Funky Friday: Weird Exits I Have Seen

Having been in the workforce for 50 years, I have seen some funky and funny exits, people quitting, or being fired.  These stories are true, even if the names have been changed to protect the innocent. 

Bob had been national sales manager for builder that closed down, and came to work selling homes.  The first few months were fun, he had a really interesting background and was a lot of fun.  Then it wasn't.  He stood up in the middle of a weekly staff meeting and said, "It has been fun, and it has been real, but it isn't real fun, I am out of here." He dropped his office keys on the table and left.  

Fred walked into the boss's office one day and said, "have you ever seen a grown man urinate on a desk? Move anything important!" Yes,  he did.  

In a weekly staff meeting, a new work schedule was passed around.  The guy sitting next to me looked at it, and asked the sales manager, "where am I on the schedule?" The sales manager said, "oh I meant to talk to you before the meeting, everyone take a five minute break." When we came back the seat next to me was empty.  

Same sales manager, Brad showed up still drunk from the night before to a staff meeting. Sales Manager had been alerted that the office was found with a case of empty beer cans on the desk.  That firing was loud and public, and probably well deserved.  I was hired there, because the person I replaced was found sound asleep in a supply closet in the middle of the day.  Sleeping off a late night of partying with Brad.  

I arranged to have dinner with a new project manager, a nice guy.  The next day I received an email that he was no longer working for us. I asked why, and was told, we can't discuss that, google his name.  He was arrested for hacking in the email system of a previous employer and posting nasty messages to all staff and clients. 

I was in a late afternoon meeting at one of the building companies I worked for, updating our list of available options.  At the end of it, Jim one of the senior managers, said see you at the staff meeting in the morning and headed to his office.  I went down the hall and checked my mail slot, and there was a memo saying that Jim had left the firm to pursue other opportunities.  He didn't know that until he got to his office.  The memo went out before he was told. 

I kept getting calls looking for a construction manager.  I hadn't seen him, hadn't heard from him, I was covering part of his job.  Later that afternoon a VP stopped by to tell me they had found him.  In a corner table at Pizza Hut, well into his second or third jug of beer. He asked if could cover until someone new could start.  

The building business burns through a lot of money and a lot of people.