Employee Says She Was Fired From Her New Job After Two Days Because She Was A Few Minutes Late For Her Shift
It was her first time showing up late, but her boss didn't seem to care.
Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels Starting a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. What do you wear the first day? Will you make friends? Is there potential for a promotion in the near future?
These are all valid questions new employees ask themselves, but rarely do they worry about being fired after just a few days in a brand new role. Unfortunately, for one woman, she was shocked and extremely upset after learning that she'd been fired from her new job for a rather unnecessary reason.
In a TikTok video, a woman who goes by the username @merzog1992, explained that she had recently been hired at a new company and was really enjoying her position, looking forward to all of the opportunities she'd have in the future.
But instead of getting a chance to experience a future at the company, she was abruptly let go.
The woman claims she was fired just two days into her new job because she showed up two minutes late for her shift.
In the video, which has boasted over 381,000 views, the woman tearfully explained that she was just fired and didn't quite understand why. After all, she was a new employee still learning the ropes!
"So, I started a new job on Wednesday, it's Friday, and I really liked it. It was going really well," she said, adding that the job was only "20 minutes away" from where she lived and was easily accessible to get there.
Since being hired, she'd leave her house "really early" to make sure she'd have enough time to get there, especially since she had just been hired, and is normally "punctual" and always shows up on time. As most workers understand, being on time is one of the most important skills a good employee possesses.
However, while leaving her house on that Friday, she realized she'd forgotten her phone at home and was forced to turn around to retrieve it. The entire time, she was "freaking out" as she realized she was supposed to be at work at 8:30 a.m., but managed to arrive at work and was seated at her desk exactly two minutes past her scheduled time, at 8:32 a.m.
"It's an open floor and the boss looked at me and said, 'you can't be late in your first week, you're fired,'" she continued.
At first, she thought her boss was joking because she initially thought the work environment was 'super chill' and 'lax,' but was quickly proven wrong.
"He wasn't joking, and they [just] fired me," she revealed. "I'm angry, shocked, and hurt. Especially because that's not who I am, and I'm really trying to not put it on me."
She acknowledged that she should've gotten to work exactly at 8:30 a.m., but was flabbergasted that she wasn't at least given a warning, and was instead fired on the spot. "No one gave me a heads-up, like, 'hey, your first week is really strict,'" she said.
Photo: Anna Shvets / Pexels
She pointed out that if someone would have told her that being on time was extremely important and could be grounds for dismissal, she would have made sure to be early during that first week.
"And I was already buggin' out that I was two minutes late," she stressed. "If anyone has any words of encouragement, I'm really struggling right now."
TikTok users slammed the woman's boss and agreed that she shouldn't have been fired.
"If that’s how they treated you right away, it’s an indication of management not understanding humans and you don’t want to work for them anyway," one user wrote. Another added, "No, you don’t want to work there. I was 2 hours late on my 2 days (accident). I was panicked, [but] my boss said not to worry. Been there now for 10 years."
However, other users criticized her for not trying harder to be early during her first week at her new job.
"Life lesson. Be on time when you want a job... no matter how good you are, first impressions are everything!" a fourth user pointed out. Another wrote, "Late is late. My employees have a lot of freedom once they're at work. But I don't tolerate being late."
While mistakes are bound to happen, firing an employee for something so trivial could indicate a toxic work environment.
There are certain indicators new employees can look for that show their place of employment may not be quite as great as expected. It could be the use of certain phrases, poor communication, bad leadership, or a lack of trust among employees and employers.
TikToker Christi Chanelle stitched the original video, weighing in on why being fired so quickly could be a sign of bad things to come.
"This is the first red flag of things to come in the future," she said. "Employers need to realize that the number one thing the employees want and need is flexibility, especially if they could potentially be an amazing employee."
And she's on to something. According to research, employees want certain things from employers, including authenticity, empathy, and flexibility, referred to as "human leadership." Unfortunately, only 1 in 4 bosses possess this type of leadership.
While the environment of the workplace must change in order for there to be real satisfaction among employees, it's also worth noting that @merzog1992 isn't without responsibility.
As a shift worker, other employees are relying on her to be on time. Although it's harsh, it's a truth that she should take with her in the future, having open communication with her boss if she intends on being late.
Mistakes, like being fired from a job, are often learning experiences. And hopefully this young woman considers this a valuable lesson.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.