Boss Berates Worker For 'Wasting His Time' After She Quit 2 Months Into Her Job To Move Out Of State
"It's weird he'd question me about taking the job, like I didn't have bills to pay like everyone else."
Natee Meepian | CanvaPro Just two months into her new position, a worker admitted in a since-deleted Reddit post that she put in her resignation notice to move out of state. Before getting the job, she and her family had been considering moving for months — something she made sure to tell her new boss upon being hired.
Of course, his anger and frustration didn’t bubble up until she turned in her resignation, and he accused her of “wasting his time” and being immature in the workplace.
The worker said her boss berated her for ‘wasting his time’ after she quit 2 months after starting her job.
After giving her notice, “My boss responded by berating me,” she recounted. “Telling me I wasted his time by coming to work there … then [he] instructed me to put something in writing that I was quitting and go back to my assignment.”
“I felt bad for leaving so soon," she wrote, "but wanted to move out of state.”
Horror stories like this of workplace hostility, heightened workloads, and immediate termination convince more employees to quit on the spot instead of giving the traditional two-week notice.
If workers are punished for being considerate, why would they give employers advanced notice?
Many people believe this Reddit worker did all that she could. She told her boss about her potential move when hired, gave him plenty of notice to find someone new, and even opted to extend her last day, only to be met with pure anger and inappropriate hostility.
After the ‘upsetting’ response from her boss, the worker submitted 3 weeks of PTO before her last day.
“I didn’t say much,” she added of their conversation. “I abided by his request, stating in written form that my last day would be November 1. I then walked to HR and put in 3 weeks of PTO. I won’t be coming back from that.”
The woman felt no shame in using the three weeks of paid time off that she was given when hired, especially after the unsettling confrontation with her boss.
Was he allowed to be upset and confused? Of course. Just like any other person with a lot on their plate, that’s completely reasonable. Blowing up on an employee and criticizing their life choices in a professional environment, however, is wildly inappropriate.
“I had bills to pay like everyone else," the worker added, "or I wouldn’t have taken the job."
While some commenters suggested it’s ‘workplace etiquette’ to stay longer at a job, most argued she ‘owes nothing’ to her workplace.
Many commenters under the post labeled this worker “entitled” for taking a job only to leave it two months later.
“I mean that's a pretty realistic response,” one user wrote. “You just wasted two months of their time on training … only to start over. I don’t get your surprise or offense.”
Equally passionate in their responses, other professionals celebrated this worker, arguing that “giving notice” in the first place wasn’t required — it's simply a courtesy.
“You told them when you got hired you were thinking about it,” one commenter wrote, “but that doesn’t matter … You don’t owe your workplace anything.”
BongkarnGraphic | Shutterstock
Many workplaces and corporate offices, no matter how compassionate and supportive they seem, will place profit and productivity over their employees' well-being. When firing or laying off a worker they certainly don't give advanced notice.
How can you expect workers to put their personal lives or well-being on the line for the sake of a company that wouldn’t do the same?
Advocating for your personal time and goals is essential, especially in corporate environments.
At the end of the day, the vacation time she submitted is another benefit to which she’s entitled.
“Good on you for burning your deserved PTO," one Redditor commented. "Enjoy the time off and make them pay for it.”
As controversial as it might seem to some, it’s OK for workers to leave their jobs after just a few months, even if they weren’t toxic or overbearing. Personal goals, well-being, and health should be everyone’s top priority.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories