Hearing words such as 'You are Fired" is never pleasant, but we assure you that in the following stories, these dismissals were truly for the best. It ranges from astonishing acts of sabotage to dangerous situations involving drownings, and even inappropriate behavior during work hours.
Whether it be an employee caught red-handed in a dangerous act or someone misusing company time in the most shocking way, these tales illustrate why letting these individuals go was the right decision. One thing that is common throughout all these stories are the conclusions are undeniably satisfying.
1. Hey hello there, Sleepyhead!
I usually give my team at work freedom in how they perform their tasks and like to stay away from micro-managing them. Nonetheless when a new temp-to-hire employee was significantly absent from his desk often, I decided to look into it. So I decided to use my administrative access to sign up on his computer to see what he was up to.
What I discovered then was quite unexpected. I found an email where he confessed to a friend that he naps in his car parked in the basement, away from everyone else's eyes. The following day, I went to the basement and discovered him asleep in his car. I banged on the window and asked for his door keycard. His surprising expression was much like a child who was caught misbehaving and it was clear he knew he had been caught.
2. A Temporary Bye
Back in the 2000s, I used to manage a call center and we used to dial numbers manually from paper listings. This guy on time who was new could not even convince anybody to take a survey so we decided to observe his calls. During his first attempt, he had an answering machine but when he was on a call during his second time, a real person picked the call and said, "Hello?" and to my surprise, my team member muttered back, "I know where you live, you spineless jerk!" I couldn't believe my ears.
From all the calls this man made, I happened to hear this one. Immediately I called him in my office and said, "Buddy, you cannot work here anymore." When he asked me why, I said, "Because you told someone, 'I know where you live, you spineless jerk'". His reaction was hilarious.
3. A Real Mystery…
I had once hired an overly self-satisfied young man from a competitive group of economics graduates. Despite his great education and support from parents, he was quick to raise concerns by bragging to his former employer during his first week. After 6 months, he proved to be self-centered and started showing poor work and complained regarding basic tasks.
He also made the mistake of belittling me in company emails, which my assistant frequently found. One important email criticized my character, discussed my salary, and mocked my supposed love for my Porsche, while I actually drove an old Toyota Corolla. During his performance review, just before his planned vacation, I showed him the emails he had accidentally left on the printer, wished him a good trip, and told him not to return.
4. Looking After The Business
I once hired a very overconfident guy for my yogurt shop, despite his lack of intelligence. I only scheduled him when I was present to manage things. One day, after his shift, his friends came by with fully punched loyalty cards, which meant I had to give them free orders—my first issue.
Next time when I stepped out, he was supposed to be working, but the cash register showed no transactions for an hour, indicating theft—my second problem. To address this, I flattered his ego, suggesting it was time for him to be "Vice President." His eyes lit up until I clarified he was now the "Vice President of trash removal," tasked with replacing trash bags and cleaning the parking lot, and would only need to work an hour a week. The look on his face was priceless.
5. Swim For Your Life
At the summer camp where I was the lead lifeguard, a new employee falsely claimed to be a certified lifeguard, which was shocking since the rest of us had been working together for a while. He struggled with swimming and lacked basic lifeguard skills. During training, he nearly drowned me with a chokehold, forcing me to hit him to break free.
When a real emergency situation came up—a child was drowning—he did nothing while a startled lifeguard apprentice jumped in but got pulled under by the panicking child. My colleague and I quickly dove in fully clothed to rescue both the apprentice and the child. The new guy’s nonchalant excuse, "Oh sorry, I got high off some stuff earlier," led me to dismiss him on the spot. I had him gather his things and wait by the roadside while I notified my supervisor and the police, who took him into custody.
6. Completely Out Of The Mind
When I once witnessed an employee aggressively pushing his girlfriend against the wall in our breakroom and I loudly said, "That's not acceptable, man!" He reverted back saying it was none of my concern. Sad for him, I was his superior at work which is why I made it very much my concern.
After some threats were exchanged, I took his girlfriend into an office which was secure and called the cops. I also tried to de-escalate the situation until the authorities arrived. At the same time, he flung his shirt at me, challenging me to a fight outside before storming off.
He wasn't unaware as the cops were waiting outside and was immediately arrested as soon as he stepped out. He was also handcuffed so I told him, "Just so you know, you are being dismissed and you shall receive your check through the mail." He was sobbing in the backseat of the police car while his girlfriend was being questioned.
It was a sight to witness where we were on the top of the hill and he had outstanding warrants, so it was an unexpected bonus for the authorities. In case anyone's curious, the couple, as far as I know, are still together.
