I was fired from the keyboard factory yesterday. I wasn't putting in enough shifts.

Behind the Groan

Two Kinds of Shift Work

The setup sounds like an ordinary factory dismissal, where failing to put in enough shifts means not working enough scheduled periods. A keyboard supplies the second meaning: Shift is a physical key, and manufacturing keyboards requires putting those keys into place. Deliver the first sentence like a disappointing career update. Then stress “shifts” only slightly. The factory detail does the real work, so an oversized wink or a long pause can make the wordplay feel more forced than it needs to.