Dumb Reasons Why People Were Fired

Sarah Kester
Phoebe with guitar
Best Life Online | NBC

Leave it up to Jimmy Fallon to make getting fired something funny!

The talk show host had the internet in stitches after he asked fans to share their best #WhyIWasFired stories.

From calling in sick for stupid reasons to angering customers to melting a whole store of ice cream, here are the dumbest reasons people got fired.

The spelling mistake

Jimmy started things off by sharing a firing story from his friend. He got hired to paint the sign of a family-owned hardware store. He spent four hours on it and didn't notice that he spelled their name wrong.

The eye problem

Raven looking into future
Giphy

"My dad once called in sick claiming there was something wrong his eyes," this user wrote. "When his boss asked him what he replied "I can't see myself coming in to work today." #WhyIGotFired." Did he also see himself getting canned?

The cat

There are some valid reasons to get fired, and some not. One that's totally not valid, but got someone fired anyway is when a person called in sick to work because their cat was on their lap and they didn't want to disturb it.

The pen

Kevin laughing
Giphy | The Office

"#Whyigotfired my dad’s boss pointed at him with a pen and said 'on the other side of this pen there is a lazy man' my dad said 'which side are you talking about ?'" this user tweeted. Yep, that'll do it!

The ice cream

A mother's daughter got fired from Dairy Queen for her “lack of productivity.” Her boss said that she was so slow at making the orders for customers that their ice cream melted before she could serve it.

The family business

Family business meeting
Unsplash | Jason Goodman

"My boss was yelling at our secretary all day," a Twitter user shared. "I just couldn’t take it anymore, so I walked into his office and yelled “Dad! Stop yelling at mom like that!” He told me I was fired, but then said he’d see me at dinner later. #WhyIGotFired."

The autograph

Here we have yet another non-valid reason for getting fired. When Ryan Reynolds is in your vicinity, you go and ask him for his autograph! Then you sell it on eBay to pay for your bills since you're now fired.

The melted ice cream

Melting ice cream
Unsplash | Dana DeVolk

"I worked at Ben & Jerrys. It was my first closing shift by myself. I made sure to turn off all the lights, and apparently the freezer too," a woman shared. "I showed up the next morning and the entire back room was flooded with melted ice cream. #WhyIGotFired."

The Smeagol impression

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how good of a worker you are. If you're annoying your boss or co-workers, you're out! A Smeagol impression was the last straw for this woman. We do kinda want to hear it, though.

The spoiler

Rose and Jack on door
Inside | Paramount

"My coworker at a video store and I acted out the ending of "Titanic" on the register counter #WhyIGotFired #FallonTonight," a user tweeted. Was their reenactment at least good? We need to make sure the "Jack, Jack! Wake up!" was spot on.

The rude customers

Working in the service industry isn't for everybody. Since it's firmly believed that "the customer is always right," you better be prepared to bite your tongue when dealing with rude customers! This lady couldn't and she got fired.

The bartender

Woman spitting out drink
Giphy

"I was hired to bartend with no experience whatsoever. When I got an order for a rum and coke I asked what's in a rum and coke...#WhyIGotFired," this woman tweeted. What's next, what's in a vodka cranberry? Pfft.

The movie

The odds of this happening are pretty slim! But, it is cool that the boss's friend wrote the Silver Linings Playbook! Why is that you run into the last person you want to see when you're skipping something?

The blind lady

Blinds in office
Unsplash | Mike Cox

"I was a secretary at a real estate office and one of the agents asked when the blind lady was coming & I yelled at her. I didn’t realize she was talking about window treatments. #whyigotfired," this woman tweeted.

The scare

This, right here, explains why many bosses will not put friends on the schedule together. Too many shenanigans go down, like this one where they purposely tried to scare customers. Even though the Narnia excuse was legit, it wasn't enough.