People Discuss Glamorized Career Paths That Are Actually Total Nightmares

It’s interesting how we view certain occupations when we’re young. Things that seem glamorous and exciting can actually be, well, kind of s**tty.

And it’s also interesting how our attitudes change after we’ve actually worked a specific job and not read about it or daydreamed about it.

But I guess you never know until you’re in the middle of it.

Folks on AskReddit talked about career paths that tend to get glamorized but are actually total nightmares.

Let’s take a look.

1. In the kitchen.

“Chef.

Been in the business for 12 years. In the US, 8 hour days and paid overtime. In UK, I’m working 60 hour weeks, 13 hour days, on salary with no overtime.

My personal life has taken a nosedive and so has my health. The only time I have to go to the gym (a hobby I loved!) is after midnight after working all day. I don’t get scheduled breaks, and if I get a chance to eat, I’m shoving fries into my mouth.

For those who are interested in becoming a chef, it is not for the faint-hearted. Have a backup plan or some other marketable skills so you’re not up a creek if this industry does take its toll.”

2. Yikes.

“I don’t practice law anymore, but when I did I mostly did criminal defense and occasional civil cases. Almost all the attorneys I knew all had great professional lives and personal lives comprised of utter s**t.

Al**hol abuse was rampant. Drug use was frequent. I knew attorneys who had “pharmacy drawers” in their office that they consulted when they needed a specific remedy.

I knew a public defender who dropped d**d of a massive heart attack as he was leaving for court. One attorney I knew said he loved going to new restaurants because he and his wife didn’t have s** any more and that was his only real passion now.

And I’m sure there are some attorneys who love their job. I’m sure there are many who are satisfied. But glamorous? Not in my experience.”

3. Insane.

“My sister just left her dream job as a Zoo Keeper so that she could go work at Petco.

Pays twice as much and has better benefits.”

4. Much better now.

“Working in film.

I thought I loved the job. And when I got out, I was floored by how much happier I was on a day-to-day basis. My standard for happiness was pretty much at ground level and I hadn’t even realized it.

When I did my last show, the folks there had worked with me for years at that point. They knew about what I had been doing the past few months, and that I was choosing to leave.

Multiple people, including the showrunner and that episode’s director (this was a huge network TV show), pulled me aside to give their well-wishes…and to say that I was living their secret dream of escaping the industry. Blew me away.

Guys with esteemed Hollywood careers that I thought were in love with the job, shaking their heads quietly and saying, “if only I’d have got out at your age.” Any lingering doubts about my choice vanished that day.”

5. Academia.

“Academia in general is potentially a garbage fire career path.

Namely because it’s so competitive that a lot of people burn out and become shells of human beings just from the stress and pressure of grad school and the job market.

A lot of people put pressure on themselves to end up in a top tier university when that just isn’t in the cards for everyone. So many people end up broken.

I’d just say that for anyone considering academia after a PHD, be ready to give a lot and get very little in return.”

6. Too bad.

“Being an architect is really bad.

Most people don’t complete it and the mental health issues are quite serious. There’s a lot of criticism and stress in the beginning, lots of late nights and hard work. At the end of the work you get insulted in public.

There’s no real reason for this. You aren’t going to be saving lives or anything, there’s no need to make it so expensive either.

So three years later, you get a degree and have to do a year of intern work, then it’s time for another year of study and projects and exams. Then two years of minimum wage work.

Then you come back for more exams, essays and projects.

It’s really too hard for what it is. I get paid very badly and I don’t really use any of my training. It was pointless really but girls like it at parties when I say I’m an architect. That’s a lie I don’t go to parties I have no social life.”

7. No fun.

“Investment Banking.

People talk about the fancy plane rides, expensive dinners, wild parties with your colleagues or a client. The reality of it is you’re never trully off work, always on-call like a surgeon.

Works weeks are usually 60-100 hours and can be brutal if one follows another.

It’s really more like working from 9AM-10PM in office and then get home to work another bit and have any given presentation ready stat.

I’ve gone all-nighters followed by client meetings where all I have time for is a quick shower and a 7/11 coffee.”

8. Hard to help people.

“Behavioral health.

I spent a long time working towards a career in therapy, and I’ve noticed that a lot of new people/people looking to get into the field go in with the starry-eyed “I want to help people” mentality. I did, too.

You do help people, but it is f**king hard to help people. A lot of jobs are high stress/low pay type of deals, because a lot of the jobs available are through nonprofits that only have so much funding to go around.

You are vicariously exposed to other people’s trauma, and it does affect you, no matter how good you are at creating boundaries and practicing self care. It’s an admirable profession, but a grossly under appreciated one, and it most certainly isn’t for everyone who wants to “help people” for a living.”

9. Too bad.

“The nonprofit sector.

