We complete our university or college education and graduate. The next step is to get a job. This is a pre-determined pattern for our lives. We make applications and soon enough we successfully get hired. Our families and friends celebrate our accomplishments and life goes on! Organizations hire employees to perform specific functions that help meet corporate goals and objectives. The employees are expected to meet their obligations as long as they are still working. This in turn will translate into job security for the employee. However, in unfortunate cases, the employment contract prematurely ends due to unavoidable and unforeseen circumstances. These circumstances may be from either the employer or employee. In this article, we are discussing the reasons that can make an employee get fired from their job. So, today’s topic- Ways to get Fired from your Job.
- Absenteeism and Lateness – All workplaces have specific working hours and days. Each employee is expected to be at their duty stations during these times. You will find that some employees want to come to work when they feel like without due regard for their responsibilities. These leaves work undone and deadlines are unmet. For instance, a manager who is meant to host a corporate event remains away from work and does not finalize plans with the team leaving them confused about the action to take while the deadline is approaching, or a supervisor who comes late to work yet they were meant to conduct a meeting with stakeholders that particular morning leaving them agitated.
- Performance – This refers to undertaking a job role. All employees are expected to carry out duties for which they were hired with excellence based on predetermined standards or targets. When an employee operates averagely or below the requirements they risk losing their job. Performance reviews are conducted periodically in most organizations either quarterly or twice a year. Reports on each employee are submitted by respective supervisors as a guide on the conduct and ability of the employee. It is expected that an employee will make significant improvements by the next review process that may be three to six months away. Unfortunately, some employees are on a downward spiral due to various reasons, resulting in negative reviews every single time. Such an employee in the long run will lose their job too. For instance, a janitor who has been requested repeatedly to improve on their level of cleanliness in terms of frequency and quality but fails to make adjustments making the premises look dirty or a cook who has been repeatedly advised against inconsistent spicing of dishes which leads to poor quality of meals and wastages.
- Custodial Ability – This is the ability to take care of something in the ascribed manner. Any employee is expected to manage any company property placed under their care or use appropriately. They should use the property for its intended purpose and ensure its longevity. Unfortunately, in some cases, employees become careless with company property whether or not it is in their direct custody. This leads to financial losses to the company as a result of frequent repairs and/or replacements. The employer can resort to firing this particular employee in order to save money. For instance, a company driver who causes car accidents every month will be seen as incompetent and unskilled, and corrective action will be taken by the organization to avoid insurance claims and litigation or clerical officer who constantly damages the copier machine by disregarding the instructions in the machine’s manual.
- Client Complaints – The aim of any organization is to provide products and services to the members of the public, more specifically their customers or clients. As result, they hire workers to help them meet these objectives. The employee is expected to have the appropriate customer service skill while interacting or helping the clients or customers. This is to ensure that they are happy with the organization’s practice so that they can return in the future, guaranteeing company revenue. Mishandled clients or customers will have a negative impact on company sales. If clients or customers make frequent complaints about an employee the management will not tolerate this behavior and disciplinary action will be taken which may include termination of employment. For instance, a front office staff who speaks rudely to visitors or serves them after a long waiting period will definitely cause negative reactions from the visitors who are normally pressed with time or a waiter who ignores patrons in the restaurant or brings them wrong orders at the table will definitely get a bad reaction from the customers.
- Employee Complaints – In this case, the colleagues of a certain employee may lodge complaints against them due to a variety of reasons. For instance, inappropriate language use at the office or soliciting favors from them. This can cause the loss of a job since the work environment is compromised and the team is uncomfortable around you. This affects their performance and interactions. This is especially true if the complaints are widespread and frequent in the organization despite repeated corrective measures or warnings from the supervisor or leaders. For instance, an employee who is always financially challenged and requests their colleagues for soft loans and never repays or one who is always talking negatively about other colleagues or leadership.
- Insubordination – This occurs when an employee defies a direct order from their immediate supervisor or anyone placed in authority over them. The employee may refuse to follow instructions or may act in a manner to embarrass the supervisor or leader. Such an employee can easily lose their job. For instance, an employee instructed to temporarily sit in for a sick or redeployed colleague declines or one who argues with their supervisor in front of others instead of requesting for a private meeting to air their grievances.
- Conflict of Interest – This happens when the employee interests are in antagonism with the company interests. The employee engages in professional activities that are directly or indirectly competing with the organization that they work for. For instance, an employee who opens a business similar to their employer or using company resources to foster personal activities such as using the company vehicle to make secretive deliveries to their home or private business.
