Many employees see “the writing on the wall” at their places of employment, an idiom meaning that the employment situation might be ending soon. A joke takes the idiom literally.
       
“my graffiti removal company went bust today, but the writing had been on the wall for some time” was posted on Twitter by Simon O’Keeffe on August 17, 2011. “Not surprised to find out I’ve lost my job at the graffiti removal company. The writing’s been on the wall for a while now” was posted on Twitter by GlennyRodge on September 18, 2011.
   
“I wasn’t surprised when I was fired from my graffiti-removal job. I saw the writing on the wall” was posted on Twitter by Jon Sustar on February 15, 2014. “It didn’t come as much of a surprise today when I was fired from my job as part of the council graffiti removal team. The writing’s been on the wall for a while now” was posted on Twitter by Matthew Garner on August 19, 2019.
   
         
Wikipedia: The Writing on the Wall
“The writing on the wall” is an idiomatic expression that suggests a portent of doom or misfortune, based on the story of Belshazzar’s feast in the book of Daniel.
   
Twitter
Simon O’Keeffe
@thesimonokeeffe
my graffiti removal company went bust today, but the writing had been on the wall for some time
8:53 PM · Aug 17, 2011·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
GlennyRodge
@GlennyRodge
Not surprised to find out I’ve lost my job at the graffiti removal company. The writing’s been on the wall for a while now.
9:09 AM · Sep 18, 2011·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Paul
@paul_linden
Large graffiti removal company to go bust - they say the writing’s on the wall.
5:49 AM · Oct 14, 2011·Twitter for Android
   
Twitter
Helen De Generate
@givesyouHel
I lost my job in Graffiti removal. The writing was on the wall #repundancy
1:15 PM · Nov 23, 2011·UberSocial for Android
   
Twitter
GlennyRodge
@GlennyRodge
Not surprised to find out I’d been sacked from the graffiti-removal company. The writing’s been on the wall for a while now.
3:33 AM · Mar 12, 2013·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Jon Sustar
@jonsustar
I wasn’t surprised when I was fired from my graffiti-removal job. I saw the writing on the wall.
10:25 AM · Feb 15, 2014·Twitter Web Client
     
Twitter
Bob Kostic
@causticbob
Not surprised to find out I’ve lost me job at the graffiti removal company.
The writing’s been on the wall for a while now.
4:50 AM · Dec 6, 2016·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Matthew Garner
@matofcourse
It didn’t come as much of a surprise today when I was fired from my job as part of the council graffiti removal team.
The writing’s been on the wall for a while now.
4:39 PM · Aug 19, 2019·Twitter Web App
     
Twitter
Martin Williams
@Martin1Williams
Was sacked from my job at the graffiti-removal company. The writing’s been on the wall for a while now.
6:37 PM · Mar 12, 2020·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Matthew Garner
@matofcourse
It came as no surprise today when I was fired from my job as a part of the council graffiti removal team.
The writing’s been on the wall for a while now.
7:53 AM · Feb 22, 2021·Tweetbot for iΟS
   
Twitter
Squiffy The Clown
@Squiffy2
Not surprised to find out I’ve lost my job at the #graffiti removal company. The writing’s been on the wall for a while now.
6:31 AM · Feb 1, 2022·Twitter Web App
 
Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/porichoygupto March 11, 2022
I have a feeling that I’ll be fired from my job at the graffiti removal company.
The writing is on the wall.