By NoJobNovember - 06/11/2014 19:09 - United States - Wadsworth

Today, I took a video of a fellow employee doing nothing but watching YouTube videos at work. When I showed the video to my boss, hoping he'd be reprimanded, I got fired for operating video equipment on company grounds. FML
I agree, your life sucks 29 566
You deserved it 38 282

Same thing different taste

Top comments

That's brutal. Perhaps anonymity is the way to go.

floup_fml 13

Comments

That's brutal. Perhaps anonymity is the way to go.

I agree with #1 But a lot of companies don't allow any kind of photography/filming on site so I'm thinking OP would have known this prior to being dismissed?

Yeah I'm not sure why you'd personally show your boss, what does videotaping a co-worker say about you?

Its actually very illegal to record people with out their permission within a business in a lot of places. Not to mention, what a dick move on your part op. If you have to do their work it's one thing , it's another to go out of your way to get someone in trouble. Lucky you didn't end up with stitches like the guy above me said. Douche move.

Although I don't agree with what OP did. And im not sure if Human Rights is the same in the States as in Canada. But they can't just fire you like that. You have to have three warnings, verbal or written. Documents of what was said. At the minimum. I only worked with HR for a year. But if you did want your job back, you more than likely can get it.

Nope. Many states in the US are "at-will," meaning you can quit or be fired at any time, with or without notice.

Not entirely true, a few states have it so either no consent is required or one of the 2+ parties to agree.

Depends on where in the US. We have what are called at will employee states. That means that you can be terminated at anytime for anything basically. Here in Cali it's harder to fire people. Usually though, if the company wants to get rid I you they'll find a way. Plus it's very illegal not to mention immoral to video people on private property including businesses and corporations. Well played 79

chlorinegreen 27

My boyfriend is a supervisor and he had a guy constantly fall asleep on the job. He would literally fall asleep in his machine everyday. My boyfriend couldn't get him fired because of medical reasons and HR would just ignore it. The guy was just lazy. I worked in the same company so I would know.

flowerpowergirl 10

Op wasn't working either while taking the video...

tehstarchild 16

Comment moderated for rule-breaking.

Show it anyway

Snitches get stitches... Sorry OP. (edit: 12 beat me to it)

Maybe op is tired of his ex coworker not carrying their weight around the workplace. It's called a WORKplace and not fun place for a reason.

57 - Then OP is no better than their coworker for wasting their entire day filming them in hopes of tattling.

Nathan_h24 17

57, so you're telling me that you've never once done something instead of doing what you were supposed to be doing? Perhaps in school, homework, work, nothing? I agree, they should've been doing their work, but shouldn't OP also have just been doing theirs? Nothing good comes from getting other people in trouble.(or trying, in this case)

Nathan_h24 17

Oh whoops I didn't even read your entire comment... My bad!

From the context of this FML, it sounds like OPs coworker may do stuff like this all the time. It can be very frustrating to have a coworker who does not do his/her share of the work in the workplace and can make your job a lot harder. OP wasn't being a "tattletale," maybe he was just tired of his coworker always doing nothing and wanted him/her to be dealt with accordingly. Nowhere does it say that OP spent the entire day filming their coworker. It could have been just for a few minutes just to show to their boss. Plus I'm sure the boss/owner wouldn't be too pleased with the fact that he's paying someone to watch YouTube videos at work.

While I do agree with your comment that he should've gone about it the better way. But since we don't know the backstory op may have already tried telling his boss and this was the only was the boss would believe op. Plus it ever stated that he spent all day filming the other employee. And no when I'm at work I actually work, the day goes by faster.

#59 OP might have still been doing work and propped up the camera against something. Its really hard to tell from the context, though, so you could also be right.

tehdarkness 21

I'll bet that the boss fired him because he doesn't want a rat on his staff. #teamwork #integrity

I highly doubt the OP took this video the first time this co-working was screwing around. It was probably a constant issue that was noticed and maybe even told to his supervisor (we don't know though without a follow up).

#Teamwork? How is the co-worker being a team playing by screwing around? Highly doubtful it was their first time if the OP felt so inclined to get evidence against them. I do think that the OP should have had management get an IT guy to look at their browser history instead.

BradTheBrony 19

Take another clip and send it in to your boss anonymously. He can never prove it was you this time. O_O

orbit 22

But he is already fired...op wouldn't care how useless the employees are anymore because they aren't his coworkers.

YDI for trying to get your coworker in trouble. No one likes a snitch

And you deserve the down votes. Nobody likes a tread jacker.

I don't think that's a good idea. The boss has been made aware of the coworker and how the coworker spends his time, it's up to the boss to decide what he wants to do with that info and if he doesn't want to do anything about it then that's up to him.

So OP decided to snitch without reading the "Snitches code of ethics"? VROOM VROOM MUTHAFUCKA.

floup_fml 13

Yeah, I feel bad for having clicked "I agree, your life sucks" by accident. OP totally deserved it, he shouldn't be snitching on his co-worker, specially not while doing almost the same thing he was doing (not watching videos but recording one).

ColonelCusswords 24

^ Lazy co workers make me look good. I get paid more and end up with a better job. If I have an issue cause I'm doing their work I tell them I have an issue.

JMichael 25

your name isn't psycho for nothing huh?

Psycho_Babydoll 26

*maniacal laughter* I don't know what you mean

seemo82 19

kill who...the boss or the fellow ?..... :p I guess both

Obviously you disturbed your boss while watching YouTube. ( sar - kuch - casm )

orbit 22

I don't think that's how sarcasm is pronounced.

you mean (sar - kazem) ... at least I hope you do

I spent ten minutes trying to figure out how you thought sarcasm was pronounced like that