The most ridiculous termination stories people shared online

From one-minute late to saving a life — some employers just don’t make sense

Most people expect to be fired for things like poor performance, misconduct, or maybe showing up to work in a pirate costume on a regular Tuesday. But what about getting fired for playing ping pong, giving a customer water, or — brace yourself — calling 911 during an actual emergency?

A viral Reddit thread has surfaced with some of the most absurd, mind-boggling reasons people have been let go, and let’s just say, if you think you’ve had a bad boss before, these stories might just change your perspective.

We combed through the responses and found some of the most ridiculous, unfair, and straight-up baffling terminations. Here’s what we found:

1. Fired for taking a break — that no one was allowed to have

One former McDonald’s employee recalled working a packed post-Christmas shift when they asked for their legally mandated break. The shift manager refused and, according to the worker, twisted their words to claim they had been disrespectful.

The next thing they knew, they were fired on the spot.

The silver lining? The employee quickly moved on, worked their way up through the food industry, and ended up as a general manager with some of the lowest turnover rates in their company.

A success story? Sure. But also a reminder that fast food managers wield terrifying amounts of power.

2. Fired for trying to save a life

In what can only be described as a failure of basic human decency, one call center employee was fired for calling 911 after a customer suffered a medical emergency on the phone.

The reasons?

• The call took too long.
• They used a nearby cubicle phone.
• They gave the 911 dispatcher the caller’s address — which was essential for sending help.

As you can imagine, the internet did not take this lightly, with one person sarcastically responding:

“Sorry for saving someone’s life, won’t happen again…?”

If you ever need a reminder of how disposable some companies see their workers, this might just be it.

3. Fired for not answering a work text… at a funeral

You’d think there would be some level of basic human understanding for employees dealing with grief, but not for one Redditor.

They were attending their grandfather’s funeral when their boss texted them — on their day off. They didn’t reply for 20 minutes and were promptly fired.

Someone online summed it up best:

“You dodged a bullet.”

And honestly? That’s putting it lightly.

4. Fired for choosing family over a shady car dealership

A worker at a questionable used car dealership (their words, not ours) was let go after leaving work to visit their uncle — who had just attempted suicide and specifically asked to see them at the hospital.

Their boss’s response?

• “Your job comes before family. If you leave, don’t come back.”

The employee, obviously, left.
The next morning? The boss called and asked why they weren’t at work.

The worker hung up — probably the best decision they made at that job.

5. Fired for giving a donor water

One art gallery employee was fired for the heinous crime of… handing a bottle of water to a high-level donor at a big event.

The boss had explicitly banned water from being served, but the donor asked, so the worker did the logical thing and found some. The next day, they were fired for “insubordination.”

To which the internet replied:

“Who serves dinner without water?”

Fair question.

6. Fired for playing solitaire on their break

One receptionist lost their job for playing a game of solitaire during their 15-minute break.

If that sounds extreme, it gets better: the clinic’s doctor put that as the official reason for termination in writing. The fired employee successfully claimed unemployment benefits because the state ruled that playing solitaire for 15 minutes is not actually a fireable offense.

If there’s a lesson here, it’s that some managers will make terrible decisions and then document them for legal review.

7. Fired for having pneumonia and not calling in personally

A teenage restaurant hostess was too sick to even speak after coming down with pneumonia. So, her mom called in on her behalf.

The boss called the next day — not to check on her, but to fire her. The reasoning?

• She shouldn’t have relied on her ‘mommy’ to call in for her.
• She had “blown off” a shift.

For reference, this worker was 15 years old.

The general consensus? She dodged a bullet — straight into a better job.

8. Fired for showing up to a shift they weren’t scheduled for

One worker arrived at their job only to find out they weren’t actually scheduled that day.

So, they left.

Later? They were fired.

For what, exactly? For leaving.

That’s it. That’s the whole story.

9. Fired for beating the boss’s son at ping pong

A new hire at a supposedly “family-oriented” company decided to relax and play some ping pong in the break area, as encouraged. The owner and his son walked in, and the son challenged the worker to a game.

The new guy won. Badly.

A few days later, he was fired for “not fitting the company culture.”

The internet had a theory:

“You were fired because they feared you might press charges. Throwing hard objects at someone = assault.”

It wouldn’t be the first time an office “perk” turned into a liability.

10. Fired for Sliding a Piece of Paper Back

An employee’s boss slid a piece of paper across the desk toward them.
So, they slid it back.

That’s it. That’s the whole story.

Five minutes later, they were fired for “aggressive behavior.”

11. Fired for Taking Too Many Days Off… to Attend Family Funerals

A worker at a pet store lost multiple family members in a three-month span—two uncles, an aunt, and a grandparent. They asked for time off to go to the funerals.

Their boss didn’t believe them, even when they offered to show death certificates.

They were fired for “taking too much time off.”

The joke’s on the employer, though. They tried to fight the worker’s unemployment claim—and lost.

12. Fired for Changing a Computer Theme

A worker adjusted their Windows theme to make it easier on their eyes.

Their boss fired them for “insubordination.”

Because nothing says good leadership like punishing someone for personalizing their desktop.

13. Fired for Saying They Kissed Their Girlfriend

A summer camp counselor was fired after a 6-year-old camper asked if he had a girlfriend.

He answered yes. The kid asked if they ever kissed. Again, he answered yes—in a joking, exaggerated “eww, gross” way that got a laugh.

That night, the child’s mother demanded he be fired for “teaching her son about sex.”

He was 13 years old at the time.

14. Fired for Not Attending a Last-Minute Meeting… the Night Before Thanksgiving

A private school teacher was fired after a newly hired supervisor scheduled an after-hours meeting on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.

One teacher didn’t attend. The next day? Fired.

When that same supervisor was finally let go, the school’s owner admitted they were facing four lawsuits for wrongful termination.

15. Fired for Being Too Friendly to Customers

A McDonald’s employee liked to ask customers how their day was going—you know, basic human interaction.

Not everyone appreciated the effort. Some customers complained to corporate that it was “invasive.”

The worker was fired. For being polite.

16. Fired for Taking TWO Carts Instead of One

A library worker was placed on paid administrative leave and told to appear before a town library board inquiry—over the number of carts they used to collect books.

They had brought two carts to the book drop instead of one, thinking it would save time. Apparently, how many carts could be used was a matter of local ordinance.

Rather than sit through an official library board hearing, the worker resigned—because how do you even take that seriously?

17. Fired for Not Psychic-Checking Their Schedule

A worker checked the new weekly schedule on Wednesday—it said they had Thursday and Friday off.

When they arrived on Saturday for their shift, they were fired for not showing up on Friday.

Why? The manager had changed the schedule Friday morning without telling them.

Their reasoning? “It’s your responsibility to know about schedule changes.”

How? No one knows.

18. Fired for Pointing Out Wage Theft

A worker reminded their employer that they hadn’t been paid for several hours of overtime.

Their employer fired them immediately.

As one commenter pointed out:

“Wage theft is the largest source of theft in the U.S. If you steal $100 from your boss, it’s a criminal case. If they steal $100 from you, it’s a civil case.”

Nothing like a little corporate crime to round out the list.

Final thoughts: Sometimes, it’s not you — it’s them

If there’s one thing this list proves, it’s that sometimes, being fired is a blessing in disguise.

These former employees walked away from toxic work environments, even if they didn’t have a choice at the time. Many of them landed better jobs, got unemployment benefits, or simply got out of a bad situation.

And if you’ve ever been fired unfairly, just remember — somewhere out there, someone lost their job because they played ping pong too well.

Photo credits: Stock