30 People Who Reached The Point Of No Return And No Longer Cared If They Got Fired From Their Job
Some people are lucky and manage to find themselves in a job or career that they genuinely love and is fulfilling. However, it feels like a lot more people have awful experiences with miserable people in management, or at least, a lot more people talk about the bad bits than the good.
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Depending on how toxic or draining the job is, everyone gets to a point where they seriously consider quitting, or at the very least, no longer care if they’re fired. Even after taking all the “right” steps, talking to a manager, the local HR rep, and trying to reframe the burdensome situations with some forced positivity, there’s little left to do to fix the problem outside of fully removing yourself.
So, to take away the anxiety, rage, dread, whatever you may be feeling with the terrible job, you do the logical thing: you decide to quit. Because everyone has a breaking point, some are further or more flexible than others, but regardless, once that breaking point is reached, there are just no more f*cks to give.
Curious to know about other folks’ experiences, Redditor 12345burrito asked other Redditors “What was your “go ahead and fire me I don’t even care” moment at your job?” Fellow users shared moments they knew they no longer cared if they were fired from their job, ranging from astonishing lack of basic empathy to horrendous power-hungry management, and even so far as ridiculously unsafe working conditions.
We collected 30 of the highest up-voted stories that were shared for your enjoyment. Continue scrolling to see what Redditors had to say.
1. Caught between an anti-masker and a Karen for a manager
I was arguing with a customer about them not wearing a mask. Manager came, not knowing the story, and started screaming at me (yes, the manager is a Karen). Just because she's so used to doing that every day. I didn't even care at that moment, I just said fuck this, threw my work ID card at her feet and left right then. No regrets.
![1. Caught between an anti-masker and a Karen for a manager](https://static.pupperish.com/images/MztdAFcjTGCu_14477.gif)
2. Boss at a cancer nonprofit wanted to fire an employee who took time off to take their child to chemotherapy appointments
Worked at a cancer nonprofit.
Hired a lady who knew about us because her kid had cancer.
Boss wanted me to fire her because she had to come in late or leave early to take her kid to chemo.
I refused. Boss said she'd fire me if I didn't. I told her she could go right ahead. Our CEO said no way.
![2. Boss at a cancer nonprofit wanted to fire an employee who took time off to take their child to chemotherapy appointments](https://static.pupperish.com/images/hsENuHDxndRM_14477.gif)
3. Emergency Room doctor had to FaceTime with patients manager to excuse their absence
I once called in sick to my part time job at Club Monaco. My manager told me that if I couldn't find anyone to cover my shift, I was going to be fired.
So I FaceTimed her from the ER and had the doctor explain to her that I needed an MRI cause they wanted to make sure I didn't have a brain tumor.
![3. Emergency Room doctor had to FaceTime with patients manager to excuse their absence](https://static.pupperish.com/images/USjBikLeyafs_14477.gif)
4. When their boss tried to deny time off for surgery
My boss tried to tell me I couldn't get a surgery I'd been effectively waiting 5 or 6 years for. She was like "sorry - I've already got 3 people on annual leave for those weeks". I basically said to her "prepare for a 4th - cause I'm either on annual leave or not coming back at all".
Funniest part was - she was in the middle of being replaced by someone else - so I went to her replacement (who would be in charge about 3/4 days before my surgery) and she was aghast and was like "Of course you can have your surgery - we'll make it work!" and that was it.
![4. When their boss tried to deny time off for surgery](https://static.pupperish.com/images/DxZishwFyOLB_14477.gif)
5. Manager expected the 17 year old fast food worker to clean up human feces
I was 17 and working part-time at a fast food restaurant. Someone wrecked the men’s restroom. Shat in the urinal, rubbed shit all over the wall. The manager came out and told me to clean it. I refused. She threatened to fire me, to which I laughed in her face and told her “you can clean it yourself or you can lose an employee and still clean it yourself. I don’t need this job.”
Needless to say, I wasn’t fired and I didn’t clean that up. I still laugh thinking about it.
