20 Bizarre Reasons People Have Quit Their Job

We recently posted a list that detailed 10 crazy reasons why people were fired, now we’re exploring the other side of things. Getting fired from your job can be a really bad experience, but if you quit at least you have some control over the situation. Maybe you found another job or maybe you’re just looking to take some time off. These are both reasonable answers. How about quitting because you don’t like the carpet in your office? Does that justify quitting? Fortune interviewed high-level managers at various companies and asked them if anyone ever quit under crazy circumstances. This list contains 20 of the best answers.

Circus Dreams

“Our employee said he was joining the circus.”

You’ve always been told to follow your dreams so it’s hard to make fun of the guy. Some circus performers make up to $70,000 a year. Maybe he has the right idea.

Mountainous Aspirations

“A staff member left to climb Mount Everest.”

How many people do you know that have left a job to climb a mountain? Probably none. Hands down one of the coolest job resignations ever. Hopefully they made it.

It’s Not About The Money

“A guy told us he was making too much money and didn’t feel he was worth it.”

Usually, people complain that they’re not getting paid enough. not the other way around. We’ve heard of someone acting selfless, but this is a whole other level.

Less Work More Play

“An employee said work was getting in the way of having fun.”

Ummm…..do we even need to comment on this one? It’s called work for a reason, unless, of course, you’ve got a job at Google. Most people have “fun” after work or on the weekends.

Snooze Button

“The worker told us he just couldn’t get up in the morning.”

Waking up can be miserable sometimes but it’s a part of life. Good luck finding another job with that attitude. Welcome to the real world.

Don’t Work Too Hard

“One person left because she didn’t want to work so hard.”

What is happening to our society? Who said work was supposed to be easy? Hopefully, she removed that employer from her résumé or she’s going to struggle finding a job.

Sports Are My Life

“One person quit to watch a soccer tournament.”

Sports fans can probably relate to this but would you really quit your job for a soccer tournament? Sure, soccer is a great sport but you definitely need to reevaluate your priorities here.

A Man’s Best Friend

“We had someone quit so he could stay home and feed his dog.”

A pet can be a huge responsibility, but if you have to quit your job in order to make sure your dog gets food, maybe you weren’t ready to have one in the first place. Ever consider a dog-sitter?

Box Office Failure

“An employee left because he wanted to watch a movie with his girlfriend during work hours.”

Awww…how sweet. Hopefully that movie was worth it, because that might be the last one you see in awhile. Without a job, don’t expect to go to any more movies with how expensive ticket prices are.

I Hate What You’ve Done With The Place

“One person quit because he hated the carpet.”

This one is hard to sympathize with. Unless it was shag-carpet then we totally understand. There is nothing worse than dated shag-carpet.

Can You Keep It Down Please?

“An individual did not like the sound of cabinets being slammed.”

If that’s the one thing that you find irritating then you’ve got it pretty good. Maybe you could have brought headphones or simply asked your co-workers to stop slamming the cabinets. Quitting seems a little drastic.

That New Office Smell

“He quit because he didn’t like the way the office smelled.”

Did you ever stop and think that you might be the thing that smelled? Regardless, smell is a pretty strong sense and if there was a smell that he didn’t agree with it was probably best that he quit. Or he could have used an air freshener?

I Can’t See A Thing

“She left because she hated the lighting in the building.”

Certain types of indoor lighting can be sore on your eyes. Especially bright florescent lighting which has been linked to eyestrain. This might have been the only case where it was okay to wear your sunglasses inside.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

“A worker did not like the color of the walls.”

It’s one thing to be picky, but this is something else. As long as they weren’t interior decorators and it didn’t look like the wallpaper in the picture, there shouldn’t have been a problem.

Apple Farming

“One worker left to become an apple farmer.”

When you here that a fairly successful businessman quit his job to work on an apple farm you have to give the guy some credit. The life of a farmer isn’t an easy one. Kudos to you.

Casual Friday

“A staffer quit because informal dress was not allowed.”

Usually, before you take a job you’re aware of the dress code. If this person didn’t know about the requirements when they took the job, that’s their own fault. Everybody loves casual Friday, but is not having it a justifiable reason to quit your job?

Show Me The Money

“Someone left because she was going to live off her trust fund.”

Well, that’s one way to do it. Given the fact that you have to be a certain age or have a specific event happen, relying on a trust fund could be a huge mistake. Hopefully, that works out for you.

Missing Dog

“Someone left because her boss lost the dog she had given him.”

Sure, that must have been a tragic experience, but it wasn’t your dog anymore. If she got that distraught over something that was out of her control maybe she shouldn’t have been working in the first place.

The Sound Of Music

“There was an individual who left to play the trombone.”

Another case of someone following their dreams. Not as epic as climbing Mount. Everest, but still monumental in its own right. If you’ve got the skills why let them go to waste?

Beauty Queen

“An employee wanted to enter a beauty contest.”

If you’re going to dream, you might as well dream big. Hopefully, they remembered that true beauty comes from the inside and that good looks don’t always pay the bills.