Top 10 Reasons 21st-Century Employees Get Fired

Introduction to Employment and Job Retention

The photograph below is a typical bread line or unemployment line back in the 1930s, but we're having these today as well. In fact, every decade—or at least every change in presidential administration—brings with it a change in the economy that results in a recession.

Today, some employees lose their jobs through no fault of their own. However, some other times, there is realistic cause for termination.

Dishonesty, evasion, or lack of integrity on the job can be the culprit that results in termination, as well as lack of training and misunderstandings. It is important to be honest, straightforward, and forthcoming on the job with your management and then to insist on proper training and fair treatment as well.

Reasons 21st-Century Employees Get Fired

1. Dishonesty, evasion, or lack of integrity on the job.
2. Lying on a resume.
3. Refusing to follow directions and orders.
4. Talking too much and conducting personal business at work.
5. Inconsistency—unreliable work and behaviors.
6. Inability to get along with other people/reducing group productivity.
7. Inability to actually do assigned job tasks.
8. Performing tasks slowly, with numerous errors.
9. High absenteeism rate.
10. Drug and/or alcohol abuse.

References and Notes

• Article text includes data collected from 1995 through 2012 by Patty Inglish. All Rights Reserved.
• Featured with permission in the textbook Better Business, First Canadian Edition on Feb 28, 2012 and New Edition 2014.

1. Dishonesty, evasion, or lack of integrity on the job.

It is important to be honest, straightforward, and forthcoming on the job with management and coworkers. However, this does not mean that you should blurt out everything you know.

It is important to protect your company's proprietary information, such as copyrighted and trademarked materials, company manuals, program materials, and new projects, services, and inventions in order to prevent corporate espionage and theft. Time sheets and expense reports must be 100% true and accurate, without padding. Projects reports, especially facts and figures must not be faked.

Employees should not use company materials or equipment for their own personal purposes and this includes telephones, cell phones, copiers, laptops, PDAs, iPODs, and the Internet. However, some employers will make an exception in some cases - for example, printing up few flyers for a charity—but ask them first in order to preserve ongoing trust.

Most employers also permit emergency phone calls from and to family members and allow parents to call to check on their children. Absolutely no employee should use company time, equipment, and materials to operate a personal business on company time, such as an Internet sales page, or a Pampered Chef or Tupperware business, etc.

2. Lying on a resume.

Increasing numbers of employers are checking every single reference a job candidate provides, although EEO regulations make this more difficult to complete since the late 2000s. Employee privacy is becoming an issue.

If there are notations on your resume of more than one business "closed down" or one or more employers having died, or there are untraceable educational certifications, you risk being fired for fraud. Be prepared to show some sort of documentation for those closed down business and schools.

Many employers now require that you show them, and provide them a copy of, your High School, Vocational School, and College transcripts and diplomas, as well as certifications and licenses.If you lose any of these, they can be difficult and expensive to replace.

In many companies, reference checking continues after you are hired. Some employers run regularly occurring credit checks on workers more than once per year. Contracts with firms that do bulk credit and background checks make this cheaper to accomplish.

A local retail conglomerate containing a dozen chains of clothing and accessory outlets also owns a financial services division and a credit and collections division. Through vocational counseling duties, I learned that temporary employees in credit and collections sometimes underwent no credit checks, while full-time-with-benefits customer service reps were checked at hire and semiannually thereafter.

The two-art employer rationale often reported, albeit perhaps not a valid one for worker credit checks is

1. To prevent theft and embezzlement, and
2. To prevent a] sloppiness and mishandling of funds/resources, and b] low productivity.

In several workforce articles in the body of literature, evidence emerges that the poor credit check does not usually correlate with the problems supposedly linked with it in the workplace.

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During a national recession, the poor credit check result may be even more meaningless and hopefully dropped by some companies. Financial and credit services seem to employee credit checks more often than other employers.

As a professional in other industries, I have gathered background checks and these recurring credit checks, and can testify to their time-consuming nature. In my experience, the background check at hire is the more important and should not be eliminated. Credit checks can be eliminated, except perhaps in the financial industry.

If anyone tells you to make up information and add it to make your resume look better, they are either

1. Naïve or ill-informed, or
2. Trying to get you into trouble. Some people make it their hobby to hurt others. I was advised twice in the past to add companies and jobs to my resume that I had never experienced. I did not do so, because my resume was already bringing comments of "overqualified" from some HR departments. It was suspicious for anyone to suggest that I add false information.

A Famous Case Example

• The Unexpected Consequences Of Exaggerating Or Lying...
  Lying on your resume will be discovered and the larger the lie and the more famous you seem to be in a high- end job, the more likely you will be discovered... But does it matter?

3. Refusing to follow directions and orders.

This is fairly self explanatory and yet, some employees do not understand that their jobs require them to follow directions and to comply with the requests of their superiors at work..

Your company pays for (in wages) and owns your working time and you must do everything legal that your supervisors and bosses ask you to do.

If you have a better idea, you must talk to them and go through proper channels in order to "do it your way." If you are asked to do something illegal, unethical, or what you consider immoral, you need to take a stand on that in a professional manner.

Sometimes, people who cannot follow directions simply need to start their own businesses, and that's perfectly OK. It's a part of the Multiple Intelligences phenomenon and absolutely acceptable.

4. Talking too much and conducting personal business at work.

Don't be guilty of misusing company resources, including the Internet, office supplies, and especially telephones; too much idle (personal talking) with coworkers. Non-business talking wastes more company dollars than any other activity. It should be saved for lunch and break times. This includes talking on the phone/email with stockbrokers, travel agents, hairdressers, bankers, etc.

In the 1960s and into the early 1970s, many offices and factories did not allow any conversation - employees were to work, not talk. This policy loosened somewhat in the 1980s and 1990s and then as employers discovered how much talking costs them, they began laying off the talkers. HOWEVER, some employers allow a certain amount of this type of activity and it is important to understand YOUR company policies and follow them.

5. Inconsistency—unreliable work and behaviors.

Employees must be stable and consistent in behaviors and productivity in order to benefit the company and produce profits or positive outcomes.

While most people have ups and downs in energy, if these interfere with productivity and accuracy in their jobs, they need to contact their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or seek professional help.

If employee reviews are given regularly, these trends can be caught in time to be guided into something more positive. If you are not receiving employee reviews, ask for one.

6. Inability to get along with other people/reducing group productivity.

Some people have a lower "Social IQ" than others, some are loners, and some are sociopathic or have personality disorders. Unless there is a mental health disorder present (like the sociopathic or personality disorder symptoms) people can learn to be civil and have productive conversations—even those with Asperger's syndrome and other autism spectrum disorders.

Management should notice extreme problems with employee's getting along with others and intervene professionally with a referral to the Employee Assistance Program for consultation and help or the Professional Development Program for training like awareness and communications education.

Without these latter two programs, many more employees would be fired and end up possibly in jail or homeless.

7. Inability to actually do assigned job tasks.

If employees lie convincingly enough during an interview or on a resume, stating that they can do certain tasks, but proving unable to perform these duties on he job, they will likely be fired if they cannot learn to do them very quickly.

However, some tasks that require certifications and licenses cannot be quickly learned on the job during the first weeks. These deficits will expose the employee as unable to perform assigned duties and having lied during the application process .

However, occasionally there is a lack of initial orientation and training on the job and the employee needs to ask for help early on. Sometimes, through misunderstanding, an employee will be assigned tasks that are beyond their training or education or in an entirely different field.

This is certainly a mismatch. Such an employee needs to speak up right away in a professional manner and ask for help or reassignment. These employees may need to report their circumstances to Human Resources, an Employee Assistance Program, a Union Steward, or their attorney if the situation escalates..

8. Performing tasks slowly, with numerous errors.

Some employees are sloppy and not invested in doing a good job. Unless their attitudes change for more productive beliefs, they will likely be fired.

On the other hand, and unwisely, some employees try to "string out" their work and make it last longer in order to have job security. This is dishonest. A better plan is to finish their tasks at an acceptable rate and ask coworkers if they can help them, and after that, go to the boss and ask for more work. Not only is this honest, but it lets the boss know that you are a good worker and deserving of raises and promotions.

