I got fired yesterday for “time theft”.
For some context I worked in a huge warehouse, I was an auditor working from the office at the front of the warehouse. My job was basically to got to each area and perform random audits of the operations, associates, stuff like that.
I worked 12 hour long shifts, this job was one of the easiest I've ever had. If I hustled I could easily get it done in 4 hours, this job was never meant to be stretched over 12 hours. I was still technically an hourly associate though, subject to punching in and out of a time clock, even though 90% of the time I was a one man department. I had total access to everywhere and total freedom to work at my own pace. I had a job to get done every week, a report to publish, and that was it. My supervisor didn't care how I went about it as long as I got my work done.
Right from the start I realized this job was just a bunch of sitting around and waiting. My direct supervisor told me this when I got it. So I got bored fast and being a smoker I would step out every so often for an extra smoke break. This wasn't something I just started doing on my own though, this was a learned behavior. I was technically only given a 20 min break a day, and an unpaid 30 min lunch. But lots of other managers and several of my peers took extra smoke breaks. I thought it was like an unspoken perk of the job. I did this for the last 2 years and no one said a word.
Today I got pulled in by a lady on the loss prevention team. She said she's been watching me, straight up told me they have hidden cameras, and that she had added up all my smoke breaks from the last 2 years and told me I owed the company $290.
I told them I took full responsibility and if they wanted to work something out to recoup there money I would be willing. My job was worth more than that 200 bucks.
But no, they terminated me. I've never been fired before, I never got a write up, I thought I got along well with almost everyone, and I had excellent performance reviews, not a scratch on my record. They even waited for a day my immediate supervisor wasn't there, I know he would've at the very least said something to try and stop it.
I asked them what was the difference if I was sitting at my desk or sitting outside, I had no work. I was still on site in case anyone had any questions. It didn't matter. They wanted me to sit at that desk for hours on end, staring at a fuckin excel sheet that I was done with 4 hours into my shift. If y'all wanted a robot you should've just bought a damn robot.
Fuck that place. And fuck those people.
I freaked out at first, I still am kind of. That job paid for my family's insurance and my mortgage and car, it was one of the best paying jobs I've ever had. But we'll be ok, I have an amazing wife, who without I would've for sure lost everything. She's my rock. And I already got one of my old jobs back. They were very excited to have me back actually. Unemployed for about 4 hours, that's a record for me.
I'm just so sick of this corporate world with it's dumbass arbitrary rules and drama like I'm back in highschool.
Thanks for letting me rant a little, even writing this all out helped me feel a little better.