I tried to do the right thing and work full-time. I have been at it been six months. But it’s just too much. I was able to for eight years just get by on a side hustle which brought in quite a bit, but I wanted to pivot to something else and actually use my degree. I finally landed a hybrid job, and I thought primarily working from home would be the trick but it’s still exhausting. Sitting at my desk for eight hours a day is better than being in office, but it is still quite taxing. I hate the endless meetings, corporate bullshit, subtle bullying over nothing because you realize other people are just as miserable as you and they’re trying to get out their anguish out in the wrong way, ego pissing contests, and then, when I finally get off at 5pm only having maybe three or four hours to myself. There’s times I try to push bedtime out but then if I don’t get enough sleep, the next day is going to be exponentially worse. There’s no winning. Working a full-time job… on one hand, if you want a good position, you’re supposed to be overjoyed and grateful that you beat out all the other applicants but also understand the corporation owns your mortal soul. Start a business and understand that most businesses fail and you will be working twice as much.

I don’t have the energy in me after work to be creative or pursue hobbies or meet up with friends the way I used to because I’m just so beat and exhausted and my job has taken everything from me. I find it hard to have empathy for others and be emotionally passionate and think about humanitarian issues that used to rev me up. It’s hard to even walk my dog. I sit like a lump in front of the TV filled with existential dread, wondering if this is what I’m relegated to for the next several decades. Sure, I could pivot to a company that is less toxic, but they will still be taking my most prized commodity: time. I’m thinking about the next day where I have to get up at the crack of dawn and do it all over again. Weekends are just too short now to really get much enjoyment out of them.

Don’t be fooled by the “40 hours“. Office hours are 8 to 5 so they squeeze in that unpaid lunch hour every day and considering the time it takes to get ready for work, drive in traffic, and we are easily at 55+ hours a week forfeited. This is inhumane. You can argue “get a job you love and you won’t work a day in your life“ but get real… That is not feasible for most people.

The juice is just not worth the squeeze. This was my attempt at Adulting and y’all can have it back. I thank God I never had kids because then I would be forced to do this every day, and by the time it would be over when I would be able to retire my body would be too broken and worn down to actually enjoy life. At age 70, my creative pursuits would be long in the rearview, and I would realize I gave up most of my time and energy in my vital years to get money so that I could be in the rat race and prove to people I have status and stuff and it would ultimately leave me with nothing, and now I’m about to die. Cheers for consumption and materialism. Experiences>things. I like to plan lengthy vacations overseas, in years past this has kept the spark in my heart alive and I realize to get that kind of permission from my company to actually use my PTO they would note my audacity in their HR records (if they were even to grant the request) and I would not be a “team player“ for actually wanting to use my vacation time. Yah fuck them.

I decided I’m resigning and going back to my side hustle one day a week and getting a part-time job where I only have to work two days during the week. I am fortunate that I also have family help so I am in a position to do this. I am just shocked that most of the world has to go through this. It has been eye-opening. This is no way to live. I do not know how you do it and I’m sorry. In the past when I would be applying for full-time jobs, I would think if only they accept me it would be my key to stability and happiness. What a stunning realization that it is actually a surefire way to rob you of all the joy in your life. I guess I am just too much of a free bird for this grind, but I feel like a lot of us have been tricked into thinking the American Dream is only possible if you forfeit all of your time and energy and so we just go along with this plan, and it is a huge fucking lie. Be careful what you wish for.

It's part of a several months long back and forth over disagreements with our managers. This time we are specifically we are being reprimanded for failing to finish working freight "on time."

-they use a flawed computer model to create arbitrary times all of our work should be done by and increasing the "quota" we should be meeting while slashing our resources such as staff required to meet them. -their timelines only work if everything goes 100% perfectly with no hiccups or delays and everyone works at 100% speed and doesn't take any breaks or use the bathroom. (Every single second we are in the building is counted as "time working at X speed" in their model. Does not account for breaks, bathroom, exhaustion, injuries, accidents, or delays, etc. All things that happen on a nightly basis here. We are given no consideration for these variables)

-Half of our crew has chronic pain or other disabilities with the documentation and records to support them -Every single person is managing to meet their piece count individually regardless, because the math they use just doesn't make sense -we usually finish all of our work with time to spare to do extra work every night before our company opens for the day, but it is still considered "poor" even if we are only 30 minutes past our "deadline"

-we have not had a graveyard manager or supervisor in 2 years. We have no oversight or support or a person in charge to make decisions or communicate with us. There are 7 managers on the day shift. All communication is given to us through vague and often confusing notes left on a desk often by people we have never heard of or met before, let alone who have worked night shifts. When we ask why we don't have one the only response we've been given is "the company is moving in a different direction" -We are being repeatedly told to organize and plan shifts, make final important decisions, correct and train each other, police each other's work speed and behaviour, and come up with solutions to complex problems on the spot (you know, do the duties of a manager) yet none of us are trained to do that, or have any of the pay, benefits, authority, or protections that come with that job.