You’re mostly putting a bandaid on issues. You go into it wanting to help people, but far too many people are ungrateful, not willing to help them selves, or complain no matter how much you’re trying.

I cannot tell you how many people have made threats even when you’ve gone well above and beyond for them. So many people abuse the system for freebies. I had people come in trying to get freebies who make over 100k a year.

The pay is always s**t unless you’re at the executive level. It is ridiculous how much executives make compared to the workers doing 90% of the work. The CEO of my organization makes well into the six figures while we have to work 3 years to get a 3% raise on our low salary.

They also devalue you constantly. You have people with master’s degrees working entry level positions being bossed around by some old lady with zero education but who’s friends with the CFO or something.

You’re constantly working with a ramen noodle budget expected to come out with steak and lobster results. 9/10 volunteers are only there because they’re trying to get hours or a reference and complain a lot.

You’re constantly battling other nonprofits even if you’re just trying to share resources. You can do completely different things and are just trying to refer clients back and forth so they can acess all available resources, but they’ll guard their clients like gold.

The amount of shady practices that occur as well… Inflation of numbers, total lies, etc… it is really sad how many places do nothing or very minimal, but are galmorized as “doing good”.”

10. This would be very difficult.

“Law Enforcement.

I went into it with the naive belief I would be making a difference. I wanted to protect people and make my community safer. Instead, I got to see the worst humanity has to offer day in and day out. Lets see if I can list all the negatives:

Most departments are filled with arrogant assholes with inflated ego’s that love to condescend to other officers or the public when they themselves can barley read.

Many officers have severe anger issues and love to take it out on the public (never saw it happen physically but verbally or by issuing ever ticket possible).

Try to suggest changes to bring about better relations with the public? Prepare to be ostracized and bullied till you tow the line.

The overall level of incompetence is staggering, with some officers barely knowledgeable of the firearms they carry everyday.

Your view of the public and people in general becomes very dark. The amount of EDP’s (emotionally disturbed persons), druggies and alcoholics you deal with each day is ridiculous and you start to wonder how society hasn’t collapsed.

You arrest a violent offender just to see them quickly released over and over, whats worse is how many times an abuse victim files a complaint because you arrested their “love” despite almost being k**led.

Very few people are actually grateful when you cut them a break. They DO take it as a sign of weakness and try to push the envelope. This is an often overlooked reason why some officers become a**holes. You try to help people out and they spit in your face (sometimes literally), this gradually tears you down until you can barely recognize what you are becoming.

The uniform is a target. You can be the nicest most patient officer in the world but to many the uniform means you are the enemy. You will get cursed at, attacked and have your private life laid bare.

Low pay not even remotely commensurate with what you have to deal with.

There is sooo much more but I was lucky enough to get out and change careers before it all really got to me.”

11. All or nothing.

“Professional sports.

People have no idea how much time, effort and resources goes into competing at elite levels of any sport/esport. It is soul-sucking. Think a 50hour work week is hard?

Nah fam, try living and breathing what you do. That’s why I h**e that people think talent is what gets you there, but in reality those people are just extremely dedicated to their craft.”

12. I can see this.

“The video game industry.

A lot of kids and teens want in it so bad because “I grew up playing games blah blah blah they take me to another world blah blah blah.” Then you become an adult and learn that it’s all math and physics, and making a video game has NOTHING to do with what you experienced growing up. It’s all black screens of code, polygons, and being criticized for your work.

What’s worse, if you make games you probably never have the time to play them anymore. The gaming industry is notorious for implementing 60-80 hour work weeks.

EVEN WORSE depending on what company you work for, you may never have stable work. You finish a project and then the company tells you “we don’t have another project for your particular skill set.” Then you gotta look for more work.

AND IF ALL THAT WASNT BAD ENOUGH, you’ll probably never work on a game you want to work on. All those big, fancy games and indie darling on Steam are a very small fraction of what exists. Barbie’s Horse Adventure? Those people got degrees and we’re inspired by the same games as you.

Crappy Candy Crush knock-offs? Same degree and inspiration. Stupid table-top games that you only see in the family section at Walmart? Those also utilize game designers/programmers.

Don’t get into videogames because you like videogames. Get into videogames because you’re passionate about math and science.”

Now we want to hear from you.

How do you feel about this?

Talk to us in the comments and let us know!

The post People Discuss Glamorized Career Paths That Are Actually Total Nightmares appeared first on UberFacts.

This Woman Refused to do Extra Work After She Didn’t Get the Promotion She Was Promised

I think we’ve all been in this position before…

You’re promised something at work and then it doesn’t happen. It’s a bummer but we’ve all been there.

But a woman took matters into her own hands about how she’d work moving forward when this happened.

Let’s see what went down.

So I’m not getting the promotion you promised? Then I’m not doing the extra work.

“This isn’t my story, but my wife’s. She doesn’t have Reddit and said I could share her story with you lovely people. Allow me to set the scene.