![5. Manager expected the 17 year old fast food worker to clean up human feces](https://static.pupperish.com/images/gXoUqdbLCOJZ_14477.gif)
6. Fast food owner made their employees work bare bone shifts and had a temper
I used to work in fast food when I was 18. We would be rostered alone, no lunch breaks or bathroom breaks because we couldn’t leave the store. No training. School kids would have to work closes until 12am on school nights. He made us serve expired seafood and deli meat. The last straw for me was when I got a call on a Monday screaming at me because the store wasn’t clean and it was obviously my fault even though my last shift was on the Thursday (and I left the store spotless). Multiple people and shifts had occurred since I had even worked but I somehow got the blame. After that call I emailed him saying I quit and blocked his phone number. His store closed down now a few years ago too.
![6. Fast food owner made their employees work bare bone shifts and had a temper](https://static.pupperish.com/images/fOLbPoepAyFi_14477.gif)
7. Supervisor tried to have a power trip
I was on a forklift and two coworkers stopped me to ask where a certain pallet of metal was located. As we were talking one of the shop supervisors came storming up.
"WHEN YOU ARE PAGED, YOU WILL RETURN THE CALL."
"I didn't hear you page, what do you need?"
"YOU HEARD THE PAGE AND YOU IGNORED IT"
"I did not hear it. I am sitting on a forklift with the engine running, sitting between two metal shears running, a screaming air compressor and two large punch presses, I. did. not. hear. you."
The two guys standing there also said they did not hear a page. So the supervisor turned around and started stomping back to his office. I called after him and said, "What did you need?"
He ignored me and kept walking and I said, "It wasn't that important I guess." That made him stop turn around and walk back to me. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"
By this time, I just didn't care, "If you walked all the way out here to find me, then you won't tell me what you wanted, then I guess it just wasn't THAT FUCKING IMPORTANT to begin with..."
He stood there for 5 or so seconds just staring at me and then stormed away. Never heard another word about it.
![7. Supervisor tried to have a power trip](https://static.pupperish.com/images/iJkyhudseZvl_14477.gif)
8. When their boss not only talked down to them in a moment of distress, but also tried to downplay the severity of their situation
I was 16 and my Step-Dad was in hospital around 5hrs away dying from cancer. I got a phone call at work for about the third time in a couple of months that I needed to get down there ASAP to say my goodbyes, as this could be it. My bosses were all well aware of the situation, one of them was even friends with my Step-Dad. When I rushed out the back to tell them I had to go, this bloke looks at me, a crying, frightened,16yr old girl, and told me I had to stop doing this, and get my priorities right. In a rare showing of assertiveness I looked that dicksnap in the eye and told him he was right, and quit on the spot.
![8. When their boss not only talked down to them in a moment of distress, but also tried to downplay the severity of their situation](https://static.pupperish.com/images/LOhzaIniHZJG_14477.gif)
9. When their manager refused to let them leave half an hour early to be with their dying dog
My dog became very ill quite suddenly and he needed to be put down, I was at work and I asked to leave half an hour early so I could be there for him. I asked my manager and she got annoyed and said there was "no way" and that I should have told her earlier. I said "I'm sorry I didn't realize my dog was going to die" in the most sarcastic way possible then walked away knowing she'd follow me, I then stood at my desk and typed my resignation up infront of her.
She gave me the time off.
No one was going to stop me from being there for my boy.
![9. When their manager refused to let them leave half an hour early to be with their dying dog](https://static.pupperish.com/images/gIiWvXYyDmTr_14477.gif)
10. Boss wasn't readily going to let employee leave to be with their father who had a heart attack
My Dad just had a heart attack the night before so I came in that morning to tell my Boss what happened. (I had something to give back to a colleague that's why I didn't do it on the phone) This was inventory day at Costco, the day that everyone had to work. All Directors, assistant directors, Supervisors... had to be there too.
The Assistant Director told me he would see what he could do for me. This is when I told him: "I'm not asking for permission, I'm telling you I'm leaving." And I left.
I worked there for a couple of miserable years after that.
