Top 20 Craziest Ways People Quit Their Jobs
#20: Wendy’s Sign
Anyone with eyes can see that this fast food chain is serving up some very spicy employees. That’s no hyperbole, either. One worker became so disgruntled, they took to the store’s pylon sign to vent their frustrations. Instead of writing the usual specials and deals, they used an f-bomb to convey how they really felt about Wendy’s. That’s not the end of it, either. On the other side of the sign, they wrote that McDonald’s is better. Just to really rub it in. While this isn’t exactly a formal resignation, something tells us that this worker won’t be coming back for their next shift.
#19: YouTube Karaoke
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Inspiration can come in many forms. For Kevin Nalty, it just so happened to be in the shape of a bikini-wearing singer on “American Idol.” Apparently, Katrina Darrell’s scantily-clad performance of “Treated Me Kind” was so moving, it convinced Nalty to quit his own career and take up social media full-time. And he announced it by doing a rather inspired lip-synced rendition of the same song. At the chorus, he even unbuttons his shirt to reveal the words “Do what you love” written on his chest. It’s impossible to know if this is actually how he quit, but either way, it’s a hilarious video.
#18: Toilet Paper
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You could say that this employee had a really crappy time at work. So much so, that they decided to pen their resignation notice on actual toilet paper. The worker oh-so-eloquently explained it’s a symbol for how well they’ve been treated, and also, where they think the company is going. You’ve gotta give them some credit. As far as metaphors go, this one is hard to forget. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. No, the employee also signed the note with a nice-looking drawing of a toilet. You know, just in case the implication wasn’t clear enough.
#17: Sign on the Door
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We don’t know who this “Joe” is, but we like their style. He apparently showed up to his shift at a gas station to find the doors locked. With no way in, he sat and waited for his boss for over an hour. When they still didn’t show up, Joe decided he didn’t need to be there, either. So, he wrote as much on a piece of paper, and taped it up on the gas station’s front door. Ironically, right next to a “help wanted, apply within” sign. You can’t ask for anything more poetic than that.
#16: Taco Bell Marquee
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Apparently, there is such a thing as too much Taco Bell. Especially when you’re the one serving it. Adam was the shift manager at a local Taco Bell-KFC combo joint, and had worked for over three weeks straight without a day off. Then, when he got denied vacation for the Fourth of July, he made sure the company heard his complaints. Actually, he let the whole street know, too. Adam wrote his termination request on the store’s marquee, including some colorful language and a smiley face, too. It’s not very eloquent, but it sure does get the point across.
#15: Does Whatever a Spider Can
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With great power comes great responsibility to go out with a laugh. At least, that’s what this fun-loving employee thought. On his last day of work at a bank, he decided to embrace the Spider-Man motto by dressing up as the hero. Mask and all. While sitting in cheap spandex all day can’t be comfortable, it sure did make for a fun last day. Mainly because he seems to be going about his normal routine as if nothing’s wrong. His coworkers can’t help but laugh along, and we don’t blame them. Seeing Spider-Man work a desk job is everything we never knew we wanted.
#14: Did Someone Order a Pizza?
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Luka Arežina is a simple guy. He likes pranks, he likes pizza, and he likes leaving an impression. He channeled all of that on the last day of his horrible IT consultant gig. There, he ordered twenty-six large pizzas for the company. But, there was a pretty big catch. While most of the pizza boxes had motivational messages for the workers, the twenty-sixth one was cooked to be as spicy as possible. That one, specifically, went to Arežina’s awful boss. You can probably guess where things ended up. Nowadays, Arežina runs his own tech company, and hopefully, he’s the kind of boss that doesn’t get sent spicy pizza.
#13: Stocking Gone Bad
No, you don’t need to get your eyes checked. All of these cereal boxes are actually just upside down. Allegedly, a stocker at a convenience store decided to have a bit of fun on their last day. Instead of filling the shelves as normal, they turned the sugary part of a well-balanced breakfast on its head. Literally. Only Cocoa Krispies escaped the turnaround. Don’t ask us why. The only thing we know is that, when your boss says “see you on the flip side,” this probably isn’t what they mean. Still, seeing all the cereal boxes wrong-side up is a pretty amusing sight.
#12: Do-nut Disrespect a Secretary
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In lieu of a traditional goodbye, this secretary decided to get back at their boss where it hurts the most. Not their wallet. Their stomach. In a completely baller last act, they quit by supposedly taking a bite out of every single remaining donut. You know, the kind of snack that’s usually given out to the entire staff. We aren’t talking small bites you can nibble around, either. No, these were giant, hulking chunks that were clearly eaten with intent. The best part? They’re the one who delivered the donuts in the first place. Suffice it to say, revenge has never tasted so sweet.
#11: A “Mario” Level
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There’s only one correct way to resign from a gaming studio, and that is, naturally, with a game of your own. In order to show his appreciation to the rest of his team, Jarrad Woods - aka Farbs - spent all night creating a fully-functional “Mario” level as his resignation. As he says himself, his princess was simply in a different castle. Still, you can practically see the love Farbs had for his team. Or, better yet, you can play it for yourself. Even though the level is full of heartfelt messages to a specific gaming staff, anyone can appreciate how much dedication went into this 8-bit resignation.
