These Genuine "I QUIT" Stories Are So Satisfying
Nothing shakes up the work day like a dramatic "I QUIT" moment. These people were lucky enough to be there to see it happen for real—or unlucky enough that it happened to them.
1. Egg On His Face
My cousin once quit his job by throwing an egg into the boss' face. He worked in a restaurant and brought me along one day to see where he worked. I was only a little kid at the time.
While I was there, the boss was yelling at him because he brought me. He went on a whole rant about how I was too young to be there and needed to be babysat.
Somewhere during the rant, the boss said a curse word in the regional language that could make your family disown you (not joking). This got under my cousin’s skin. He got fed up, took off his nametag and uniform, picked up an egg from the kitchen, and with a powerful swing threw it directly into his boss' face. And that was the end of that job.
2. Food For Thought
Back when I worked at Taco Bell, I also had another job as a bar back. The bar back job was paying me enough that I didn’t need the Taco Bell job; I only stayed for the extra money.
Anyway, I previously never asked for time off at Taco Bell, but I told them at least a month in advance that I needed to be off for the Super Bowl. I reminded them every week leading up.
What they ended up doing got me so heated—they put me on the schedule for that day anyway. I told them I could not work that day and that I would not be there. They wouldn’t budge and left me on the schedule. So on the day of the game, I did not show up to work, but I did go in to order food. They were like, “What are you doing? You’re supposed to be working.” I said, “I quit. Let me get a Mexican pizza combo, and add some sour cream.”
The manager actually made my food and gave it to me. She was not happy, though.
3. Exit Survey
A few years ago, I left my job in the industry that I went to school for, after having worked for ten years at a truly miserable place.
I was there for almost three years, and one month into the job, I realized what a mistake it was to work at this place. Sadly, the job was a little specialized and niche. And on top of that, I had moved across the country for the position.
So, even though the place was a total mess and I knew it, I did not want to just say "screw it" and quit, either.
It took me the better part of three years to find another job, but eventually, I did find an opening in the same industry and in the same city, too. The best part? It was known to be the polar opposite of the place where I was working at the time—a good work environment, a positive place, a butt-kicker in the industry. Basically, I thought I was moving from a nightmare to heaven in my business, and I didn't even have to move anywhere to take the job.
So, once I had accepted the new position and was about to give the old place my two weeks’ notice, I was feeling pretty good for the first time in ages.
It just so happened that my current job, on top of all of their other nonsense, was going through a "management shake-up" and some departments were answering to new managers across the entire company.
This meant that every employee was having these "sit-downs" with their new department heads to "talk about issues, workflow, etc." And a lot of my co-workers were terrified or hesitant about these meetings.
They certainly did not feel comfortable to be open and candid and honest about the real "goings-on" at this miserable place. But, not me.
I could not wait for this opportunity. When my time came, I went into my new "manager’s" office. I should note that most of the managers at this place were a big part of the problem, and this new manager of mine was no exception. I strode in confidently and with purpose. He sat there, initially with this poop-eating grin, and one leg over his knee.
He probably expected more of the same that he had undoubtedly been receiving so far. A lot of good-intentioned but miserable and cautious people had surely just been saying "All is well."
His grin subsided once I spent the next hour telling him everything that I truly thought about that place, about the people who worked there, and everything in between.
I was polite but firm. I did not let emotion guide my words and start flipping tables, but I also was very forthright about every single thing I could think of. It probably was not going to make any difference or change anything. But what did I care?
I was leaving! I also kept in mind that there were still some good people that worked there and I wanted to say what I didn't think they felt comfortable saying, but needed to be said.
After literally an hour of me going through everything I could think of, he sat there with his mouth open and a pad full of notes. He then asked if there was anything else he needed to know. I stood up, shook his hand, and said "Actually, yes.
I have accepted another position at this other place, so you can consider this my two weeks’ notice." And then I walked out of his office. It felt incredible.
4. Thinking Inside The Box
This was relayed to me by one of my buddies. Way back when we were still in high school, my friend's coworker was getting fed up with the supermarket they worked in.
It was a few towns over in a not-so-nice area and was right off the highway, so that made it super busy and a lot of out-of-town commuters would shop there. This guy was going away to college and hated management.
On his last day, a woman walked up to his line and tried to browbeat him into taking a bunch of expired coupons. He told her he needed to check with his supervisor, but instead, he did something super strange—he slowly pulled out a Jack-in-the-Box toy from under his till and methodically placed it on the scanner. Then, he started cranking the thing while giving her a creepy smile.
When it finally popped, he looked her in the eye and just said: "Yeah, he said no." She flipped out and screamed for a manager while he just cracked up, took off his smock, and walked out.