- Discrimination – This is the partial treatment of colleagues or clients. The employee may have biases based on preferred criteria such as qualifications, ethnicity, gender, religion, among others. As a result, they sideline the category that does not fit into their mold. This may lead to their unfair treatment and violation of their rights. Such an employee will not give equal services which give a wrong impression of the company. For instance, a security guard who will only permit high-class clients access to the premises at the expense of needy ones or a cashier who allows their friends and relatives to skip the line at the expense of clients that arrived earlier.
- Sexual Harassment – This refers to unwanted sexual advances. A rogue employee can make sexual advances to supervisors, colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. They may be having mental health issues or seek favors from their targets or victims. This usually makes the work environment tense and affects individual and team performance. The victims can also develop mental health challenges because of intimidation from the rogue employee. For instance, an employee who wants a job promotion opts to be intimate with their supervisor instead of following the appropriate protocol for securing a senior post or a supervisor who starts harassing a new recruit that has declined their proposal to be intimate with each other.
- Assault – To intentionally cause harm (whether or not it is physical) to another person or their property is what we refer to as assault. The harm may be physical, psychological, social, or spiritual. The assaultive person may wish to control other people, events, or the environment in which they are found for personal gain. They may also be suffering from mental health issues for them to want to be so extreme with their surroundings. For instance, an employee who gets into a physical confrontation with their supervisor for giving them a negative performance review or one that constantly intimidates their colleague in order to suppress the truth in the department or section.
- Medical Grounds – In some unfortunate cases, an employee may develop a mental or physical condition that compromises their ability to effectively perform their duties. The employee will be forced to take a prolonged leave of absence to recover or manage the condition. Organizations are performance-oriented and can only wait for so long. A replacement is often sought to fill the gap to ensure business continuity and profitability. For instance, an employee who was involved in a car accident is rendered disabled and can no longer perform the role they were hired for or one who develops a condition that requires a change in the physical environment, let’s say from cold climate zones to hot climate areas.
- Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – This is an addiction to alcohol or drugs whether or not they are considered illegal. Some people abuse even prescription medicine to the point of incapacitation in undertaking normal duties. These drugs and substances affect the physiological and psychological status of the addict rendering them incompetent both at professional and personal levels. As mentioned above, poor performance from any employee is not tolerated by employers and corrective action must be taken to protect the company from losses. For instance, a machine operator who is often drunk at work can easily cause a catastrophic accident leading to litigation or an impaired executive officer can give implicative speeches about company operations in public gatherings.
- Embezzlement – This refers to funds misappropriation or theft. Leadership in organizations is based on trust more than monitoring. Senior executives rarely have the time to check on every aspect of managers and the operations of the teams. They trust that they hired competent professionals and skilled workers to conduct company business. This leadership trait of trust and delegation can work against the board and owners of the organization. The respective managers or workers can misuse resources allocated to them without the knowledge of the leaders. For instance, budget approvals are often done periodically and respective managers are issued with funds, accountability follows later. It could mean the manager stole the money and resigned before they could be discovered. This waiting period can also imply that the culprits have enough time to cover their tracks when if they continue to serve in the organizations.
- Defamation – This involves damaging the reputation of a person or an organization. A rogue employee may start spreading lies upon their colleagues, leadership, or company in general due to reasons best known to them. These inaccurate statements about people or companies are illegal and attract criminal proceedings against the culprit. These rumors lead to a negative public image and customers can easily withdraw leading to the economic crisis in the organization. When leaders discover these tendencies with one or more of their employees they will take disciplinary action that often includes termination of the employment contract. For instance, an employee working in a dairy factory claims that dangerous chemicals are used in the processing of milk products, or a hospital worker claims that the facility conducts unethical research studies on their patients without their knowledge or consent.
- Forged Qualifications – Sometimes jobless populations get desperate and will do anything to break into the job market. National economies are struggling and employment opportunities are limited yet the masses have to survive somehow. This desperation can lead to unorthodox ways of securing jobs in organizations. A desperate job seeker can develop or acquire fake certificates or documents in order to beat the competition in the recruitment process. This is why the hiring process incorporates background checks before giving job offers to shortlisted candidates. One can get by with fake documents for a while but once discovered the consequences are dire including police custody and being branded a criminal. Of course, no employer will retain an employee with this character no matter how needy they are or a good performer they have been. For instance, typing, printing, and signing a recommendation letter from a non-existing employer or purchasing a degree certificate from the black market to present as your own yet you never attended graduate school.
