There are many reasons that companies fire employees. If you take a look at the stories about getting fired shared by About.com readers you’ll find a variety of reasons people were fired from their job, including for posting on Facebook, for having a bad attitude, and for stealing, just to mention a few.

Employment at Will

Unfortunately, for many fired workers, in most cases employers don’t need a reason to fire you unless you are covered by a bargaining agreement or employment contract. It’s called employment at will. Employment at will means that an employee can be terminated at any time without any reason and without notice.

That said, most employers won’t fire an employee without cause. Most firings are termination for cause, which means the employee is fired for a specific reason. Also, keep in mind that a job termination is different from a lay-off which takes place when an employee is let go because of a lack of work.

Here’s more on the top reasons employees can get fired from their jobs

Top 10 Reasons Employees Get Fired

1. Damaging Company Property
2. Drug or Alcohol Possession at Work
3. Falsifying Company Records
4. Insubordination
5. Misconduct
6. Poor Performance
7. Stealing
8. Using Company Property for Personal Business
9. Taking Too Much Time Off
10. Violating Company Policy