#10: Reporter Quits on Live TV
Sometimes you have to take a stand for what you believe in. Liz Wahl was a reporter for RT America, a Russian supported news network based in Washington, D.C. While working there, she felt the network was slanting stories to promote Russian propaganda. In 2014, controversial reporting about the Crimean Crisis pushed Wahl over the edge and she resigned from her position during a live broadcast with an emotional speech. As she walked away from her desk for the final time, Wahl walked into a media storm, with some people questioning if her resignation was actually American propaganda, leaving the reporter to weather the criticisms on her own terms.
#9: Moe’s Manager’s Dance Routine
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Working in the restaurant industry can really test one’s patience. One anonymous restaurant manager showed that he completely lost his with this unique resignation. Armed with two backup dancers and Vanilla Ice’s signature hit “Ice Ice Baby,” the manager leaped up on the counter. After ripping off his shirt to reveal “I Quit” on his chest, he and his partners kicked off a choreographed dance routine. The manager brought the restaurant to a standstill with customers and employees left with nothing to do but laugh and film it all. With over 600,000 views, this video may become more recognizable than the restaurant chain itself.
#8: Writing a Novella
Ernest Hemingway may have been a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, but he had issues at work like the rest of us. Early in his career, he signed a contract to write for publishing company Boni & Liverwright, however, things weren’t hunky-dory. His B&L contract would end if one of his next three works were rejected, so Hemingway allegedly wrote “Torrents of Spring” to accomplish just that. The novella satirized writers, had a crazy romantic plotline and – most importantly – was denied weeks after it was submitted. While most writers try to avoid rejection, Hemingway’s swift break with his publisher may have led us to classics like “The Old Man and the Sea.”
#7: During a Superbowl Commercial
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If you want to make sure your boss knows you’re quitting, then why not go with one of the most-watched events in the US? Queens native Gwen Dean was working as an HVAC technician while pursuing her dreams of becoming a full-time puppeteer. After spotting a GoDaddy.com ad about puppeteers quitting their jobs, she knew her time had come. During Super Bowl XLVIII, she starred in a short commercial with John Turturro wherein she announced her resignation. The spot was so well-received that Dean’s former boss texted her to say he liked it. Dean went on to start her new business, while her commercial went on to become legendary.
#6: Nostalgia Critic Dances His Way Out
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Long before he became a YouTube sensation, Doug Walker worked at a normal, run-of-the-mill car factory. But, when he decided to take social media content more seriously, he quit with style. By that, we mean he walked straight into his workplace with a boombox playing music. In his defense, if you’re going to resign to any song, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the one to do it. Once Walker had everyone’s attention, he tore open his shirt to reveal the message “I quit” on his stomach. He then got shooed out of the building and threatened with legal repercussions, but at least he left marching to his own beat.
#5: Music Video at the Office
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The only thing better than quitting your job is going viral while doing it. Marina Shifrin was working for an animation company when she became disillusioned with their direction of their video content. Armed with nothing but determination and her camera, she went to her office at 4:30 AM and danced everywhere from bathrooms to recording booths while Kanye West’s “Gone” played in the background. The video went viral, getting over 11 million views and netting her job offers from people like Queen Latifah, and eventually accepting one with Comedy Central’s @midnight. With Shifrin’s résumé growing every year, we’re guessing she has better reasons to dance nowadays.
#4: Marching Out With a Band
Working at a hotel isn’t for everyone, but for Joey DeFrancesco, it was unbearable. During his time working at a Rhode Island hotel, he attempted to start a union to make conditions better for employees, but was met with resistance. In 2011, he fought back with the power of music. “DeFrancesco led marching band ‘What Cheer?’ into the hotel and right up to his manager. He then dropped his resignation letter at his manager's feet and happily marched away.” After the video went viral, he continued to fight for better working conditions for his former co-workers and “What Cheer?” continued to bring sweet music wherever it’s needed.
#3: Trump Twitter Blackout
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Sometimes actions can speak louder than 140 characters. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump’s Twitter account seemingly vanished from the website for eleven minutes. Given that the social media platform was Trump’s primary method of communicating with the American people, it didn’t take long for other users to notice and tweet out their concern, or relief, about the missing account. When the account returned, Twitter released a statement saying that the incident occurred due to “human error,” but later revealed that the account was deactivated by a Twitter customer service employee, who wanted to make a statement on their last day at work. Based on the response, we’d say they were successful.
#2: Quitting Live for Cannabis
Legalizing marijuana is a topic still debated in America, but one reporter made her stance clear with her resignation. Charlo Greene was reporting for KTVA Alaska in 2014 when they aired a story about the local Alaskan Cannabis Club. At the end of the segment, Greene, live on the air, admitted that she owned the club before giving an R-rated resignation. Her co-anchor was left flustered in the wake of the blunt announcement. A few years later, despite facing some legal troubles, Greene launched a YouTube series called “The Weed Show” where she focuses on advocacy and education about marijuana with as much colorful language as she wants.
#1: Sliding Out of a Plane
Most hope to never see an airplane’s emergency slide, but it was the perfect route for flight attendant Steven Slater to resign. In 2010, a passenger allegedly hit Slater with some luggage as they removed it from the overhead compartment. This incident combined with some outside stress resulted in Slater taking to the plane intercom, screaming “I’ve had it,” grabbing two beers and finally exiting via the emergency slide. He was later arrested and sentenced to a year of probation and $10,000 fine. Shortly after the incident, Slater’s story became part of pop culture and may go down as the most insane way anyone has ever quit a job.