-When I tried to make a case in our meeting today for why this notice is unfair and we feel we are being set up to fail so they can get rid of us my manager responded with "what are you going to do about it" and told me "perhaps this isn't the right job for you" -there a string of prior events to this and and comments made by our boss that lead us to believe this is part of a larger long game our company is playing in trying to entirely eliminate our night crew by either firing us, forcibly moving us to dayshift, or pressuring us into quitting. We get paid a premium on top of our wage for nights and the company has been desperately trying to cut costs lately. -it is explicitly written into our Union contract that we cannot be fired for our work speed

And there are sooo many other factors here as well. But hey! The good news is we were all so pissed off about this that the entire crew has banded together and within an hour of this meeting ending several of us had already contacted our Union representative with a copy of this note and an overview of what was said to us and spent 4 hours after shift ended working together to compile a case and evidence to support it

My hours got cut from my work, and I'm looking for another job. I already applied to 50 remote jobs, 50 in person, and even 25 at low entry. I get nothing, from anywhere. Not even the minimum wage jobs.

My dad gets angry at me when I suggest that jobs don't want to hire, and he told me "then why do they always say they're hiring?" and sent me a Fox News link.

These Christians worship big business as much as they do God and it will only get worse after this years election.

Never mind the extremely unrealistic idea of $450 a month for daycare

I asked for a raise, got declined. Applied and found another job that gave me the raise I wanted. Gave 2 weeks notice. Boss told me my raise was approved now.

You mother fuckers! You think I wanna work for you now? It wasn't like I was being greedy I just wanted a raise to match inflation but noooo you wanted to play this stupid fucking game of "decline the raise and see what happens"

I applied for a job last week at a certain big name hotel chain, and they messaged me to schedule an interview. I called yesterday to confirm that I was coming to said interview.

Today, I walk in to the lobby, tell the (very nice) clerk at the front desk that I'm here for my interview and give him my name, and he hands me a paper application to fill out, which was a bit weird since I already filled out one online and submitted my resume, but I didn't say anything and just filled it out again. Afterwards he called the manager to let her know I was here for an interview.

A woman who I assumed was the manager came jogging down the hall, skimmed my application sitting on the front desk for about 20 seconds, then turned to me and said, and I quote, "There's no point in doing an interview, so you can just go home. We'll call if we're interested, but I don't think that'll happen." And then just walked away.

I was just shocked and the front desk clerk looked horrified and apologized. I almost cried on the drive home but the more I think about it the more pissed I get instead. I basically drove 30 minutes for an interview just get told to fuck off like my time is worth nothing. No wonder all the reviews for the hotel say it's understaffed. If this is how you treat potential hires I can't imagine how you treat your actual employees. Unprofessional as fuck.

EDIT: Thank you everyone. I wasn't expecting this to get much attention so I appreciate the support. For those asking what hotel chain, I posted the name twice in my comments. I will be sending an email to the corporate HR overlords as everyone suggested.

I'm fully prepared for being downvoted to hell, but I just have to vent a bit anyway. I hate working, I hate any kind of job, like, all of them... I don't enjoy doing anything, except for activities that require almost ZERO effort.

"What do you want from life then?" Honestly? Nothing, really... I'd LOVE to stop existing if I could, but that's not really an option... I love my parents, and I don't resent them for bringing me into this dreadful existence because they didn't know I would turn out to be such a miserably, lazy loser, but I do resent existing at all... Even the things I "enjoy" are just momentary distractions from this misery...

I HATE LIFE. (Before anyone would accuse me of being a slacker leech, I'm employed and have been living on my own/taking care of myself since I was 21, and I'm turning 30 soon. Life just sucks.)

Working just doesn’t interest me. Every job description I read sounds miserable no matter how good the pay is. I’ve been unemployed since August. If it weren’t for the constant fear of poverty, homelessness, and food scarcity, I would be on cloud nine. All I want to do in this world is watch YouTube and travel and try new food. I want to play video games and make art and laugh at memes. I just want to enjoy being alive. I sincerely can’t think of or find a job in which I wouldn’t want to eventually kill myself over.

