21
dooter
3y

My company hired a new person on my team. He was scheduled to start on a Monday but pushed back a week at the last minute. The rumor around the office was that his flight home that weekend was canceled, but he didn’t notify our boss of it until minutes before he was expected in.

Next Monday he didn’t come in, and no one could get in touch with him. We eventually discovered that he was in jail. He claimed he was pulled over on the way to work for a traffic violation, then found out he had an outstanding warrant from a traffic ticket mix-up over ten years ago. Unsurprisingly, when he did make it in later that week, he was immediately fired.

I’m wondering how reasonable it was to fire him. A responsible, organized friend of mine also got in trouble from a traffic ticket she was never notified of, so I know his story isn’t impossible and doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. On the other hand, missing your start day because you’re in jail is never a good look — doubly so after he pushed back his start date the first time. My company has a very open culture so I would have some room to encourage us not to put inappropriate weight on what is often a very flawed legal system.

Comments
  • 13
    Shit happens all the time but taking action without giving someone a chance to prove themselves is just plain stupid.

    Your office has open culture, so do they also keep mentioning, wE aRe A FaMiLy?
  • 0
    That's messed up.
  • 5
    Shouldn’t have lied at the start.
  • 0
    Why did they fire him?! He was in jail, yes...but he was there for an outstanding warrant for a traffic ticket, it’s not like he did something as heinous as rape, murder or theft
  • 0
    Just imagine, being the new guy at a company just out of jail. Nobody will give you that "urgent" ticket from a few weeks ago or even decline your PRs. Well, at least, until someone learns that you have been locked up for some traffic ticket or some shit like that buahahaha
  • 0
    Depending on where you are, many arrest records are public record. A quick name/city search reveals many truths.
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