When you walk into a new job, the last thing that’s on your mind is how you could be fired. Unless you’re an unruly employee who never listens to the rules, chances are you’ll be able to keep that job. Sometimes though, strange circumstances happen, and employees have to pay for them.

Other times, ridiculous things happen that are completely out of your control, and yet you still lose your job for it. It happens quite often, in fact. These people shared the most ridiculous ways they got fired on the internet. This just proves that life isn’t fair sometimes. Read these ridiculous – and somehow real – stories of the worst ways people were terminated below.

The Irresistible McNugget

There’s a reason people order dozens of McNuggets. They’re delicious and irresistible. This is especially true if you’re with a group of friends. One more McNugget isn’t going to hurt. This former McDonald’s employee found out that there can be one too many McNuggets the hard way. He abused his ability to indulge in McNuggets whenever he wanted. This is exactly what you’re not supposed to do, and to him, stuffing his mouth with McNuggets was worth more than keeping his job. By the looks of it, those McNuggets were worth getting fired for. He’ll probably never look at them the same way ever again (via Traveler Door).

A Shift They Weren’t Scheduled For

The whole point of making a work schedule is to tell people when they are required to come and not come to work. If you’re not on the schedule, you don’t show up to work. It’s that simple. By the looks of it, though, this person’s employer thought otherwise. When they weren’t on the schedule for the weekend, they didn’t go to work. But in the evening, they received a slew of text messages and calls from their manager asking why they weren’t at work. When they explained they weren’t on the schedule, the first manager was understanding, but the second was not. They were labeled as a “No Call No Show” and were fired for not calling and asking about the schedule, which is posted online. It sounds like this manager wanted someone to be angry at (via sophicpharaoh).

All That Training For Nothing

There’s a reason for retirement. People reach a certain age when we simply cannot work anymore. Our bones ache and our mind doesn’t work as fast as it used to. That’s why this Reddit user’s boss had his old employee train him. But after seven months of training, the boss decided to keep the old guy with over 30 years of experience and fire this Reddit user instead. He was fired because his boss wanted to keep the old guy, instead of keeping them both or giving this Reddit user more training. It’s ridiculous that the boss even went through all that trouble to train the new guy, and now this Reddit user had to start all over, but at least they got a big raise for it (via engineertr1gg).

Accidentally Showed Up

Sometimes, you make a mistake. This person did just that when they showed up to work for a shift they weren’t scheduled for. But not to make matters worse, they left the workplace when they found out they weren’t actually scheduled for that day. That sounds fair enough, yet apparently, their boss thought they should just go ahead and work the shift if they showed up. They didn’t, and were fired for leaving a shift they were never scheduled to work in the first place. This is a weird one (via Traveler Door).

A Nonexistent Argument

People often misremember things, and it seems they conveniently misremember things when they’re in an argument. This Reddit user’s boss claimed they “argued with the owner’s wife about working weekends,” even though that’s far from the truth. This Reddit user claimed they said they can work weekends, but can’t work with less than a day’s notice. For $8 an hour, it’s just not worth it to them. Next time, their boss needs to listen to their employees (via PhoenixQueenAzula).

Fired For Playing Solitaire

As a receptionist, having a 15-minute break is important. You want to soak in every moment you have, without worrying about how you’re spending it. During this person’s 15-minute break, they played solitaire. Sounds innocent enough. But the doctor didn’t like that and fired them as punishment. When he put that as the reason for their termination, they ended up getting unemployment benefits, even after he tried to appeal it. Luck was on this Reddit user’s side because the jury agreed the reason was incredibly stupid (via Elsa_the_Archer).

You Never Know Who’s Listening

Talking about people behind their backs is never a good idea. Neither is talking about work behind its back. This Twitter user found that out the hard way, especially when the disclaimer that phone calls are recorded is accurate. Even though their conversation was something to celebrate, their employer didn’t like to hear about a better job opportunity elsewhere. You rarely have a lot of privacy at work, so it’s always better to stick to using a personal phone or having an in-person conversation than using a company phone to celebrate good news. There’s a reason they say to keep your work and personal life separate (via Traveler Door).

