job it will be strictly weekends only unless I said otherwise, and I also told them that my primary job may call me in for emergencies from time to time. They were hurting for people, so they hired me.
    via u/umanouski
  • 25
    Fast forward 2 weeks, the second place schedules me for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Saturday. I let them know that there is approximately zero chance I'll work during the weeks, and I reiterated to the person that interviewed me (same as sceduler) about strictly weekends only. He said "Tough, we need you that day"
    via u/umanouski
  • 26
    Well, I said whatever and stormed out. I had a plan. The second job starts an hour before my main, so I show up Monday, get ready like I'm going to work for them that day. I get my route, and load my van. I then leave the job to get to my second job, while still punched into the first. I get a call around 8 AM asking where I was, I should have left to get on my route.
    via u/umanouski
  • 27
    "Yea, I told you I only work for you on the weekends, and I meant it. The phone, keys and bags are in the van. Its loaded for whoever is going to take that route. Have fun dealing with that route. I'm sure (BIG ONLINE RETAILER) will love to hear why those packages wont be delivered." "You're fired, this is so disrespectful and unprofessional"
    via u/umanouski
  • 28
    "I respond in kind. I expect my check mailed to me. Enjoy your day" I was rehired for the next weekend, sans that scheduler.
    via u/umanouski

    This person was both diplomatic and petty at the same time! Congrats to them for getting rehired: that shows that their employer took time to think things over, and then tried to right their wrongs. 

  • 29
    Chickenbrik I was hired as a consultant in a kitchen along with another person. She was more qualified then I was, in the science of cooking, no doubt about that. She couldn't stand me, and questioned my ability. A craft I have been in for 10+ years. She got the lead position with me under her and a young kid who was days from being fired.
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 30
    I took the young guy and turned him into a real cook who is now a chef back in his home state. I was told by GM how I was a god send for them and how I was such a role model for the young guy. The woman who was now chef, would sit in the kitchen and work on dishes for 4+ hours without making any decisions and had the two of us doing everything and
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 31
    never checking in on us. Most of the time when we would be back up in the kitchen she would be just sitting there. She was collecting money and putting no real work in. She never added any dishes to the menu other then a few specials that weren't anything to write home about. I called her out on it and she kept telling me my work
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 32
    wasn't up to snuff for the restaurant, I'd come in the next day and nail it, then it was something else, I'd change what I was doing and correct the issues she had, and then something new would be wrong. Finally one day I was alone in the kitchen. Because the young guy was on vacation, she was at a funeral and I was sick as a dog, I shouldn't have been in the
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 33
    kitchen but I was and had a fever and all. The next day she told me she was grateful for me doing what I did but I could have done a better job. I told her that if she didn't like the job I did to either shut it or fire me. The next day I obviously knew I would be fired, you can't talk to a chef like that and I understand that. So at the end of the shift the GM and the "chef" sat me down
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 34
    and asked me if I knew why we were talking and I turned to the GM and went off on how I shouldn't have been in the kitchen at all the day before, how all these random issues with my performance would come up and be correctly instantly and the next day there was something new, and I looked at the chef and said she's full of sh and she just didn't like me, and targeted me because of it.
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 35
    The GM of the restaurant then explains how yes, they were letting me go but they wanted to give me a severance for me leaving my last job to come to them as a consultant. I was actually surprised that's not a common thing in the kitchen at all and was a bit embarrassed because of it, and said so but that" it didn't change anything I meant or said"
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 36
    The GM caught me on the way out and said how he agreed with me, but he was required to listen to the chef as well. Less then 2 months later she turned her anger on the kid and fired him and 6 months later she was let go herself. I hired the kid at my current job before he moved back. home. I have been at my current kitchen for 3 years
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 37
    and I manage a Mobile kitchen that has two permanent spaces and work pop ups and concerts and such. I still hate her with all my heart, laziness has no place in a kitchen, the only great thing I can say about all the work I had to do there was I was jacked from literally lifting things by myself up
    via u/Chickenbrik
  • 38
    and down stairs from prep to kitchen. My arms and core never looked better.
    via u/Chickenbrik

    Some workplaces suffer from entertaining employees like that. For whatever reason, they'll watch as one bad apple spoils the bunch, which she clearly did in this case. Oh well, at least this person is on to bigger and better career aspirations! 

  • 39
    [deleted] I waited tables at a restaurant/bar and this dronk chick tried to chuck a hot fajitas skillet at me with no success. I then threw her drink right back at her and the guy she was next to. I kinda felt bad because the guy seemed nice, but sometimes there are casualties in war.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 40
    Team_Braniel I walked out of my best buy job because I was being written up for not promoting. a $60 bestbuy brand (insignia) cable that had a 100% fail rate. Apparently I got secret shopped and didn't recommend the cable which got me written up.
    via u/Team_Braniel
  • 41
    During the write up I | maintained that I knew the cable was faulty (we had sold 6, all 6 were returned and repackaged as "open item" on the same shelf, I had even talked to a regular who had bought and returned one) and didn't want to ruin my relationship with my regulars by promoting a broken product. They told me it wasn't my job to decide what was and
    via u/Team_Braniel
  • 42
    wasn't a good product, I was just to sell what they told me to sell. I asked if they wanted me to lie to the customers about the quality of the cable. They said no they can't tell me to do that. So I said, I would be happy to lie for them if that was their instructions.
    via u/Team_Braniel
  • 43
    They said no that isn't what they are saying, but if I didn't promote what they told me to, the cable, I would be fired. I told them that wouldn't be necessary as I quit and I walked out of the discipline. meeting and out the door of the store.
    via u/Team_Braniel
  • 44
    4EverA3Fan Wife was due with our first daughter. Company asked me to go on 2 week trip that overlapped due date. Told them it wasn't gonna work. for me. They then offered a single week trip that still overlapped and told me to choose one or the other. I chose to cut the umbilical cord.
    via u/4EverA3Fan
  • 45
    I'm sure they broke the law but it wasn't worth the fight. Had some cash put away and spent the next couple months changing diapers until i was ready to put my skillset back to work. Thank goodness I had the abilities that finding work wasn't hard.
    via u/4EverA3Fan
  • 46
    [deleted] got fired from Walmart because I went 5 minutes over without clocking out to take a lunch break. I had gotten in trouble for being ride to a customer. I worked electronics; a customer asked me a question and I pointed her in the right direction, but because she couldn't find what she was looking for (I
    via u/[deleted]
  • 47
    was tied to a register so I couldn't really walk around). The customer said some negative things as she left. and in return, I wished her a good goodbye. I got transferred to Furniture, across the aisle from electronics.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 48
    So one day, I'm building some desk or something. I get called to run a register upfront as I'm trained. When I get leave from the register, I have near zero time to clean up my mess made building such desk. I come in on my next shift and get fired.
    via u/[deleted]

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