A university graduate's excitement for her first professional role turned to devastation after she was fired before even starting, all because of a simple diary error.
The woman took to the popular online forum Reddit to share her bewildering experience, explaining that a mix-up with her start date led to her immediate termination. She believed she was due to begin on a Monday, but her new employer expected her the previous Friday.
Upon arriving at the office on the Monday, ready to embark on her new career, she was met not with a welcome but with a dismissal. The company's HR department informed her that her failure to appear on the correct day was considered a 'no show' and constituted a voluntary resignation under company policy.
A Harsh Welcome to the World of Work
The anonymous poster explained her sheer panic, stating: "I was in shock. I had turned down other job offers for this position." Her story, shared on the 'Am I the A**hole?' subreddit, has ignited a fierce debate among thousands of users.
Many commentators were fiercely critical of the employer's extreme and seemingly inflexible reaction. One user summed up the general sentiment, writing: "This is a huge red flag. You dodged a bullet; any reasonable company would have just called you to see where you were."
Legal Grey Area and Online Outrage
The incident raises significant questions about UK employment law and the probationary period. While employers can terminate contracts relatively easily during probation, the lack of communication in this case has been called into question.
Others questioned the company's own onboarding processes, noting that a simple phone call or email on the Friday could have easily resolved the misunderstanding before it escalated into a job loss. The story serves as a stark warning to both graduates and employers about the importance of clear communication and a degree of compassion in the hiring process.
