'Firing someone in front of their mother': Employee refuses a meeting with manager after realizing she is getting fired, then decides to invite her mom as "support person"

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 28, 2026 12:00 PM EDT

We all lean on our parents, even as adults, but there are limits to where and when it is appropriate to have your mommy or daddy at your side, holding your hand.

If I could, I would truly have my mom beside me at every difficult thing I have to face. She would be there at doctors' appointments, in meetings at the bank, and sitting right there beside me every day at work. She gives me comfort, and she is genuinely the smartest person alive, so she can handle any situation thrown my way.

Unfortunately, I am a 28-year-old adult, and as much as I would love to have my mom helping me through the struggles of adulthood, I also know that it would have been insane if she were. I can't grow up and learn how to navigate through life if I lean on my mom every time there is a struggle coming my way. If I ever want to become a mom myself, that is the way things must go. 

So, instead of having my mom right there with me, I do what most normal adults do and call her at the end of every day to vent about my life and hear what she has to say. She still helps, I still learn, and people don't look at me like I'm crazy for dragging my mom with me everywhere I go.

The fact that the 33-year-old employee here wants to invite her mom to the meeting that will determine her fate in the company is as crazy as it sounds. She knows that she will probably get fired during that meeting, and she has been postponing it as much as possible by refusing to attend any meeting her manager keeps scheduling. Eventually, she had to agree to one, and since the company offers the option of bringing a "support person" to difficult meetings like these, this employee decided to bring her mom.

What is her mom going to do about her being terrible at her job? We'll wait and see…

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  • 01
    An employee and her mother in HR meeting.
    via Andrej Lišakov

    An employee and her mother in HR meeting.

    Subjects are models.

  • 02

    Firing someone in front of their mother.. my Monday is going to go down nicely.

    So I manage a team assistant. They have been with the business for almost 6 months.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 03
    Note I only became her manager 2 months ago, prior to this someone else was managing her.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 04
    We are coming up to the end of probation and I need to have the tough conversation with her that she is unfortunately not passing.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 05
    I was advised by HR to put the meeting in the diary yesterday for mid day.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 06
    So I set this up at and sent out the meeting invite at 8am for mid day so she has enough time to get a support person.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 07
    This grown woman declined the meeting. Emails me saying "I decline the meeting as I don't want to have this conversation".
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 08
    " I then went to her and asked if we could have a quick chat. She started YELLING at me no no no, that's not how it works" then got up and walked away and left the building even before I could say a word.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 09
    HR needed to get involved at this point and after about 20 minutes the employee returned to her desk and sent me another email telling me to reschedule together meeting.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 10
    The head of HR then went to the employee and asked to have a chat and she started yelling at the head of HR " I've made it perfectly clear I'm not having this meeting and I don't want to talk to you".
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 11
    Again stormed off very aggressively. We later agreed via message and email that we are happy to reschedule another meeting to Monday but we do need to have this conversation.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 12
    She is bringing her mother as a support person and I think it's just the strangest thing!
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 13
    Women in business meeting.
    via Andrej Lišakov

    Women in business meeting.

    Subjects are models.

  • 14
    She is 33 years old! I'm not looking forward to this a single bit! This is also my first time as a manager - really getting thrown in the deep end.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 15
    This is also in Australia! Not the US. Our policies are vastly different.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 16
    Nym-ph Can't you just email her that she's terminated?
    via Nym-ph
  • 17
    Froyo Apprehensive999 OP Unfortunately not, policy is we need to have the meeting.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 18
    Froyo Apprehensive999 OP She's delaying the meeting because she thinks given 4 hours notice is not enough time to get a support person onboard. Lucky I'm also an Executive assistant and took minutes with every meeting I had with her so I have receipts.
    via FroyoApprehensive999
  • 19
    fluffballmom Sounds like you may need a support person like security
    via fluffballmom
  • 20
    Froyo Apprehensive999 OP Yeah this girl isn't stable clearly. The head of HR is pretty fierce and we have security on call so it's going to be a very interesting start to the day.
    via FroyoApprehensive999

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getting fired boss workplace-stories employee fired hr manager job workplace company mom
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