1

I refused to lie under oath in a deposition.

2

Was supposed to send a rejection letter after a failed job interview to someone I knew, but waited a few days so he could have a good weekend.

3

I took a coffee mug home from the office kitchen on a Friday. Got a call from HR on Saturday asking me to come in for an emergency meeting and was fired on the spot. Turns out I was seen by security walking out with company property, the "coffee mug" from the office kitchen. Later I was able to prove it was my personal mug and was offered my job back but I declined to return.

4

Walmart. 2009. I was on my cell phone. In the break room. On my lunch break.

5

I got fired once for having emergency gall bladder surgery. We had a phone deposition with HR and the Unemployment Judge. After they explained when I was fired, the Judge asked them why they didn't offer me FMLA. They said "he didn't ask." The Judge said "it's your job to offer him FMLA. You're lucky he didn't sue you. Unemployment approved."

6

Requesting to have my desk moved after the person who sat behind me shot me with a pellet gun.

7

I was 91 days away from qualifying for pension through my work, and was fired with 90 days severance so they wouldn't have to pay.

8

Not being available to work during my approved vacation.

9

Got fired for being "too efficient." Apparently, finishing my tasks quickly made my boss look bad.

10

A coworker saw me injecting myself in the stomach with insulin and fired me for injecting drugs while at work.

11

My hair. I’m a white woman with very curly, big, blond, natural hair. I straightened it for the interview. First day of work I showed up with my natural hair. I understand that this can be considered a “bait and switch” to some, but please remember that straightening my hair every day is very damaging. The owner and lawyer I was working with instantly grimaced at my hair, and commented on it telling me to get it under control. The next day I put it in a bun and pinned it back. I showed up to work and she gave a look of disgust at my hair and told me it was fine. Then, the next morning, I was fired. I can only ascertain the reason.

12

I got fired for reporting the daycare I worked at to the state for blatant violations, and providing photo evidence. That facility got shut down shortly after.

13

I was "too eager to prove myself." I'm a classically trained woodworker, did three years of shop class in high school, and a full year of college after that. Worked as a custom woodworker for a year, and a custom cabinet maker for three. And they wanted me to wait so they could train me how to laminate boards together. Didn't even need to be flush as they flatten them on a cnc afterwards.

14

While working in the produce section of a grocery store in Iowa, someone heard me talking about stocking cherries, which in their mind was STALKING CHERRIES, (virgins), and the next thing I knew me and the produce manager were outside and he offered me a ride home because my parents were working. I walked home and randomly someone threw a McDonald's cheeseburger at me and hit me in the back of my leg. Weird day.

15

Got fired for having pneumonia.

16

I'm pretty sure I was fired as a witness to spousal abuse. I was groundskeeping for a wealthy local business owner. Not so local really, I think the products are available nationwide in every box store. Anyhow, one day I was outside sweeping buckeyes from the driveway when the husband came screeching into the driveway, stormed inside, and started yelling and screaming while slamming doors and cabinets. There was a muffled argument, then silence, and a while later the wife came outside crying with a paycheck and told me I was being let go. It was a cash gig so there wasn't any recourse but I'm pretty sure that's what happened.

17

18

Getting to work six minutes late. There was an accident on the freeway and they said that was not a valid excuse. I happily signed the paperwork and walked out with a smile. The manager asked why I was not upset. All I said was “why should I be? You’re losing your best asset.” He laughed and said I was always too confident. The business went bankrupt and shut down just a few months after that. It was a coincidence because I wasn’t that good of an employee.

19

I worked in logistics. We were the overnight crew who basically took care of all the backorder stuff. There were three other young women besides myself. Our boss was a young gentleman.

Every weekend they would go out drinking and partying together. I politely declined. After a couple of months of this, my boss approached me directly and pretty much tried to strong arm me into going and tried to belittle me and degrade me for wanting to just go home after work. Long story short I found out all three of the other women weren't just partying with him. They were hooking up with him. And he wanted me to do the same. I refused and left quickly. I did not yell at him or anything else. I was going to report him in the morning but HR wasn't open at the time.

I got a call at 8:00 a.m. that morning saying that my services were no longer needed and not to bother coming in anymore.

20

Worked at a bar and got fired for not IDing a clearly 60-year-old woman for a glass of wine during a holiday evening rush by myself.

21

Was planning to go straight from work to camping on a Friday so I had my truck all packed up. Boss saw my sealed bottle of whiskey in the front seat and canned me over it for having alcohol at work. He had a grudge for some reason.

22

I watched all of Dwayne Wade’s legendary Game 5 of the 2006 NBA finals from the bathroom. Fired, but it was worth it.