My wife – Harper’s – official title is Mental Health Professional, or MHP, and she has been in this position for three years at a live-in care facility for adults with mental illnesses. Before that, she work for several years on the mental health ward at the hospital, so she had more experience walking into her current position than anyone else they had hired.

Within her first year, she got 2 lifers to progress in their treatment plans so thoroughly that they both got the okay to move out into the sister program that has more freedom and independence. She was working with a third “lifer” who was about ready to apply for the sister program when lockdown hit and the transfers between housing, or even non-AMA releases, were suspended.

All this is to say that she has made some very serious and positive changes for this facility from the moment she started working there. They made her the Lead MHP, and her direct supervisor’s boss started giving her more responsibilities; like the morning team report for the whole facility, handling client money, making decisions on big changes to help the overall workload, ect.

Her yearly review happened in December, which was promised to come with a large raise to reflect all the added responsibilities she has been gradually given. Of course, it didn’t. She stayed on HR about her raise for a month or so after the review itself until the big boss finally brought her into his office to discussed with her a promotion.

It would be a bit tricky because she has her Bachelor’s in psych and social work, but not her Master’s – which we’re working on getting her back in school soon to complete, and which she needs to officially fulfill the job title they had in mind.

Still, she was clearly leaps and bounds beyond her coworkers, often staying over to help clients or to help finish paperwork, filling in wherever she’s needed. So, promoting her would be cheaper than hiring on someone new, and of course this would come with an even better pay raise.

So, for the last few months my wife has been doing even more for her supervisor’s boss and the big boss. Anything they ask of her, dangling that official promotion over her head, constantly saying it would be a “gradual transition” and she needs to learn this or that – do this or that – to train for it. Out of her own pocket, she bought new binders and other supplies that made the various parts of her job and theirs easier.

She planned, reorganized, filled-in, whatever. The supervisor’s boss even told her verbatim “I don’t know what I would do without your help!” several times. All this with the promise of an official promotion and a raise.

Then it happened. Last week, Harper was tasked with sorting through potential new hires – as they had been hurting for more MHPs for some time, and the bosses had taken some of Harper’s clients off her work load to make room for the new responsibilities – she noticed that of the stack she was given, all applicants had a Master’s or qualifying credential in social work. Hmmm… Worrisome.

Two days ago, it was business as usually for most of the day until about an hour before Harper was supposed to clock out. She called me in angry tears ranting about the conversation she had just had with the supervisor’s boss. He told her she would unfortunately be taking on more clients, and the promotion would be put on hold for the time being.

She said he didn’t come right out and say he had decided to hire one of the people with a Master’s instead for the position, but what he did say was “you’ll have to relinquish any added responsibilities and return to being just an MHP”.

Okay. Bet.

After trying to calm her down, I gave my normally frustratingly accommodating wife a nudge in the malicious direction. One of the first added responsibilities she was given was the morning report. It was her job to have all the staff gather during the clients’ breakfast to relay what happened during 3rd shift, the plans for the day, coordinating client appointments, ect.

She would have to be in the facility before 3rd shift clocked out to get their notes, and then plan a traveling and gas budget for all the appointments, review any safety concerns or incidents, and this all added about an hour to her morning.

So, how happy was she the next morning when she got to snooze her alarm and sleep in a bit longer. When she got to the facility at her usual clock in time as an MHP, she said the place was already in chaos.

A fight had broken out and someone had some money stolen out of their room (all normal events for this place) but no one was exactly sure on the who or why of it because 3rd shift had had no one to pass along the notes so they just filed them and left. Of course Harper knew where they had been filed, because she organized the filing system no one had thought to check.

As soon as supervisor’s boss saw her clock in, he asked why she wasn’t there for report. See, he is always a seemingly sweet and soft spoken man, which made the sudden change of mind all the more surprising. Harper said she just stared him down, trying not to grin, and said “I’m just an MHP. I can’t handle the morning report.”

She then spent the rest of the day giving him the cold shoulder; relaying only necessary information to him while focusing on her clients and paperwork. I want to be clear, it isn’t that the chose a more educated person for the hire position.

That makes plenty of sense. It’s that they promised her that position, spent the last few months transitioning her responsibilities to that position, promised her the pay raise to go with it, and then ripped it out from under her. That’s some underhanded bulls**t.

Oh, and since she isn’t getting the promotion, she went to HR to see about her over due yearly raise. She was told no one is getting a raise at the moment because of Covid.”

Now let’s take a look at how readers responded to this story.

This person said that you should always be on the lookout for what else is out there in your field, no matter what.

Photo Credit: Reddit

This individual said the woman needs to take advantage of her new title and start looking at other companies if her current boss is going to drag their feet.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Another reader shared their own story: sometimes, you just have to play hardball.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Finally, this person brought up a good point: these kinds of work experiences can actually cause PTSD for some folks.

