Workers Share The Moments That Realized They Worked At A 'Trash' Company & Needed To Find A New Job
Their stories provide a swift reminder of toxicity in the workplace.
Prathan Chorruangsak / CanvaPro The American workplace is failing its employees. Sadly, many employees are prone to overlooking this failure — like many sharing their stories on the Reddit antiwork forum — only recognize it when something more life-altering happens.
From dealing with loss to providing for their families, these workers shared their “turning point” moments when they realized just how toxic their companies were. These moments were the catalyst for change, urging them to find a new job that better appreciated, compensated, and protected them.
Here are 3 examples of moments workers realized they worked for a ‘trash’ company and needed to find a new job:
1. After taking bereavement leave, a worker admitted ‘not one person’ checked in, sent condolences, or provided grace when he returned
“My grandmother died… the office I worked for knew how close I was to her, so they let me take my bereavement, which was nice,” the Reddit user wrote.
Of course, this seemingly “bare minimum” request is an overcompensation in the corporate world — dealing with something as gut-wrenching and innately “human” as a loss is simply a kink in the machine of being an employee.
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“I heard not one [expletive] thing from them or my co-workers,” they frustratingly shared after returning from their week of grieving time. “Even when I came back, it was like nothing happened, and no one said one thing. Meanwhile, my mom’s company not only gave her the week off, but every department sent her flowers and cards as a tribute.”
Many commenters argued it’s absurd of this worker to expect “gifts or flowers” from their employer, but many just couldn't comprehend why. Aren’t these the people you spend a third of your life with? The American workplace tries desperately to drain employees of their humanity to boost productivity without realizing their uniqueness is what allows them to thrive.
While they might be hard to come by, there are companies and workplaces that value productivity and personal well-being simultaneously. They prioritize your happiness both at work and at home to cultivate a space for you to succeed in a healthy way. Just as you wouldn’t settle in a relationship, try not to settle in your job — even if that means spending five minutes a day manifesting a dream.
2. Having to sacrifice compensation or ‘flexibility’ to take time off from a retail job
Despite the need our society has for service workers, these industries are a revolving door of employees. Generally, abysmal compensation, inflexible work schedules, and poor working conditions result in high turnover and a limited pool of candidates.
So, when one Reddit poster’s brother was “rewarded” with a more consistent work schedule because of his seniority, he didn’t want to pass it up. His employer knew how valuable it was. “The year my grandma died, 18 days after my grandpa… my brother was a lead at the grocery store he worked at. He left to go to each funeral and came back to find himself scheduled on Thursdays again.”
His employer told him that “taking time off to go to each funeral meant he had lost his seniority.” In exchange for using time off, grieving a loss, and taking time away from his responsibilities, he was punished — “He quit on the spot.”
Even in corporate positions, discourse on social media makes one thing explicitly clear — nothing is ever that deep.
Take time to be with your family, take care of yourself, and find ways to live your life. Making money is essential to survive, but don’t burn out or sabotage your personal life trying to prove you're somehow “deserving” of it to an employer.
3. A woman recalled being asked about her personal life, marriage and plans for children during an interview
Despite legislation and work regulations intended to protect pregnant employees from discrimination, the sad reality is that many people with uteruses face barriers to success in their workplace. From not being hired to not being promoted to being fired, many pregnant workers are forced to find a new job after deciding to have children and utilize a maternity leave.
However, one Reddit woman’s interview process made her wary about more than just the potential for discrimination based on her family plans. “I had gotten married within the last year, and my now boss asked me, ‘Well, you aren’t going to have kids, are you? This worries me. You can’t be getting pregnant.’"
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Despite ignoring the comments at the time, she said looking back on the situation now as a senior employee makes her sick. “I was young and ignorant and just assured him, truthfully, that I do NOT want kids, ever, and neither did my husband. Then he scolded me for being ‘unusual.' There was no right answer; I was wrong to want kids and wrong to not want kids.”
Not only was it an invasion of privacy, but prying about a potential employee’s personal life could also be considered illegal in many workplace contexts.
Now, with her own team, she said this interview inspired her to provide new job opportunities and a healthy space for her employees.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.