I had turned the phone-ringer down, way down, because it was annoying when the phone rang. Whatever the reason for a call to my department (event-planning for the hotel), it couldn’t be that important, could it? I didn’t get away with that hands-off approach for long, however. Soon, I was asked if my phone was working.
“Wow, yeah, that’s weird.” I sounded somewhat sincere. “I must’ve turned the ringer down by mistake or something. Or maybe there’s something wrong with the phone?” My co-worker frowned and shrugged after she readjusted the ringer volume on my phone for me, and then returned to her office. I wondered what prompted her to come out to my desk in the reception area and check my phone. Perhaps she called me and I didn’t answer, or perhaps someone tried to reach her through my line and couldn’t get through.
Although I was the department’s administrative assistant and answering the phone was in my job description, there was always something else more important going on that required my full attention. For example, that morning, I had to figure out why my login credentials to the hotel’s file-system weren’t working, though I typed in my username and password with care. After several tries, I picked up the phone and called IT.
While I dialed, I wondered if anyone in the office had noticed my tardiness that morning. In my defense, I was a new college grad and was having difficulty motivating myself to get out the door on time for a 45-minute drive to a job that did not pay the bills. That morning, I’d slipped in the office door and got behind my desk without encountering anyone, and I planned to act like I had been there the whole time. But I wondered, where was everyone?
The IT guy said that he would look into my login troubles and get back to me. I hung up as one of my supervisors appeared from her office, and asked me to follow her back. I followed and sat in a chair opposite her desk. What happened next, happened in a blur. There would be no second chances — I was fired, effective immediately, and she, as my supervisor, would escort me from the building. The escort was company policy and I could not refuse it. In a daze, I picked up my things from my desk and, with my supervisor at my side, walked to my car. My supervisor escorted me into my car, not just as far as the hotel’s back doors, and not just as far as the parking lot. My supervisor watched me unlock my car and get in, then said goodbye with a sympathetic smile as she shut my car door.
The reason why I couldn’t log on to the hotel’s system that morning was because they had removed me from the system before I arrived. Also, everyone in the office must have known I was going to be let go, and made themselves scarce. Those were harsh truths, and the escort to my car was beyond embarrassing. Were they that afraid that I would act out in retaliation? Did fired employees often do that, in their experience? I may have been late and lazy, but I never had an adversarial attitude. I was a naive new grad in obvious need of guidance, but from the hotel’s perspective it was easier to fire me, than to warn me how easy it was for me to get fired.
If you browse the internet for the top reasons why people get fired, results range from obvious, (willfully damaging company property), to anecdotal, (blundering on social media). I don’t know anyone who has been fired for either of these offenses, though it makes sense that a careless employee would get fired if they called in sick and then posted their fun “sick-day” activities on social media. I was fired from the hotel for being late and for shirking the responsibilities of my job. Looking back, I shouldn’t have accepted the job offer, knowing what little the job paid. But at the time, I really wanted a job and thought that any job would do. I began my first day without much respect for the job, and while I was friendly to my co-workers, my attitude toward the work went downhill from there.
Today, I know how not to get fired, but in creating a list of fireable offenses I learned a few things. I noticed that laziness and tardiness sometimes creep into my job performance now, though I really like what I do. Personally, those two things are issues that I need to be mindful of. So, here’s my list of “common” reasons why people get fired, pulled from my own experiences. Perhaps you see yourself in one or two items on the list? If so, consider this your wake-up call.
- Arguing with the boss — You may know that you are right about something, but in my experience, it’s better to make sure your boss feels like you are on their team, that you share their goals, and that you respect their role as leader.
- Being habitually late — It may begin as five or ten minutes late, but it never ends there.
- Taking long lunches and/or having a laid-back approach to your workload — Supervisors prefer an employee who respects their workload and hustles to get things done.
- Being negative — Whether it is about your workload or about your co-workers, a negative attitude is more disruptive and noticeable than you think.
- Lying — Most people have a sixth sense when it comes to lies, big or small. Even before you are found out, you will be suspected and mistrusted by your co-workers.
- Being standoffish — Not integrating yourself into the office culture can be detrimental. I think of it in terms of gazelles on an African savannah: outliers are the ones who get picked off by predators. A position in the middle of the herd is safest.
- Not asking for help when you need it — Don’t let your co-workers and supervisors be surprised by what you don’t know, because then you will appear dishonest and inept.
From what I can tell, even exemplary employees fall into the trap of at least one item on this list, from time to time. In my experience, those who repeatedly act out more than one item on this list are soon out of work. When we are hired, it’s important to remember that our new employer hopes that we will do a good job. They are taking a gamble on us, and want us to succeed. If we are not being mistreated and intend to stay, then the least we can do is be mindful of our attitudes, and avoid these common reasons for being fired.