![10. Boss wasn't readily going to let employee leave to be with their father who had a heart attack](https://static.pupperish.com/images/QtRVqHKlugaU_14477.gif)
11. Worker stopped to assist an injured woman in a car accident against bosses orders
My job was micromanaging the hell out of everyone. Tgey had 3 different softwares that tracked where you were, speed, how much time you were on 1 job for, etc. On my way to get supplies for a job I came across an accident. No one had arrived yet so I pulled over and helped a trapped woman out of her car and tried to calm her and take care of stuff until Medics arrive. I text my boss very quickly that I'm at the scene of a major accident rendering aid and that's why I'm stopped. I was told by boss A to not spend too much time there, as I am on the clock. I ignore him. After medics take over, I take a video of the scene as I leave to prove that there was a bad accident. I was fired for taking the video because it was taken from in the company truck. When they fired me, I smiled. There are 8 people that company in the position I was in. The 2 most experienced quit after that. The others are applying for new jobs.
![11. Worker stopped to assist an injured woman in a car accident against bosses orders](https://static.pupperish.com/images/TAOGbHVkutQS_14477.gif)
12. Boss had truly unrealistic expectations on project bulding
Had a boss who told me I had three days to get a project done. Said project consisted of building 180 displays on pallets. Each display took 40 minutes to build. Doing the math it would have taken five days if I didn’t take any breaks or sleep or eat.
So I told him and explained it was impossible and he responded that I was making excuses. At that moment I didn’t care if he fired me or not.
![12. Boss had truly unrealistic expectations on project bulding](https://static.pupperish.com/images/MpSDeBQLTJbc_14477.gif)
13. Bathroom breaks began to get timed
When after 20 years working my ass off. They started timing our bathroom breaks. I have never been completely and totally done with anything that much before
![13. Bathroom breaks began to get timed](https://static.pupperish.com/images/bcXBjKQuEynf_14477.gif)
14. Boss expected 2 employees to carry a 500+lb counter into a house manually
When I was ordered to carry a 250kg (551lbs) kitchen board into a house.
We had special carts for that but due to lack of maintenance ours had 2 flat tires, we called the boss about it and he ordered us to lift it ourselves, 250kg, 2 people, he even acted surprised that we called first and didn't just carry it immediately.
![14. Boss expected 2 employees to carry a 500+lb counter into a house manually](https://static.pupperish.com/images/SlcvXAhrBwpE_14477.gif)
15. Computer repair customer was bossy, rude and had unrealistic expectations
I was elbows deep in an AT&T Unix machine that should've been replaced a decade before, parts strewn all over a desk, when the client came in to see what was taking me so long.
Me: You've got three dead fans, one of the power supplies has failed, there's a bad CMOS battery and the video card is glitchy and refusing to allow the machine to POST sometimes.
Client: So how long is that going to take? Fifteen minutes?
Me, laughing: I can patch things up in a couple hours, but I'm going to have to come back in a few days with new parts.
Client: If you can't fix it in the next half hour you're fired. I'll find someone that knows what they're doing.
I stood up, grabbed my tools, and started walking.
Client: Where are you going?
Me: I told'ya how long it would take, and that's longer than a half hour, so I guess I'm fired.
My firing lasted about three more steps towards the door.
![15. Computer repair customer was bossy, rude and had unrealistic expectations](https://static.pupperish.com/images/stAkmHrDwfLS_14477.gif)
16. When their managers tried to enforce illegal and unethical business practices
I was working at NTW (National Tire warehouse) before it was national tire and battery, and my first day I was scheduled for a 14 hour shift for some reason. About 6 hours into it, I asked my manager when out break time was. He said “what do you mean by break?” I said “a half hour break as mandated by law, and two 15 minute breaks required on top of that, also required by law.” His response was “most people don’t take those here, we have costumers to take care of”
After that, I clocked out and went to Wendy’s to get lunch. I figured fuck these assholes, go ahead and fire me.
After lunch, I was doing a tire rotation and balance, the manager came out and told me not to balance the back tires if the costumer isn’t watching me. That was the nail in the coffin for me. They paid for that.