Photo Credit: Reddit

How do you think you would’ve handled this situation?

Talk to us in the comments and let us know.

We’d love to hear from you!

The post This Woman Refused to do Extra Work After She Didn’t Get the Promotion She Was Promised appeared first on UberFacts.

Worker Got Revenge on Their Boss After a Spat Over Their Two Week Notice

We’ve all had bad jobs with sh**ty bosses.

It’s like a rite of passage!

That’s why you know when you find a good one because you’ve already dealt with a bunch of BS in the past.

And today we have a story from Reddit that will make all of us who’ve worked sh**ty jobs in the past smile and nod our heads.

Take a look at what happened.

Give two weeks notice? Fine, bye.

“I was working at this clothing store years ago, no commission.

It was the brand’s first store in my area, and I stayed with them for about 2 years. They were pretty desperate too as they hired me on the spot.

Anyway, all the supervisors I liked ended up quitting and the remaining ones were just plain not nice. I was the youngest on the team and they always excluded me and bullied me. I guess jealousy?

Which I never understood, because although I got positive reviews and customers making sure to point out that I helped them, we did NOT have sales commissions.

I just liked to help, and I liked fashion. I also was in school, and they often called me to cover for people (school was close by, so I could be there fast).

I was always adaptable for them, but this one supervisor just had it out for me. My hours got cut, they were messing with my mental health… I needed a change. I applied to this other job and I was quite sure I got it.

I decided I would book two weeks off work, around the time the start date would be. My supervisor did not even want to let me have the time off (despite it being the only days other than exams I had booked off in 2 years). And they are unpaid!

Fast forward to the day before my 2 week vacation. I got the job. I show up at the clothing store (no shift) and ask to speak with my supervisor. We talk, i quit. She had the sarcastic happiness, but I did not care I was over it. The supervisor made it clear that I was still required to work all my shifts for the next two weeks, and that I better not slack.

I smiled at her, thanked her for acknowledging my work ethic, and put my name tag and keys on her desk. She looked confused. I reminded her that I took two weeks off, so this is goodbye.

I turned around and left. Mental health has been so much better without her. The store is now closed permanently.”

Yowza! That really was a good story.

Let’s see how folks on Reddit reacted.

This reader said that this supervisor just seemed downright helpless.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Another person said that some people never really get past their bullying phase and they perpetually act like they’re in high school.

You know you’ve seen it before!

Photo Credit: Reddit

One individual said that only someone who can rightfully be categorized as a “loser” bullies workers this way.

Photo Credit: Reddit

And this reader made an excellent point.

If you don’t know what they’re talking about, go watch “Waiting”!

Photo Credit: Reddit

Have you ever had a really s**tty boss before?

If the answer is YES, tell us all about it in the comments.

Please and thank you!

The post Worker Got Revenge on Their Boss After a Spat Over Their Two Week Notice appeared first on UberFacts.

Worker Got Revenge When They Were Paid Below Minimum Wage and Had Their Tips Taken Away

I really don’t like it when people aren’t straight with you about what you’re gonna be doing at a job or how much money you’re gonna be making.

But sometimes beggars can’t be choosers and you have to take what you can get to pay the bills.

But it sure is satisfying to see people get revenge for being jerked around at work and this story made my heart swell!

Let’s take a look.

Take my tips and pay me below minimum wage. See what happens!

“So this all happened years ago when I was still in college. I worked for a delivery joint.

The company seemed super cool, because they provided vehicles instead of forcing you to beat down your own car. Huge perk right? Well in this case no. The owner of the company used this as justification to take a percentage of the drivers tips.

Often this would result in an employee making below minimum wage. If you made below minimum wage, you would have to come and pick up your check in person and sign a document attesting that “you did make minimum wage, due to undocumented cash tips”. Or some such nonsense.

Now this was a problem for two reasons. Number one, in the state I was in, employee tips belonged to the employee unless part of an employee tip pooling agreement.

This was plain as day on the Department of labor website. So that 20% gouge was already crossing a line. Number two, you cannot just hand wave and or force employees to say they made above minimum wage. So pretty shady s**t right?

Now most people would see this situation and run for the hills (which probably explained the delivery driver turnover being so high). I on the other hand saw the potential. See I am pretty well versed in labor law, and decided that I was gonna ride it out. I wanted to see how long they would keep this s**t up.

Here and there I would make comments to the managers about the legality of their practices, and was often told “Our lawyers said it’s ok, so it’s ok” (would love to meet these lawyers one day). So I patiently waited for a year, documenting every red cent they took from me and encouraging the other drivers to do so.

Every new driver that came through that door got a little pow wow with me, and I would give them the skinny. Unfortunately my plan must have leaked because sooner than later the joint decided to fire me after making up three bogus infractions. If you’re interested in those ask and ill explain in an edit.

