I’ve had the good fortune of being recruited to many great jobs over the past 15 years. However, I did get fired from a part time job. A friend had asked if I would like to work at her partner’s business — a refuse removal company (i.e., dumpster business!). The job was sales — selling dumpsters and service contracts to local businesses. I know, I know, you are all saying…did you not think dumpsters = trouble? Dead bodies and such? No, I did not. I agreed to the part time job and began my sales career in trash! I was not very succesful and after 4 weeks, I was brought into a room at the office (an old worn out auto repair shop) and sat with the owner. Sandwiches sat on the table, junkyard dogs lay under the table, and big John had piles of cash sitting on the table. He went on to tell me that some money was missing….that my “supervisor” Tony was gone…and stressed the importance of loyalty. I was a bit frightened…but sat through the meeting in my yellow linen summer dress. Big John left the room and there I sat with dirty dogs and piles of cash…I am convinced that it was a test to see if I would slide a few bucks into my bag. Big John came back and sent me on my way. Later that week, I got a call from Vinnie indicating that he had to terminate me. Yikes! He went on to say that he usually takes people out to lunch before he terminates them. No Thanks! I told him that I would return my paperwork and cell phone…and don’t bother with my last paycheck! Oddly enough, my ego was stunned at being fired. In the long run, I am sure that it was a good thing that I left that “business.” I don’t usually mention this story and I’ve I lost touch with the firend that referred me.

I’m not highly educated but have street smarts, I had been an over the road truck driver for 6 years, and was fired for having a unauthorized person in my truck in a place where I hadn’t felt comfortable being alone. I had been sexually assaulted at a shipping company that we used to haul freight. I was caught on private property by the owner of the company, and then dismissed the following week. In which I did have one of the dispatchers at the time send me a riders slip, in which she told me not to fax back. I get canned, fax them my rider slip, and they question the dispatcher and she confesses to it and keeps her job, even though see went against company policy by trying to help cover my butt. Funny how things work out, but in all it was the best I was burnt out and stressed, and having the fear of being assaulted again. In which now I’m taking time and going back to school. Funny how things work out for the best for some.

Yes, I have been fired, more than once. I think I could get over the embarrasment of the actual leaving, but my husband is the one thorn in my life. He makes every firing seem like the end of the world and wonders “What’s wrong with you!!?” That makes me so ashamed, and the guilt I carry is at times overwhelming. I try not to think about the firings and go on with my life. At the moment, I cannot be fired from my job because I own the company, love what I do, and my customers (and their children, whom I tutor) love me. Some day I will be able to get past the shame of being fired from jobs I thought I was good at. Sometimes it was because the boss did not care for my effusiveness; other times I was trying to do something I was ill suited for, but felt I could do if I just stuck with it.

Never!!

I don’t know if I was fired or not. After working for 5+ years for a contraversial attorney I went to work one Monday morning and the lock to my office had been changed. I tried for hours to get in touch with him before he returned my calls. His excuse was very unusual stating that he had decided to close his office. I had handled all of his personal business and managed his commercial properties. That was the last I heard from the man. I was required to have cell phone in hand 24/7 in the event he wanted information or for me to take care of some of his business after hours, weekends and holidays. Calls from Las Vegas at midnight to get me to call his credit card company to see why they wouldn’t take a business credit card in a casino can be very frustrating when all he had to do was flip the card over and call the number on the back. I didn’t realize how much stress I was under until about a week after I was locked out of my office and realized I hadn’t been answering my cell at night. WHAT A RELIEF. He did me the biggest favor anyone had done for me in a long time by letting me go…..for whatever reason. I had never had anything like this happen before. I have worked since I was in high school and during college. The only time I didn’t work was for about 4 yrs when my children were small. I enjoyed about a month off, which I despartely needed, and found a new job very quickly that I absolutely LOVE!!!! And the pay is twice as much :-).

I haven’t been fired, but with the way that times are right now I think we are all pretty scared of being laid off, and if you sell Home Insurance in Florida your real scared.

