Our last post looked at 8 things that could get you fired because while getting hired is pretty important, avoiding getting fired is too. So here are 7 more things that could get you fired if you do them while on the job.
“Sick” Days
We all joke about taking “sick” days, but employers come down on people like a ton of bricks for pretending to be sick to get a paid day off. And if you’re silly enough to post your “sick” day photos on social media (remember: social media is never truly private), then you kind of deserve what you got.
Many businesses in BC now offer mental health days or wellness days, so if you feel like you are burned out and just can’t get out of bed, talk to your manager about how you’re feeling. Being emotionally fried is as poor for productivity as being physically ill and more employers are aware of that, so make sure to ask!
Substance Abuse
This one should be pretty obvious, but you never know. Being drunk, using drugs, or being otherwise impaired on the job is a safety issue, as well as legal and customer safety issue. And some businesses are far stricter about it than others, requiring regular drug testing for the presence of even legalized drugs. For example, people working with or around a lot of heavy machinery may get drug tested for marijuana every so often. Even though it’s legal in Canada, businesses still have the right to maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards it when it’s a safety issue.
Fraud
I mean, obviously. But when we think of fraud, we tend to think of Big Things: stealing money or lying about time sheets in an obscene way. But fraud can come in small things too: making up interactions with customers, adding an extra few minutes here and there on time sheets, covering for another employee in a way that is creating false documentation.
We know darn well that it’s bad, but when it’s just little things, it doesn’t feel like a big deal. And if your employer is driving you insane, you might even feel justified in adding that extra hour to your time sheet as a bit of vengeance. But verifying documents is easier than ever with digital communication and tracking, so you’ll probably just end up with egg on your face and time to brush up your resume.
Social Media Posts Gone Wrong
Social media posts are not private, not really. Yes you can (and should) set your accounts to private, but unless you don’t let anyone see them ever, they’re not private. Many a career has been toppled by social media posts that made the company look bad, from simply rude posts to downright criminal ones threatening violence, drug use, or various ‘isms towards other (racism, sexism, ageism, etc). And even smaller things could get you hauled in front of HR to discuss what you’re posting.
I actually have a funny story about that. (I wasn’t fired, but people were worried). I had been very temporarily hacked on my Facebook, and I guess posted something way out of character. I didn’t even see it – Facebook deleted it, and I secured my account. But no one knew it wasn’t me, so I got to work to a bunch of worried people. I had to explain it wasn’t me! But that’s a good example of how fast information can go out!
Confidentiality
Do you share a wee bit too much about your business? Even seemingly innocent things could get you in trouble with the boss. Personal information, products or other things that are coming but haven’t been officially announced, even gossip can cause you problems. It’s a good idea to keep work talk at work and limit how much you tell others.
Theft
Technically stealing things like pencils can get you fired, but honestly when we talk about theft, we usually mean things like computers, software, other hardware, or even using corporate software for personal projects without permission. (I suppose if you were stealing a lot of pencils all the time that might be problem, but who does that?) Some businesses also lump ‘time theft’ under here – being paid or being on the clock but not being very productive. That one is rather ‘gray’, but it’s certainly happened.
If you have access to a company credit card, it’s very important to steer well clear of any accusations of theft or misappropriation. You can do this by keeping careful track of any expenses you put on it, documenting why they were used and how it supports your business, and if you’re not sure, ask your manager whether it’s appropriate to use a company credit card or not.
We can toss things like using the internet for personal use under this as well (some people consider it separately), but it can be considered a theft of time or resources.
Conflict of Interest
This one varies from industry to industry. Some companies don’t care about their employees maintaining relationships with other businesses (or even mildly encourage it as a way to keep up a network) while others are firmly opposed to it. It’s important to disclose any relationships you have had with businesses in your industry and find out where the line is for your new company. This is because of loyalty questions or because a company may be concerned about disclosing private information to a competitor. If you don’t disclose, you may find yourself out the door.
Altogether, that gives us 15 things you should avoid doing if you want to keep your job. While it’s not foolproof (nothing is), at least keeping yourself out of these problems means that even if you do lose your job, you’ll have an easier time getting the next one since you won’t have to explain any misconduct.
Good luck!