This wasn’t a problem though, as my plan was already in action. See in this state, unpaid wages collect interest. So What was 20-40 dollars a night, 5 nights a week, over one year; quickly became a decent sum.

So I began collecting the names of current and previous employees whom had been screwed over by the company and collected their documented data then sent it off to the department of labor. At the end of the day it took a couple months, but the company was eventually required to pay a decent chunk of change to all parties and a pretty hefty fine on top.

Overall I believe it came out to a little under 100k. I wasn’t done though. See those shady little documents they had us sign claiming we made over minimum wage effected how the company was reporting it’s payroll tax.

The IRS eventually came in and hit them for a ton of back taxes, and I received a small portion of the settlement (the irs used to pay people who tipped them off, don’t know if they still do).

Finally, I was increasingly aware of the companies under the table agreement with their health inspector. Which I decided to go ahead and tip off to the health department. This resulted in even more fines and a temporary closure for the joint.

All together it ended up costing this dumb little delivery joint a ton of money just to stay open, all cause they wanted 20 percent of their drivers tips. The moral here is this.

Know your labor laws, it’s degenerates like these whom profit off the ignorance or fear of a work force. The more you know about your rights, the less idiots like these will be able to survive in the wild.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.”

And now let’s see how people reacted on Reddit.

This reader was impressed by the revenge doled out in this story and they were also amazed by the GREED.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Another person offered up an alternative ending that also would have been satisfying.

Photo Credit: Reddit

This individual said it amazes them what people think they can get away with.

Truth!

Photo Credit: Reddit

And lastly, this person made a great point: you probably shouldn’t treat employees badly who know all your dirty secrets.

Just sayin’…

Photo Credit: Reddit

Okay, now we want to hear from you.

Have you ever had to deal with a bad work situation before?

If so, tell us your stories in the comments. Thanks a lot!

The post Worker Got Revenge When They Were Paid Below Minimum Wage and Had Their Tips Taken Away appeared first on UberFacts.

Did This Person Act Like A Jerk For Getting Someone Fired for Making a Mistake? People Weighed In.

I’ve never heard a story like this before and it kind of made my blood boil.

I’m not gonna give anything away, I think you just need to dive headfirst into this story that someone shared on Reddit’s “Am I The A**hole?” page.

Let’s get started…

AITA for getting someone fired when they made a mistake?

“I was at a grocery store, shopping for supplies some weeks ago (5-6). My cart included some alcohol, so I gave my drivers license as age proof.

Now for context – I speak with an accent from my home country (English isn’t even my first language actually). The cashier and I small-talked before the carding about the accent, and I mentioned I’m from another country.

So when I handed my ID her, she was surprised that it’s got a US state on it. And she said it was a fake. I said no it’s not, and she claimed that since I’m from another country, why would I have a US drivers license. I

thought she was just slightly confused, so said, “I’m not a citizen but I’ve lived in the US long enough, and that’s why I have the license”. Also I mentioned that my drivers license has a different state on it that where this interaction happened because I even lived there a few years. And she’s still suspicious, and said it’s not a real license, and she can’t sell me the alcohol or anything else in the cart (I said that I could just buy my basics, and leave the alcohol) and needs to confiscate the license.

I was annoyed at this point, and said “listen it’s not a fake, if you want I can show you a picture of my passport to check my name and DOB and know this isn’t a fake ID. THEN will you give me back my ID, let me buy my stuff, and let me get the hell out of a public store during the pandemic?!”

At this point she loses her temper and says “Wow you’re really full of stories and excuses huh! This isn’t my first day on the job, I know a fake when I see one, you aren’t getting this back” AND GRABBED A PAIR OF SCISSORS AND CUT THE CARD UP.

At this point I’m furious – my card wasn’t a fake, and I was happy to prove it, but now I’m stuck without a convenient ID document, need to go to the place (if it’s even open) and sit in a crowd during a pandemic to get a new one, and I need to start carrying my passport with my everywhere until it’s issued so I have an ID on me.

So I demanded the manager, created a big deal out of her behavior (I didn’t yell, but I was absolutely furious and made it clear how much of a problem, in terms of time, safety and money, she has created for me), and stormed off, and received a gift card for my trouble.

I didn’t see her the next few times I went in, but saw someone new. Some polite questioning revealed that she was fired even though it was her first offense, because the wasn’t pleased that instead of escalating to the manager, the cashier cut up “some customer’s ID” willy-nilly (the new guy didn’t know I was the customer).

And now I’m torn. She was trying to just do her job, and I didn’t expect her to be fired. And during a pandemic where everyone is struggling, no less. Of course, I feel like I was justified in making a big stink, but I’m sure an entitled person feels the same when they make a big stink about a store not honoring an expired coupon.

So tell me folks, AITA?!”

Let’s see how folks responded on Reddit!