I was laid off, once, in 1991, along with 30 other people in my department. Some people actually cried, but with nine years of severance pay clutched in my hand, I was happy to leave. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned to think outside my box. I taught art, I did temp jobs, and after 16 months, found the fulltime job I am still at today. Now they are talking about lay-offs, even though our work is fantastic. This time it will be about 60 people laid off, and I just want to retire. I don’t have the energy anymore.

I have been fired many times, and altho’ it DID wreck havoc on my life, I look back and realize that I was fired for 2 things: (1) I don’t kiss ass very well [I don’t show respect unless I really respect someone, which is rare], and (2) I have trouble showing up on time —- not least because I have always hated the job I have done all my life (legal secretarying). Attorneys for the most part are egotistical maniacs who somehow think they are special and superior to everyone else. I do not ascribe to that thought. I am a very intelligent, college-educated female who works diligently, and I never tho’t I had to bow down to anyone. Anyone! I seem to be stuck doing this hideous profession, and it is still boring and horrible: paper-pushing for egomanicas. Every once in a blue moon, I run across an attorney who is not contentious and doesn’t expect that I will kiss his bottom, and when I do run across an attorney like that, I show my gratitude! I tried for years to get out of this hated profession (legal secretarying), but at that time, women were not respected in the workplace, and it was impossible. I had to make a living! So I always went back to what I knew: legal secretarying —- even though I have always hated it with a passion. So I don’t care that I was fired so many times. I just don’t care. The women who got my job obviously did a much better job at derriere-kissing than I, and that’s fine, ‘cause I am not going to do it!!!

I’ve never been fired from any job I’ve held in my long life, but I probably would have been fired after 26 years in the public schools if I hadn’t walked out in a huff and slammed the door, myself. Our schools have been turned into factories, and our children have been turned into a product, and if a product isn’t perfect, it isn’t considered valuable. Our bright and gifted children are considered liabilities because they “already know” most of this stuff and that’s demeaning to kids who don’t know it and hurts their fragile delicate precious little self esteem. Kids who really are average and above spend about fifteen minutes a day learning something new and about six hours just sitting there waiting, waiting, waiting, for the slower kids to finally get it, or sitting out in the hall tutoring the slow kids, because no child can be left behind. But you really don’t want to get me started on that issue… . Teachers who are genuinely caring and work overtime to help kids in any way they can, are viewed with suspicion these days, and any “knowledge” about their students, outside of the classroom, is looked on as deviant. I can’t deal with a mentality like that, so I walked out.

I was recently caught in a “force management” wave when our company went from public to private. The funny thing is I was the only one that didn’t believe the “bull” from corporate when they assured every one that things would stay the same. How could they? The reason we went private was so processes could be streamlined, products could be eliminated and cuts could be made without wall street breathing down our necks. It was a sound business decision. Unfortunately, our organization was cut by 10% and it came down to me or another woman. I made more money so they relieved me of my position. The sad thing is that they brain wash you into believing the “pay for performance” mantra … well it doesn’t exist because when push comes to shove, the dollar speaks louder than ability. Anyway, at first I was extremely bitter but now I am looking forward to my part time landscaping job at our house on cape cod and plan on enjoying my entire summer with no regrets!

I don’t remember ever being fired…although I did babysit when i was a teenager and the mother thought I was a pot-head and told me I couldn’t take care of her kids anymore. Does that count?

Yup, A boss I trusted and adored stabbed me in the back during a budget issue. Can’t say I learned much but after spinning for around 2 years in a world of sadness mixed with anger, I’m over it, the job and moved on to another life. I do believe in karma though

Yes I’ve been fired and I was rather bitter about the whole thing for awhile but I got over it and moved on.

No,never fired, but maybe something worse.Once, in a new position…went out for lunch,just kept walking and never returned.It was a rediculous job for me to begin with and they even sent a paycheck for those few hours. Still find it embarresing.