Unfinished Business And Out Of Business

(I am just fresh out of college, and have no work experience at all. After applying everywhere and getting nowhere, I finally get immediately hired for the human resources department in a large, well-known company. Even though it’s not my field, I’m thrilled and eager to work. However, the work itself turns out to be very dull, doing absolutely nothing for most of the time, waiting for the phone to ring, which it hardly does.)

Me: “Hi, boss. Um… is there anything for me to do? Anything at all?”

Boss: “Nope!”

Me: *sadly* “I see…”

Boss: “Hey, cheer up! Tomorrow we will have lots of work to do.”

Me: “Really?”

Boss: “Yeah, tomorrow we will have a job fair and I need to you interview a LOT of people.”

Me: “Great!”

(Over 300 applicants came to interview that day. In each interview, I had to ask a number of questions, so it took a LONG time. I was still doing the paperwork by the end of my shift.)

Boss: “Hey, [My Name]! Time to go home.”

Me: “But I still have to do these” *gestures to pile of paperwork*

Boss: “No buts. Come on. I have to close the office.”

(Reluctantly, I leave, leaving the pile of paperwork on the desk. The next morning, I arrive and sit down at my desk as usual. I look for my pile, figuring to finish it, but is nowhere. Confused, I ask my coworkers, but they haven’t taken it. My boss, and his boss, the manager, both come over to me.)

Boss: “[My Name].”

Me: “Yes?”

Boss: *looking stern* “Come into my office.” *leaves*

(I feel uneasy but I brush it off and go, knowing I haven’t done anything wrong. There, my boss is waiting for me with a familiar looking stack of papers. His boss is there, too.)

Me: *happily* “Hey, my papers! You found them!”

Boss: “[My Name]… you’re fired.”

Me: “W-what? Why?”

Boss: *waves stack* “You didn’t finish your work for the day. I found this on your desk.”

Me: “B-but! I couldn’t finish it! I was interviewing hundreds of people. I had to go over each one!”

Manager: “[My name], your boss and I have already discussed it. Leaving unfinished work is unacceptable here. So stop trying to change our minds, okay?! Just pack up and go. We don’t want trouble.”

(Stunned, in shock, I turn to leave.)

Boss: “Oh, before you leave…”

(I turn.)

Boss: “Sign this paper.” *hands over paper*

(I look at it. It says basically that I am leaving at my own accord and that the company holds no responsibility over firing me. It also says that the company will never hire me again. I get angry at that.)

Me: “Fine!”

(I angrily sign it and grab my things and go. My coworkers are outraged and confused as I am, but say nothing. Later, I learned that since I signed that paper, I was ineligible to collect unemployment benefits. Luckily, I found another job soon after and never went back! Karma very soon came around as shortly after that company went out of business!)