Sometimes, it's hard to tell as an interview candidate if you're potentially stepping into a toxic work environment. People tend to present the most performative versions of themselves when they're interviewing someone. Everyone seems to be extra smiley and people only seem to be talking in euphemisms. Direct answers to direct questions are hard to come by during the interview process unless you force their hand. And because everyone's being the best versions of themselves, it can be difficult…

Sometimes, the best way to get payback at work is to wait to quit until it's the perfect time to do so. What does that mean, exactly? Well, quitting when you haven't yet made everyone know how valuable you are is definitely not the move. You want them to know what they are missing when you leave so that it's all the more dramatic. You also want to wait until the perfect opportunity has come along so you won't have any dark nights of the soul where you regret your decision and try to convince yo…

This certainly won't be the last time a selfish boss makes an outlandish suggestion. This employee has been working at the company for nearly four years and has saved more than 320 hours of PTO, yet when they were scheduling their upcoming surgery for January 2024, their boss suddenly took major issue with this decision. First of all, let's all remind this Redditor that no matter how much control it may seem like her boss has, she is not your doctor and she has no right to make suggestions abou…

Calling an employee's sick leave into question is one of those toxic workplace traits one would hope would have been eradicated by now, but unfortunately, you can't stop horrible bosses from being horrible. This thread was posted to Reddit by u/BigJhed , who had been working as a civil engineer when he had to request three months off on sick leave while recovering from an unfortunate car accident. By the end of this period, his supervisor informed OP that his paid sick leave would expire at the…

The way in which an employer responds to news of your departure is perhaps the most revealing moment of their overall character as a boss. There is the possibility that they will keep things professional and will respect your decision to pivot into something different. And then there's the more common response, which is the more selfish one. With this option, employers will take the news personally. No matter how professional you are, they will make your final weeks at the office all the more d…

Being tasked with performing action items during an interview process that only a full-time employee should be doing is the reddest of red flags. No matter how desperate you are for work, you have to be aware that there is absolutely nothing stopping these potential employers from taking your unpaid work, running with it, and still not giving you the job at the end of the day. If this happens to you as a prospective applicant, please know that you should feel empowered enough to send an inquiry…

Things took an interesting turn in this post, where a candidate shared their story of leaving an interview after feeling that their time had been disrespected. The candidate recounted their experience of attending an interview where the interviewer was late to attend. They found themselves still waiting after the appointment had been scheduled to start. After being asked to wait for a moment, a representative of the organization returned, claiming that the interviewing manager had been delayed…

Interviewing can be challenging, but with bills to pay and mouths to feed (ie: Me and my dog), you've gotta do your best to make a great first impression to score any job worthwhile. We've learned all about the ‘tips for a successful job application’ but what about the things to avoid? We've learned how to crush an interview, but how can we completely and utterly blow it?

Starting to work at a new company is a leap of faith. We all want to have the best job possible, with a great salary, tons of perks, good coworkers, benefits, and a nice work-life balance. There's no such thing as a perfect job — you might have a great salary, but your boss is always breathing down your neck. Or maybe you have a lot of vacation time to use, but you work 80 hour weeks most of the time. It's a trade off, and it's all about finding an environment you can thrive in. These folks bel…

This job candidate was surprised when an interviewer asked for a free writing sample on an oddly specific topic. This person told their story to r/MaliciousCompliance, sharing the exact way they got back at this company who tried to avoid paying their fair share. You'd think a huge group of lawyers at a law firm would know better than to have shady hiring practices. When OP interviewed for a job there doing research and writing, they applied, but red flags began popping up almost immediately. S…

Usually, when we negotiate leave dates when starting a new job, we'd expect those dates to be honored—not thrown to the wayside as soon as we're locked into our employment. After all, that's all part of the bargaining process, and once a bargain is struck, every agreed-upon detail becomes the foundation for the rest of the relationship. This worker shared how their extended family goes on a trip every year, this time with a significant personal reason motivating the trip, and they've already bo…

Sometimes, the games and manipulation start from the interview, with the hiring party pulling ticks, like showing up late, to “test" candidates, claiming to be testing for traits like “loyalty” and “patience” when really they're just looking to see how much of a pushover the candidates are. Really, if you're pulling stunts like this, you're probably discouraging the best candidates from working at your company, which you probably think is fine since you're obviously looking for desperate and pl…

These resumes and cover letters were supposed to land them a job, but these interviewees are getting laughed at behind closed doors. Hiring someone for a job position might seem easy at first — you post a job listing on a few sites, and the resumes should come pouring in. Depending on your industry, you might get 10 resumes, or 1000. But either way, not everyone will have the right qualifications. Some applicants actually do have the skills, but they have no clue how to format a resume and cove…

If you've never gotten fired, have you even lived? I remember the absolute shame and frankly, heartbreak (I was 16, and very dramatic) I felt when I was called by a manager and promptly fired after being accused of fighting with his wife on the job. The story goes as such: I was looking for a job while I was in high school. I was not a very good student and didn't attend any of my classes, so there were weeks I would stay at home, instead of going to school, and boy was it boring . Eventually,…

Don't miss these waving red flags during your next job interview. It just might save you from wasting your time at a job that treats you terribly! One time, I went to a job interview that seemed a smidgen suspicious. The interviewer gave me the wrong interview time — midnight instead of noon — but I thought maybe it was just a chance for me to prove that I had a sharp eye for catching errors. Then, after the actual interview (at noon, not midnight), the place hired me within about twenty minute…

Job applicants often forget that they have more power than people think they do. In this case, we have a candidate who was lucky enough to be in a more choosy position with their job search. For instance, if a potential employer refused to disclose important information like salary from the get-go, this Redditor would withdraw their application immediately. Power to you, sir! Here's where things got messy. This one hiring manager had been messaging the applicant and requesting more information…