The Office Dog

We understand having to stay focused at work. But it’s extremely difficult to stay focused when a cute dog is running around. Lauren was a little distracted at work when the company dog was prancing around, all cute and slobbery, while she was trying to stay focused. Who can stay focused with a dog, especially when that dog is way more interesting than your job? Even though having a dog at work is said to improve your life and lower stress levels, it can have the opposite effect on your focus levels. Lauren’s company fired her for being too loving and affectionate (via Traveler Door).

Too Many Carts

This Reddit user worked at a local library but was fired for using too many carts. Yes, you read that correctly. Instead of using one cart to collect books from the outside Dropbox, they used two, which violated the town’s ordinance. First, they were placed on paid administrative leave pending, and when they couldn’t keep a straight face to resolve the issue, they resigned. Who could keep a straight face in this kind of situation? Imagine sitting at a meeting, and having your boss complain you used two carts instead of one, and it cost you your job. They’re better off finding a job elsewhere, where they can use two carts to make their life easier (via dojijosu).

It Hit Too Close To Home

We try to make our lives easier, especially when it comes to working. No one wants to waste time doing something that could be done much faster. When this Reddit user brought their boxcutter to work, because their job refused to replace the box cutters they already had, they were fired because it looked like a knife. Did they think they were trying to use a weapon on their coworkers? One simple glance will show you the box cutter is, simply, a box cutter. Maybe they should get a new boxcutter instead of firing their responsible employee (via SkyfangR).

Not Being There

This person was truthful. Immediately after accepting a job offer, they were up front with their employer, and told them they needed a specific date off for their sister’s wedding. That’s an understandable excuse for missing a day of work, and they gave them plenty of notice beforehand. After going to their sister’s wedding, they came back to realize everything had gone haywire while they were gone. To top it all off, their name was on some of the changes in the document. They weren’t fired for missing work, they were fired for “not being there when they needed them.” You’d think an institution could handle their newest employees missing a day of work (via IowaTransplant21).

A Different Perspective

Taking a break during work is good for you. It helps you reset your energy, so you can better perform your tasks when you get back from your break. Without it, you may burn out, thus performing less than par. This employee asked for a work break after the restaurant rush was over. After her shift manager told her no, she said, “thanks a lot.” It sounds like an appropriate response. But her shift manager then tattled on her, and told her main manager she said to “f*ck off.” It was a lie, and because of it, she was fired. But there was light at the end of the tunnel when they worked at Jack in the Box and experienced the other side. They learned to treat their employees with respect and even became one of the top restaurants with the best employees in the region. It sounds like a little kindness does pay off (via scottwax).

Added Flavor, For Free

When you work at a restaurant, you have to be careful about hygiene. There’s a reason you need to keep your hair up and your hands clean. But you also need to keep track of your cuticles, because if you don’t, they may end up on someone’s ice cream. Understandably, this person was fired, even though the reason is hilarious. It’s gross to nearly bite into a big ice cream and then see someone else’s nail on the top. Honestly, that’s even worse than hair. Maybe this employee was trying to give them a free topping (via Traveler Door).

Once In A Lifetime

Some things in life only happen once. Serving Zac Efron is one of them. This employee had to weigh her options, she either misses the opportunity to get a signature from a celebrity or keeps her job. Honestly, there are tons of serving jobs out there, so she made the right choice. She now has a signature from a celebrity she’ll likely never see again. It was worth getting fired. That experience is way more memorable than the job, anyway. Good job, Anita. But we’re left with one question. Did she get the autograph? (via Traveler Door)

Eating Mayonnaise With Your Hand

Dipping your fingers in a jar of peanut butter or Nutella is disgusting but maybe a bit understandable. Honestly, it just tastes better, and they’re too irresistible not to. But mayonnaise? That’s intense. This Wendy’s employee was fired for sticking her entire hand into a jar of mayo and eating it. It’s gross, considering they use that mayo on burgers and people’s food. If it was in the comfort of her own home, it would be a different story. Restaurants need to keep up a certain level of cleanliness, and this just goes against all the rules. It makes sense why she got fired, considering she could have had the restaurant shut down (via Traveler Door).

