You stare gloomily outside the foggy windows of your car as you drive the long winding, traffic-loaded roads on your way to work. The clouds look foreboding, and you know it's about to rain, judging from their dark, gray color. Finally, you pull up to the office parking lot, your car splashing through muddy puddles. Though it's hard to imagine, this is the least miserable moment of your day. Picture it yet? Congratulations, you work in customer service. One person recounts their experience, wor…

During the holidays, it's almost inevitable that someone at the dinner table will ask you for free services related to your career. If you're a lawyer, you'll likely be asked for legal advice over the Christmas ham. If you're a doctor, your distant cousins might ask you if the mole on their neck is benign after a few too many glasses of grog. And if you're a daycare worker, you'll likely be asked to volunteer for free at your school's kiddo Christmas bash.

Holiday parties are often filled with merriment, spiked holiday punch, and a lot of glittery clothing. When partying with your friends, there's no risks, but when you're at the company-sanctioned holiday party, the blend of corporate pleasantries and boozy free drinks don't mix well… And quite frankly, it's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Nobody wants to get fired around the holidays. It's objectively the worst time to lose your source of income and it's also consequently the worst time to find a NEW job. Since everyone's already enjoying their ‘let’s circle back in 2024' season, you're unlikely to get a sit down with the hiring department in any employment position... unless you're interested in retail. For that reason, most workers don't stage a coup against management during the holidays, but in our next story...

It's frustrating to see someone else take credit for your work at your job. This can be especially frustrating when you know that the guy claiming your good fortune is a total nincompoop that wouldn't survive a day without you in the office.

Rudeness doesn't get you very far in the customer service world. As someone who used to answer phones to help out my company's customers, the ones who opened the call with raw fury rarely saw me go above and beyond to help them. Nobody wants to go out of their way to help someone who's going to act like a meany pants.

When an employee leaves a company, there's a duty-vacuum that opens up in their wake. All of the responsibilities that that employee once did are now left to the devices of those left behind. Usually, it's simply a nuisance until the higher ups hire someone new, but for some, that opens a door of opportunity into a promotion. Right?!

A long time ago I was working for a small company in a niche industry. I represented 50% of the sales team and between me and my coworker, we balanced and managed a company making millions of dollars a year in sales revenue. Despite the herculean efforts between myself and my other coworker, we both took home a meager salary and made peanuts to the dollar. How is it normal that companies– even small ones –can finagle their team out of money that they're earning simply because of their title?

Is it illegal to discuss your salary with your coworkers? Technically no, but it can make some waves in the workplace that some employees– and management –definitely don't want to address. Perhaps some people get awkward about their financial privacy and don't want the soccer moms in the cubicle next door that they CAN DEFINITELY afford to sponsor their child's next fundraiser.

Since humans are creatures of preparedness, unemployed folks will often rehearse potential interview question responses, attempting to put their best foot forward in order to score a new job. But sometimes, an interviewer will throw in a saucy question (or two) into an interview in order to get an honest reaction out of a prospective employee– to which, most of the time, nobody has the right answer.

Struggles of the common man

When you've been loyal to a company for a while, it may seem like a betrayal to put in your two week notice. Even though you're following standard resignation protocol, priceless employees are impossible to replace– thus, throwing your ex-boss into a lurch. You may feel a sting of regret for a moment when you break the news, but if your boss throws an all out tantrum against you for making choices that improve your personal life, it makes it a heckuvalot easier to walk away.

Karma is a beast. What goes around, certainly comes back around one day. For those of us who have ever dealt with a coworker's bad behavior– whether they're bad mouthing other employees, stealing lunches from the communal fridge, or just generally being a narc –it's rewarding to see them fall from graces a bit.

The bean counters in the top floor offices with polished floors and ergonomic chairs don't understand what it's like to be out in the streets actually doing the labor of the company. As every blue collar employee or door-to-door salesman knows, when you work out in the real world it's going to be utter chaos– and nothing like how the office employees expected it would be.

Put your money where your mouth is.

We all get a little nervous to ask for a raise. Even when an employee is due a salary increase, it's still a strangely awkward encounter to try and negotiate an improved wage with the higher ups. It just feels illegal. No matter who you are, there's always a tiny voice in the back of your head that spreads doubt. I'm pretty sure that's called imposter syndrome, right?