One programmer coded a classic video game that
when played, informed everyone at the office he quit. Others used giant signs and some colorful
profanity to inform management that they wouldn’t be coming back. Perhaps the most insane way
anyone has quit their job was by hiring a marching band to play celebration music as they
handed their boss their resignation letter. Come with us as we explore the most insane
ways people have quit their boring jobs and give you some ideas for how you might
stick it to your boss in the future. We are going to start with some truly ingenious
ways that people have quit their jobs and work our way to the more extreme cases. However, this
first exit is one for the history books. Traveling can be stressful. But think how difficult it
is for people who work in the industry, such as flight attendants and other professions that are
responsible for keeping travelers safe and happy. One man got so fed up with it all that he
quit in one of the most epic ways possible. On August 9, 2010, Steven Slater had had a tough
day. He worked as a flight attendant for Jet Blue, and the passengers aboard his flight
had been particularly difficult. He tried his best to remain calm and keep
his cool, but as they pulled up to the gate and no one followed his instructions
to remain in their seats, he snapped. The plane came to a stop. The excited murmurs of
the passengers filled the cabin as they unlocked the overhead bins. Steven picked up the mic for
the intercom and unleashed a barrage of curses and insults at the stunned customers and shocked crew
members. When he was done telling them all off, he dropped the mic, grabbed some cold beers from
the onboard fridge, and turned towards the door. The plane was stopped, but the doors were not
connected to the passenger boarding bridge yet. Slater couldn’t wait any longer. He quit then and
there by opening one of the doors, releasing the emergency inflatable slide, and sliding down
it with beers in hand. He was later arrested, but he made his point clear. He quit the horrible
job and didn’t give a damn about the consequences. This is a cautionary tale to be nice to your
flight attendants because you never know when they might have had enough, and you
definitely don’t want them to quit mid-flight. Sometimes a boss just doesn’t get why their
employees quit. Marina Shifrin wanted to make sure it was obvious how talented she was and how
hard she worked. So, she created an awesome video to ensure there were no misunderstandings
about why she was resigning from her job. Shifrin was employed by a media company
that created engaging news stories. She worked long, grueling hours,
rarely asked for time off, and was often the last person in the office. Yet,
her boss had no appreciation for the work she did. Shifrin had put her whole life on hold
for this job because she really wanted to show her dedication, and she believed
in what the company was doing. However, no matter how good a company is, if your boss
is unappreciative and rude, it is time to leave. Shifrin used all of the skills and techniques she
learned at the company to create an incredible YouTube video of her dancing around the
empty office late one night to the song “Gone” by Kanye West. She showed that quality
is always better than quantity when it comes to creating content. At the end of the video,
she made it abundantly clear that this would be the last thing she did for the company. The video
itself received millions of initial views and is currently at about 20 million views. Needless to
say, quitting in a creative way like Shifrin did can actually be better for your career than
sticking with a job with an awful boss. If there is one person in a
company you don’t want to piss off, it is anyone who works in the IT
department. They have an intricate knowledge of the company's systems and can
cause mayhem if they are not treated kindly. That is why these next few insane ways
to quit all have to do with programmers. It was a quiet day at the office.
