NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Former employees reveal the bizarre reasons they were sacked

By Molly Rose Pike
Daily Mail·
6 May, 2018 12:58 AMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

People from around the world have shared the craziest reasons they were fired. Photo / Getty Images

People from around the world have shared the craziest reasons they were fired. Photo / Getty Images

In most workplaces you have to push the boss pretty far to get the sack - but as these confessions prove, that isn't always the case.

In a new thread published on the secret-sharing site Whisper, workers have revealed some of the truly bizarre reasons they've been fired.

Making use of the app's anonymity settings, disgruntled former employees spared no scathing detail in their tales of unreasonable bosses, writes The Daily Mail.

One person claimed to have lost their job because they didn't call in sick after falling into a coma, while another was told they were spending too long in the toilet.

In a more unsettling case a woman told how she was shown the door by her boss because she refused his sexual advances.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Other workers recalled being fired for having time off to attend a funeral - or even, in one case, for yawning too often.

'I was fired for being in a coma': This person lost their job because they didn't call in sick for being in a coma. Photo / Whisper
'I was fired for being in a coma': This person lost their job because they didn't call in sick for being in a coma. Photo / Whisper
'I've never felt so disrespected': This worker claims they were sacked for refusing sex with their boss. Photo / Whisper
'I've never felt so disrespected': This worker claims they were sacked for refusing sex with their boss. Photo / Whisper
'I took the time off to grieve': This former employee was fired for taking time off after their granddad passed away. Photo / Whisper
'I took the time off to grieve': This former employee was fired for taking time off after their granddad passed away. Photo / Whisper
'I took too long to poop': This worker claims they were sacked for taking too long in the toilet. Photo / Whisper
'I took too long to poop': This worker claims they were sacked for taking too long in the toilet. Photo / Whisper
'I started to gain weight': A former Dunkin' Donuts employee claims they lost their job when they put weight on. Photo / Whisper
'I started to gain weight': A former Dunkin' Donuts employee claims they lost their job when they put weight on. Photo / Whisper
'My boss was crazy': This woman claims she was fired for going to the bathroom too much when she had morning sickness. Photo / Whisper
'My boss was crazy': This woman claims she was fired for going to the bathroom too much when she had morning sickness. Photo / Whisper
'I was fired for being trans': This person claims to have been sacked for being transgender. Photo / Whisper
'I was fired for being trans': This person claims to have been sacked for being transgender. Photo / Whisper
'I beat the head attorney': This lawyer claims they lost their job because they won a case, Photo / Whisper
'I beat the head attorney': This lawyer claims they lost their job because they won a case, Photo / Whisper
'I was fired for sexual harassment': This person said they were only asking if their colleague was sunburnt. Photo / Whisper
'I was fired for sexual harassment': This person said they were only asking if their colleague was sunburnt. Photo / Whisper
'She was going to have to cancel her own plans': This person was fired after they couldn't provide emergency cover. Photo / Whisper
'She was going to have to cancel her own plans': This person was fired after they couldn't provide emergency cover. Photo / Whisper
'She said I was a danger': This person was sacked after a toddler in her care fell over while learning to walk. Photo / Whisper
'She said I was a danger': This person was sacked after a toddler in her care fell over while learning to walk. Photo / Whisper
'My manager's wife needed a job': This person said they were replaced by their manager's wife. Photo / Whisper
'My manager's wife needed a job': This person said they were replaced by their manager's wife. Photo / Whisper
'I had a bacterial lung infection': This person's boss didn't think their illness was a 'good enough excuse'. Photo / Whisper
'I had a bacterial lung infection': This person's boss didn't think their illness was a 'good enough excuse'. Photo / Whisper
'I was fired for being a 'contagious disease of negativity''': This person had a bizarre reason for being fired. Photo / Whisper
'I was fired for being a 'contagious disease of negativity''': This person had a bizarre reason for being fired. Photo / Whisper
'I had an anxiety attack': This person blamed her boss' old fashioned attitudes for her being fired. Photo / Whisper
'I had an anxiety attack': This person blamed her boss' old fashioned attitudes for her being fired. Photo / Whisper
'I had postpartum depression': This new mother says she was fired because of her poor mental health. Photo / Whisper
'I had postpartum depression': This new mother says she was fired because of her poor mental health. Photo / Whisper
'I got fired for yawning': This person was sacked from her high school job for yawning too often. Photo / Whisper
'I got fired for yawning': This person was sacked from her high school job for yawning too often. Photo / Whisper
'I called CSS': This person was let go after they called in help when a child was visibly injured. Photo / Whisper
'I called CSS': This person was let go after they called in help when a child was visibly injured. Photo / Whisper
'One of the craziest stories I have': This person claims they were fired for not doing cocaine with their boss. Photo / Whisper
'One of the craziest stories I have': This person claims they were fired for not doing cocaine with their boss. Photo / Whisper

Discover more

Business

The five stupid lies jobseekers are telling

05 May 02:43 AM
Lifestyle

Modern IT girl revealed as computer simulation

06 May 01:30 AM
Lifestyle

Feeling sad lately? Viral post explains why

06 May 01:23 AM
Lifestyle

Feeling sad lately? Viral post explains why

02 Jun 10:19 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

21 Jun 06:00 PM
Lifestyle

'Hero of my life': Tim Wilson on adoption, faith and fatherhood

21 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

'Two small boys left fatherless and their mother cast as a scarlet woman'

20 Jun 10:00 PM

Help for those helping hardest-hit

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

21 Jun 06:00 PM

New York Times: Gen Z are using Instagram for everything except its original function.

'Hero of my life': Tim Wilson on adoption, faith and fatherhood

'Hero of my life': Tim Wilson on adoption, faith and fatherhood

21 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
'Two small boys left fatherless and their mother cast as a scarlet woman'

'Two small boys left fatherless and their mother cast as a scarlet woman'

20 Jun 10:00 PM
Premium
Everything Millennial is cool again

Everything Millennial is cool again

20 Jun 06:00 PM
Inside Leigh Hart’s bonkers quest to hand-deliver a SnackaChangi chip to every Kiwi
sponsored

Inside Leigh Hart’s bonkers quest to hand-deliver a SnackaChangi chip to every Kiwi

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP