Employee Says She Was Fired For Not Showing Up To Work After HR Gave Her The Wrong Start Date
She was shocked to learn that she was fired for something that wasn't even her fault.
sakoqwakestock | Shutterstock An employee took to Reddit to share the bizarre story of how she was basically fired from her brand-new job because she showed up to work on the wrong day. Here's the thing: HR told her the wrong date!
Unsurprisingly, the employer won't own up to the mistake. Now, she's questioning if she has any recourse for the termination that she felt really wasn't her fault.
An employee was fired for not showing up to work after HR gave her the wrong start date.
In her Reddit post, she shared screenshots of the email that she had received after getting hired by the company. In it, HR alerted her that she had been officially hired to work for their team. They told her that her start date would be Monday, September 22nd, and they would be in touch to discuss all of her first-day details, including what time to arrive, the dress code, etc.
Reddit
However, in another screenshot, she was then told that HR had made a mistake and her start date wasn't supposed to be September 22, but September 2. Since she didn't show up to her first day on September 2, which wasn't her fault, she was shocked to learn that the mistake HR made ended up costing her the job.
"This email is to inform you that your employment has been terminated," an email from HR read. "Due to not reporting to work on the first day. If you have any questions, please reply to this email or contact me with the information below. Thanks."
Reddit
The employee acknowledged that the email and the contract had different dates, but she didn't think it warranted termination
In another post, she explained that there was a discrepancy about the start date between her offer letter and the email; the mix-up shouldn't have led to a complete termination. Despite trying to reason with HR, they informed her that while they had made a mistake, she had as well, and the best solution forward would be for her not to work at the company at all.
It was truly no fault of her own. If HR was telling her to show up on the 22nd, she had no reason to question them. As one commenter pointed out, "What kind of incompetent moron sends the wrong start date as a 'confirmation' and then fires you for not showing up on the wrong date without so much as a 'hey, we have you down as starting today, but you’re not here, is everything OK on your end?' If they can’t even get this right, what else are they incompetent at? Looks like you may have dodged a bullet."
But, as another commenter pointed out, she realized the offer letter and the email had differing dates and should have followed up to clarify. They wrote, "Any discrepancy like this needs to be brought to their attention prior to either of the dates in question. If you signed paperwork with one date, that's the 'legal date' they expected you there, even if they then sent you another date later. I would have 100% immediately been like 'hey you said the 22nd, but my offer letter says the 2nd, what's up?'"
The employee should have reached out to the employer before the date on the offer letter to clear up the confusion.
Mistakes were undoubtedly made by both this employee and the employer, but the reason for her termination might be more about her lack of action than the actual mistake itself.
HR and recruiting expert Brian Fleming explained, "You know how people say you don’t get a second chance at making a first impression? The same applies to new employees starting off the next chapter of their career at a new workplace. People want to start off their new jobs on the right foot, and getting the start date straight is crucial. The new hire's first day is their first experience of the company’s culture, so consistency and clear communication are key for setting the tone."
The first impression this employee gave her employer was that she doesn't pay attention to details or take initiative when she sees a serious discrepancy. Her inaction made her look uninterested, and in an oversaturated job market filled with plenty of qualified job seekers eager for an opportunity, her termination makes sense. It's not fair, but it makes sense.
Ultimately, this could've been ironed out pretty easily, but hindsight is always 20/20. Instead of taking it to heart, however, she should view it as a learning experience. After all, it doesn't exactly sound like this was a good fit for either the employee or the employer, and that's an important connection even in a difficult job market. Maybe the Universe was simply sending her a message that this wasn't the right job for her.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