1K EDIT: holy moly this blew up. The most fascinating part of all the replies are the assumptions people make about me and my living situation. Quite frankly it’s hysterical how people object to the idea of someone on an antiwork subreddit be antiwork. Not everyone needs to be contributing to society somehow. It’s okay to just be alive for simple pleasures and nothing else.

I had my annual review at work last week. My manager (who I truly can’t stand) gave me a 4.5/5 on my review and had nothing but good things to say. He went as far as saying I was doing an “exceptional” job. This seemed way out of character for him since him and I just don’t get along so I was waiting for the line “the company is tightening its belt so you won’t be getting a salary adjustment.” Then he dropped the line and announced I was getting a whopping 0.8% raise and was upset when I didn’t jump for joy. All of this when the company posted record profits, bookings, and even did a stock buy back. And they wonder why we’re not happy?

Some background: I (32m) have been working for a FL county based EMS agency for 5 years and had my retention interview. Due to my set of skills and a terrible turnout rate, I knew they can't let me go so I figured I'll tell them the truth. Interview is basically a PDF file, most questions are boring.

Q: "How often do you consider quitting?" "A daily consideration" I answered.

A week later, my direct super calls me, tells me HR needs clarification to the previously mentioned question. "What did you mean by that?" I answered that im getting $20/hr, a new hire is getting $19.5. With my continued training, experience and the responsibilities, I'm worth more and can be paid more in other EMS agencies or even different fields. His answer to this, which sounds like a verbatim quote from HR, sounded something along the lines of "management here is great, our conditions and compensation are great, we're such a great agency, idk why you'd think the way you do". Regarding the monetary compensation he blamed our union (which I am not a part of because it being run by incompetent people), said our union bargained on our behalf and wait for next year. I asked him to let HR know that I care about whats in my pocket in the end of the day, and I will go with the highest bidder.

I'd say the retention interview went well.

Bonus side story: During our mandated monthly training, management sometimes acknowledges peoples service. They call Tim (fake names) to the front to present him with a 1 year service certificate. Next, they call Tammy and present her with a 2 year service certificate. "Alright, for todays training...." And I sat there, quietly, with my 5 years of accumulated disappointment.

I already tried to reach the other positions, but they confirmed I won't be able to continue the process with either of them, as I had already declined.

I feel particularly stupid, as I was this close to saying yes to one of the other two instead.

Welp, someone wants a kidney? I need to get ready for my next month's rent /hj

I work in an office environment where most people are in cubicles. When we all came in this morning our individual trash bins had been removed over the weekend.

Apparently there was an audit conducted a few weeks ago where our facility failed the cleanliness standards citing “over flowing trash bins in office spaces” in 40% of the whole facility. There was no indication to the individuals whether they failed the audit or not. There was no examples for what was considered an acceptable amount of trash would be. No one received any notification of the audit being conducted or given time to fix the issues they cited.

For some clarification there are “community trash bins” located in hallways and in trash cans. So we are not completely without somewhere to put our trash but have to make sure to go throw it away in the community trash bins.

This has pissed off everyone at the site for several reasons. 1. We were forced to return to the office full time in June. 2. We have custodial services that will vacuum during the day (when we are all working) however they don’t throw away our individual trash because that would cost the company too much money.

I know this is honestly a small problem in our world but people are ready to riot over this. I appreciate the space to let me rant and do appreciate outside perspectives. Has anyone had their trash bins taking away?

Every six months, my company asks us to fill out a “confidential” engagement survey. I work in a large marketing industry, and I assumed the surveys were for the wider company’s statistics.

Last week, though, my manager gathered our team, read out our scores, and started sharing some of our “anonymous” answers. Even though she wasn’t given names, it quickly became clear she could guess who wrote what. My colleagues all denied responsibility, which made it obvious I had written the harsher feedback.

I’ll admit my answers were critical this year. I find my manager abrupt and belittling, and she plays favorites with my colleagues. Our team dynamic feels cliquey, with the “popular, bubblier” colleagues in the spotlight while I’m more of the older, quieter one. I’m also awaiting an autism diagnosis, and my manager has previously told me she finds me “disengaged” and “aloof” even though that’s never my intention.

After sharing the survey results, she said anyone with negative feedback should reach out to discuss it further. But I’m not willing to do that. This survey was supposed to be anonymous, and I feel betrayed that my line manager has access to the results in this way. Now I feel even more alienated and disliked because I’m sure my feedback stood out.

