# I don't know what you're TRYING to do, but you're GOING to get yourself fired. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 1, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231 "2013-05-01T18:43:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/121 "2013-05-03T18:12:11Z")
This isn’t in Memphis by any chance? I only ask because I live there and it sounds like a few places I worked. Usually the offending employee was either sleeping with someone influential or had something on a superior that made them feel safe to push the envelope. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/122 "2013-05-03T18:19:11Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > Have you tried pictures? > > As in this is appropriate dress for Casual Friday > [http://psbananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG\_8153-Version-2.jpg](http://psbananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG_8153-Version-2.jpg) > > This is not > [Casual Apparel in the Workplace: What Not to wear on Casual Friday?](http://brocklej671.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-not-to-wear-on-casual-friday.html) > > Sometimes people are fashion idiots. > > Mr. Potty Mouth owes you an apology and a promise to never behave like that again. He got his free pass, one more time and he is done. His coworkers should have shut him down when he started and not have let it escalate. Hey now, what is wrong with a Hawaiian shirt:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/123 "2013-05-03T18:51:50Z")
Sorry for the delay, folks. Busy day yesterday. I just scanned the thread and am going to hit on some things people mentioned. I didn’t make it clear in the OP, but we did indeed distribute an email with the relaxed dress code, including pictures, which everyone had to read and acknowledge. I spoke as I did at the come-to-jesus meeting because, while I still intend to wear suit & tie most days, I wanted to make it clear that I was doing so out of my personal preference for comfort, not to indicate that everybody else had to do so. [“Ahsoka Tano”](http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Ahsoka-Tano-130919148) was clearly trying to get fired. She’s never been my direct report, but I’d seen her often enough at work to know that she ordinarily had not trouble adhering even to the stricter version of the dress code. Anyway, I didn’t have to counsel her in person; her immediate boss did that. Ahsoka showed up to that meeting in another stripper costume and left unemployed, which, as I understand it, seemed not to bother her. As for the foul-mouthed fellow [this link ain’t safe for works, kids!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw0G2QcNuCg) I emailed his immediate boss, who said that he had never been a problem employee before, that he was having serious personal problems, and that she apologized for not dealing with him earlier. I replied that no apology was necessary and that I’d handle it. FMF was very apologetic at his meeting and would have begged for his job if I’d let him. I honestly think he didn’t recognize me when I first spoke to him–not that that is really relevant, as he shouldn’t have been talking even to his peers in that way. I suspended him for a week and put him on probation; his next offense will be his last. But not super-double secret probation, as someone jestingly noted. That shit ain’t funny or fair, and Work!Skald doesn’t have a sense of humor anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/124 "2013-05-03T19:09:49Z")
Yay! Sounds like good resolutions all around. I love a happy ending (not that kind, the other kind). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/125 "2013-05-03T19:29:08Z")
FMF has never been a problem before, is having severe personal issues, was very apologetic, and was still suspended for a week and put on probation? Man, you guys are a lot tougher on employees than I’ve ever encountered in my career. I guess he won’t be doing that again though. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/126 "2013-05-03T19:44:25Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > FMF has never been a problem before, is having severe personal issues, was very apologetic, and was still suspended for a week and put on probation? > > Man, you guys are a lot tougher on employees than I’ve ever encountered in my career. > > I guess he won’t be doing that again though. I can see I wasn’t clear. “Before” didn’t mean “before this incident”; it meant “before the last few months.” FMF has worked here for years, but he’s been getting on his boss’s nerves in several ways for some time now; that’s why she apologized for not dealing with him earlier. When I sent contacted her, she was immediately able to name the employee and guess much of the nature of his misbehavior. This week was just the first time it’s come to my attention. As for the suspension: he’s got three times that much vacation time available to him, so he shouldn’t suffer financially. But I can’t have people cursing so loudly in the call center; not only is it distracting to the employees, but it’s offensive to many customers. If I could hear him from the elevator, people his teammates on the phone could hear him too. And consider this. I’m a head taller than this guy, and two levels above him in the hierarchy, and he was still verbally abusive to me. How do you think he’s likely to treat his peers when he’s in a bad place? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/127 "2013-05-03T19:44:39Z")
I don’t think he should’ve been allowed to keep his job after what he did. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/128 "2013-05-03T19:45:45Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > FMF has never been a problem before, is having severe personal issues, was very apologetic, and was still suspended for a week and put on probation? > > Man, you guys are a lot tougher on employees than I’ve ever encountered in my career. > > I guess he won’t be doing that again though. I work in a call center. That guy is \*\*damn \*\*lucky he wasn’t fired on the spot. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/129 "2013-05-03T19:48:23Z")
Well, I’ve never worked in a call centre, so there’s that. And a bit more background from **Skald**. Point taken. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/130 "2013-05-03T19:53:19Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > FMF has never been a problem before, is having severe personal issues, was very apologetic, and was still suspended for a week and put on probation? > > Man, you guys are a lot tougher on employees than I’ve ever encountered in my career. > > I guess he won’t be doing that again though. That guy is very lucky. I don’t know what kind of dream world you live in. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/131 "2013-05-03T19:57:25Z")
Seriously, I have never heard of someone talking that way to someone in charge of them not being fired on the spot and getting forcefully thrown out. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/132 "2013-05-03T19:58:30Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > That guy is very lucky. I don’t know what kind of dream world you live in. Was that necessary? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/133 "2013-05-03T19:59:33Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > That guy is very lucky. I don’t know what kind of dream world you live in. The only thing that saved his job is that, years ago when my son died and I went on a downward spiral in which my grief and guilt manifested as rage and misogyny, my boss at Sears didn’t fire me as she rightly could have, but instead gave me a merciful tongue-lashing, and I remembered what it was like to have my life fall apart when talking to him. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/134 "2013-05-03T20:03:00Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Seriously, I have never heard of someone talking that way to someone in charge of them not being fired on the spot and getting forcefully thrown out. I have, but it was in a place where “fuck you asshole” was everyone’s version of “good morning.” ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/135 "2013-05-03T20:30:29Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Was that necessary? Yes, since you repeatedly say how shocked you are by everyone being so “mean.” ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/136 "2013-05-03T20:31:31Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I have, but it was in a place where “fuck you asshole” was everyone’s version of “good morning.” What business was this, and are they hiring? ---
**Author:** ![allyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@allyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/allyn)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/137 "2013-05-03T21:51:25Z")
Why was she trying to get fired? Isn’t it simpler to resign? ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/138 "2013-05-03T21:59:22Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > What business was this, and are they hiring? Sounds like an oil field. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/139 "2013-05-03T22:05:30Z")
> [@allyn](#): > > Why was she trying to get fired? Isn’t it simpler to resign? I have no idea why she was trying to get fired. It’s just the only explanation I can see for her behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231/140 "2013-05-03T23:01:01Z")
For the record, I’m with Leaffan - I’m glad to hear the belligerent employee has a chance to get himself together. Makes your company a better place to work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-know-what-youre-trying-to-do-but-youre-going-to-get-yourself-fired/657231.md?page=8)