Current Events > Should I tell my supervisor to fuck off?

(+) Yeah! (+)

We're firing this employee on Wednesday. He's lousy, has a bad attitude, doesn't follow basic policies, and has slowly pissed off all of us over the last few years.

Before I go on, let me start by saying: I'm not a supervisor, I'm just an entry level employee.

So what's the problem with all this? My supervisor wants me to fire this guy, because my supervisor's shift will already be over at that point, and I'm the only one there.

So obviously this is wrong, but can I really do anything about this without risking my job? This is corporate America, I think if I tell my supervisor no, I risk losing my job. I also live in New York State, where it is completely legal to terminate without reason. I think everyone knows that corporate America does not play fair.

To make matters worse, there was another non-supervisor who fired an employee a few months ago. And that person did it without any questions. So I'm going to look like a real asshole if I say no.

With that said, what do you think you would do?

If you can get away with it, absolutely. This weird don't question authority thing is dumb and it always has been.

Go to HR immediately. It isn't your responsibility snd you do not have the authority to do it.
If you do, he could file for wrongful termination.

yes - tell him to fuck off. tell him to shut the fuck up. tell him to suck an egg, to hang a salami, to consume pineapple on pizza.

Tell the supervisor you're not comfortable doing that by yourself. If he has a negative reaction to your statement, then immediately after you leave the area call HR and explain this to them and say that you're worried about retaliation from the supervisor. That should set an official record that can be used later if you do get retaliated against.

You dont get paid to do that, nor is it in your job description assumedly. Dude is trying to pass tge buck.

Sounds like it could be good practice for when you eventually become a supervisor. Id say just go in an have fun with it.

/s because I KNOW people here cant take a joke

so your supervisor is hourly?

"Hey! "supervisor" told me to tell you that you are fired. I think he was scared to tell you himself. He will be in tomorrow at "time" so you can talk to him about it. I dunno what the deal is."

You should tell him to

p

You should routinely tell your supervisor to fuck off, but make it a special occasion this time.

Get a written an signed paper from your supervisor that you are doing this under his instruction.

Then just do it. Unless you feel you cant emotionally handle being the one to do it, then refuse.

pojr posted...

and has slowly pissed off all of us

I don't see what the problem is. I did something like this once. The dude hadn't even pissed me off but he had a bad reputation and had a number of very bad work habits. Manager got fed up and when he called in one day and I happened to be the one to take the call, she told me to tell him not to bother coming back. I was like ":/.... really? I have to do that? Can't tell him yourself?" but I was also like fuck it, so I told him and he made a low key threat about karma and I gave a generic "not my call, don't shoot the messenger" schtick and we didn't hear from him again. On a personal level, he was a good dude and we were like casual work buddies but he did piss off like literally everyone else and he was definitely sketchy as fuck so I understood why others didn't like him even though I tend to find people like that amusing and fun to be around. Wasn't anything close to a corporate setting though, so different type of scenario.

What's the point of having an HR department if a random employee on a shift has to be in charge of firing a coworker?

DuneMan posted...

Tell the supervisor you're not comfortable doing that by yourself. If he has a negative reaction to your statement, then immediately after you leave the area call HR and explain this to them and say that you're worried about retaliation from the supervisor. That should set an official record that can be used later if you do get retaliated against.

i think i'm basically gonna do this.

• im gonna talk to my supervisor and let him know i'm uncomfortable with it, and i'm not even a supervisor. i'll be nice about it at first.
• if my supervisor doesn't back down, i'm going to HR

__aCEr__ posted...

What's the point of having an HR department if a random employee on a shift has to be in charge of firing a coworker?

This

What kinda seedy shitty SME company is this?

As a regular employee, HR functions like firing staff arent really your responsibility. If your boss is instructing you do do it, I would just detach myself from the scenario and do as instructed. But if youre uncomfortable with that then going to HR is a good idea

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Ha, I had a boss do this because he wanted to be the good guy.

I told him in front of the other employees to deal with his own shit next time and leave me out of his games.

Was fun, but that was a shit job. I wouldnt pull a stunt like that at a real one.

Who waits for an employee to come in before firing him? That's messed up in the first place.

Do the supervisors and other managerial employees at your job routinely refuse to discipline the other employees?

Just say "no" but lose your attitude, or it'll be you up next.

Tell her you aren't comfortable with doing that, and it isn't in your duties, and that the employee is a peer.

If you don't need this job, fuckin' do it.

Yes.

Most supervisors need to be told to fuck off by default.

Pragmatically you should probably not risk your job, but feel free to tell the person you're being forced to fire who's making you do it.

It really astonishes me how some people lack self awareness in the work setting. Maybe reading too much of \r/antiwork?

meestermj posted...

Go to HR immediately. It isn't your responsibility snd you do not have the authority to do it.
If you do, he could file for wrongful termination.

This seems like sound advice

D. Jerk it with Luigi

Tell your supervisor to do their damn job. If you get fired, oh well. You can find a better job.

FigureOfSpeech posted...

