Stories of employees dismissed for ridiculous reasons regularly make the rounds on traditional and social media. In this article, we look at four recent stories from Australia and around the world:
- Worker dismissed from job opportunity for clogging toilet
This story made the rounds in February 2024. It involves a worker who was dismissed prior to even starting his job. The unnamed worker recounted on Reddit how a seemingly successful job onboarding experience took an unexpected turn after a bathroom mishap.
The worker explained that he had just had a successful interview with his prospective employer. He had been invited to the office to sign off the usual onboarding paperwork. Whilst doing so, the worker was offered a coffee. He said that he willingly accepted the offer “because I love free stuff.”
Coffee break led to unforeseen consequences
Little did the worker know, however, that this free coffee would come at the price of his job. The worker explained that all the elements were in play for an impending disaster. Namely, the fact that he had “been drinking a lot and eating party food all day.”
After downing the “so so good” coffee, the worker needed to head straight to the toilet, which was unisex. The worker noted that it looked “really nice” and that it was fitted out with “Poo Pourri and everything.” He explained that after attending to his business, the situation compelled him to use “a lot” of toilet paper.
All seemed to be going well. The worker said that he washed his hands and “admired how nice the bathroom was” before he left. He then went back into the office to complete his paperwork, feeling refreshed.
‘She was not happy’: Female worker discovered clogged toilet
All seemed to be going well. But while sitting at a computer completing his onboarding forms, the worker heard a female voice exclaim “Ahhh what the?” from the direction of the bathroom. It was then that the worker “immediately realised” that he had been the last one in there and that he had not flushed.
For the next few moments, he listened closely as he heard the female worker attempt to remedy the situation he had left for her, noting that she was “not happy” about it. He soon saw her cross the office floor to confer with a colleague, who together attempted to “figure out how to unclog” the toilet.
Worker ‘never heard back from’ employer
The worker regaled that the duo quickly went in search of a plunger, while he “tried to just pretend” that he was on his computer filling out his forms. From what he could tell while at his desk, he said “a lot of the toilet water got on the bathroom floor.”
Once the worker wrapped things up and submitted his onboarding forms, he observed that his prospective boss was “really upset” about the toilet. The worker said that “I never heard back” from his prospective employer, even after he tried to follow up with them.
The worker copped a fair bit of criticism on Reddit, with one commenter asking, “Who forgets to flush a s***?” Another added, “I wouldn’t hire you either—if you can’t remember to flush your feces, I can’t even imagine how forgetful on the job you’d be.”
- Asthmatic worker dismissed for requesting inhaler wins $AU72K
This crazy story attracted headlines back in 2018. It concerned an American assembly line employee, known only as J.D., who worked at a manufacturing plant in New Jersey. He began working there in 2015 and was earning US$12 per hour. The incident that led to his dismissal took place on 26 February 2016. On this day, J.D., who had asthma, experienced shortness of breath while working on the assembly line.
As such, he told his supervisor that he needed to go get his inhaler from his house, which was about five kilometers away. However, his supervisor said he was not allowed to do so. Instead, he told J.D. to pack his things and escorted him to the exit of the plant. J.D. was left to wait for half an hour, before security guards told him to leave and not come back on Monday.
Supervisor thought inhaler was e-cigarette
Despite being told not to come back, J.D. returned to work on Monday and discovered that his access badge did not work. He then tried to contact his employer’s HR department, but to no avail. Believing that he’d been dismissed, J.D. filed a complaint with New Jersey’s civil rights authority. He argued that he had been sacked due to his asthma.
The authority launched an investigation into the manufacturing company. It found that it knew about J.D.’s asthma and that he needed an inhaler. It was noted that he had had an asthma episode just three days before the incident in question. Additionally, a co-worker testified that J.D. regularly used his inhaler at work and that his supervisor had mistaken it for an electronic cigarette.
Worker won huge unfair dismissal payout
J.D.’s employer denied that it had fired him due to his asthma, arguing that he had left his workspace without permission. The company also denied that it knew about his asthma. However, the civil rights authority concluded that there were reasonable grounds to suspect the company had violated discrimination law.
It therefore ordered the company to pay J.D. US$45,000 (around $72,000 Australian), which amounted to two years of his salary. It was also ordered to implement measures to ensure compliance with disability discrimination laws.
- ‘I f***ed up:’ Tech worker dismissed for 20-second TikTok video
This story made the news in October 2022. It involved 24-year-old Michelle Serna, who was earning six-figures working for a healthcare tech company in the US. The reason she got dismissed is because she filmed a video of her spilt coffee and posted it to TikTok.
Working remotely, she had filmed the video at her home. However, the video captured audio from a weekly Zoom meeting on her laptop, which was in another room. In another TikTok video, Ms Serna said that she “did not use my big giant brain” when filming the video, as it inadvertently captured the voice of the company’s chief product officer.
Worker dismissed for breaching confidentiality
The following day, Ms Serna was summoned to a meeting with an HR rep and the chief product officer. She was told that a colleague had seen the video, which had garnered over 2,500 views on TikTok. The decision of the company was to dismiss her for gross negligence.