Unfortunately, some companies do not have adequate training and follow-up programs in place, leaving employees to figure out their jobs on their own. In these cases, slow work and high error rate are not actually the workers' fault.

Alternatively, some people are simply in the wrong job for them and they need to be placed into jobs in which they can excel. These people need to ask for help from their supervisors and bosses and these management persons need to notice the problem and be prepared to help, either with training and coaching, or a job change.

9. High absenteeism rate.

When you are hired as an employee, your company owns the time that you are at work, except for lunches, breaks, and authorized time off.

It is not a sign of integrity to take every minute of sick time you have, just because you are allotted that amount and are not actually sick. Some employers have solved this problem by lumping vacations, mental health days, sick time, holidays, days for family funerals, and personal days into one category called "Time Off" or similar. You don't have to give any explanation. Longer family-leave and parental leave time usually requires previous authorization though. However, if you need to take sick time for another reason, confide in your bosses and they may make an accommodation for you.

If an employee is having problems with job burnout that often manifests as absences and tardiness or is suffering frequent accidents, drug/alcohol abuse, family difficulties, or other mental health or physical issues, many employers have Employee Assistance Programs to help guide and treat these problems. Employees should take advantage of this help to 1) increase the quality of their own lives and 2) become more consistent and productive workers.

10. Drug and/or alcohol abuse.

This leads to inconsistent work, errors, accidents, poor interpersonal relationships, increased absenteeism, lower morale among coworkers and supervisors, bad publicity for the company, and other negatives. Drug and alcohol problems both are usually only one of a set of serious disorders known as Co-Occurring Disorders, so there is usually much more to the problem than drug use or drinking that got out of hand.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

© 2007 Patty Inglish MS

Comments

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on November 17, 2014:

Thanks for those thoughts and suggestions. They might lead to some interesting findings.

Robert Sacchi on November 17, 2014:

No, I think the number is small, but the consequences for those unfortunate few could be grave. I think that may be a good survey question for your article; Has an employer/superior ever asked you to perform an illegal task? Thank you for answering question 2. Unless it was understood as a job where such credit checks are routine it would seem a case of an employer making what they pay their employee worth less.

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on November 17, 2014:

@Robert Sacchi - Do you think a large number of employers fire workers for refusing to perform illegal tasks? I'd like to know if that could be true.

Frequent credit checks by an employer - These would appear on the credit file and could harm the workers' credit standings.

Robert Sacchi on October 27, 2014:

Interesting article. If asked to do something illegal the smart move would seem to be to inform law enforcement immediately. If an employee refuses to do something illegal, unethical, or immoral and the employer fires them because of it, the employers aren't likely to give that as the reason for firing employees on a top 10 reasons survey. Question on number 2, would these credit checks have an impact on an employee's credit?

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on October 09, 2014:

Thanks for those insights! - Especially about tending to one's own duties. All true.

VJG from Texas on October 09, 2014:

After 20 years with one employer, I can honestly say that attendance is 90% of keeping your job. You hit the nail right on the head with your top 10. Also, you can keep your job and be called/depended on by staying in your own circle. Succeed at what you do well, don't worry about other's duties.

naved007 on August 29, 2014:

THAT REALLY GOOD HUB AND INERESTING ONE

Ericajean on August 27, 2014:

@Pattie Inglish,MS:Thanks for the information and you are welcome!

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on August 26, 2014:

@Ericajean - You'll be glad to know that credit checks for employment purposes, except in financial institutions and govt. or related, are becoming illegal, Some cities began that trend, followed by certain states. Hopefully, all states will follow through.

Thanks for the votes and comments!

Ericajean on August 26, 2014:

I voted this hub useful, awesome and a thumbs up.

What I disagree with, are companies using credit checks in order to determine hire or "for keeps"- I think that is pushing things too far for people who need to make a living and pay off their debts. That is why they work.

I do kind of understand why banks and other financial institutions do credit checks- totally. But even then, I doubt if a credit check will determine if a person is right for a company. Now a background check, as you've stated above, is more pertinent and smart.

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on April 20, 2014:

Thank you, GreenPrince, for you insights!

