16 Threatening Signs Your Boss Want To Fire You

The phrase “you’re fired” is never a surprise and people already know that it’s going to happen.

Isn’t it strange that people pretend they didn’t know it earlier despite so many signs?

Of course, it is! It’s quite obvious when an employer decides he won’t work with you anymore.

16 Red Signs Your Boss Wants To Fire You

But what if you really fail to notice that your boss is about to fire you. Don’t let that happen because it will leave you barehanded with no job in line.

If you know the signs you’re about to get fired, you can turn things in your favour.

Let’s sink in to see the signs your boss want to fire you.

1. You’ve To Pull-Through On Your Own:

The most obvious sign is that your boss leaves you to suffer alone. He’d completely disappear from the scene.

You’ll find him unavailable for any queries or comments you want to ask him.

You’ll feel like the boss doesn’t care at all how well you’re carrying out the tasks. They might be creating this distance to avoid any confrontation or out of fear.

2. Thinks You’re Bringing Problems To Work:

In simpler words, you can say that your relationship with the boss turned a bit hostile. But there is no fault of yours in it.

Every time you try to interact with your boss it annoys them. The reason is that they started to see you as an annoying subject rather than a valuable asset.

You’ll see them getting over your head for any tiny mistake. Moreover, your boss will be rolling off his eyes at whatever you are doing at work.

3. He’s Always Breathing On Your Neck:

Once your boss has made up his mind to fire you, he’ll start micromanaging your work. The boss believes that micromanaging is the only way to get the work done from you.

He not only micromanages but criticizes your work to the point that you doubt yourself.

At a specific point, it starts to feel like your boss has his eyes on your every single move.

4. You’re Sent On A Training Again And Again:

It isn’t an ideal situation if you get to be in a performance improvement plan. In some companies, when it happens, the boss feels the situation needs to get documented.

It can be a red flag when your boss forces you to sign such kind of a plan.

They send you for training because they want you to feel less bad. As they can’t directly ask you to quit so they demoralize you to the point that you quit yourself.

5. Signs Your Boss Want To Fire You – Those Casual Catch-Ups Disappear:

Having a close relationship with the people you work with, small talk becomes inevitable. It’s like a quick interaction.

Previously, you used to have casual talks with your boss about work and life. But now you wonder where it all went.

It’s an alarming sign that your job is near the end when the small talk with the boss disappears.

When your boss avoids talking friendly, they may be guilty of firing you from the job.

6. You’re No More Leading That “Special Project”:

You are the key person in a project, and suddenly, they replace you with little or no explanation. Or worse, they might directly tell you that you’re not performing well.

When your boss reassigns your work to your coworkers and doesn’t give a suitable explanation.

It’s the time that the boss and the company are preparing for your departure.

You can ask your boss positively and constructively about this reassigning of work.

7. There’s Always A Flaw In Your Work:

Besides micromanaging, your boss can become highly critical of your work. You’ll see your boss pointing out even the minimal flaws of yours.

And the worst part is that they don’t tell you how to fix your errors.

Also, they might start to point out your mistakes in front of your coworkers. It’s bad news for your career.

8. Your Desk Is Neat And You’ve Nothing To Do:

A functioning company hardly gets a day when there’s no new project in house. Every employee seems to be working at their full capacity.

But your boss assigns you the easiest tasks for these projects. You’re being treated like a little kid who gets leftover tasks to feel happy and productive.

Your boss is handing over the work to someone they think can do it better than you.

9. Signs Your Boss Want To Fire You – Turns His Face When You’re Near:

It’s not necessarily an easy decision for your boss to fire you. You never know how hard it was for him to take this decision.

Your boss will find it easier to avoid you after they decided to fire you. Because they fear that their emotions will get to the surface after seeing you.

While avoiding you, they think that even greeting is a lie. So they won’t greet you to ensure you that everything’s fine.

While that’s not what the truth is!

10. You Hear Whispers And Get Sympathies:

When your employer decides to terminate you, there are gossips in the break room. Your coworkers act strange and weird around you.

Just like kids avoid outcasts on the playground, coworkers avoid a stinking colleague.

It might be because they have advance knowledge of what is going to happen. They got to know about your dismissal through a grapevine or directly from your boss.

11. He Is Keen To Know How You And Your Family Will Manage:

On the opposite side of the picture, your boss might seem empathetic for your situation. Although it can affect their decision to fire you. But they get trapped in their own guilt.

If your boss is asking questions about your family and emotional health, it’s a red flag.

They do this to make sure that you’ll be fine after they fire you from the job.

12. You’re Now An Average Performer:

When you get average performance reviews for even your good performance, it’s a sign you’re getting fired.

These reviews are more likely to tell you that you are “nice.”

The feedback isn’t motivating at all. It isn’t a bad thing to hear, but it means that you are disposable, and they expect someone better.

A boss probably gives mediocre performance reviews to people he doesn’t want to keep.