This reader said the person is not a jerk and that this wasn’t just an “honest mistake.”

Photo Credit: Reddit

Another Reddit user said they had their ID kept at a beer store before…even though they were over 21.

The nerve of some people!

Photo Credit: Reddit

This person said that some TSA agents really need some extra training…

This is ridiculous!

Photo Credit: Reddit

Lastly, this person said that a grocery store worker did something that I can’t believe actually happened.

Take a look!

Photo Credit: Reddit

Well, that was weird…

Have you ever had an experience like this?

Tell us your stories in the comments. We can’t wait to hear from you!

The post Did This Person Act Like A Jerk For Getting Someone Fired for Making a Mistake? People Weighed In. appeared first on UberFacts.

This Employee Was Told to Sweep Until It Was Spotless and They Agreed With Malicious Compliance

Whatever you say!

Some people just can’t seem to get out of their own way. Know what I’m saying?

And here’s a funny story from Reddit’s “Malicious Compliance” page about a person who just decided to follow the boss’s rules…and hilarity ensued.

Let’s take a look!

Sweep the Side Alley Until it’s Spotless? You Got it, Boss.

“A couple of summers ago, I took a part-time job as a server at a local pub/restaurant.

I had a full-time job, so this was just for experience and to pick up some tip money on the side. The pub had been closed for a few years after the old owner couldn’t afford it anymore, so when the new owners picked it up and got it ready for opening again, the town was pretty excited. It’s a bit of a town landmark, right in the middle of our main street.

I applied as soon as I found out, and ended up getting hired! I was one of the younger servers, alongside a few older ones. Most of us were women, and the older servers really looked out for us inexperienced ones.

Overall, the others on the team were really nice, save for a couple of nasty ones. My new boss Gary (not his actual name) was… well… not as great.

Gary’s favourite saying was “if you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” He thought if we took even a second to catch our breaths, he was losing money from us “slacking off.”

On slow days, he would find menial, pointless tasks for us to complete – wipe the bar counter (even though it’s been wiped 3x in the past half hour already), re-organize the menus (even though they’re already perfectly organized), fill up more condiment cups (even though there’s already fifty salsa cups ready to go). Stuff like that.

The most tedious task, especially in the early months of the summer, was sweeping the side alley that leads to the patio. There were these massive maple trees along the path, and they would drop leaves and seeds like crazy, especially on windy days.

One afternoon in early June, there were only a handful of us working. It gets slow, and I get assigned the sweeping task. I sweep up the back alleyway as much as I can, but the wind is blowing and the trees just keep dumping more and more seeds onto the path.

I do my best, until a coworker calls me back inside to help serve tables – she didn’t want me missing out on tips, bless her.

I seat the table, get their orders, and start entering them in. Just then, Gary storms up to me.

  • Gary: “What are you doing?”
  • Me: “Entering table 15’s order. Why?”
  • Gary: “The side alley is a mess. I don’t pay you to slack off.”
  • Me: “I swept up as much as I could before this table walked in. It’s a really windy day – that’s why it keeps getting full of leaves and seeds. You’re more than welcome to check the compost bin for how much I actually did sweep up.”
  • Gary: “No. We don’t finish things halfway here. You’re going back out there and finishing your job. I want it to be spotless. Linda (not her real name) can take table 15.”

Gary then switched table 15 from my account to Linda (an older server)’s account. Linda and I got along great – she worked as both a server and a bartender, and used to be a General Manager with another restaurant chain.

She decided to join this team after her retirement as a part-time hobby. She taught me a whole lot while I worked there, and I’m grateful to have met her.

  • Linda: “I’ll hang onto your share of the tips. Best not to make Gary angry.”
  • Me: “He really wants me to make it spotless – does he know how impossible that is? I’d have to be out there all shift.”

That’s when Linda gave me a smile, and the lightbulb turned on in my head. I still had two hours left in my shift, and it was going to be right into dinner rush. I grabbed the broom and dustpan, and got to work.

I would sweep as much as I could, but every so often, another strong breeze would come by and hundreds more helicopter seeds would flutter to the ground. I kept going. At this point, it started to get busier. A line-up soon began to form out the door.

Linda was taking care of tables, but very soon it became clear that the other servers needed someone else to deal with everyone. Linda let them know what was up, and most of them, who tolerated Gary at best and hated him at worst, understood.

I kept on sweeping.

Like Sisyphus and the boulder, the task was never-ending. I scooped up pile after pile after pile of leaves and seeds, to no avail.

After 45 minutes or so, the side door opened suddenly, to reveal a red-faced Gary.

  • Gary: “Why aren’t you in there serving customers?”
  • Me: *gestures at the alleyway*

As if the gods themselves had heard the malicious compliance brewing, another strong breeze shook more seeds onto the partially-cleared alley, right in front of Gary’s face. The look on his face was priceless.

