Nurse Says He Was Called Into His Manager's Office For Telling His Coworker He Only Goes To Work To 'Make Money'
He was confused on how his comment had gotten him in trouble.
A man revealed that he was reprimanded at work for telling his coworker the reason why he shows up every day.
In a TikTok video, Alex Kim, who works as a nurse, shared that his coworker had tried to get him fired after he confided in them that he only shows up to work to be able to financially survive.
He was called into his manager's office after telling his coworker that he shows up to 'make money.'
"The worst part about being a nurse is not the patients, not the doctors, it's your coworkers," Kim began in his video. "Some of my coworkers make me want to quit nursing forever."
Kim explained that he had been talking to one of his coworkers, who he thought had been his friend. The two of them were just having a casual conversation, and at one point, Kim told his coworker that he comes to work to make money, but it all ends up going toward his rent, food, and other expenses.
The comment was clearly made to be lighthearted, and Kim didn't think anything of it, since that is what most people have jobs for: To make money. However, his coworker clearly took offense to it and reported his comments to their manager.
"Then my coworker goes behind my back and tells my manager this, and I know that because I get a call from my boss saying, 'Alex, we need to talk right now. Come into my office,'" he recalled. When he went to the meeting, it was his boss and the chief nursing officer in the room.
His manager told him that she's heard he's only working here for the money, and asked him if it was true. "At first, I was mortified because, one, I didn't really say that, but yeah, I am here for the money," Kim said.
"But then I was like, why should I apologize for that? This is a job, we signed a contract where I said I will be your nurse and provide my services and then you pay me a rate," he pointed out.
Kim continued, saying that he sat in his manager's office for 20 minutes while being yelled at and told that if he wants to work as a nurse, then he needs to stop thinking about the money. "The top reason why I'm here is to make money because, without money and this job, I will become homeless," he stressed. "But, I also love to save lives. I love to take care of people, that's why I'm a nurse."
There's no reason why someone should be criticized for saying that they are working at a job to be able to survive in a world where not having money means you won't be able to live comfortably.
As Kim pointed out, he can like working as a nurse because of the money, while also enjoying the benefits of caring for people. Both of those things can exist at the same time.
In the comments section, people were confused about why Kim was reprimanded for telling the truth.
"Your manager needs to touch some grass... so what if you are. As long as you take good care of your [patients], it shouldn’t matter to them," one TikTok user pointed out.
Another user agreed, adding, "So does your manager work because they’re passionate about managing or do they need money to pay their bills?"
"You didn’t deserve that. Cliché, but that coworker is probably jealous of you. I'm glad you realize you’re not in the wrong," a third user chimed in.
Nia Tipton is a Brooklyn-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.