Woman Fired On Her First Day Of Work For Being An Hour Late After Trying To Drive Through A Blizzard
The company offered her no grace.
People get fired for all sorts of reasons: Poor performance, lack of cultural fit, or changes in company infrastructure. One woman named Damita told the story of how she got fired due to something beyond her control: The weather.
The woman was fired on her first day of work for being an hour late after driving through a blizzard.
“I was supposed to be starting today at a popular ambulance company,” she explained in a TikTok. “I quit my previous job that I loved to do this because the benefits were better, the pay was better, and the hours are supposed to be better.”
The Arkansas resident revealed that her state had been hit by a snowstorm, and, as she noted, “We don’t usually get snow, so when we do get it, everything shuts down.” Instead of calling out of work, Damita took her mom’s SUV, so as to not miss her first day.
“I have never had to drive in snow before, because every job I’ve had previous to this, I’ve always been off when it snowed,” she admitted.
Damita took the main streets instead of the freeway, out of consideration for her safety, noting, “Where I live, is where the city meets the rural area, so there are a lot of hills, there’s forest, so there’s deer running back and forth… I don’t want to be stuck on the freeway; I’m terrified.”
Mikhail Nilov | Pexels
“Long story short, I get there almost an hour late,” she said. “I’m thinking, I’m gonna be apologetic, I’m gonna let them know I live in the city, it’s kinda far, I’ve never had to drive in the snow before, it took me longer than usual. But now that I know, I can prepare better for next time, and I’ll be here on time.”
However, her supervisor didn’t care about the extenuating circumstances that made her late.
The woman claimed that they’d already provided the team with uniforms, and they couldn’t possibly repeat the information they’d shared already. She told Damita, “I don’t think we can go any further,” and walked her out.
When the supervisor asked Damita why she didn't call to let them know she would be late, she explained that the emails she was sent didn't include a phone number. The supervisor then accused her of lying, so she double-checked and discovered that the number to call had never been attached.
In a follow-up post, Damita stood up to critics who told her she should have left earlier.
She explained that her drive “took longer than calculated" because she had never driven in the snow before.
“I thought the roads would be more clear than they were,” she admitted. “So, it took way longer than expected.”
Damita questioned why the company didn't offer any leniency, as they knew what snow conditions were like. She noted that she’d even packed bags and planned to stay in a hotel close to work for the week, but her supervisors didn’t give her time to explain.
The company didn't offer Damita any grace or benefit of the doubt. She went above and beyond in dangerous conditions to get to work, yet her job revealed how they really view the people who work for them: As disposable commodities who can’t make mistakes.
Truthfully, Damita is likely better off staying away from a company that treats people so callously.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.