I got to talking with some of the longtime employees and they informed me that the sales counter guys (our managers) made commission from every sale and got bonuses every month while we got our minimum wage and raises were rare. I finished my shift and clocked out. Went looking for a new job the next day. Any company like that can go piss off.
So when you go get your tires balanced, watch them.
![16. When their managers tried to enforce illegal and unethical business practices](https://static.pupperish.com/images/IQoKigDpBfeG_14477.gif)
17. Long haul driver was told to finish their 9 hour run before going to their hospitalized wife
my wife was attacked, was in surgery when I got called about it. I was less than 10 miles away. Got told: Finish the run (9 hours), then go see her, you can't help her anyway.
Parked a Semi/trailer in the back lot of the hospital, told them to page me for the keys.
![17. Long haul driver was told to finish their 9 hour run before going to their hospitalized wife](https://static.pupperish.com/images/yQecIEJTVzSF_14477.gif)
18. Mandatory Zumba - I feel that explains everything
My first quitting story - My boss told me that we were going to spend our breaks doing mandatory Zumba, and I told her I was going home.
![18. Mandatory Zumba - I feel that explains everything](https://static.pupperish.com/images/ogfwWaIjLDkt_14477.gif)
19. Teen worked without pay for 5 weeks and was expected to work on their busiest night while still not paid
When I was 17 I worked a summer holiday job at Pizza Hutt - I had transferred to my home town restaurant from my University town restaurant.
I was there for 5 weeks and hadn’t been paid yet. The dickhead boss claimed it was because I gave him the wrong employee number. I hadn’t.
Anyway after 5 weeks of no pay I rang him on New Years’ Eve (ie busiest night of the summer) and said I wasn’t coming to work because I wasn’t a volunteer and I wasn’t going to work for free. He told me if I didn’t go to work I may as well not come back as I would be fired.
I didn’t go to work and had a fun New Years instead.
Then a few days later I called the Employment Tribunal (I’m in New Zealand) and told them what had happened. They called my dickhead boss. He then called me, offered me my job back and was nice as pie for the rest of the summer.
![19. Teen worked without pay for 5 weeks and was expected to work on their busiest night while still not paid](https://static.pupperish.com/images/vUzcEjCnQoZP_14477.gif)
20. Client Manager for IT Security firm was furious after they saved their full network from ransomware, at the expense of some other networks
I work in IT Security. We have a client who I have a very close relationship with. My relationship with them was close enough that I had full permissions to everything. No one else at our company did. We received indications that their network was in the midst of an attack. Someone was moving within the network in a way they should never be.
I immediately called the Sr. IT Manager (on public holiday) and said words you never want to hear in IT. "You're about to be hit by ransomware." There was a mutual understanding that I would take any actions necessary, including taking out a core firewalls/switches to stop the spread of an attack. After all my other attempts to stop the attack failed, I resorted to doing exactly that. I took an entire local government network out, sparing the segregated public safety network.
The client manager was furious. The Senior IT folks took him aside and laid it out. My response was a subdued "what are you going to do, revoke my permissions?" THankfully it didn't get that far. The post-mortem (they lost a couple low priority servers) indicated that my actions saved the rest of their shit from being stolen and encrypted. Sr. IT staff calmed the manager down.
![20. Client Manager for IT Security firm was furious after they saved their full network from ransomware, at the expense of some other networks](https://static.pupperish.com/images/txTeoHIAlmwJ_14477.gif)
21. The hotel they worked at was run by morally bankrupt a-holes
All at the same hotel, all different bosses.
When I refused to put caffeinated coffee beans in the decaf hopper for a "loyalty member" and my new boss insisted I do it because "you will do as the men (meaning he and the guest) have told you, girl".
When I refused to forge signatures of other people on tax documents.
When a boss insisted I deliver a guests room service, because the guest insisted a female deliver it despite knowing the man had previously tried to drag a housekeeper into his room.
When my chefs insisted I serve a meat dish as "vegetarian" because they accidentally cooked the wrong thing and didn't want to fix something else.
