Getting fired is never a pleasant experience, and one individual has shared how he was dismissed for an ’embarrassing’ reason.
Even if you’re not fond of your job, it’s generally preferable to resign on your own terms rather than being told, ‘security will now escort you out of the building’.
Often, people believe their dismissal was unfair, but 26-year-old Josh Williams admitted on social media that his employer likely had valid reasons for firing him.
Williams spoke about his experience in a TikTok video after being let go just three months into his job as a customer service administrator.
The Brit claimed that during a meeting, his bosses criticized him for his frequent sick days and for spending work hours Googling ‘stupid’ material. They even presented him with a printout of 50 hours’ worth of his search history.
You might be wondering, what kind of ‘stupid’ material?
In the clip, Williams explained: “It had come to the point where the workload for myself just wasn’t enough for me. I just didn’t have any work given to me so I found myself Googling on the company computer.
“It was just stupid stuff. About Simon Cowell botched Botox and stuff. It was quite embarrassing… I felt really rubbish. Obviously I’d spent all my savings going on holiday getting my teeth done to come back to no job.”
He continued: “I knew I had no income coming in so I thought the only other source I’ve got is TikTok, so that’s why I decided to put it up on there.”
However, his social media rant may not have been the wisest move.
In a follow-up video, Williams mentioned that since being fired, he had been turned down for three new jobs. Potential employers likely saw his TikTok video.
He admitted to regretting the video, acknowledging it was a ‘heat of the moment’ decision, but decided to keep it online to earn some money.
After losing his job and spending his savings on a dental procedure in Turkey, Williams found himself in a difficult situation.
The 26-year-old reflected: “I massively regret keeping the video up now. I think the sort of two days after posting it I wanted to delete it but I wanted the money so I kept it up there.
“When it came to me actually applying for other roles in the same sector, there were two or three jobs where I went in for the interview and they obviously recognised the video and said that my values didn’t align with their company.”
Williams aims to use his experience as a cautionary tale for others to avoid making the same mistake.
“It really did backlash on me,” he said, before adding: “So yeah, it was a silly thing to do. Going forward, I hopefully maybe would have learned my lesson.
“It might seem quite funny, but I think looking at my situation and how it’s impacted me, I’d say it’s probably one of the worst things you can do for future jobs and your career path and stuff.
“Just be really cautious before you put anything online, even if it is just in the heat of the moment.”