13. The Bridge Between You Two Just Broke:

Although your boss isn’t available to talk about your performance in person, the problem is that they will disappear from the phone or email.

Suppose your job is online and you try to contact your boss, he doesn’t reply. It’s a sign that he already decided to fire you.

Bosses don’t find it necessary to keep up with the progress of employees they are letting go.

14. Signs Your Boss Want To Fire You – Tells You About New Vacation Spots:

Among all the signs you’re about to get fired, there’s nothing clearer than this. If your boss asks you to go on a vacation, don’t take it as a reward for an achievement.

They might be doing so because they rather don’t want you in the office.

However, if your job is financially critical, then this might not be the reason.

15. Begins With An “Umm..” During Feedback Time:

Your boss is now clearly unavailable to give you feedback. You might notice this when you need constructive feedback, but your boss ignores you.

They avoid you because they feel guilty to decide on firing you.

Your boss stalls for time because he regrets that you were performing well for the company.

So when your boss feels nervous about confronting you, it’s a sign you’re going to get fired.

16. Signs Your Boss Want To Fire You – Brushes Off Your Ideas And Opinions:

When your boss decides to fire you, he won’t value your opinion anymore. He’ll just ignore whatever you say.

Your opinions don’t get voiced or valued. Also, your boss doesn’t ask for your opinion altogether.

Yes, your fear is valid! When it happens, your boss has brushed you aside. He no longer gives a damn to your efforts for the company.

6 Tips For What To Do If Your Boss Want To Fire You

If you’ve found familiar signs and you are sure that your boss wants to fire you, don’t freak out! The world doesn’t end here.

You’re still alive and in your professional career, so make the most out of it.

Here are some useful tips on what you should do when you find yourself in such a situation.

1. Start Your Search For New Career Options:

If your job duties or title got changed and you aren’t getting any feedback, then make a move. As an employee, it’s your right to be proud of the work you do.

Luck might be giving you a chance to find something better when your current boss pushes you off.

A bad boss can be a blessing in disguise. So start hunting for a new career. Maybe you’ll find a fit that suits your innate personality and skills.

2. Make Your Free Hours More Enjoyable:

Make your stressed work environment more manageable by finding something fun to do.

Try to spend time outside of work with your loved ones. It’s a good way to keep yourself cool at work. Meanwhile, keep searching for new opportunities.

Being stressed at work makes it difficult to enjoy personal time. But you must do it for yourself. It can create a significant difference.

3. It’s Not Because Of You:

You probably aren’t solely responsible for the situation you are in. You don’t need to put all the blame on yourself and be hard on yourself.

Chances are your supervisor’s way of treating you is causing all this mess. Your supervisor’s behaviour has nothing to do with you if the reason isn’t you.

Be proud of yourself for your achievements. You can write down the skills you learned from this job.

It will boost your morale and give you something good to update your resume.

4. Visualize The Type Of Environment You Want To Work In:

Make a picture of the ideal work environment you want in the future. It will help you craft questions to ask future interviewers.

Finding the right fit, you won’t have to worry again about a miserable job. Also, enlist the things you don’t want in the future.

This list will stop you from compromising, and you won’t end up unhappy after your job hunt.

Don’t believe that you are less than anyone else and dream big!

5. Request A Meeting With Your Boss:

If you want to know what does exactly what your boss’s behaviour means, approach the source.

If you begin to communicate with your boss, it can clarify a bunch of things. Being still at the job, you can improve your relationship with the boss.

You’ll get to know for what reason your boss is acting indifferent. Is it related to you?

The signs listed in this article are typical ones, and there’s no certain way to know what your boss thinks.

6. Remember This Too Shall Pass:

This current situation isn’t permanent, it will end soon, and things will get better.

You always have the option of finding a better fit and leaving the job that feels toxic.

If you put effort into finding a good job, you’ll end up in a place better than this. Remind yourself that you got through so much and overcome so many hurdles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What To Do If Your Boss Tries To Fire You?

If your boss tries to fire you because of your performance, change your patterns. Stay calm and avoid any outbursts. Rethink if you want to complain to HR. Understand the company policies that affect you. And remember to take care of yourself.

Is Your Boss Allowed To Threaten To Fire You?

Your boss can threaten to fire you just like you can threaten to quit. Unless you have an employment contract or an agreement, you can get threatened to get fired.

When Can Your Boss Fire You?

Under the employment-at-will agreement, an employer can fire you for any reason. Or sometimes he can fire you for no reason at all. But employers can’t terminate people for reasons that violate the laws of the state.

Do You Get A Warning Before Getting Fired?

Employers aren’t required to give a notice or warning to employees before firing them. Yet it's illegal to fire an employee based on discrimination or breach of the contract.

Conclusion

You can’t change your boss’s decision to stop getting fired from the job. But you can change your situation.

Make a career change towards a more satisfying professional life. It’s the right time to consider different careers and positions.

Dealing with a difficult boss becomes manageable if you’re putting effort to get out of your current job.

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Last Updated on 17 mins by Assma Riaz