An employee recently recounted their experience of being laid off for setting boundaries at work, sparking significant discussion on Reddit’s antiwork subreddit about toxic work environments and the challenges of the current job market. The individual, who remains unnamed, shared how their refusal to work an additional 20 hours led to their dismissal from a mid-sized advertising firm.
In their post, the employee explained that their boss attempted to assign them an additional project that would require 50% of their time. When the individual expressed concerns about fitting this into their already full schedule, the boss compared their workload to that of another employee who worked until 2am, implying that they should do the same.
“I told him I don’t want to be like this worker because she takes meetings until 2 am (She also likely makes triple my salary),” the employee stated.
Days after this confrontation, the worker was called into a meeting with HR, a clear indication of their impending termination.
“After disagreeing a few days later, he gave me the call, and once I saw the HR person, I knew it was over. It felt especially greedy because the team I managed broke record revenue this year, much of it due to changes I made,” he wrote.
Reflecting on the experience, the employee remarked, “I don’t really feel upset, to be honest. It feels like a giant weight off my shoulders. I also took a significant pay cut for this job.”
One user asked the individual, “What type of jobs did you have before retail?”
He responded, “I was trying to work my way through college. I didn’t work before my 30s; I was disabled and listed as terminal until I was 25. My dreams of being an accountant are pretty much dead. I just hope to find something I can live on. The problem is I’m not suited for manual labour, and my PTSD and other issues are overwhelming at the moment.”
Reddit users expressed support for the employee’s stance. One user wrote, “Sorry you’re going through that. I hope you find and receive the support you deserve.” Another added, “The tech job landscape is pretty bad but does seem to be improving slightly. It’s a tough time for a layoff, but I’m glad you held your ground.”
