Employee loses her dream job for being ‘too eager’ after her probation period is extended to 180 days: ‘I had no write-ups, no warnings, nothing’

Is being enthusiastic about your job ever a valid reason to get fired?

Let me just say that I'm surprised that no one has fired me for being too eager myself. There's a very fine line between being eager and actually being happy and excited about your job, and it's sad when your good intentions can be perceived as something bad just for showing too many emotions. That being said, I'm sure there has to be another reason as to why the employee was fired.

In my humble opinion, I think the new boss just wanted to have a team of his own, with employees and professionals that he knows and trusts beforehand. And I'm not the only one thinking this: most of the comments agree with my perspective, because there's just no other reason. When you're not doing a good job, there are warnings, meetings where people discuss your mistakes and give you advice for you to improve.  In this story, specifically, the OP went through two probation periods, during which she has not received a bad notice of any kind. So, I think that pretty much says it all.

Something very critical was also the way the termination happened. So abrupt, with little to no room for feedback or a conversation, even. If someone is truly creating safety concerns or failing to meet expectations, those issues are usually documented and discussed long before a termination meeting happens. The fact that the explanation seemed to change from "too eager" to "not enough animal handling experience" only makes the whole situation feel more suspicious.

There's nothing wrong with being fired or laid off. It can happen to the best of us, and it's a part of life. It's one thing to leave a position you dislike, but it's another to have a career opportunity taken away just as you were beginning to settle into it and build a future there. Fortunately, judging by the support from her coworkers and the skills she developed throughout her career, it sounds like she'll land on her feet. Sometimes a disappointing ending is simply the beginning of a much better opportunity somewhere else.