Yuck. I mean, yawn . Eh, same, same… Do you know what you're doing in life? I don't. I haven't a clue. Eat, sleep, work, repeat. The days drag on and turn into weeks that turn into months. Winter is crawling by at a snail's pace, and I wonder when the sun will come out (properly) and shine again. When does the cold end? Why is it still dark out past 5 pm? Summer, where are you? I wish I could fly somewhere and take a break, but money-wise, that's a problem. I bet for most people it's a problem.…

There are challenges in the food industry. Drama, anxiety, and unforeseen events abound every day and must be managed to keep things running according to plan. What would happen, though, if your manager—who specifically sought you out for the position—tried to play the corporate game with you? Do you stay in your current role and work alongside those who make you detest the career you once loved, or do you leave to pursue better and more exciting opportunities far, far away from it all? The sto…

Hierarchy is the cornerstone of corporate business. Because of this, it is very likely that when the time comes and a new management enters the picture, she or he will want to completely revamp the scene in an attempt to assert their authority. The story that follows recounts the story of a clever employee. The Original Poster (OP) and his former manager had an unspoken understanding that allowed OP to arrive early and depart early. Basically, as long as he completes his work and puts in the ne…

Retail is like the Wild West: it's vast and untamed. And who needs to maintain composure in the midst of such mayhem, in your humble opinion? That's the customer service agent, of course. The story that follows is from a disappointed sales department employee. The Original Poster (OP) holds a job at a small business located in the neighborhood shopping center. The business has had to deal with an increase in theft lately. Unfortunately, due to the shopping center's numerous rules and restrictio…

Nothing in the business sector is ‘personal’, everyone is interchangeable, and the entire industry runs like one large corporate machine. Securing the flow of funds is of the utmost significance for those in positions of authority. In order to succeed in the business world, one must be prepared to give up everything or anybody who stands in the way of success. Here's the account of a Fortune 500 firm employee who was left speechless. The Original Poster (OP) has dedicated the last six years of…

We work to live, not the other way around. It's difficult to find an occupation that fulfills our ambitions and desires. When we finally find that one individual in the workplace who is friendly and supportive, it might be difficult, to put it mildly, to let go. A furious software developer who works for an organization that offers ‘unlimited PTO’ shares his story below. OP has been organizing an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime international trip. Before starting the preparations, he made sure seni…

Those working in customer service know what it feels like to work a lot for a little.

There are unwritten rules and workplace politics in the corporate world that you have to abide by if you want to keep your job. The story that follows is from a tech consulting company's team lead. OP was in charge of two teams, each consisting of three members, for a total of six persons. OP was given a project at the time that required the assistance of all six members of his team. The company decided against pursuing new, cutting-edge technology in favor of sticking with what they knew in or…

The business world is not always kind. You are but a small component in this game. You should never feel too comfortable when you finally 'land' that job you believed would be the culmination of your desire since everyone can be replaced. What they fail to mention, though, is that occasionally—just occasionally—one cog is what keeps the entire empire afloat; without it, everything crumbles down.

It is usually advisable to stay away from people who are impolite when dealing with staff. Ultimately, the waiters are there to assist you in having a good time and planning your next visit. However, what would happen if your guests mistreat the staff for no apparent reason? They turn an evening that could have been genuinely amazing into a major headache. The story recounts the tale of a frustrated server who found a perfect way to exact revenge on an obnoxious customer. Surprisingly, no elabo…

Haha, boss, you're so funny!

The business world is cruel. They take great pride in their well-known motto, which emphasizes the value of family and how they treat their staff as one large, happy family. But when the chips are down, who gets pushed aside first? Yes, exactly. Think about that for a moment. The story that follows is from a dissatisfied hotel employee. At the time of the incident, OP had been managing multiple duties. He drove the shuttle for one of the airline crews and was responsible for loading and unloadi…

Working in a corporate setting sometimes means having to silently give in to senior management. Whether or not we agree with their business tactics is irrelevant; what matters is that we ease their burden by complying with all of their requests without causing any trouble. The story below is an account of a bookkeeper who works for a huge home improvement store. For whatever reason, despite the rigorous hours, upper management insisted for years that bookkeepers close and open the store. To put…

I think we've all had to deal with a smug and entitled manager at some point in our lives. My personal experience has shown me that it's simpler to find a method of working with them as opposed to confronting them outright. The story that follows is about a dissatisfied employee who works in a shipyard that specializes in ship repair and refitting. We are talking about a hardworking blue-collar worker. But things take a bitter turn when the entitled manager—who is occasionally referred to as EB…

New management just always seems to mess up the thriving environment they arrive in, taking senior employees for granted and playing with their wages as if salaries are part of a game. This manager was only two weeks into his new job, and already wreaked the type of havoc that can result in mass resignations… He told one of the senior employees, OP, that he was cutting three hours of work out of a shift because he had looked at the cameras and seen that OP wasn't ‘working’ to his standard. OP h…

Consider this: You have been working for what seems like forever. Just as you are about to clock out, a couple enters the restaurant and asks to be seated. You obviously attend to the unwelcomed couple, and then just like that you realize that you're not going home anytime soon. As if that weren't awful enough, the couple now treats you like they own the restaurant, giving you the run-around, yelling at you, and expecting you to treat them like royalty. Well, that's exactly what happened to our…