A child, probably 12-14, called down to ask for Tylenol for her headache. Her mom wasn't in the room but confirmed it was okay. I had met the kid earlier and noticed several self harm scars. then later I noticed the kid was wearing a heavy long sleeve jacket in the middle of 103° weather and she just seemed off. I went to deliver the medicine. The lights in the room were dark but I thought her sweater sleeves were either stained or magically dip dyed so I held the packet out far enough she had to reach into the hall and her sleeves were wet with blood. My entire leadership team insisted I not "get involved", that no one in the hotel would do anything, and even insisted I leave the hotel with full pay so I couldn't. I left, realized I still had the mom's number from asking about the Tylenol, called the police and gave them the room and mom's number and spent the rest of my shift terrified for the poor girl.
![21. The hotel they worked at was run by morally bankrupt a-holes](https://static.pupperish.com/images/jXFRYGLxvKJd_14477.gif)
22. Their boss told them their depression was a spiritual problem
I was a teacher. I had confided in the school principal that I was struggling with depression but getting treatment. This asshole (who also happened to be a deacon at my church) proceeds to tell me that depression is a spiritual problem that I needed to solve. I was too shocked and upset to say much of anything then, but I wrote him a letter telling him what I thought of his actions and his “Christianity.” Ultimately cost me my job, but damn it was satisfying and I don’t regret it in the least.
![22. Their boss told them their depression was a spiritual problem](https://static.pupperish.com/images/frciktUmGTRB_14477.gif)
23. Another boss trying to get a teenage fast-food worker to clean up literal feces
I worked a Burger King as a teenager. One day, the assistant manager, who illegally brought her teenage daughter to work to help her out, asked me to clean the restrooms. It wasn’t my normal job but I didn’t mind. I had a good attitude about it and prepared to go clean the bathrooms.
I walked into the men’s room and discovered that the reason she asked me to do it was because someone shit all over the bathroom. Smeared fecal matter on the walls, the sink, the floor, the outside of the toilet. The toilet was clogged and hand wet, used toilet paper inside of at and all over the room. It was a complete disaster.
I walked out of the bathroom, went back to the kitchen and told the assistant manager “I’m not cleaning that. You can fire me but I’m not cleaning it.” She sighed heavily and went and got a mop.
![23. Another boss trying to get a teenage fast-food worker to clean up literal feces](https://static.pupperish.com/images/wDbTvSayRcEr_14477.gif)
24. Boss pushed back against them taking their accrued PTO for their husbands surgery
Husband was having his gallbladder taken out and was having complications before surgery. I needed to leave early from work for about two hours and my boss threw a fit stating I couldn't leave. I told her I had 300 hours of sick time I can use for myself and my husband and if she wanted to push I'd take all of it at once.. Leaving no one but her to do my job. She said she'd fire me if I tried.. I just looked at her and said I have to go ill send you my Dr's note.
I wasn't fired. I was actually awarded that year for job performance.
Edit: I didn't take all 300 hours. I just threatened to since I was protected by FmLA. I only took the day off..
![24. Boss pushed back against them taking their accrued PTO for their husbands surgery](https://static.pupperish.com/images/YOxTygjMtPIV_14477.gif)
25. A family emergency didn't qualify for FMLA and they weren't able to access their PTO but left anyway
My brother and sister in law just lost their son. At birth. They lived down south and I live on west coast. HR said FMLA doesn’t cover sibling emergencies. Just parents and grandparents. I was also two weeks from being off my new hire probation period. I had pto but because I was still in probation period, I couldn’t access it. I told my supervisor I’m leaving for such amount of days and will accept whatever consequences when I get home. I can’t care about that right now.
And I left to be with family . . . Fortunately my supervisor went to bat for me and I got to keep my job
![25. A family emergency didn't qualify for FMLA and they weren't able to access their PTO but left anyway](https://static.pupperish.com/images/JjrIWyNohdQP_14477.gif)
26. Their workplace refused to honor a restraining order against another employee
They refused to honor a restraining order.
I chose my safety over my job.