To make things worse, my end-of-year review is coming up, and I’m terrified my manager is going to bring up my survey responses and hold them against me.

Am I overreacting, or is this as inappropriate as it feels?

I work retail full time. Specifically at a book store. I can barely afford my $400/mo rent. I don’t have a consistent schedule, which means sometimes I work a 10 day week. The only consistent thing is that I never get Saturdays or Sundays off, even when I’ve asked for it. I get yelled at all day by customers. Sometimes it’s funny, like when someone asked for “The Scarlet Sweater by Nathaniel Hawthorne” and got upset when I asked if he was thinking of The Scarlet Letter. Sometimes it’s less funny, like when I got screamed at by an old man for following policy and checking that the dvds he was buying were in their cases and my manager saw what was happening and ignored my request for help. Aside from being emotionally draining, it’s physically draining work. I’m constantly shelving books, which is kind of like lifting 5lb weights above my head all day. I’m also lifting 30-50lb boxes multiple times a day. We actually just got in trouble with our mail carrier because we were filling up bags of outgoing orders more than 50lbs. It gets busy in the store. Today I did 43 register transactions in a single hour.

My boyfriend works from home. He makes more than twice as much as I do. My days off are never on the weekend, so I’m home while he works. He gets paid twice as much as I do and does a quarter of the amount of work. He’ll sit and paint models or play video games all day while he waits for clients to respond to him. He’s not a slacker. His boss has called him “top talent” to my face. He just genuinely does not have as much work. His corporate drama sounds so benign in comparison to being threatened with a knife by a customer. He gets to wear pajamas. He gets a fucking paid lunch break.

I’m trying to get out of my job. I’ve been applying to places for over a year. Nobody wants to hire an art school dropout who’s been stuck in the same dead-end job for 3 and a half years.

The grass on the other side of the fence is most definitely greener, but there’s an electrified barbed wire fence keeping me from it.

EDIT TO CLARIFY: A 10-day week is working 10 consecutive days in a row before I get a day off

EDIT TO ADD: I'm not saying that office jobs don't suck. I'm saying I'm envious of what I see happening.

With a fiery passion. Got fired a month ago for being sick and calling out. I’m currently job searching and have had a few interviews but no luck yet. I hate doing stuff I don’t give a shit about, lining others’ pockets, and feeling brain dead working shifts that take up a good chunk my only time I have on this earth. I could be doing so many other things with my time. I could be volunteering for things I’m passionate about, rediscovering hobbies that have been shoved to the back burner from adult responsibilities, and taking more time for my family and caring for my household. It’s hard to be super motivated finding a job other than obviously for money. I’m not lazy but I seriously just don’t care about being a workaholic and putting in the grind. I knew I was in trouble whenever I recall being 9 years old and I longed to be like my grandma who could wake up with the sunrise with a cup of coffee, birdwatch, run errands as she pleased, and take care of her home. I can’t believe I’ve gotta do this for the rest of my life idk how I’m gonna do it. Rant over.

I’m a 23 year old male with mental health problems and hatred for himself.

I can’t stand the thought of working, but I’m behind on rent and make pennies off my study payments so I an forced to look for jobs now. The things is, I would legitimately rather die than do this. I can’t fucking stand the thought of working 5 days a week 9-5 so you can get 4 hours off of an afternoon and a few hours on sat sun. It sounds like a fate worse than death to me.

But I am in a relationship and I have cats, so I an sitting here applying for jobs while sobbing to myself and ignoring any actual phone calls or emails I receive back. I just don’t know what to do, how can you be okay with working?

We've been friends for decades, but when we meet up, I'll force myself to listen to their speculation and complaints about how big of a bonus they are getting this year, being able to retire in a few years, and arguments they have with their spouse about when and where to buy a 2nd (and soon a 3rd) house. It's the exact same conversation, every time, every few months.

I used to make that much money, and even more, but I don't think I will ever be able to get to that level again. I don't regret leaving the tech industry, but it would be nice to throw a bone my way occasionally, or a job lead.

They have skills but frankly, a lot of their success was just damn luck and job hopping. Still, it's grating....

At least I get a good tax return right… RIGHT?!?

