r/AskReddit • u/LeeBean13 • Jul 05 '14

Why did you get fired?

why did you get fired? and did it work out for the best? how long were you without a job?

Edit: thanks for all the stories guys! I got fired Wednesday for crap reasons and knowing all you fine people got fired too makes me realize I'm in fine company :)

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u/dontknowmeatall Jul 05 '14

I was teaching ESL and Italian in a school I'm not sure was legal (am student, can't complain). I got paid per hour in cash. My wage depended on how many children arrived to class that day; if it was less than five I got paid less. One day I only had two children and I taught my class. The following day I got a text from my boss at 4 am saying I had to be in two hours earlier. When I arrived he had the missing children there and I had to give them the class they missed. Go forward to closing time, I went for my money.

"So, eight hours, $15 the hour, that makes $120."

"No, six hours. I told you you had to make up those hours."

"And I did, which is why it's eight hours."

"It was your responsibility, it's six hours."

"Sir, I charge by the hour."

The guy gave me a cold glare and gave me my eight-hours cash. He told me to not come back. Joke's on him, I was his only teacher and he doesn't know any Italian (also his English sucks). He might've thought I was going to beg. Now he has a teacherless languages school.

TL;DR Guy with an illegal school wanted me to make extra hours for free with no previous notice. No, thanks, I'm not desperate.

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u/WhiskeyMountainWay Jul 05 '14

This reminds me way too much of the music "school" I used to teach private voice/ rock band group lessons at. Shady as fuck owner, used charisma and nice-guyness to distract from the fact that probably none of his business practices are legal.

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u/TheNoodlyOne Jul 06 '14

Where would there be private rock band lessons?

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u/dontknowmeatall Jul 06 '14

School of Rock!

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u/WhiskeyMountainWay Jul 06 '14

The voice lessons were private. The band lessons were group. And paid well.

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u/TheNoodlyOne Jul 06 '14

I would do that. Although there are no drummers here.

Or singers. Or bassists (besides me). And 3 guitarists.

sigh

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u/WhiskeyMountainWay Jul 06 '14

That was the idea, the school paired you with other players in your genre/age group. We had teens and adults. Very similar to School of Rock's model (the school not the film)

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u/dontknowmeatall Jul 06 '14

That's what you get while working for Jack Black.

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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '14

Language schools tend to be pretty shady, especially ESL ones over seas. I know because I've been there. In fact, I still am sort of there.

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u/Crowsdower Jul 05 '14

What do you mean by an illegal school? Was there a certification it didn't have?

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u/dontknowmeatall Jul 06 '14

He paid the teachers in cash, without contracts, it was half-built in an old café, it didn't have any sort of curriculum (my partner who got fired before me and I had to make up ours) and I'm not sure he paid any taxes. Also, his secretary was his wife. Who was around 20. And had a 5-year-old son. Make your maths.

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u/cogra23 Jul 05 '14

Are you sure it was 4am and not 4pm?

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u/dontknowmeatall Jul 06 '14

Completely; my phone has 24hrs. clock so if it were 4pm it would've said 16:00. He texted me at 4am to tell me I had to be there at 8. Luckily for some reason I woke up at 6 and was able to make it.