Can you be fired from volunteering? Apparently, you can, because that’s what happens in this story.

The real question is why the volunteer was fired. He’s still not sure about the details, but he shares as much as he knows. He desperately wants to know more and wonders if he is actually in the wrong somehow.

Keep reading to see how it got to this point.

WIBTA if I emailed my supervisor’s manager asking for details concerning my termination?

A week ago, I (24m) volunteered three times a week at a nature center that has butterflies, fish, and turtles. I was given shifts that the nature center said they needed help on.

There are three tiers of workers there. At the top, the paid employees- lepidopterists, freshwater aquarists, management, etc.

Next are the unpaid interns. This summer, there are two of them (called “the interns”), both 19, one studying pre-vet, the other studying biology. Both interns worked the shifts that I was assigned.

At the bottom are the unpaid volunteers. I was a husbandry volunteer and prepared food, fed animals, and cleaned.

He seems to enjoy volunteering there but isn’t exactly a social butterfly.

My direct supervisor, Kyle, is a paid employee who is in charge of the husbandry volunteers and the interns. His manager, Carlee, is in charge of all volunteers.

I’m a pretty quiet guy. I show up, I do my work, I leave. I talk when necessary but, in general, there isn’t much rapport between the volunteers and interns.

Throughout the summer, I noticed tensions between the interns and I. On my shifts, there was just enough work for two people to be busy for 4 hours – food prep, the feeds, then cleaning the filters and floors.

The work appeals to me and keeping busy keeps mental health better, so I generally work for 4 hours straight, doing whatever jobs are available, then leave.

But the interns didn’t like OP.

Five days ago, I was called in to discuss my actions and demeanor with Kyle and Carlee.

In this meeting, they accused me of being disrespectful to the interns.

When I asked if there were specific actions or words I had done, Carlee said it was my demeanor.

Kyle said there was a specific incident in which the interns felt I did not respect them and, because interns are more valuable than volunteers, I was terminated.

He wanted to know more about this supposed “incident.”

I asked for details about the incident, as I did/do not recall something like that, and Kyle said: “I wasn’t there, I don’t know the details.”

To the best of my knowledge, I cannot remember an incident. I generally keep my head down.

I acknowledge there were tensions between the interns and I, possibly due to age, or because they believed I was stealing work from them (as there was enough work for 2, not 3).

I know Kyle didn’t like me because I went behind his back to be more efficient about a small job (but no rules were broken, and Kyle would’ve mentioned that as the reason if he could).

He still wants to know what happened.

Five days ago, immediately after getting home, I emailed Kyle, requesting specific details about the incident, because I believe in bettering myself and I cannot hope to improve if I don’t know what specifically happened.

Radio silence.

WIBTA if I forwarded the email to Carlee, Kyle’s boss, and my old manager, and reiterated my request for details?

It’s probably all lies. He can forward the email, but it still might not get a response.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

Surely there’s a better place to volunteer.

Another person doesn’t think it’s worth the effort.

Everyone seems to agrees that there’s no point in asking for constructive feedback from this company.

This person has a theory about why he was fired.

Getting fired for no reason can be hard to accept.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.