Documented Proof

This is a sad story. Not only did this person’s father pass away, but they were fired from their job because they didn’t have permission from HR. To go a step further, their boss was also fired. This company had no compassion and needs to learn how to treat its employees. This person’s father passed away. They even had full proof that they were working for 8 hours per day while they were out of the office. It’s not like they skipped out on work and didn’t do anything for a week. They were working while also taking care of their sick father. They’re better off working for a company that has a bit of compassion for them (via papappie).

Deer Caught In The Headlights

We’ve all heard the saying, like a deer caught in headlights. Deers freeze in the middle of the road when you have your car’s headlights on them. This person froze when they were caught in the middle of a big lie. Kimberlee thought she could outsmart her bosses by bypassing the clock-in machine and claiming she forgot to clock in. Her plan, though devious, came to a halt when they showed the video evidence of her lie. It makes sense as to why they fired her, and if she had simply called in to work explaining why she was late, she might still have her job. The truth is always better than a lie (via Traveler Door).

Stick To Eating Corn

Corn farms are fun. You can munch on corn, wander through a corn maze, and enjoy a nice day outside. But working on a corn farm is different, especially if you’re a teenager who’s driving a tractor. We’re not sure why her bosses would give a teen a huge tractor to go, but they did it anyway. Instead of working, she ran over dozens of corn, destroying the field. There’s nothing you can do except accept the situation and hope your corn grows back quickly. She needs to stick to eating the corn, not trying to grow it (via Traveler Door).

The Five-Second Rule

Even though the five-second rule is a myth, since it takes less than a couple of seconds for tons of bacteria to get onto a dropped piece of food, it doesn’t mean people don’t abide by it. This employee dropped a piece of rock candy during work, and instead of wasting it and throwing it away, she ate it. We admire her bravery in eating a dirty piece of candy and not wasting it. But instead of receiving praise, she was reprimanded by her boss and then fired. She didn’t stick to the rules and regulations of the amusement park, which include top health and safety protocols. Next time, she needs to be sneakier (via Traveler Door).

Rounding Up

Handling money is important. When you’re a cashier, you have to be extra careful not to give back the wrong change. Your boss counts every cent, and at the end of your shift, you need to be as close to the number on the register as possible. If you’re not, you could be in serious trouble. This employee didn’t know the simple rules of change, and instead of giving exact change, she would round up. She needs to go back to math class. Hopefully, she learned a thing or two about addition and subtraction after this experience and didn’t cost her job too much money for her innocent mistakes (via Traveler Door).

Glee Before Money

In 2005, Glee was all the rage. Watching other people suffer through high school helped out own experiences and made us feel a little bit better about ourselves. To keep up with the drama, we had to make sure we were in front of the TV on a certain day and time to not miss anything. But we didn’t have Netflix or the internet to easily watch the shows we missed. Oh, the good old days. This employee put Glee before their job. They wanted to have off every Tuesday so they could keep up with their favorite TV show and watch it at the same time, every week. Now, in 2023, we can miss several shows or seasons and watch them on our own time. Back then, we didn’t have that privilege, so it makes sense why this person wanted to have off every Tuesday. But their employer wasn’t as understanding, and instead of giving them off every Tuesday, they fired them (via Traveler Door).

Magnetic Mistake

Who would put the schedule up using a bunch of magnets is beyond us. It allows for a huge margin of error. If one magnet falls off, it could cost someone their job. But this person knocked off the entire schedule and didn’t correspond with their boss to make sure everything was in the right place. Naturally, these people didn’t show up to their shift. This Reddit user, and possibly even more people, were fired not only because they didn’t show up, but because they didn’t know what their shifts were (via brumbles2814).