He told me, in a quieter voice, to get back inside and start taking orders. I handed the broom off to him, and he began to sweep. And sweep. And sweep.

The other servers and I had a good laugh about it inside, and I managed to make decent tips that night.

Gary realized he couldn’t exactly fire me for following his orders perfectly, and ended up being more relaxed about the side alley – no one really cares about some leaves and seeds on the ground, so long as they’re not obstructing anyone.

I ended up working there for the rest of the summer before quitting. I hear the pub had to be passed on to new owners after Gary’s disorganization got the better of him.

My next shift, I found a broken broom in the garbage. I’d like to think it was the work of Gary, red-in-the-face and exhausted from battling against mother nature.”

You got time to lean, you got time to clean! I’ve definitely heard that one before…

Let’s see how folks responded to this story on Reddit.

This person said that the restaurant industry is full of these kinds of manager and they made a good point: people don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Another reader made a good point: if you work in a job like this, just come up tasks that you don’t mind doing so you can look busy and you won’t get anyone asking what you’re doing.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Another Reddit user said in these kinds of jobs you mostly just have to LOOK busy.

Good one!

Photo Credit: Reddit

And another reader agreed that looking busy and doing menial tasks really does keep managers and bosses off your back.

Now you know!

Photo Credit: Reddit

What did you think of this story?

Does it remind you of anything you’ve dealt with before?

Talk to us in the comments!

The post This Employee Was Told to Sweep Until It Was Spotless and They Agreed With Malicious Compliance appeared first on UberFacts.

A Person Was Told They Couldn’t Adjust Their Schedule to Go to the Prom so They Got Revenge

What kind of a boss would be such a jerk that they would try to ruin someone’s prom?

Well, I guess it goes without saying that there are a lot of jerks out there, and we’re about to meet yet another one.

Y’all ready for this?

Let’s take a look at what happened in this story that someone shared on Reddit.

Won’t adjust the schedule so I can attend prom?

“Back in my younger days, before most people had cell phones, I was working at a fast food restaurant during my senior year of high school.

The main reason I decided to work there was because one of my best friends worked there, and around the time I started working, our other best friend joined us. We were very close, and we spent our minimum wage earnings on stupid stuff.

This fast food restaurant was the King when it came to Burgers, so we had to learn how to prepare a Whopper of a hamburger in no time flat. We also had to learn how to manage the fried foods station, the registers, the drive thru, all specialty items, and all cleaning and end-of-day operations.

We were pretty sharp kids despite being stupid teenagers, and within a couple months we could run an entire shift by ourselves (normally there were at least four or five workers and a manager). We were regularly scheduled with just three of us and a manager to work all the night shifts, and we enjoyed working together and running the store.

We knew the manager was saving money on labor costs, which made the whole store look good when compared against other stores in the district, but we didn’t care. We worked hard, had fun together, and made a nearly criminally small wage for our efforts (at the time it seemed like we had made it big).

As it tends to do, prom season came around. We all went to the same school, so we all had prom on the same day. Compounding the issue, one of my friends was taking another worker as his date. Thinking it would help with scheduling, we notified our managers several weeks in advance.

We were all told “no.” We found that amusing, because of course we were going to go to our prom. Well, the company policy was that as long as you called before missing a shift, then you wouldn’t get in trouble for calling in with an emergency.

We timed our calls so that we would all call within a few minutes of each other. The poor manager on shift almost broke down crying, but we felt self-righteous as teenagers often do. I was the last to call, and the manager was full-on begging me to not call-out sick. We went off and enjoyed our prom.

The next day when we went in for our shifts, we found out the store had struggled in our absence. The manager had scrambled to get people to come in on their scheduled day off, incurring some overtime (to call overtime discouraged with that company would be an understatement).

Some of the managers glared at us, while some others gave us knowing grins. Within a week, we were only ever scheduled with two of us working together. I’m sure it ended up costing the company a lot, but it was also very clear that the management had gotten in trouble for not fixing the schedule when we informed them of our prom.

The story does have a happy ending– I met my wife while working there, and we’ve been together for over 20 years now.”

What a story! Now let’s see how folks responded on Reddit!

This reader said they had a similar experience but their boss backed down when they threatened to quit.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Another person said that their boss had the nerve to ask if their sister’s wedding could be rescheduled!

Yes, you read that right!

Photo Credit: Reddit

Another individual shared a story about someone getting fired over not being allowed to take time off for a wedding.

Photo Credit: Reddit

Finally, this Reddit user questioned why certain managers act like this.

If you’re this big of a jerk, you’re not gonna keep around good employees for very long!

Photo Credit: Reddit

Now we want to hear from all of you out there.

Have you ever had to deal with a boss like this before?

If so, tell us your stories in the comments. Thanks!

