Everyone comes up against difficulties at work every now and again
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Everyone comes up against difficulties at work every now and again. However, making the decision to fire a worker because of unforgivable conduct is a step most HR leaders dread.
A recent report from Turner Little uncovered the top ten reasons why employees were sacked so far in 2018 – which you can see below;
- Poor performance/not meeting targets (23%)
- Heavy internet usage not related to work (21%)
- Too much socializing during work (16%)
- Being late (11%)
- Taking one too many sickies (9%)
- Questionable history search (8%)
- Looking for other jobs during work hours (6%)
- Failing drug tests (3%)
- Too many coffee/toilet breaks (2%)
- Falling asleep at work (2%)
Alongside these reasons, the study asked individual employees to relate their personal experiences in being terminated. We’ve listed a few below.
Priya, 26 – Advertising
“I worked for an advertising company for about a year and a half. I was very happy with the job; however, the bosses were a bit uptight. My boyfriend was recently unemployed and looking for a job in marketing. As a loving girlfriend I decided to help him look for one.
“Stupidly, I decided it would be a great idea to look for jobs on my lunch break, from my work computer, thinking it was okay as it was my own time. A week later, I was called into the office and told I was fired, as my behaviour was “unacceptable”. Now my boyfriend has a job and is helping me find one. How the tables have turned.”
Andrew, 28 - Developer
“I was going through some personal issues at home, and let’s just say, I wasn’t getting the ‘beauty sleep’ I needed, which was starting to take a toll on my work performance.
“My bosses were surprisingly understanding until one day when I completely messed up. We had a meeting with a very important client, who also happened to have the softest, most soothing voice
I’d ever heard. Long story short, that was the best nap I’d had in a while. Needless to say, it was my last day working for him.”
Hannah, 31 - Graphic Designer
“I just started working for this small company, we were about 15 employees. At the same time, I just started a water detox diet which meant I was drinking tons of water.
“Because of my new diet I would find myself going to the toilet almost every hour, if not twice an hour. I didn’t think it was a big deal until I received an email saying I was being let go. On the bright side, the diet helped me lose 8 pounds!”
Related stories:
What are top mistakes made by HR when firing employees?
Can you legally terminate an employee for committing a ‘minor’ mistake?
