This is what a fall from grace looks like

Feeling stuck in the workplace? Sometimes our job has a way of suffocating us, like you're handcuffed to a sinking ship with no prospects of breaking free. When you're underpaid and overworked, it feels like water is filling in around your ankles and the walls are closing in. Perhaps, if you're lucky, you'll find a kind stranger on the Internet to throw you a lifeline.

The hiring process is asinine these days. After 8 rounds of interviews, 4 different cover letters, and losing your will to live, the application to your dream job may still be lost in the trash bin of some flippant hiring manager.

Company loyalty isn't really a thing anymore. Our Boomer parents can boast about their pensions and their work ethic, but when a company has nothing to give you after years of service–not even an inflation-covering raise–why would you stick around? Contrary to popular belief, you CAN buy loyalty… especially in the workplace.

After every exhausting week of work, weary employees uncontrollably count their hours and calculate their expected pay. We can't help it. The shining beacon of hope of every working citizen is their bi-weekly paystub, rewarding their hours of indentured servitude to ‘The Man'. But when you get that glimmering check and the total balance comes up short, your ever-wavering shift resilience fades.

When it comes to working from home, employees can have different views. Some find that they can focus much better, get more things done, and save time during the day when they don't have to commute. However, others may find it challenging to work from home due to distractions from other things such as pets and household chores. With most workplaces switching back to in-person work after having a remote environment during the pandemic, it raises the question of which is better. Some employers fi…

It feels like a common scene, doesn't it? Watching folks breeze into high-paying jobs effortlessly while the rest of us scramble for opportunities that seem just out of reach. It's the age-old story of the power of networking, where the people you know often overshadow your education and skills. It's especially upsetting to see jobs with high salaries go to those whose experience doesn't seem to line up. Imagine seeing someone with a background in English land a tech position, all thanks...

As an employee, growth within the company is expected. No one accepts a job offer with the hope of staying in the same role until retirement. Even if growth is only in salary, that's enough for a lot of workers out there. On the other hand, employers want employee retention to avoid high turnover rates. They want to keep the hiring and training process to a minimum. To satisfy both needs, employers need to treat their employees well. In this story, an employee worked for his company for about t…

As someone who sports sweatpants and a hoodie for most of the year, I certainly don't have an aura of intimidating professionalism, but the guy in our next story realized how quickly our stylish social stigmas can derail a couple of employees.

When was the last time you got tattle-tailed on?

It's important to keep some semblance of 'fun' in the workplace because that's the only thing that's getting you (and your coworkers) through your workday. But like every group project in middle school, there's always going to be a Debbie Downer in your group, determined to squash any good-natured fun that falls outside of the rulebook.

Consider his bubble burst.

Middlemen are a concept created by upper management to keep the underlings in line, but are they even necessary?

Managers will do just about anything to cover a wayward shift in the fast food industry. With corporate goons breathing down their neck and a 70-hour week on their horizon, it's no wonder managers become desperately manic when an employee no-shows or calls out sick. They're at their brink. However, the manager in our next story proved to be more manic than desperate...

There's nothing worse than being an employee of a high-end retail store. If you've never experienced it, picture this: Every day you clock in, you are exposed to the scrutiny of every high-horse, ivory tower, wannabe with a superiority complex and despite your desire to dismiss their overinflated opinion with a waive, your commission depends on them.

It's no secret that tipping culture in America has gotten out of hand in the last few years. Every business with an iPad as their POS system will flip their little screen around to their customers they sheepishly say, ‘It’s just going to ask you a few questions'… Sorry, but it's hard to justify tipping 35% on a $7 coffee, but the social pressure of the barista with an imperious stare, a septum piercing, and electric pink hair is tough to ignore.