Specifically, the company fired her for creating a personal social media post during company time and failing to obtain consent to record a confidential conversation. Ms Serna said that after being sacked, she “cried for maybe five minutes” and was “shocked that something so minuscule” could lead to dismissal. Particularly as only a few weeks before she had been given a raise.
Ms Serna, however, copped her dismissal on the chin. She admitted that she had “f–ked up” and took “100 per cent” ownership of her mistake.
Read More: Worker dismissed for live streaming protest on TikTok
- CEO includes smiling selfie in post about ‘firing his first employee’
This story does not involve an employee who was dismissed for a ridiculous reason, but rather a boss that shared a ridiculous LinkedIn post about firing his first employee. The boss in question, Matthew Baltzell, is the founder and CEO of Cap X Media based in Colorado in the US.
In the post, he said that “last week, I fired my first employee.” At the end of the post, a backwards cap wearing Mr Baltzell can be seen posing for the camera at his workstation, smiling. He described the decision for a CEO to fire their first employee as a pivotal crossroads, where it can “either strengthen or weaken your company culture.”
Gave top tips for firing your first employee
The post goes on to share Mr Baltzell’s wisdom about what bosses should tick off when firing an employee. This includes giving them their marching orders in a “short and direct” 10-minute meeting. Then, gently pushing them out the door with a severance package of “one week’s pay” for each year of their work.
Mr Baltzell also highlighted how he nipped workplace gossip in the bud by notifying his team of the sacking via Slack. He said that this approach showed his team that if they ever have to leave, “they’ll be treated with respect, not discarded like trash.”
‘Typical LinkedIn drivel’: Smiling selfie attracted huge criticism
Mr Baltzell’s post of course garnered over 200 comments, many of them negative. One LinkedIn user commented, “Imagine being the fired employee…seeing your boss make a post like this about you.” The commenter said it was made even worse as Mr Baltzell provided an “accompanying photo of him smiling about it.”
Another commentor said that sharing a post about firing your first employee showed that Mr Baltzell was “insecure about his own leadership,” telling him to “grow up.” One commentor perhaps summed up the post most eloquently by saying it was “typical linkedin drivel.”
Read More: Should You Be Sacked for Criticising Your Employer on Social Media
- Worker fired for ‘rolling eyes and rocking in chair’
This story concerns the Fair Work Commision unfair dismissal case Matthew Morrissy v Transport Accident Commission [2022]. Mathew Morrissy had been working for the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in Geelong, Victoria for over 14 years. During the COVID lockdown in August 2020, the 50-year-old had been on a Zoom meeting with his team. His alleged actions during that meeting saw him dismissed in June 2021.
Among the reasons for his termination was that Mr Morrissy was seen “rolling his eyes” and “rocking back and forth” as though he was trying to contain his anger, TAC alleged. The organisation also claimed that he used an aggressive tone. This included when he said that he was “gobsmacked” to have been put in the “hot seat” during the meeting.
Worker stood down then fired
The company also claimed that Mr Morrissy had shown a “blatant disregard” and lack of empathy for a particular manager. He was also accused of generally being angry and defensive during the meeting.
Mr Morrissy was fired after his colleagues complained about his behaviour in the meeting. In particular, they took issue with the “aggressive and offensive” way he had spoken to a female manager. Mr Morrissy was subsequently stood down with pay but about a month later was dismissed. TAC cited the fact that his behaviour had breached its policy.
This decision to terminate him was made despite TAC’s HR department recommending that Mr Morrissy receive a warning.
‘Cannot reasonably be considered a sackable offence’: Fair Work slams employer
The Fair Work Commission, however, did not see things the way TAC did. It stated that, based on the evidence, Mr Morrissy’s conduct during the meeting had been “assertive” but not aggressive or rude. It also concluded that he had not in fact rolled his eyes.
Even if he had rolled his eyes and rocked in his chair, the Fair Work Commission noted that it “cannot reasonably” be considered a sackable offence. The Commission also found that other statements made by Mr Morrissy, like that he was “gobsmacked,” were “reasonable” reactions to what was said in the meeting.
It was also noted by the Fair Work Commission that Mr Morrissy had an unblemished performance record.
Worker won unfair dismissal
The Fair Work Commission ultimately ruled that TAC did not have a valid reason to dismiss Mr Morrissy and that his sacking was unfair. The company argued that reinstatement was not possible given that Mr Morrissy’s behaviour resulted in his former colleagues completely losing trust and confidence in him.
Mr Morrissy, on the other hand, argued that “he loves his job” and wanted to put this matter behind him. The Fair Work Commission, however, said that it did not have sufficient information to determine if reinstatement was an appropriate remedy. Its decision, therefore, rested on further evidence and submissions from both parties.
Mr Morrissy’s ultimate remedy has not been made public.
Read More: Are Employers Overreacting in this Woke Era?
Have you Been Unfairly Dismissed?
Whether you’ve faced unfair dismissal, discrimination or sexual harassment at work, you have options to hold your employer accountable. Our team at A Whole New Approach can help you take your case to the Fair Work Commission.
We offer a no win, no fee service and help workers in every state and territory. With us, you can help ensure you put the best case forward to get the compensation you deserve. Call us today on 1300 766 700 for a complimentary and private conversation.
