'Got fired because i’m an idiot': Man loses high-paying 'remote job' after being late to it and doom-scrolling

After spending a year applying daily for jobs, a man finally landed a high-paying remote role in his dream industry. But within months, his late-night scrolling habit cost him everything.

In a post on Reddit, the employee admitted, “Got fired because I'm an idiot.” He revealed that he would often stay up texting and scrolling, causing him to oversleep by 10–15 minutes on some days. Although the delays were brief, they happened multiple times—and caught his manager’s attention.

When asked about it, he claimed technical issues were to blame. That lie, he said, sealed his fate. “I got fired and I feel like an absolute loser.”

He confessed the emotional toll has been tough: “The pain of losing my dream job is really getting to me emotionally.” Despite acknowledging his mistake, he called himself an “idiot” multiple times in the post. He also shared that his career interests lie in the airline or automotive industries.

The story quickly went viral on Reddit, with many weighing in on both his actions and the outcome. One user commented, “I know someone who had a 40-minute commute and always showed up early. Then they moved two blocks away and were constantly late.”

Another recalled, “I knew someone who was late to her WFH days so often, she had to be put on a PIP... part of her PIP was that she had to go into the office on time for like a month.”

Another user taunted, "Let this be an expensive lesson to learn. Move forward and do better is all you can do now."

Reflecting on the same idea, a second user said, "It's the lying. You lied and that shows a lack of integrity to many employers. You need to address why your first thought when doing something wrong is to lie versus admit fault. Work on that while you apply for jobs. Good luck, you can recover from this is you are willing to work on yourself."