The boss was feeling pretty good about himself as he had unloaded on one of
the programmers in the design department. The issue was only a slight bug, but he felt
like he needed to show those smug programmers who was boss. In reality, he was just being
a dick. So, the programmer took things into his own hands by locking up his boss's
computer with a program he developed. The best part about it was that the only
computer affected was the one his boss used so everyone else at the company could
continue to do their work as usual. If they clicked on the “Ignore” button, the
message would just pop up again. The “HR” button sent him to a link where he could schedule
a meeting with the human resources department. Basically, the entire computer was locked until
the boss met with HR or the programmer who quit to admit he was wrong. Things could have been
a lot worse for the boss and the company, but this is one programmer who got his
point across in a non-destructive way. Some programmers leave their companies not
because they are unhappy but just because a better opportunity presents itself. When this happens,
their resignation is more fun than damaging. Take one programmer who coded a Super Mario
simulation and sent it to his boss. When the boss completed the level, the screen didn’t say
“Congratulations!” but “I quit” instead. However, it wasn’t just his boss that got to enjoy this
fun game, he sent the program around the office so everyone could play. The higher-ups probably
didn’t find their employees playing Super Mario super amusing, but it was a pretty cool way to
let everyone know he’d be leaving the company. Sometimes people who quit end up being the
heroes of the office. This is especially true for one programmer who was just crazy enough
to lock management out of their own system. The company was doing some pretty shady stuff
to their employees. One day a boss asked one of the programmers to restrict network access for
certain employees who he wanted to secretly punish using an ‘undisclosed disciplinary action.’ The
programmer asked the boss if he had cleared it with HR first, as this request seemed a little
sketchy. The boss said it would be fine, but the programmer asked to see the proper paperwork. This
did not go over well, and the boss became upset. He claimed his request was just a precautionary
action, but this turned out to be a lie. A few days later, the management of the
company came back to the programmer and forced him to implement the program
to restrict certain employees’ access. Since he could do nothing to stop
them, he complied. Fortunately, the programmer had decided he had had enough.
Instead of restricting access for the employees, he locked the management out of their own system
and put them in time out for their behavior. The programmer had changed the network password
and quit, so there was nothing the management could do to him when he walked out of the office.
Before leaving, he had given HR the new network password and explained to them the shady requests
management had been making without consulting them first. When the bosses went down to HR to
figure out what was going on, it was likely a pretty uncomfortable discussion about ethics
at the company. But the programmer left by sticking it to his bosses and perhaps making
the company a slightly better place to work. As a rule of thumb, if your employees have access
to a large sign outside of your establishment, you should probably do your best
to keep them happy. If you don’t, you could have employees who quit
using these extremely funny ways. One gas station employee had clearly had
enough of his crappy job and demanding boss. To make his displeasure clear and let his boss
know he wouldn’t be coming to work anymore, he rearranged the letters on the sign
outside of the station one night. When the boss returned to work the following
day, he was greeted by this message. But gas stations aren’t the only ones with large
changeable signs outside of their establishments. The greatest thing about the way
these employees quit is that not only is their resignation clearly
obvious, but it alerts the people who read their signs that the management
is not treating their employees properly. For example, at one Taco Bell, an employee named
Adam got clever with the sign and even used two apostrophes and a tilted C to make a smiley
face. His message was clear and to the point. James, who worked at Hardee’s, was a
little nicer about his resignation. He at least gave his boss two
weeks' notice on his sign. But that is nothing compared to
the unhappy employee who quit their boring job at a grocery store. They didn’t
bother with a resignation letter. Instead, they used a clear and concise set of
words to make their intentions known. Management probably knew from who was working
the previous night which employee changed the sign and they would need to start looking
for someone new to work the night shift. Grocery and big-box stores can be difficult places
to work as a lot of people come through each day, and they tend to be understaffed. However,
one shelf stocker took quitting to the next level by turning the store upside down,
literally. It is pretty hilarious. However, we do feel bad for the employee who had
to fix all of the boxes the next day. It appears that one big box retail worker couldn’t
take it anymore, and they decided to have a little bit of fun before quitting. You can only imagine
what the face of their boss looked like when they walked into the store in the morning and found