Prince Edike from Philippines on April 20, 2014:

Wow! i love this hub. Its very informative and interesting. I still would like to add that during recession, down-sizing looms and could lead to staff strength reduction in order for firms to cope with the taxes and maintain its income. During this time, at times, some companies might be short-sighted,ill-managed and wrongly appraised performances.

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on July 19, 2012:

I hope you find it useful. The material helped my work readiness classes substantially.

lezsaysit from New York, NY on July 18, 2012:

I enjoyed this article tremendously. It entails rules that most would not be aware of, disregard and not appreciate until it's too late. Thank you for sharing.

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on June 10, 2012:

Thank you, Graham!

Graham Lee from Lancashire. England. on June 10, 2012:

Another first class hub. Nothing to add to the above, it's all been said. I did like the fact that you acknowledged the contribution from Ralph Deeds. That shows character and confidence.

Graham.

wba108@yahoo.com from upstate, NY on April 11, 2012:

I would have thought that the inability to get along with people would have been higher up on the list but I agree the dishonesty is something that companies can't afford to tolerate because it hurts the company in multiple ways! I think what often happens is that if a person doesn't fit into the company culture, they'll be harassed off the job, I've seen alot of this!

seven2011 on March 07, 2012:

Great hub!! I love it, Thank you!

beechnut79 on February 20, 2012:

Jennifer:

Would love to talk to you more about this one. We all know that "at will" works the other way around as well, but there usually is a vast difference between getting fired and leaving on your own. We always have been this way, but I feel that the reason it's getting more attention now is because it is much harder for one to bounce back from a firing than it was when jobs were more plentiful. Then you usually had to be guilty of something rather serious before you were fired, but not now.

Jason Matthews from North Carolina on February 20, 2012:

Great hub. Very informative...voted up!

aniketnik from Nagpur, Maharashtra, INDIA on December 01, 2011:

This is a great job done. The reasons mentioned are perfectly perfect, 10/10, simply great.

2ndblogger from Beverly Hills on November 04, 2011:

i like this hub. very interesting indeed.

hungrybags on November 03, 2011:

Very interesting, I like it...

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on November 03, 2011:

Hello, everyone!

My first full-time job was entry level in an insurance company and we were not permitted to talk unless spoken to by a supervisor. I worked 2 years to earn tuition and and went to college. However, after graduation, a temp job while I was looking for full-time work also had a permanent ban on talking unless with a boss or to a customer on the phone. I wonder if it happens today?

Writings a good thing to do, Cyndi10!

Kalpana Iyer from India on November 02, 2011:

I too have seen a lot of arguments happening because of a person's refusal to take orders from a supervisor. Like you mentioned, this mostly happens when the manager is new and the supervisee has been in the company for a long time. A lot of people end up talking a LOT more than they work. This is something which cannot be stopped, and some take it an extra mile and hence get fired. A really interesting hub!

RedElf from Canada on November 02, 2011:

There are always so many reasons about which employers might know absolutely nothing that can affect an employee's work performance. As usual, an article stuffed full of interesting and germane information. I admire the way you serve up the tough topics.

Cynthia B Turner from Georgia on November 02, 2011:

This information is as good today as it was when you first wrote it. Some of the comments are just as valid, too. When it all comes out in the wash, I agree with Nancy from 3 years ago - "Win the lottery." Alas, not a valid career plan :-) ' Til then, my personality tests (I looked at the hubs you linked) point to counselor, writer, social worker. Well, I started out as a social worker and i'm now exploring writing. Thanks for a great hub.

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on November 02, 2011:

That was a quick lesson, wasn't it?

Gustave Kilthau from USA on November 02, 2011:

Howdy Patty - Man alive ! This is a long-lived article with a following to match.

After it made my "Home Page" today, even though the article is older than am I, it might be of interest to add #11 to your list. I don't think I invented #11, but I ran into it when I was 14 years old and new to being employed by a "real" company. What I learned was that #11 says, "Never laugh at the boss when he can hear you and see you doing so." I laughed. He fired.

