March 9, 2026
Fired for vibes? HR drama goes nuclear
Uber reported to the state that I was fired for "annoying a coworker."
Ex-Uber dev says HR set a trap; crowd split: 'HR run wild' vs 'too vague'
TLDR: An ex-Uber engineer says he was fired for “annoying a coworker” after following HR’s advice, later winning unemployment on appeal. Commenters split between blasting HR as a power play and demanding proof, turning the thread into a debate over corporate culture, workers’ rights, and receipts.
An ex-Uber engineer says he was fired for “annoying a coworker” after following HR’s verbal advice to keep chats work-only — and the internet did what it does best: explode. With CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently championing weekend work, commenters painted this as HR-as-boss-fight culture. One camp raged that HR isn’t there for workers at all, calling the process a trap designed to push people out. Another camp fired back: where are the receipts? No Slack logs, no emails, just vibes and a termination note that says “disruptive communication.”
Key Points
- •A former Uber software engineer reported a coworker’s disrespect to management and HR.
- •HR concluded the author violated Uber’s No Sexual Harassment Policy and issued a final warning to restrict communication with the coworker to work topics.
- •After HR verbally advised on how to respond to non-work conversations, the author sent a Slack message to limit topics; the investigation was reopened and the author was fired via Zoom.
- •The termination certificate cited “disruptive and inappropriate communication” and violation of Workplace Standards of Conduct, not sexual harassment.
- •Uber’s report to the state said the author “annoyed a coworker,” initially denying unemployment benefits; on appeal, benefits were granted.