7. I Have Got Your Back
When I was 23 years old, I found myself managing a person who was significantly older than me for the first time. The man was a 40 year old youth pastor who had a bit of cleaning experience so I thought to myself to discover a hidden gem. Our initial conversations were promising as I guided him through the job. He also seemed to have an attitude when I showed him a specific process.
By the end of the first morning, I asked him about a certain part of the task, to which he replied sarcastically, "You know I wasn't born yesterday, man."
I did not expect that response and when I checked it turns out that he had not completed the task. When he sat on the phone during the last bit of the morning, he did not help me and that made me feel disheartened for his lack of teamwork and basic courteousness, considering I had been nothing but polite to him.
While taking out the trash, I asked him about his job experience, and he blamed me for his issues at work, citing my mannerisms. Annoyed and feeling disrespected, I challenged him to specify my flaws, which he claimed were my rudeness and lack of basic courtesy like "please" and "thank you." I found his complaints surprising, which only frustrated him more.
The next day, I informed my boss, who then decided to terminate his employment. This led to a harsh email from the ex-employee accusing me of poor management and suggesting my boss had alcohol issues, a sensitive topic given my boss's past struggles. Ultimately, that was the last we heard from him. The incident strengthened my relationship with my boss, resulting in more trust, a promotion, and a raise. Now, I enjoy my new part-time "counseling position," often acting as my boss's sounding board.
8. Plot Twist
There was a guy I let go for a very good reason. I felt and told him that he was clearly too talented to work under me and he should have a kitchen of his own that he could head. He also picked up a new job and later ended up expressing his gratitude to me.
9. A Special Package
I used to work at a pizza place in a university town with a delivery guy we called "Runner Derrick," while our boss was also named Derrick. The runner Derrick also had a small discreet side hustle that most of us in the kitchen knew off.
One day, one day another delivery driver called the shop and mistakenly asked Boss Derrick, "Got any stash left?"
Boss Derrick hung up and later fired Runner Derrick. Despite the situation, Runner Derrick was well-liked, and news of the incident spread quickly. The other driver also got fired, but his exit did not generate as much buzz. This drama became a legendary story at the pizza joint for years to come.
10. A Very Dirty Work
Three years back, a month prior before selling my chain of dry cleaners, I had gone undercover as a part-time trainee to gather insights. We kept the sale confidential and I was surprised by what I uncovered.
On my first day, I shadowed a delivery driver who discreetly added an extra $20 to the company credit card for his personal fuel. While training with the store manager, I discovered she used coupons on cash orders to pocket an extra $10 an hour.
At the production facility, I got to know that the production manager was neglecting essential maintenance, merely checking off tasks while replacing expensive filters unnecessarily. On the final handover day, I introduced myself to the staff and, when I reached the three dishonest employees, bluntly told them, "You're fired," leaving them in shock.
11. Ambivalent Feelings
In my narrative of the stories I simply put it out saying, "Glad to see you again! But, you're dismissed" when my employee missed work for four consecutive days without any notice."
12. A Dispute!
It turns out that my assistant manager had serious substance abuse problems and stole money from the cash registers habitually and used it when he was on the job. But that is not it, one morning she was part of a hit-and-run at 4 in the morning, and came straight to work afterward.
During the lunch hour, the cops showed up and handcuffed her while escorting her out. She tried her best to convince another staff member to cover for her and tell me she was unwell if I asked. Thankfully, instead of lying, this employee called me.
I came to work as soon as possible and let the employee go home early while me and the HR thought about what to do next. And guess what? She scratched up my car as she was being led out, revengefully . When she returned for her next shift, it felt really good to tell her, "You've lost your job."
13. 14That Escalated Quickly
I once ran a T-shirt shop and there was a returning employee who was upset about not being granted seniority after a long absence. One busy evening, I didn’t have time to tag the last batch of shirts, so I left her a note to finish the task as part of her duties. The next day, she replied with a lengthy text threatening physical harming if I left work unfinished for her again.
She claimed she wasn’t obligated to cover for me and accused me of unfair treatment, saying the extra minutes spent tagging disrupted her rhythm. Normally, this behavior would warrant a disciplinary report, but given her history of aggression, I decided to end her employment. I called her and simply said, "Hi S, I’ve forwarded your text to our boss. You won’t have to worry about this job anymore. You’re dismissed." I felt an immense sense of relief.
14. The Prequel Of: Up In The Air
In 2003, I was asked to go to an unfamiliar city to lay off an existing team and recruit a new one, all for $20 an hour. I had never met the employees I was firing and felt awful about it—especially when one woman broke down in tears, fearing eviction. Even though it was not my fault, the guilt weighed heavily on me, and I never wanted to experience that again.
Unlike George Clooney's character in the movie 'Up in the air,' I was not trained for such tasks; I was good at hiring and training but completely unprepared for dismissals.