that all of their cereal boxes had been flipped. Management could have just left it like that, but
it wouldn’t have been a good look for the store as customers would constantly be asking why the
boxes in the cereal aisle were all upside down. If nothing else, it might have forced the
store management to explain that they had an unhappy employee, and hopefully, they were
working towards keeping everyone else happy. The more likely scenario is that there
was a mad dash to flip all of the boxes back over before the store opened for the day. Even though there is no big sign that says “I
quit,” the employee made their intentions clear. Working with the public, in general,
can be hard and make an employee's life miserable. Having a terrible
boss makes everything even worse. That’s why when one employee at a pizza shop
decided to quit, breadsticks went flying. New York City has some of the best pizza
in the world. There is nothing like a fresh slice of pie with hot cheese falling
off the sides and dripping with grease. However, New Yorkers can be a little rude
and loud sometimes. This means that the words please and thank you don’t always get used
when they should, which can cause tension, especially in the fast-paced setting
of a pizza joint on a Friday night. Unfortunately, this time when the boss
yelled at his employee to clean up the breadstick tray in the middle of the dinner rush, the employee decided he couldn’t put up with his
boss’s rudeness anymore. He grabbed the breadstick trays and flipped them, sending breadsticks
flying across the counter at gaping customers. He then ripped off his gloves and extended both
middle fingers at his boss. He walked out of the pizza shop and never looked back. The words
“I quit” may have never left his mouth, but the series of events that unfolded made it pretty
clear that the employee wouldn’t be coming back. It is a risky move for a boss
to mistreat their employees, especially when they are in
charge of opening the store. There is probably nothing more embarrassing
for a business owner than having your shop be the only one still closed
when the mall opens for the day. It is even more embarrassing when your employees
leave a strongly worded letter telling everyone who passes that you’re a bad boss and that
everyone who worked for you just quit. After Niki, Jess, and TJ left their resignation
letter, it was probably pretty difficult for the boss to hire new employees as everyone was now
aware of what a terrible place it was to work at. That being said, this was a powerful way
to make a point and quit simultaneously. Kudos to those three employees for
sticking it to their boss in a public way. Again, not everyone leaves on bad terms with their
bosses but still can quit in pretty crazy ways. When one man quit his job, he didn’t
want his co-workers to forget about him, so he hid pictures of himself around
the office. For weeks people would find his photographs hidden under computers and
inside drawers. Even two years after he left, employees were still discovering pictures of
their former co-worker in the most random places. Many people prefer to quit their job on good
terms using food. Or even on bad terms using food. It seems that cake can be used in some
pretty unique ways when quitting your job. One man named Charles Holmes actually left his
job because of cake. He was so passionate about baking that he decided to leave his 9 to
5 job in order to open his own cake shop. To explain this to his boss, Holmes
created a resignation letter cake. To be fair, the cake was really well made,
and Holmes included his website on the cake, so his boss and co-workers knew why he was
leaving and how to get in contact with him. Based on the resignation letter cake, it appears Holmes was indeed very talented
and had a future in cake making. His boss couldn’t have been all that upset
as the cake was probably very delicious. Other employees work together to
quit their boring jobs. In fact, some combine cakes and teamwork to
let their boss know that they quit. It was just a regular workday when employees
came into the breakroom to two white boxes on the table. There were no special occasions,
but they looked like birthday cakes. Upon opening the boxes, it became clear why they
were there. Two very colorful cakes stating that two employees were quitting sat on the table
for all to see including the bosses. If you are going to quit with one of your friends from
work, getting two cakes might be the way to go. Other people take a not-so-nice approach
to quitting their jobs. Instead of cake, one man informed his boss of his
resignation using a sledgehammer. One former construction worker who
specialized in concrete maintenance had a dispute with his boss over his
salary. Every month they would argue. The boss told his employee he would be getting
a raise each month to increase his salary, but the raise never came. This was drawn
on for a year before the employee lost it. Working with concrete means there are lots of
dangerous tools around. The employee grabbed a sledgehammer from the tool rack, marched
up to the car his boss was sitting in, and began screaming at him. Sledgehammer in hand,
the disgruntled employee threatened to hit his boss with it. After berating the frightened
man with harsh words for a few minutes, the employee dropped the sledgehammer and
walked away, calling out over his shoulder that he quit. Even if he hadn’t, that likely