- Fraudulent Practices – It is simply defined as criminal deception. Basically, it is presenting yourself as something or someone you are not for personal gain. It has been found in multiple sectors and departments in an organization. For instance, an employee who goes to stakeholder meetings posing as a director or chief executive officer or one who negotiates contracts with suppliers without approval from the company.
- Copyright and Patent Infringement – This is using protected company information for either personal or professional reasons without approval from the company. All copyright and patented information are given protocols to follow before accessing them from company archives or resource departments. Some employees do not follow the rules and regulations associated with these pieces of information or items. For instance, an employee makes public recorded proceedings of a disciplinary hearing of a colleague or one who exposes the blueprints of upcoming construction projects owned by the company.
- Lack of Confidentiality – This refers to the disclosure of company secrets whether or not they are copyrighted or patented. This also involves sharing company information or details for personal or monetary gains. This unethical sharing of information can also be prompted by industry competitors who want to taint the image of the company in order to benefit from the shared business environment. For instance, an employee who sells the secret formulae of a cleaning agent that has just been developed by a research institute or one who reveals the promiscuous relationships that their leader has engaged in so that they destroy his public image.
- Work Permit and Visa – Foreigners or refugees require special documentation in order to live and work in resident countries. To obtain this, government procedures and policies must be followed by the potential employees. Sometimes this is not done since it requires resources (money and time) which the immigrant may not have at that particular moment. Alternatively, immigrants who did not use the correct border pints to gain entry into the resident country may be afraid of getting assistance from government offices since background checks will be conducted and they risk deportation. They may resort to forging these work documents in order to get temporary work to generate the very resources needed by these government agencies. When discovered criminal procedures are conducted and they will definitely lose their current jobs. For instance, an employee who is the sole breadwinner in the family will be afraid of losing their job and instead get a false one to renew their contract.
- Treason – Employees may be engaged in other “extra-curricular activities” of which the employer is oblivious. These so-called “hobbies” may lead the employee into “dark paths” that will cost them their freedom or in worst-case scenarios, their lives, and livelihoods. Employees may get engaged with political parties or illegal activities that are contrary to the national constitution and ethical practices. These will profile them with law enforcement agencies as enemies of the state. They eventually become wanted criminals tracked down by the government agencies to undergo criminal or investigative proceedings. Once an employer discovers this or is contacted by law enforcement, the employee will no longer be welcome in the organization unless they surrender to the government and are acquitted. For instance, an employee who innocently registers with a political party as a member is later indoctrinated into a sub-unit as a spy.
Conclusion
We all want economic stability despite our surrounding environments. We want financial freedom, the status of not worrying about poverty, and limited access to resources and even luxury. To acquire this status, we need to follow the right procedures of securing employment with reputable organizations. Once these jobs are obtained, we need to value them and understand that they are the defining factor in our survival in society. With this in mind, we will limit the challenges we face at the workplace and pursue harmony within and without it. After struggling to secure a job, why should you be guilty of participating and/or facilitating unethical and criminal activities that render you unemployed once again?!
This is a self-defeating mentality that we should replace with a self-preserving attitude. All companies have employee handbooks and various manuals to guide recruits and existing staff on how to carry themselves around while undertaking official duties. In addition, job offer letters, employment contracts, and job descriptions are always issued to act as additional reference materials. Employees should be keen on these documentations to remain compliant at the workplace. Furthermore, government legislations on the Labour market also exist to guide both the employers and employees on best practices at work. Examples of these legislations include Labour laws, employment acts, and arbitration acts, just to mention a few.
Whenever in doubt, human resources departments or consultants and legal officers can be sought for guidance. These professionals and government agencies exist for the benefit of everyone who needs them in society. Sone of these agencies and professionals have even made it easier for members of the public to access relevant information that will preserve their employment status by having them on websites and social media platforms. Take advantage of these free resources to enlighten yourself and others around you. Remember, ignorance is not a defense in law!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between a work permit and a work visa?
A work permit is a government document that gives a foreigner permission to secure appropriate employment in their resident country while a work visa is a government document that allows a foreigner to enter, live and travel in the resident country as an employee. - What is the difference between a manual and a handbook?
A manual is a compilation of mostly technical instructions to the user on how to perform a specific function while a handbook is a reference material that creates awareness concerning specific environments or workplaces.
Ways to get Fired from your Job
