Everyone should work in the service industry at least once in their life. It really puts things into perspective. If your ego is too big, it will for sure shut that down. If you're insecure and too shy, it will bring out a more assertive you. It might be painful and even traumatizing (I worked at a pizza place in college almost a decade ago and I STILL have nightmares that I'm accidentally missing a shift…), but it helps you understand how to function in a society a little better. Actually, a l…

Have you ever been fired ? Usually, you get a little work review, whether you want it or not, and all of your failures are listed out and you're let go. If you're lucky, you'll get a severance package and can get on unemployment. But, honestly, who knows these days?! Companies just do whatever they want with zero empathy. For example, a recently fired customer service rep came to Reddit to vent about how he was fired on the spot with no obvious cause. He had been working there for a month and g…

“It's just business,” people (often your boss) love to spout… and it always is until it's personal. You can rest assured that anyone using this canned clamshell phrasing is probably using this to dismiss situations where they're exploiting you and are going to take it very personally should things one day not go their way. It's the same sort of tactic that is used when you're told by a notoriously toxic employer that “We're all a family here.” The hope is that you'll buy into the thin words the…

It's hard to imagine how many times I've written this sentence in various different ways… but you really should not overestimate your knowledge when joining a leadership role in a new organization. Take some time to integrate yourself and learn the ins and outs along with the important players before even considering making changes. If you make changes too soon, wielding your ego with ham-handed fury, you'll soon find the organization crumbling beneath your feet.

Top-tier employees usually go unnoticed by upper management. As a workforce, we go above and beyond to keep the company on its feet and it seems like the folks that reap the most benefits have the fewest qualifications. Nepotism ransacks corporations, leaving open the managerial positions for those with shared genetics with the C-level bosses, god-complexes, and an Associates Degree in Business.

It's unfortunate when loyalty isn't repaid in kind, especially in a long-standing relationship in which mutual trust and reciprocation should have meant a better result. Sure, circumstances change, and it might “just be business,” but there's always a personal aspect involved when a relationship has lasted this long. Plus, treating your long-standing employees well is just good business. If you're seriously thinking about firing your oldest employee unceremoniously just to save a few dollars… w…

Trying to work your way up the ladder by climbing on the backs of those you've betrayed, mistreated, or taken advantage of is a bold strategy… which is why it's often only attempted by imbeciles, psychopaths, and sycophants. The rest of us are burdened by heavy things called "morals," thanks to the constant nagging of our conscience urging us to do the right thing. Still, it's surprising and disappointing how far this strategy will get you. Even the barest sense of company politics and “playing…

Taking leave from your job is important. For one thing, a bit of time away can give you more headspace, meaning that when you return, you're feeling fresh and invigorated, ready to bring new ideas and approaches to your role—or it can just mean you return with your hatred for your job freshly invigorated… If that's the case, it's a good sign that your current role and duties aren't a good use of your time, and it's time to do something else.

There are a lot of reasons to get fired from a job: being late, failing consistently to do basic tasks or meet KPIs, and being difficult to work with are some of the most common. However, you probably wouldn't expect to lose your job for expecting a client to follow basic common courtesy and for expecting your employer to respect your basic safety requirements. The thing about our pets is that while we love them to death and they can do no wrong to others, they're just another unpredictable ani…

Talk about a complete waste of a day! This employee had nearly completed all of his daily work tasks when his boss up and fired him in the afternoon. His boss even revealed that he had known since 9:30 am that morning and couldn't bring himself to do it. Now, there are a couple of explanations behind the boss's behavior. Firstly, he could be more conniving than he comes across. Perhaps he wanted the employee to finish whatever project he was working on before firing him so he could be rid of hi…

Workplaces that rely on scheduled shift work often have an unhealthy obsession with said schedule, holding it in as paramount even when it extends out of the bounds of sanity or reason. Things like scheduled leave, availability—or, as it turns out, even being fired—have little importance when it comes to a scheduled shift… If it's on the schedule, you'd better be there no matter what. Managers who aggressively adhere to this schedule often act as if it were scripture passed to them from a highe…

Some bosses have such low self esteem that they need to push their workers to see their ‘worth’, and you know what happens when people try too hard… they get the opposite results they would expect. That is exactly the case for this young micromanager who OP literally called ‘Babyboss’ in their post. The OP was very valued by their company because they had specialized education, and a deep understanding of a certain subject that was not disclosed in the post. I assume the subject of the work was…

If you're late, you're late — and your boss might not care about your excuses. A baffling thing that some people do is tell you that there are no excuses for your actions. Then, they still want you to explain yourself. So the conversation will start by your boss demanding to know why you're late. You then say that you were late because you had car trouble , or perhaps your nanny cancelled last minute, or any other good reason for not being on time. Even the best employees in the world won't mak…

Some people just want to watch the world burn. But when you're the one guy who's only job is to prevent destruction from consuming the job site, that's exactly what you're trying to avoid. For some supervisors, especially the arrogant kind with a ‘i-can-do-no-wrong' attitude, being the safety guy at a construction site doesn't actually mean anything. They just want to trot around, puff their chest, and tell everyone what to do– even if it's the wrong call.

It doesn't matter what your line of work is. It doesn't matter if you work in an office, in a restaurant, in a warehouse, or remotely. Chances are you have dealt with an unruly and/or bizarre coworker. Perhaps in the moment, your experience with this person was a cringeworthy one. Perhaps it did not end well for you or for them. However, provided that you came out unscathed, you probably are grateful to have the story. Some of these coworkers range from the unethical to the strange. For instanc…

We're pretty sure toxic bosses are not allowed to do this anymore… This boss decided it was appropriate to fire his hourly employee on the same day that the employee filed for more state-protected paternity leave, a privilege that his boss doesn't normally grant to his other employees as well. First of all, let's start by acknowledging that granting maternity and paternity leave should not be seen as a privilege in anyone's else, nor should workers be rewarded for not taking their full time off…