No Water

Water is a human need. Without it, we would die. When someone asks for water, our first reaction is to give them water. This boss thinks otherwise. When this Reddit user’s wife gave a high-level donor a bottle of water at an event, they were fired for insubordination. There was no water allowed at the event. We’re not sure why they made such a rule other than to be annoying. Are they trying to prove their dominance by not giving out water? This wife was doing the right thing and was punished for it. Hopefully, she found a better job where she’s allowed to drink a sip of water and give it out whenever she pleases (via RocketDocRyan).

Bye-Bye Oven Door

When you clean an oven, you need to take time to scrub off all the grit and grime inside. If you don’t, your oven can become full of grease that will burn every time you use it, affecting the flavor of your food. All sorts of accidents can happen when you’re cleaning an oven, so it’s important to take time to do it. Muffy didn’t understand how to clean an oven, which is understandable considering he was 16. So when he used the oven cleaner, he didn’t realize you had to clean it off, too. When the cook turned it on the next day to pre-heat it, the oven door blew off like a bomb. That’s one way to learn how to properly clean an oven since Muffy will never make that mistake again (via Traveler Door).

No Starbucks Allowed

When you’re working for one company, it makes sense not to bring a brand from another company to work. There’s a reason brands separate themselves from one another. It’s important not to support two brands that clash, otherwise it can cause some issues. Roger here brought a Starbucks cup with him to work at Dunkin Donuts. While there’s nothing wrong with sneakily drinking coffee from another company, shouldn’t you think twice about bringing that cup to work? What if the customers saw it? It makes sense as to why he was fired, though a second chance probably would have been a bit more compassionate. Maybe he left and sought out a job at Starbucks (via Traveler Door).

Leave Them In The Dust

Sometimes, getting fired from a job is the best thing that could happen to us. When you lose one job, you usually get another that’s better than the last, and so on. Michael’s boss fired him for giving away an innocent bowl of ice cream to a couple celebrating their anniversary. If that doesn’t call for a bowl of ice cream, we’re not sure what does. Michael didn’t let that experience bring him down, and he learned from his mistakes. Eventually, he became a tenured professor while his ex-manager held the same job at the same restaurant, 30 years later. Talk about success (via Traveler Door).

Thanks Mom

This Reddit user landed their first job as a dishwasher. It was such a remarkable feat in their lives, that their parents didn’t believe them. After celebrating the news with his mom, she called the restaurant to make sure they got the job. But that plan backfired because instead of continuing the celebration, this Reddit user lost their job. After all, the restaurant didn’t believe they were reliable. It does look bad. If your parents have to call and double-check if what you’re saying is true, then there’s something there (via Reddit).

School Over Jobs

Landing a new job is fun, especially if you have a set schedule and know when you’re expected to be at work. One month after this Reddit user landed a job at a movie theatre, their boss suddenly changed their schedule to 2 PM, even though they were in class until 3 PM. Class is more important than making money, but their boss didn’t think so. They were fired for their lack of communication, even though their boss is the one that changed the schedule (via Cmikesell).

Don’t Disturb The Cat

Rikmik here’s friend was fired because he was in a situation involving a sleeping feline. No one wants to disturb a cat, especially if it’s aggressive. But this person didn’t want to disturb the cat so badly, that they called in sick to work. At least they were truthful. They had to decide between their cat and the job, and they chose the cat. That cat’s not going to make you money, buddy. Next time, don’t let the cat fall asleep on you right before you have to go to work (via Traveler Door).

A Cinnabon Fib

This Twitter user believed they could fool their boss into thinking they were going to the bathroom when they were going to Cinnabon. Cinnabon must be around the corner because a bathroom break doesn’t typically take as long as getting a Cinnabon. Munching on a delicious Cinnabon was more important to her than her job. Someone decided to rat her out, and there was no way to explain herself when she came back from her ‘bathroom break’ with sugar around her mouth. Maybe she should’ve surprised her boss with a Cinnabon, she might still have her job (via Traveler Door).