The post A Person Was Told They Couldn’t Adjust Their Schedule to Go to the Prom so They Got Revenge appeared first on UberFacts.

Employers Should Stop Doing These Things in their Job Listings

The anxiety of not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from is certainly not helped along by the fact that looking for a new job, for most of us, is a process that makes us feel like we’re taking crazy pills.

As we wade through various websites, filling out forms and trying to discern requirements, the tasks we’re asked to clear start to feel alien. Is this real life? Is this a real job?

People who find themselves hopelessly frustrated with these things will soon be on Reddit making their complaints known, and based on that, here are some things employers should maybe stop doing if they really want to land a good hire.

10. Use applicants as free marketing

Everybody can see through this.

Another company using job seekers’ desperation to do PR for free from recruitinghell

9. Use form letters that are obvious lies

Dude we literally never met.

So curious how this recruiter "enjoyed meeting me" during an interview they flaked on and didn’t apologize for missing? from recruitinghell

8. Try to hire beyond your means

So why did you talk to me?

Everybody requires security clearance, nobody got time to sponsor it. The usual. from recruitinghell

7. Be so picky

Beggars and choosers and all of that.

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. from recruitinghell

6. Mislabel your listings

All you’re doing is wasting everybody’s time.

The location for the job posting is literally labeled "Remote"….but okay. from recruitinghell

5. Demand so much

Do you have any idea what a doctorate costs in America?

Huh?! Those qualifications, for that role, for THAT pay? from recruitinghell

4. Add extraneous responsibilities

As the list gets longer, the applicant gets more afraid.

[NY] Why are we doing this. from recruitinghell

3. Assume the worst

Resume gaps happen for all kinds of reasons, and laziness is far from the top one.

Stay Classy Recruiters from recruitinghell

2. Just disappear

You realize that by the time you get back to them, they’ve moved on.

Recruiter ghosted me on a phone screen. Two weeks later this was the email. from recruitinghell

1. List non-jobs as jobs

“After three months of not paying you, we might decide to pay you. Lucky you.”

Then don’t list it as a full time job???? from recruitinghell

Let’s start with those, shall we?

What’s the worst job application experience you’ve had lately?

Tell us in the comments.

The post Employers Should Stop Doing These Things in their Job Listings appeared first on UberFacts.

People Share Stories About the Perks They Enjoyed as a Kid Because of Their Parents’ Jobs

Every job has its perks and every kid gets at least some kind of advantage because of what their mom or dad might do for a living.

For example, my dad worked at the Ford plant when I was growing up and I knew that if there was anything really wrong with my car, I’d be able to get a discount for repairs.

Not bad!

And in this Twitter thread, people shared the perks they got because of what their folks did for a living. Check it out.

1. This all sounds good.

You hit the jackpot!

2. Minerals for days.

Not to mention that human body model…

3. All over the world.

Sounds like a good childhood.

4. This is really cool!

My grandpa did the same thing!

5. All the brownies you want.

Who’s hungry?!?!

6. Traveling by train.

Sounds like a blast.

7. History in the making.

You’re lucky!

8. Arts and crafts time.

Let’s get creative.

9. Do you know my dad?

Well, get him on the phone.

10. Ice cream for days.

That’s a good perk.

11. Farm to your mouth.

That’s awesome!

12. This might be the best.

Go wherever you want, my friend.

Now it’s your turn to sound off!

In the comments, tell us about the perks you had growing up because of your parents’ jobs.

Thanks a lot!

The post People Share Stories About the Perks They Enjoyed as a Kid Because of Their Parents’ Jobs appeared first on UberFacts.

People Share Stories About the Perks They Enjoyed as a Kid Because of Their Parents’ Jobs

Every job has its perks and every kid gets at least some kind of advantage because of what their mom or dad might do for a living.

For example, my dad worked at the Ford plant when I was growing up and I knew that if there was anything really wrong with my car, I’d be able to get a discount for repairs.

Not bad!

And in this Twitter thread, people shared the perks they got because of what their folks did for a living. Check it out.

1. This all sounds good.

You hit the jackpot!

2. Minerals for days.

Not to mention that human body model…

3. All over the world.

Sounds like a good childhood.

4. This is really cool!

My grandpa did the same thing!

5. All the brownies you want.

Who’s hungry?!?!

6. Traveling by train.

Sounds like a blast.

7. History in the making.

You’re lucky!

8. Arts and crafts time.

Let’s get creative.

9. Do you know my dad?

Well, get him on the phone.

10. Ice cream for days.

That’s a good perk.

11. Farm to your mouth.

That’s awesome!

12. This might be the best.

Go wherever you want, my friend.

Now it’s your turn to sound off!

In the comments, tell us about the perks you had growing up because of your parents’ jobs.

Thanks a lot!

The post People Share Stories About the Perks They Enjoyed as a Kid Because of Their Parents’ Jobs appeared first on UberFacts.