I only learned about this responsibility after my flight was booked, making it feel like a trick. To make matters worse, at just 20 years old, I couldn’t even rent a car. Imagine being at work and seeing a young person arrive in a taxi only to announce that your job is gone—that's a nightmare scenario.
15. You Deserve A Break Today
During high school days, I used to work at a retail store and do overtime which later became a position of an evening/weekend supervisor. I was entrusted with the power to dismiss employees, but only for a very serious reason. Once my co-worker who was my age was caught spending her break time with boyfriend repeatedly, and these breaks often exceeded the allotted 15 minutes.
It came to such a boiling point when she had her boyfriend call in sick for her, and it was quite evident they were preoccupied with each other. I ensured to tell him, "Engaging in personal activities does not count as a reason for taking a sick leave. If she cannot arrange for a replacement or come to work, I will have no choice but to let her go."
16. That One Was Too Easy
I found a staff member who made non-legal transactions on-duty at my internet café. So, I decided to address it with the help of my evening shift person. He took her place behind the counter, when I called her outside for a chat.
She was concerned who would be managing the cash register to which I reassured her that my evening shift worker was in control. I approached her with a question, asking if I could purchase an ounce from her. Her response was to wait while she fetched it.
I had to stop her mid-way and told, "Never mind actually." and she seemed to be perplexed and I grinned when I realized she just accused herself and I broke the news to her: "You're no longer employed here.
17. But Steadily
One of the most fulfilling moments I have had was "You are no longer employed here" involving a worker who was with our family business for almost 4 years. But for 3 years out of 4, this individual had been secretly stealing money from us.
We spent a day or two figuring out what to do and in the meantime, he stole so much money to cross into serious grand theft territory. We eventually recouped all our lost money, however he still has a criminal record to this day.
18. Right Timing Is Everything
One of my team members was struggling with substance abuse. He assumed he could steal goods and sell them behind our building, stealthily. I considered about 6 different security tapes and one point is that he is sure that he is snorting something from a storage room box before collapsing for about fifteen minutes.
From that point, his dismissal was assured. I informed him about his termination just when the cops were handcuffing him which looked like a scenario apt for Hollywood. The silver lining to this situation was I received a pay bump and an award for uncovering our internal theft problem.
19. Bonus Points
I work at a home for vulnerable kids and once discovered the person in charge in a compromising situation with a teenager. I ordered him to leave and prepare for legal consequences, but the facility attempted to cover it up. Refusing to let it slide, I reported the incident to Child Protective Services and two other agencies, filing complaints against both the employee and the facility owners. Essentially, I held them accountable multiple times.
20. Doing Damage Control
Once, I worked as a store manager at Journeys which is a shoe shop located in the mall. Whenever I had to fire young employees who were in their teens or early 20s, I was quite straightforward. I began to explain to them that I had been in their shoes earlier and I have been fired in the past so I know what went in their mind when they were fired.
"You might tell your friends and family a different story, maybe tell that there was a mix-up, or that I am a difficult person, or whatever helps to let you off the hook," I would say.
Then they would get a reality check. "However, I want you to understand, exactly as I had to comprehend when I was fired, that the sole reason you lost this job was because of your actions."
21. Shoulder Straps And Belts
When there was a time I had to fire an employee, she broke down in tears. Even though she received multiple verbal and written warnings, she continued to point fingers at everybody but herself. She went so far to an extent that she accused me of improper conduct and harassment.
Thank god, the head of security was near the door of the meeting room during the entire conversation. Above all, I was happy that the room's security camera was running during our discussion.
It is sad but the actual reason by our workplace persists on having female management members around when a male is terminating a female employee's contract and other way round too. The accusations still had to be properly looked into, but it didn't take too much time. I wholeheartedly recommend every business implementing a similar policy.
22. Greetings Like Hello And Goodbye
My father shared a story about a lady from his workplace who was frequently late. She came late thrice during her first week and arrived at work an hour late. During the third occasion, he asked her about her unpunctuality to which she responded by blaming heavy traffic from her hometown. It is fascinating that she wasn't aware that we lived in the same town as well.
So my father said, "That's strange I live there too but I had no trouble getting to work this morning". By the end of the day, she found herself packing her personal belongings into a box and heading home for good.
23. Getting Paid To What…?
Few years back when I was in charge of the security team at NASCAR's camping area during one instance. After failing to reach a new member of my team through radios despite multiple attempts, I realized that he had dozed off. His assigned post was an isolated spot where he was to remain in his car throughout.
I thought it would be a great teachable moment and a bit of humor, so I decided to sneak up to his car to startle him awake. When I got close to his care, I was still struck, as he was on his phone, still busy. He saw me with my expression of shock and embarrassment on his face.
