by Arden Davidson

Created on: August 30, 2009

First, I would like to point out that getting fired and getting laid off are not the same thing. There is no need to explain the reasons that people get laid off in this struggling economy, or at any other time. The reason is simple and obvious: companies need to cut costs.

Getting fired, however, is a whole different story. People who get fired have allegedly done something that makes it no longer possible for the company to justify keeping that individual in their employ.

Here are the top 10 reasons that people get fired:

1) Incompetence.

Incompetence simply means that the employee is not doing his job well - or at least not well enough to remain employed. Incompetence can be attributed to inexperience, laziness, lack of attention to detail, inability to focus or a variety of other factors that result in mistake after mistake.

2) Dishonesty.

The quickest way to get fired is to lie, cheat or steal. No one wants to work with someone that they cannot trust. It can also get you thrown in jail, depending on the magnitude of the offense.

3) Insubordination.

When your boss tells you to do something, you do it. There are, of course extremes - you are not obligated to wash his car or pick up his dry cleaning or go on a date with him. But within the normal business-related parameters, you are obligated, as an employee, to follow reasonable orders. Failing to do so will have you cleaning out your desk faster than you can punch a stapler.

4) Bad attitude.

Employees who are constantly arguing with their co-workers, and talking negatively about other people, the company and the company's products or services, are not going to stick around very long. Nothing brings morale down faster than an employee with a bad attitude, and when morale is down, production goes down. Not surprisingly, employers tend not to like that.

5) Excessive tardiness and/or absence.

No matter how good of a worker you are, you have to actually be present to get the job done. Coming in late or calling off sick on a persistent basis is not going to go over well with most employers.

6) Too much personal time - not enough work.

Except for Michael Scott on "The Office", there are not too many employers who want to pay their staff to spend the day playing Bejeweled on the computer, talking to their friends on the phone, or roaming from co-worker to co-worker starting gossip sessions. Time is money, so wasting your boss' time is likely to result in no more money for you.

7) Drug or alcohol abuse.

For reasons of safety, production and mere common sense, coming to work intoxicated will likely result in you being fired on the spot.

8) Anger management issues.

Punching the guy in the cubicle next to you because he borrowed your stapler without asking is the first sign that anger management classes may be in order. Some employers will send you to these classes. Others will just send you packing.

9) Poor hygiene and fashion sense.

Whether you are working with the public or not, it is important to keep yourself clean, neatly groomed and appropriately dressed. Coming into work with shorts, a stained T-shirt and greasy hair is not going to be tolerated for very long.

10) Ethical violations and conflict of interests.

Leaking company secrets to a competitor; accepting 'kickbacks' for services rendered; creating a website designed to bash your employer - these are the types of ethical violations and conflicts of interest that will have you walking out the door faster than you can say "unemployment line"

So there you have it. The top ten people reasons people get fired - or another way to look at it - the top ten things to avoid if you want to hang onto your job.

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