How Safe is Your Job?
by Some reasons people are unemployed this year.
image via wikipedia
Time began to weigh heavily over the weekend so I scanned through some things that went on during 2009. The economy seemed to take precedence with so many people out of work. In fact, some employers may be looking for reasons to cut back even more. Are any of your hijinx on the job putting you at risk? Here are a few reasons why folks lost their incomes this year.
An assistant in the New York City’s lobbying office was playing solitaire on the office computer when Mayor Bloomberg happened to walk by. He was fired on the spot and denied severance pay and benefits. Most employers disapprove of personal use of company computers but a New Zealand woman was fired in September for sending emails but typing them entirely in capital letters using red font and bold type. Apparently her company was too genteel for such shouting on their computer. Another lady was fired for being on FaceBook while taking a sick day.
With the Wage and Hour Police looking over employers’ shoulders your boss pretty much needs a strong case to terminate you these days. A food fight got a couple of Burger King employees fired and a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida waiter was fired when he left in the middle of his shift to rescue a woman who had been attacked in the parking lot by an armed carjacker. A Ralph Laurent model lost her job for being too fat. She weighed 120 pounds.
A 9-1-1 operator was terminated for swearing on the phone to a caller who had an emergency. Seems he used the “s” word. The caller was no doubt already deep in it and didn’t need to hear it expressed as an expletive. A female judge was removed from the bench this year for texting three photos of herself while she should have been weighing testimony during a trial, an operating room nurse in Wisconsin was summoned during the middle of surgery to learn she had been laid off, which, as I understand it, violates medical protocol and a police chief in a small Kansas town was fired for stealing beer from the fire department’s refrigerator. I don’t know why the firemen had beer in their fridge.
Most employers will fire you for being drunk on the job, however, this year the Supreme Court of the country of Peru ruled that companies may not terminate employees for consuming alcohol on the job. Go figure.
Most larger companies provide their new hires an employee handbook. As difficult as it is to find work these days it might be a good idea to study that document…especially the section under the heading “Don’ts.”
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Post CommentHugo La Rosa
On December 14, 2009 at 8:23 am
Great article! I wonder what was the big idea in Peru. If I understood it well, that law has to come with heavy regulations and as truly an exception for people whose integrity has been proven, isn’t it? If not, I would like to believe it will be so. Otherwise, it will be unreasonable to believe it is a free pass to licentiousness.
Sincerely,
Hugo
Sunitha Stalin
On December 14, 2009 at 8:48 am
Good one.Me too fired coz I was never hired ha ha ha
ashan1614
On December 14, 2009 at 8:49 am
Go figure! People do some crazy things on the job, but as someone who has been caught up in three lay-offs, I can tell you that the number one reason I\’ve been given boils down to three simple words: “lack of work”.
Christine Ramsay
On December 14, 2009 at 9:13 am
I would have been fired several times over if people were fired for these reasons, LOL. A great read.
Christine
Darla Cooke
On December 14, 2009 at 9:57 am
Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
cutedrishti8
On December 14, 2009 at 10:25 am
Job is Never Safe may be somebody be VP or Manager of the Company..He or She is still an employee..Thanks to God I am free from Job since last 18 months and I am Happy about that..
LoveDoctorGoodBye
On December 14, 2009 at 10:47 am
Great article. People should know better than that. It is common sense that you shouldn’t be playing solitaire during office hours. That guy is plain dumb. And anyone even another co-worker can snoop on you if he is having a bad day. A lot of companies don’t allow their workers to be slacking off and sending personal emails during office hours. And Facebook and other networking sites are a no-no. And yes, with the economy the way it is, employers will look for any excuse to fire you. So for those who got fired for something they probably consider stupid, they should be wiser next time.
abhishek40914
On December 14, 2009 at 11:17 am
interesting article
qasimdharamsy
On December 14, 2009 at 11:52 am
Great Article…thanks for sharing…
diamondpoet
On December 14, 2009 at 12:02 pm
You would have to be crazy these day to risk doing anything to jeporadize your job, there is at least 15. whatever percent of people that would be happy to have your job. Great subject Ken.
Ramalingam
On December 14, 2009 at 12:35 pm
As usual your article is quite entertaining.But most of these firings had happened only in the proprietary concerns and not in the large companies or in the Government sector where firing is not that much easy, I hope.Thanks for sharing.
Kate Smedley
On December 14, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Some salutary warnings and quite amazing examples – an entertaining article as always Ken. It\’s still tough in the UK with jobs …
Jamie Myles
On December 14, 2009 at 1:01 pm
In Health care, The higher you are on the pay scale the more apt you are to lose your job. One nurse got fired for her ” body language” She was told that it said she wasn’t a team player. How crazy it that? of course she was at the top of the pay scale having worked at the hospital for 15+ years. she is suing to get her job back! Now days there is no room for any error if you want to keep your job. Companies have no loyalty to their employees in this day and age..
Val Mills
On December 14, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Delightful read. I hadn’t heard the New Zealand story – I’ll have to read my newspaper more
Olivia Van Logum
On December 14, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Really good article, when I’m on the way to being a rich and famous author and need an excuse to be fired (so I don’t have to servce my notice) – I’ll bear the above reasons in mind. Maybe I can multi task… I’ll play solitaire at work, whilst drinking a stolen beer and swearing at customers on the phone.. that should work!
Authoress Terry E. Lyle
On December 14, 2009 at 4:55 pm
In a time when everyone is downsizing and it’s hard to keep a job…Its just stupid to be doing what you know you shouldn’t be doing on the job site. Take the time to make yourself a valued employee thats accountable, realiable and dependable.
Olive B.
On December 14, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Funny…I loved this: Florida waiter was fired when he left in the middle of his shift to rescue a woman who had been attacked in the parking lot by an armed carjacker
seriously???? next time, dude, don’t bother…;)
AlmaG
On December 14, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Well may be it’s just not your luck. Try another one haha!
Shirley Shuler
On December 14, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Great article, Ken. No job is safe these days!!
Citra Florenca
On December 15, 2009 at 4:42 am
Seems like employers nowadays are using silly reasons to fire their employee.
Lord Banks
On December 15, 2009 at 9:04 am
Sad but true I worked with a young lady a while back, she was fired for taking one envolope home for herself as the shops were shut, instant dismissal! the worlds gone Nazi again Ken-ster! .
Ruby Hawk
On December 15, 2009 at 10:03 pm
I would say it might pay to bend over backwards to please your company these days. There’s plenty of lay-offs to go around.
PhoenixRox
On December 16, 2009 at 11:07 am
Stealing beer from the fire department’s refrigerator? Ridiculous stuff. People are nuts.
PR Mace
On December 16, 2009 at 4:23 pm
It seems employers are finding reasons to let go of older workers, like me and hire younger ones for less money. At least in nursing we are always short staffed so I may keep my job for a while. I least I hope so.
LOVELYHONEY
On December 17, 2009 at 2:11 pm
my job is safest
i have been permanently fired
and as i am jobless
i am safe amn\’t I?????/
Marie Antoinette
On December 17, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Good write, I don’t know anymore where we are headed. I miss the days were there was a line between work and your own personal crap. No more work ethic.
nsmukundan
On December 19, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I dont want to go for a job…My best wishes to U.
simplyoj
On December 21, 2009 at 8:34 am
Very good article, we must always strive to keep our job.