This HR lady's blatant lie says just about everything one could say regarding the health of this work environment.

Companies love to introduce small fees as a means of saving a few dollars or adding an extra stream of revenue. Hey—if you're a bank or network provider with 70 million customers, charging each of them a $0.10 fee every month is going to shore up a clean $84 million in revenue a year, and that's not going to look bad for some senior manager's bonus figure. These tactics can be employed against your employees, too. Nitpicking small costs and introducing small penalties can cause broad-sweeping c…

Some companies' policies don't allow overtime, as paying minimum wage employees a slightly more humane salary is just not in their budget. Despite this, managers can overrule this when holidays arrive and they are in dire need of help. In this case, OP was working at a retail store; unsurprisingly, this was the type of company that paid its employees little but expected a lot. The holidays were fast approaching, and management knew that they were way behind, thus they would need many hands on d…

Be careful what you wish for, boss!

Having a close-knit workgroup can be amazing; it's the kind of thing that has to form naturally with a bit of time and pressure that nurtures (and necessitates) cohesiveness and codependence. The relationships you form in these workplaces can be incredible and turn out to be life-long bonds, but they can also create a workplace environment that is unintentionally toxic. Eventually, something is going to change. Maybe the company expands, or there is going to be a falling out between people on t…

When working in any industry, you may find that you come across tight-knit teams of employees who often meet up in their spare time, whether for drinks or a meal, for some good old 'team building'. In this case, it went further than that, as the place OP was employed at organized a team building during the weekend, pulling employees away from their spouses and families, yet not paying a dime. OP approached their boss and exclaimed that weekends were an important time for her to be with her spou…

Let this story serve as a friendly reminder to never hire your in-laws to work at your company.

Giving notice to a job is the right thing to do—when you have the right employer. Like any relationship, the working relationship is built on trust, and a strong relationship that is filled with goodwill should always be honored. But when you know that the person employing you is prone to petty fits of rage—which often include firing people on the spot with no prior warning—maybe it's best not to let this person know that you plan on leaving their business in the next few weeks. After all, they…

With its luxurious amenities, discerning clientele, and high expectations, managing a hotel can be a demanding endeavor, and oftentimes guests have no idea what really goes on behind the scenes. From unforeseen mishaps to logistical nightmares, there is no limit to the things that can go wrong in the realm of hotel management. We're talking maintenance, issues with staff, bigger issues with guests, weather conditions, or technology failures… there is not really a handbook that would cover it al…

There are numerous workplace red flags in this story, but let's start with the fact that the boss made his problem the employee's problem entirely.

Sometimes you have to fake it ‘till you make it, that may or may not include your salary. I’m not sure you're on the right side of ethics if you do this.

When asking someone to be a reference for you, you'd better be darn sure they're willing to say positive things about you. Although it can be awkward to ask, having someone who will testify to your character and work ethic is really important as you're job searching. Lots of companies won't ask for references until you're already deep into the interview process. By that point, a reference can absolutely make or break your prospects of working for that company. While I've never done so myself, q…

Why is it that so many businesses would rather lose $10 in the name of saving $1? Time and time again, extreme cost-saving measures end up costing more in the long run. This engineer left the company they worked for shortly after completing the installation of an important mystery machine (No, not the one from Scooby-Doo.) For some reason, the manager at the client's site kept their number and contacted them personally to come and rectify an error with the machine. They agreed that the engineer…

Starting a new job is always tough. Sure, you might have tons of knowledge and industry experience, but there's always a different way of doing the same old thing at every new organization you walk into. You might think that a square peg would always just fit into the square hole, but your new job may require you to revolve the square 360 degrees clockwise, counterclockwise, and then on a vertical axis—all before putting it in the same square hole you always did before. Sure, it may be stupid,…

The queue is a foundational structure of society. First come, first served—it's as simple as that. This serves as a great equalizer of man. Every person's status is one and the same when they are in the queue—all are equals and must wait their turn. If you refuse to wait your turn, you'll be That's all well and good, except people with status, particularly entitled people with status, keep looking for loopholes to avoid waiting in the queue like everyone else because they think they're better t…

This, folks, is how to get back at your boss!