Contractor quits job without any notice after manager publicly boasts about being able to fire contractors without repercussions: ‘Thanks for everything, this is my last day!’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Sep 21, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

There is a lot of awkwardness during the period of time when you know  you are about to get fired, but there is still bureaucracy to follow that makes the entire process last several days.

What do you say to your coworkers? How do you act around your boss? When do you gather up your things and clear out your desk?

However, having those few days to adjust to a new normal is a whole lot better than the alternative–getting fired on the spot and without any notice. How awkward is it to go to work one day, thinking everything is great, only to have your entire world flipped upside down as you leave a few hours later, saying a final goodbye to your shocked coworkers while holding a box of your things?

Apparently, if you work with a company like the one below, in order to have the security of the first option, you must not work there as a contractor. If you do, the manager will have no problem firing you without notice. But at least you will also have no problem quitting without notice, just like the contractor in the story below did…

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  • 01
    Man leaving office with a box of his belongings, looking back at the other employees
    via mixetto

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    My contractor coworker quit with 10 seconds notice after what our manager said about contractors

    I worked an engineering contract for a while. They were pretty open ended, like a lot were, with a vague (but not binding) length specified.
    via BigMax
  • 03
    Kind of like: "This contract is expected to be for 12 months, but it is at will of the employer, and could end earlier or be extended further." But for those that do that kind of work, *usually* they stick to the vague timelines, and a lot of well performing contractors get extended.
    via BigMax
  • 04
    Anyway... one day our team of 10 (all contractors, managed by one full time employee) let 3 of the contractors go.
    via BigMax
  • 05
    (And they had ME do it!!! Technically I was running that team, but... I was a contractor too, and not in charge of any firing like that.) So they were told "this is your last day" at 4pm.
    via BigMax
  • 06
    Me and another contractor asked our sponsor "hey - how come we didn't give those guys any notice?" He said brightly **"that's why we hire contractors!
    via BigMax
  • 07
    So we can cut them loose at a moments notice whenever we want to!" We didn't love that answer.
    via BigMax
  • 08
    Also it was a - weird thing to say to two other contractors... He basically told us we'd get no notice and be let go instantly someday.
    via BigMax
  • 09
    Anyway, long story short, that other contractor was a VERY sharp guy. He started interviewing, and got another job.
    via BigMax
  • 10
    He told me about it (and I didn't tell anyone else). It started in a few weeks.
    via BigMax
  • 11
    He just kept right on working the contract job, and was right in the middle of a bunch of work that only he understood.
    via BigMax
  • 12
    At 5pm on his last day he just stood up, grabbed his laptop/mouse/docking- station, walked to our sponsors desk and set them down.
    via BigMax
  • 13
    He just said brightly "hey, thanks for everything, this is my last day!" The guy said "wait, you're leaving?" and he just said "yes, thanks!" and walked out.
    via BigMax
  • 14
    That was it. (He did also hit 'send' on a more official 'last day' email at the same time too.) It was really funny, his work was half done, he didn't answer any calls or questions about it, and it took us like a month to figure it all out and get that project back on track.
    via BigMax
  • 15
    If the sponsor hadn't been SO delighted about being able to fire contractors at any second, that guy would definitely have given a nice two week notice and worked to have a smooth handoff of his work.
    via BigMax
  • 16
    notpostingmyrealname Contractors have very specific rules to be classified that way, and it sounds like they're not being properly followed. It might be worth calling the Dept of Labor on them or the IRS.
    via notpostingmyrealname
  • 17
    A person holding a brown briefcase on a sidewalk
    via Mathias Reding

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 18
    OP BigMax I don't think it's illegal really. That company really did bring them in on a project-by-project basis. So they'd bring you in, say "we think this will take about 6 months" and you knew that you'd be cut loose at, or near the end of the project. There's nothing *illegal* about ending a contract according to the terms in that contract. It's still a d <move though. There's no reason we couldn't give them a few weeks notice, let them keep working a few weeks and get a jump on the job sear
    via BigMax
  • 19
    high_on_meh I was a contractor in software/IT a few decades ago here in Oregon. The manager was being kind of a about it, but yes being able to let go of contractors is exactly why companies hired contractors. Intel could have a poor quarter (for back then) and let 20% of the work force go and not have to announce layoffs. It's a balance sheet thing. Of course, the primary advantage we got as contractors was that we made 25-30% **more** than full-time direct hires. But nowadays I'd wager being a
    via high_on_meh
  • 20
    OP BigMax Yeah, and contractors know the deal, so that's ok. We all know contractors are hired so that companies can more easily staff up or down as needed. It's just that ending a contract so abruptly is poor form. Most places I've been usually it's known like "oh, yeah, your 12 month contract is up next month, and we won't be extending." Or "ok, your contract is up, we'd like to extend just one more month if you can." Or whatever. This was the only place where it was "your contract is up THIS
    via BigMax
  • 21
    Free-Pound-6139 Why is it funny? This is the way it works for contractors. You can leave they can ask you to leave. So???
    via Free-Pound-6139
  • 22
    OP BigMax Sure, you CAN leave at any point. And they CAN end your contract at any point. But people are usually civil and kind, and show *some* respect for each other. Every other time I've worked with contractors, we'll have some general end date, and tell them "hey, your contract is up in 6 weeks, and we're all set for work now, so we won't renew it." And they say "ok, no problem." Or on the flip side, they will say "hey, I just got another job, but I can work another few weeks if you like to
    via BigMax
  • 23
    Working_Guidance8577 Respect runs both ways. Employers fail to understand this as often as employees
    via Working_Guidance8577
  • 24
    6poundpuppy Good for that dude. He handled that like the pro that he is. I love that it took a month to get back on track Lol!!!
    via 6poundpuppy
  • 25
    Mental_Newspaper3812 This is why *contractors* need *contracts*
    via Mental_Newspaper3812

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boss workplace-stories employee fired manager job tales-from-the-workplace reddit story petty revenge overworked-employees workplace Reddit company contractor funny quitting
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