It's always a better end to the story if you quit your job than if you're let go. Unfortunately, this overworked, underpaid, and undervalued employee had quit what he believed was a toxic work environment. However, after some time away, his old boss reached out and lured him back in with the promise of the promotion he likely always wanted. In fairness to the employee, he likely felt flattered that they seemingly needed him so much. Unfortunately, that flattery only went so far. A mere six mont…

Bad experiences are a dime a dozen when it comes to interviewing for a retail role; in no other line of work are there so many desperate interviewing managers looking for such a high level of effort and experience for such minimal pay. Usually, if an interviewer takes issue with you, there's no coming back from it, no avenue of recourse; after all, they're the ones doing the judging, and you hold very little control over the situation outside of your ability to walk away. Yet, sometimes, a hidd…

Don't accept that job until you've vetted the company well. I know it's hard not to accept the first gig that offers you a contract, but it's worth your time to spot red flags before signing on. One person mentioned another great one, which is having a lot of very young people who are running an older company. Young people are great, of course, but it signifies that the company can't retain their older workers, who probably left to find better wages . And it implies that they're hiring youngste…

There are several no-nos when it comes to what you should not reveal in a job interview, but discussing your enjoyment of Star Trek should not be on the list. Now, I myself am not a Trekkie, and while taking off from work to attend Star Trek-themed events would not be the way I elect to use my PTO, I certainly would not disparage someone else for wanting to use their much-deserved time off in this way. This job candidate was interviewing to be a last-minute replacement while this Redditor was o…

The clock strikes 5, and you zoom out of the office. You don't even look back when your boss yells out sheepishly, ‘Wait, are you leaving?’. Yes, you're leaving! Right this instant, actually. Every day in the office feels like stepping into a weird, alternate dimension. The fluorescent lights flicker ominously as you shuffle past coworkers, half expecting your awkward boss to greet you dressed in royal garments. He is quite the character. Some might compare him to Michael Scott from the Office.…

Always be careful what you tell your soon-to-be former employer before you get out. Otherwise, they might make things harder for you, as this boss did. Sure, this might be a cynical take. In an ideal world, your boss will understand your desire to move on to a different opportunity, but if your manager is among the many selfish employers in the workforce, then leaving might not be so easy. This Redditor was not even necessarily looking for better work until he was poached by a different company…

Why can't people just take “no” for an answer? Sure, this applies to many aspects of life from relationships to friendships to family dynamics. However, it also applies to one's professional relationships. This part-time worker politely turned down an offer for a full-time position, and her General Manager simply would not have it. An hour after the meeting, he followed up over email apologizing for pressuring her in any way, but of course in sending said email, he was doing the exact opposite…

It doesn't take much to realize you don't want to work somewhere. It could be that their lack of morals is obvious from the moment you start your first shift. Or maybe you're lucky and figure it out beforehand, during the interview process. You think, ‘Nope, this is not for me’, and either don't continue, or immediately quit. Back when I was working as a waitress, I did a couple of shifts at different places. Once, I interviewed at a fast food restaurant chain where the employees looked (surpri…

This boss had a whole lot of audacity asking his already underpaid top employee to take a 30% pay cut. One has to wonder if the boss himself was willing to cut his own pay too. Somehow, we doubt it. Clearly, this dude should not be running a business, starting with the fact that he spent a large sum of money on business consultants who told him nothing particularly innovative about the state of his company. Unfortunately, his top employee had to suffer the consequences of his boss's total misma…

It's remarkable how frequent these shady job postings are… Look, if job candidates are expected to be transparent and honest in every aspect of their resumes and applications, then we should at the very least expect the same transparency and honesty from the folks for whom we might be working. It should not be novel to be asking for this. In this case, we don't even have a company being intentionally vague in its outlining of job expectations and responsibilities, which is certainly another fre…

We all know that company surveys rarely result in any meaningful change, but perhaps it's a good idea not to say that directly to the head of HR. In fairness, this employee did not realize that the strange man in the suit whom he had never seen before was technically the head of the Human Resources department. This alone is a tell-tale sign that this company was a toxic work environment. It's not the employee's fault if the head of HR is so mysterious and unknowable that no one recognizes his p…

If you're the mooching coworker in your office, don't expect other employees to have your back when the pressure is on. This lady had a ton of audacity when she told her coworker, with whom she frequently gets breakfast and/or lunch: “you never have your wallet when I need it!"

Imagine getting let go by your boss over a year ago, only for him to reach back out and offer a gift card if you find him some qualified new employees. Here's the best part: instead of a personalized message, this dude framed his email as if his former employee was part of a “company alumni” group and that this referral process was part of a contest. From our perspective, a personalized message would still have been insulting but it would have been far more effective than this framing was. Stil…

Finding work is never an easy task. It would be an understatement to say that there are times during the interview process when it feels overwhelming—it appears like a never-ending process that only the lucky few are able to complete. The story that follows centers on a clever lawyer who happens to stumble upon a job posting seeking a research lawyer. The Original Poster (OP), a research lawyer by profession, applied for the job immediately. Upon submitting his application, he was requested to…

Let this story serve as a friendly reminder to always get it done in writing, folks! Unfortunately, this employee learned that the hard way but was still able to walk away triumphant at the end of this toxic workplace drama. When the Redditor's coworker had to leave a big project in order to take care of his father, their boss asked the Redditor take the lead on the project moving forward. The original poster should have seen this as a red flag in and of itself, as his employer was essentially…

Let this serve as a friendly remember to never trust that HR has your back. No matter how charming their smiles are or how friendly they may seem when you're making small talk in the kitchenette, do not be fooled into thinking that anyone in the HR department is supporting anyone other than the head honchos. The grim part of this truth is that it may not even be HR's fault at the end of the day. They too are doing their jobs in an already established system. However, some of these stories certa…