I don't see what the problem is. I did something like this once. The dude hadn't even pissed me off but he had a bad reputation and had a number of very bad work habits. Manager got fed up and when he called in one day and I happened to be the one to take the call, she told me to tell him not to bother coming back. I was like ":/.... really? I have to do that? Can't tell him yourself?" but I was also like fuck it, so I told him and he made a low key threat about karma and I gave a generic "not my call, don't shoot the messenger" schtick and we didn't hear from him again. On a personal level, he was a good dude and we were like casual work buddies but he did piss off like literally everyone else and he was definitely sketchy as fuck so I understood why others didn't like him even though I tend to find people like that amusing and fun to be around. Wasn't anything close to a corporate setting though, so different type of scenario.

Good dude and karma threatening you and being sketchy AF seems like an oxymoron.

TC.. This is not your job and above your pay grade to be acting like HR. What kind of job is this anyway? Supervisor seems terrible and/or inexperience to be telling you to fire somebody. geesus

Just tell your supervisor that you and the employee getting fired are in a relationship and it would be a conflict of interest.

One of my former managers tried doing this to me and I just told her "how about you stay later like I have to and fire them yourself" and walked out of her office lol I was salary and higher up but not in a position of power to fire someone.

so i called my supervisor and asked him if he really expects me to fire him. he said "well it's not really you, it's the company doing it. you're just the messenger". as if that changes anything. i told him im very uncomfortable doing this, and i dont hold a management position. he basically said "tough shit" and i still have to fire him.

so i called HR. not sure if i got connected to the right person, but I left a voicemail.

even though this is the right thing to do, i know i'm risking termination doing this.

That supervisor seems very shitty. As someone that manages over 200 people this is shady and weak management that is unfair to you and the employee thats being fired.

You may just have to do it in a way similar to what was suggested above. Especially if you want to keep working there. I would try HR again and be looking for another job if you can. Otherwise just do it and keep your job and get as much in writing or email as you can.

Dont tell him to fuck off though. That will just get you fired.

No, tell him to shut the fuck up instead.

p

Didn't read, I advocate anyone telling authority that their "power" means shit.

Your supervisor is spineless

P

O

even though this is the right thing to do, i know i'm risking termination doing this.

lol, well, fortunately for you, nobody else works at the time you do, so how can they fire you?

kidding. but going to hr is the right move, because if this dingdong is asking you to do this he's asking anyone.

i should think HR be on your side and that retaliatory termination isn't something you should have to worry about, but employment lawyers exist for a reason.

Do it, but make sure your supervisor knows he's being viewed as a scared little bitch. Also, tell the guy you're firing that too. It'll cushion the blow.

Arcanine2009 posted...

Good dude and karma threatening you and being sketchy AF seems like an oxymoron.

TC.. This is not your job and above your pay grade to be acting like HR. What kind of job is this anyway? Supervisor seems terrible and/or inexperience to be telling you to fire somebody. geesus

lol it was just a pizza place, not some corporate job.

No one (myself included) gave a fuck about much so it was pretty much a constant mess of semi-controlled chaos. I say he was good dude because he was pleasant and competent enough to work with and sometimes would give me a beer or two or share scotch after the shift was over. Most of his sketchiness was toward other delivery drivers (he'd screw them over for his own gain, but I worked inside, so that was not my quarrel) or just spending hours of the shift on bluetooth calls with family in Pakistan (he still did his job effectively, he just wouldn't really be communicative since he was on the phone, so anytime anyone had to ask or tell him something, he wouldn't always respond right away). The karma thing was an empty threat. He knew I was the only one there who didn't actively dislike him so if he was going to retaliate, I would have been fine. He had that used car salesman personality type anyway so I had no reason to take the "threat" seriously. We never saw or heard from him again. Manager wasn't inexperienced. She just didn't give a fuck and really neither did I. I was on her good side so I got preferential treatment anyway and was a sort of de-facto assistant manager so I could get away with a lot of various bullshit. I didn't mind telling the driver not to bother coming back. He was known to have reliability issues with his car, so it's not like she had a personal vendetta and made me get in the middle. "I can't come in today because my car's fucked up" every other week had been a pattern for some time with him and I just happened to be the one to take the call, and we were in the middle of a dinner rush so she was busy and was just like "FUCK HIM! TELL HIM NOT TO BOTHER COMING BACK!" That's just kinda how things were there. I was used it.

alright time for an update. it all worked out well.

last night, my supervisor called and said he would terminate this person over the phone. thank god. doing it over the phone is kinda weird, but better than ME doing it. this morning, i called HR again, and told them to disregard the call i made.

so anyway, right around 6:45, my supervisor actually came in (rather than call), asked the person to come in the back room with him, and terminated him there. apparently they took it well, and even shook my hand and wished me good luck. it didn't end poorly like i thought it would.

my supervisor came through. it was stupid he was going to have me do it, but at least he changed his mind. i believe he recognized i was very uncomfortable with doing it. i'm also glad he came in rather than call.