would have been his last day on the job anyways. Some people are a little less confrontational and let their employer know that they
have quit from a safe distance. One employee had planned a whole trip to the
Bahamas without discussing it with their boss. The day they were leaving, they boarded the flight
and took their seat. When the captain informed the passengers that their seatbacks and tray tables
needed to be in their upright and locked position and that all electronics should be
stowed, the employee texted their boss. They informed their employer that they were
about to fly to the Bahamas and wouldn’t be coming back to work. They hit send and
turned off their phone for the entire trip. We can only imagine what the boss did when
they read the text. They likely tried calling, but the phone would go straight to voicemail as
the employee was now flying to a tropical island. This takes ghosting to a whole new level. Although it could be worse, this next way
of quitting is so bad it’ll make you cringe. Numerous employers have recounted
workers having their parents call to inform them that their child had
quit. This is not only awkward but just not okay. If you are going to quit your
job, you should be doing the deed yourself. If you are too afraid to face your boss, just
send them a cake with “I quit” written on it. If the idea of telling your boss that you quit
makes you so nervous that you become sick to your stomach, we have a perfect solution
for you. Websites like Cameo allow you to hire famous people to record messages that
you can then send to others. For example, one man had Bam Margera, of Jackass fame, record
a video telling his boss that he was quitting. There are numerous people you could get to
deliver this message. Perhaps you could hire William Shatner or Christopher Walkin to
speak the words that you’re too afraid to. Even if your boss is initially upset, there
is no way they could stay angry for very long as they now have a memento from a famous person. Sometimes a cake just won’t cut it. If this
is the case, pizza might be the way to go. Luka Arežina was working at a call center
where his boss was a monster. After six months, he was absolutely miserable and sought to find
employment elsewhere. When he landed an IT job at a different company, he decided to send his
boss a message using pizza. He didn’t tell anyone he was leaving, mostly because he was afraid
his awful employer would try to sabotage him. On the day he quit, Arežina ordered 26 large
pizzas so that each of his co-workers would get their own. The pizza came with a personalized
message, joke, or motivational quote to help his coworkers get through the day. However, the
last pizza was made especially for his boss. This pizza was covered in insanely spicy
ingredients, making it practically inedible. The bill went to his boss, who begrudgingly
paid for it. Everyone got to enjoy their pizza except for the boss, who took one bite
and discovered it was too spicy to eat. One of the most ballsy resignations that anyone
has ever done probably goes to Greg Smith. Smith worked for Goldman Sachs. He had
made it pretty high up in the company when he decided he just couldn’t work
for the terrible people above him any longer. Working for a gigantic financial
institution came with a lot of stress, and many people got screwed over just so
his bosses could make a little more profit. So, Smith did what he thought was right and
told the whole world why he was resigning. He wrote his whole resignation letter in an
Op-Ed piece published by the New York Times. This was a paper his bosses read every morning.
On the day his article was published Smith didn’t show up to work as millions of people
including his employers now knew he had quit and the reason why. This move actually
paid off for Smith as another company almost immediately hired him after they
read his resignation letter in the Times. Some people don’t need the world to know they’re
resigning but want to make it clear to everyone at the office that they quit. One employee did this
by covering their workplace with sticky notes. When Anh Trinh came into the GeekWithLaptop
office to start his day, he found sticky notes covering everything. On them were written
different words and phrases such as “Good Day!” and “ I can’t work here.” It became somewhat of
a scavenger hunt to find them all and put them in the right order to uncover a resignation letter
made. Once all of the sticky notes were laid out it became clear which employee had quit and that
this was their unique way of telling the bosses. Sometimes, you just need to go out with a bang. Joey DeFrancesco hired a marching band complete
with drums, horns, and cymbals to accompany him to his hotel job, where he despised his boss. He
snuck the whole band in through the back door and waited for his employer to come down into the
basement of the hotel. When his boss entered through the doorway, Joey told him that he quit,
handed him his resignation letter, and walked out as the band started playing celebration music all
the way down the hallway and out of the building. It was an epic conclusion to his year-long
battle with hotel management to treat their employees better. The video of Joey quitting
received millions of views and brought the unfair treatment of hotel employees to light.
Not only was what Joey did an insane way to quit that made the news across the country,
but it also did some good as well. Now watch “Insane Ways the Queen Survived
3 Assassination Attempts.” Or check out “Insane Ways People Are Preparing for Doomsday.”