![26. Their workplace refused to honor a restraining order against another employee](https://static.pupperish.com/images/MAhwpcKUenIT_14477.gif)
27. New manager had a superiority complex and was racist
Working at an important political building. Been there for about a year. Other employee's have been there for decades. 99% of the staff is black, including myself. None of us have ever been written up. New manager shows up. A older white lady with a complex, and starts berating people for not doing their jobs, when they are very clearly doing their jobs as the job is defined. She berates people until they back talk, then fires them for insubordination. She fires ten out of 13 people, all black, and replaces them with white workers. She approaches me and begins berating me. I am onto what she is doing. I do not react. My lack of reaction leads her to tell me I'm being insubordinate, and I'm fired. That was my "I fucking dare you" moment, although I did not say it. She fired me.
Six months later, she's been fired, her supervisor is fired, and his supervisor has been demoted to the worst position a supervisor can have. A lawsuit has been filed that resulted in about $100,000 in damages to the victims.
Bet she won't do that shit again.
![27. New manager had a superiority complex and was racist](https://static.pupperish.com/images/UNHkLGSmVvEp_14477.gif)
28. Customer gets increasingly belligerent and they figured they would be fired after they eventually hung up on the customer
I was working as a software developer and providing second line support, in the hospitality/conferencing industry. I had overheard a colleague trying to provide support for something that was clearly the client IT team’s fault. Later got a call from the client’s MD’s secretary wanting to set up a call with our founder to complain that the problem wasn’t being dealt with. I said “I can’t call him, I’m really sorry, please don’t ask me why. I know our support people are working on it.” Why couldn’t I call the founder? Because his wife had, that day, lost a full term baby - which I obviously couldn’t disclose. Soon after I got a furious call from the client MD himself. His IT team was obviously lying to him about our not returning calls - I had heard the calls being returned. And he just wouldn’t accept that I couldn’t call the founder and couldn’t tell him why. So eventually I just hung up on him.
I told the most senior person around, expecting to be fired on the spot for hanging up on a client. Her reaction: “Oh yeah, he’s not a nice guy: he’s physically attacked me in the past.” Not the outcome I was expecting!
![28. Customer gets increasingly belligerent and they figured they would be fired after they eventually hung up on the customer](https://static.pupperish.com/images/DfzNbsnWviGe_14477.gif)
29. Sales Manager was abusive and threatening
We had a manager that was a prick. It was a sales role and he had no empathy when our sales were flat. He’s get very abusive and threatening.
One day, he was shouting at us and my colleague got pissed off. He was explaining it was one bad week off the back of seven good weeks. You got to expect ups and downs with sales.
The manager just yells louder claiming my colleague is a ‘quitter’ and doesn’t have a winners mindset.
Colleague tells him ‘I’ve had enough of this shit. I’m done’
Manager screams ‘I want your resignation in writing.
Colleague scribbles a note and gives it to him. Manager had a shit reputation and couldn’t recruit. Our sales were even lower with one less person on the team. It ruined his career.
But funnier than that was the short, but sweet resignation note from my colleague. It read…
“Dear Bob. I’m off. Fuck you”.
![29. Sales Manager was abusive and threatening](https://static.pupperish.com/images/SJFOZXxHUBIl_14477.gif)
30. Their boss expected them to do a personal task on a public holiday off
My boss once told me that I have to come in to the office the next day, which was a PUBLIC HOLIDAY, because we needed to clear out the office storage unit. He said that we can't afford to take time out of work days for that task.
So I begrudgingly agreed and showed up the next day. When I opened the storage unit it was crammed full of stuff... full of the boss's PERSONAL STUFF. I'm talking boxes full of his old clothes, childhood toys, school projects and textbooks, gardening tools, furniture, sport and gym equipment, construction materials, paintings, etc. TVs.
I was so mad that I quit on the spot.
![30. Their boss expected them to do a personal task on a public holiday off](https://static.pupperish.com/images/kNlBjuRnEGeS_14477.gif)
What about you, dear reader? Have you ever been in a job that led you to no longer care whether you were fired?
What was the breaking point for you, or what would be your breaking point? Let us know in the comment section below, and be sure to share this with your friends!