Gus :-)))

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on November 02, 2011:

You'd think so, but on the contrary, they have never been obvious to many of our summer youth and adult employment training teens (14 - 24) and to some other adults as well; I've taught a class with this material for over a decade. Thanks for comments, Phil and loanyi.

Phil Plasma from Montreal, Quebec on November 02, 2011:

You've got a great evergreen hub here; as others have said most of your points are fairly obvious, but still it is good to state them all explicitly. Voted up and useful.

loanyi on November 02, 2011:

This are good reasons. I have seen people getting their behind kicked out from so many jobs because some of these reasons listed here. Great hub here.

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on November 02, 2011:

That's a good addition, Ralph. I do recall seeing conflicts between older employees and new, younger bosses. Thanks for reminding me of this.

Ralph Deeds from Birmingham, Michigan on November 02, 2011:

Excellent information. From my experience I would add the following--inablity or unwillingness to adapt to changes instituted by a new boss, especially in the case of an older long-service employee and a younger new supervisor. I've seen many cases where an older employee is fired by new boss either because the new boss wants to build his or her new team and/or because the older emloyee is too slow or unwilling to respond to the new boss's changes in policies.

Patty Inglish MS (author) from USA and Asgardia, the First Space Nation on September 17, 2011:

Thre must be some helping agency that you can try -

Call suicide hotline, who may also know of other agencies that can help you in your situation:

Call:

13 11 14

(24 hours a day)

Also, the Men's Line, whos webpage mentions bullying. Call:

1300 78 99 78 (Available 24/7)

Ask them about employment services and referrals as well.

Best wishes to you.

labmik on September 17, 2011:

This whole article is most interesting as well as everyone’s comments.

I recently got sacked from a Federal Government job here in Australia after being off sick with a nervous breakdown during 2011 after the Brisbane floods.

What led to having the nervous breakdown was being told at work that “my job was on the line - if I did not pick up my performance”. Though this is actually considered to be bullying here in Australia, it is written into the Australian Public Service Act 1999 as being acceptable employer behaviour.

So what I am saying is - it's quite ok for Government employers to bully staff as it's supported by parliamentry Law – but you can’t do it to them as that’s illegal.

Despite the fact I had been suffering from ongoing depression, bought about in part, from a severe divorce 10 years earlier, the loss of two homes in the family court, not being able to see my kids and have regualr access, going through a former bankruptcy of a retail business some years later, plus the death of my 12 yo step child with Cystic fibrosis and both my parents with serious health problems - it seemed to be of little to concern to my employer when I explained the underlying reasons for poor on the job performance. It was considered to be "a copout" excuse for my behaviour in their mind.

I had performance reports done on me which failed to highlight one positive thing about my work and behaviour in the workplace – each report was was filled with all negatives by the staff that wrote them.

My Government Employer spent around $160,000 of tax payers’ money training me on their equipment ( I’m an Electronics Technician ) only to sack me when I was off ill for some 4+ months with mental breakdown, triggered by workplace bullying and latter housing "eviction" because of the Brisbane Floods.

I went to the work Union about the matter and even a Solicitor only to find I did not have a leg to stand on as far as trying to retain my Job. Probation in this job was 18 months and even that was not clear when questioned. I was terminated some 16 months into the position.

Now I am in very serious financial trouble unable to stay afloat and threatened with homelessness and further legal action for not being able to pay bills and debts. This feeds the depression, so much so I have been contemplating suicide, as a result. There are no services here in Australia I can go to to get assistance as I do not qualify and fit into their box. I am also mature aged and unable to get further work. So I fully sympathise with all those who have had it tough.

YERBELCRAUST on August 25, 2011:

I'm interested in the "Social IQ" consideration. In my experience, virtually all the people who are low on Social IQ are managers. And worse, they appear to have been recruited into management positions BECAUSE of their social attitude, or at least are never made accountable for it. Bullying by such people is now endemic, and is causing sick-leave and mental problems in the workforce on an unprecedented scale. If employers wish to ensure an efficient and successful operation, I strongly suggest they look in that direction, rather than constantly looking to tighten their dictat over hard-working employees. If they wish for help to spot and ewradicate what is undoubtedly affecting the success of their enterprise, I would be willing to help and direct them.