# I just accidentally fired someone. Sort of. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 22, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462 "2006-03-22T18:22:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/1 "2006-03-22T18:22:55Z")
I had a staff meeting this morning, during which it was announced a colleague overseas would be leaving the company next month, when his contract expired. I happened to get a call from him a few moments ago to discuss a couple projects he is working on. At the end of the call, we chatted for a few minutes, at which point I told him I heard he’d be leaving. He said something like “Are you joking, or are you serious?”. I was momentarily stunned into silence. He repeated the question, and I replied that it was obvious I’d spoken out of turn, confirmed that it had, indeed, been announced, and that I was sorry that it came as a surprise. I asked him to exercise discretion. Now I’ve got to go into my bosses office and tell him what happened. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![Barrels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@Barrels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrels)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/2 "2006-03-22T18:31:55Z")
Step 1: Open Mouth Step 2: Insert Foot 😃 Barrels ---
**Author:** ![cards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@cards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cards)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/3 "2006-03-22T18:38:27Z")
So, are you the guy who puts the FU in Fubaria? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/4 "2006-03-22T18:38:44Z")
Something like that happened where I work a few years ago. A guy was out in the field when layoffs were announced, and his name was on the list. He came back into town, then went into the office for his first day back, and was greeted by someone who shook his hand and said it had been great working with him, sorry to see you go, etc. He was like EXCUSE ME??? He then went in to talk to his boss. Or, perhaps I should say, he went in to scream and yell and curse at his boss. The conversation, or at least his side of it, was able to be heard for quite some distance down the hallways. Since then our company has had a strict policy of not even announcing layoffs until the person being laid off has been told. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/5 "2006-03-22T18:44:59Z")
Ouch! Seems like telling the person who will be leaving is the first step. I guess you can’t always count on management to get stuff in the right order. You’ll have to let us know how this turns out. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/6 "2006-03-22T18:48:03Z")
:rolleyes: I just spoke to my manger, and his boss. Seems there is a _breakdown of communications_ somewhere. Our soon-to-be-ex-employee sounds like he intends to lobby to extend his contract, but management thinks he’s leaving. In any case, he’s not expecting his contract to expire till 12-16 weeks from now, but management is saying 6 (I guess). ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/7 "2006-03-23T16:07:42Z")
> [@Winston Smith](#): > > :rolleyes: > > I just spoke to my manger, and his boss. Seems there is a _breakdown of communications_ somewhere. Our soon-to-be-ex-employee sounds like he intends to lobby to extend his contract, but management thinks he’s leaving. In any case, he’s not expecting his contract to expire till 12-16 weeks from now, but management is saying 6 (I guess). Someting tells me it will be 6. Also, it wasn’t your bad. If the management wanted it to be confidential, why did they blab it? hh ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/8 "2006-03-23T16:36:53Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Someting tells me it will be 6. > > Also, it wasn’t your bad. If the management wanted it to be confidential, why did they blab it? > hh Indeed. It’s very poor management. For the first time in my professional career, I’m starting to feel like Dilbert. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/9 "2006-03-23T17:50:36Z")
> [@Winston Smith](#): > > Indeed. It’s very poor management. For the first time in my professional career, I’m starting to feel like Dilbert. I’m waiting for the day when I **don’t** feel like Dilbert. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![\_tretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/ac91a4/32.png) [@\_tretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_tretch)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/10 "2006-03-23T22:36:31Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Also, it wasn’t your bad. If the management wanted it to be confidential, why did they blab it? > hh Maybe management wanted someone to “accidently” blab it to save themselves some trouble. With some offices and their politics, it’s not completely out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/11 "2006-03-24T01:15:29Z")
I work in IT. We termininated the wrong guy. A big deal, but it happens - very similar names. They straighten it out with their boss, we profusely apologize, they have a story to tell their friends in a few months. The real problem in this case - he was going to be let go the next day … ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-accidentally-fired-someone-sort-of/349462/12 "2006-03-24T02:57:44Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > \Also, it wasn’t your bad. If the management wanted it to be confidential, why did they blab it? > hh I agree - you don’t tell staff until you tell the one being let go, unless they wanted it done for them. Or they are _that_ stupid.