I immediately told him, "Head back to base, drop off your radio and get yourself home—and make sure you keep BOTH of your hands on the wheel." I felt it was the right thing to do here because earlier I had never wanted to let anyone go.
24. Come, Meet Your New Boss…
This incident occurred during my initial week when I was working as a manager at my new job. One of the staff members mistook me to be an intern and started talking about his frustration towards management and he was unaware that he was actually talking about me. He proudly spoke about his habit of dozing off during work hours.
Once he got so busy and focused while playing World Of Warcraft during his break on his laptop so out of curiosity I asked him if he ever got into any trouble for that at work and he said that it was not only a game but he was also watching inappropriate films on his laptop.
To prove what he was talking about, he switched his screen to show me that he wasn't lying and asked me to stay cool and not report him to the new boss and described that boss in less than flattering terms. It was then that I revealed my identity—that I was, in fact, the new department manager he was referring to.
I informed him on the spot that he was fired and promptly reported the issue to Human Resources.
25. Fill ’Er Up!
I heard this story from a boss I admired. The main character was a nightmare, particularly around women, and had a knack for making enemies. He secured a driving role on a well-funded film despite my friend's reluctance to hire him. Midway through production, my friend asked him to refuel a vehicle, but he mishandled it at the gas station. The diesel tank cover was missing, replaced with a cheap label that said "fuel."
Ignoring the mismatched pump, he mistakenly filled the diesel car with regular gasoline, causing significant engine damage. When confronted, instead of admitting his mistake, he acted arrogantly, cursed everyone, and tried to blame my friend. Unsurprisingly, he was fired on the spot.
26. The Best Movie Ever
As the cinema manager, it’s my duty to ensure our security cameras cover all critical areas. I had a team member who constantly argued with me and resisted my instructions, so I needed a valid reason to fire him. One day, after assigning him a task, my deputy manager informed me that he had made an inappropriate gesture behind my back.
I reviewed the footage and called him into my office. After showing him the video, I let him go. It felt great to remove someone who caused so much trouble; I was genuinely relieved to see him go.
27. To A T/Done Till Perfection
At the restaurant I worked at, I played a huge role in my boss losing his job. My duties included managing uniforms and retail shirts for sale but one day I noticed that all the retail shirts went missing. Upon asking my boss, he casually claimed that he had given them to the staff so I did not ask further.
The very next day, he yelled at me for checking my emails through the work computer which made me doubtful that he was trying to find reasons to fire me. I asked my coworkers about the shirts, and when they hadn’t received any, I reviewed the security footage and saw him leaving with a large garbage bag. I contacted our district manager and, while checking eBay out of curiosity, found someone selling our retail shirts.
I confirmed the invoice matched the number of shirts listed and informed the district manager. Next day, when I came in early the next day when he made a request, my boss looked worried. As proof, he had to admit his wrongdoing and was promptly fired.
28. A Not-So-Healthy Work Environment
About a year ago, my health club company acquired another chain, and I was assigned to revamp the new location. Shortly after taking over, a member photographed my front desk employee on her phone, prompting my boss to demand I “fix this.” As it was my first management role, I knew I had to show I could make tough decisions. When I spoke to her, she explained she was trying to arrange a ride for her child due to a broken-down car. Feeling sympathetic, especially after she shared her financial struggles, I hesitated to act on my boss’s orders. Ultimately, I fired her but helped her secure a higher-paying job at a friend's restaurant.
29. To Get A Way With Words
I worked as a night manager at a Subway and that did not involve me having as much work still I had the authority to fire staff if their behavior was warranted. There was this one girl whose hygiene habits were far from being acceptable. She would usually show up looking scruffy and smelling terribly, as if she just had a tussle with a deer.
She was disappointed and made the customer so upset that it left them in tears. Unfortunately, it became my golden opportunity so I told her, 'Unfortunately, we can't continue to employ you. Please exit the premises and we will forward your final paycheck by week's weekend.'
To my surprise, she was really chilled about the whole situation.
30. Nepo(ish) Baby
My story starts on a low-budget horror film set where I was volunteering in the art department, hoping for my first paid role. Despite the turnover of temporary staff, I stayed, until a new guy joined us on the first day of filming. He easily united the team due to his father's connection with the producer.
Even though we weren't friends, I worked with him, aware of his loud personality and unsolicited opinions, so I kept quiet about him. Two weeks in, a department lead asked for my thoughts on him. I briefly wondered what he might have said about me but assured them we got along.
A few days later, the lead revealed the new guy had criticized our visual effects, and I reiterated that everything was fine, though the lead expressed doubt, saying, "I think he treats you like a complete fool." It turned out this bothersome colleague had upset several key crew members, and by Monday, I learned he had been reassigned to the film's "viral marketing" team.