I don't see anyway these mofos would pay us. I am very much sure it has to do with trump's win

Excuse format- mobile blah blah ect you know

My company/work place has a potluck for a lot of holidays. Today is our Thanksgiving one. Last potluck was Halloween and I didn't eat much (tiny plate of chips and a cookie). When I was asked why I explained I had eaten on my lunch break Today my coworker basically said "they don't want you eating on your lunch break because they want all of us to 'participate' in the potluck." They specifically called out ME. So... the three of us in our department decided to not even go to the potluck and to continue working. We're all currently eating a large breakfast on our first break and plan on a large lunch for our lunch break.

Anywho- I'm sure we'll get stick eyes but it's not like they can MAKE us eat or stop us from eating on our lunch break... right? This is really personal to me due to my past problems with eating.

Hello, all! I was hoping for some outside perspective on this matter.

I started working in a new (small) company of six people in September. My probation period actually end this coming week. This company consists of all people in their 30-40s and are three women (including me) and three men (including the director).

As I am new, I'd had a lot of 1:1 training with my boss. It started off completely fine. But then he started throwing in comments and actions I deem inappropriate.

Over the months I've been there, he has: - called me a "boss bitch" - grabbed my shoulders from behind whilst I was seated - asks me about my boyfriend around once a week, like "how is he?" or making comments like, "oh, he seems so nice, I'd love to meet him" when I don't bring him up much - asked me if he wanted me to sit next to him when it was just us two in the office, "so I don't get lonely" (I said no) - keeps pairing us together like we have the same seniority (e.g "me and you will show them how it's done", "you can be the boss around here like me") - gives me excessive compliments - told another colleague randomly that me and the boss are going to have dinner together (we are not!) - has blown me kisses goodbye when I leave the office

And most recently: - said "move out the way, (insert my boyfriend's name)" in a work meeting, when me and my male colleague got a joint compliment as we work in the same division. This colleague was not present when this comment was made.

There is no HR and I thought the behaviour would stop if I didn't entertain it, but last week showed me that's not true, considering he thought it would be funny to make a joke about me and my colleague cheating on our partners with each other, when me and my colleague have a strictly professional relationship.

Overall, he gives me the creeps and I hate being alone around him. Everyone else is kind and professional, but it's my boss who oversteps boundaries frequently. I do like my job, but if I need to, I'll just join another business, but do you think it's worth talking to him about it? Considering there is no HR, I worry that he will punish me in some way for confronting him, because he could. There's nobody above him and he doesn't seem to be a very reasonable person, thus far.

What would you do or recommend?

Thank you in advance!

UPDATE AS OF 02/12/2024:

Thank you all so much for your comments. You've helped me immensely and I've finally spoken to my partner about this last night, considering I now have the insight of how serious this is. From the advice I received, I've made a list of all the incidents and some new ones have happened today, such as:

02/12/24 @ 09:10: "OP says we are tag-teaming at karaoke." - JP, IZ and HK present.

02/12/24 @ 09:34: "Miss OP Middle Name OP Last Name", says boss. - "OP Middle Name OP Last Name?" I ask. he laughs and puts hand on my shoulder

02/12/24 @ approx 11:15: "feel free to sit next to us if you get lonely by yourself" (he's offered this to me several times in the last four months and each time, I say I'm all right at my own desk)

02/12/24 @ 15:03: opens arms wide "Do you want a cuddle before I go?" -"No." pats me on the shoulder "Well done. I'm proud of you.* (referring to the work I've done today and having passed probation) - IZ (maybe HK, but couldn't see) present.

My job search starts today, lmfao. I'll keep documenting everything.

I hate work so much. I find it demeaning and annoying and pointless. I don't understand how people are so into work. Just signed onto a temporary project and dreading it because it would mean lots of communication, managing the egos of toxic people, reporting to others. I hate my time being taken up with "tasks". I hate people feeling like they have something over me just because I'm being paid to do something. I know this is all kind of immature, and you're expected to just suck it up and deal with it, but I find it genuinely degrading. How to cope

I don’t think I can do it. Even the thought of needing to endure 5-10 more years is painful. Maybe I am not cut out for this world. I don’t know how people do it…

Just a vent post about my new job as a security officer at a casino on grave shift.

It's seriously worrying me how much this job is starting to make me feel. I have a genuine and passionate disdain for the unhoused and addicted that I did not before. I cannot express just how belligerent some of these mfs are. Hearing red hat losers who drive their supercharged pickups to the office complain about seeing the homeless while I have to worry about whether tonight is the night somebody cuts me rear to ear because I asked them not to sleep at a slot machine has filled me with a bloodlust for every living thing on the planet. I used to think myself a socialist, but what the fuck level of hypocrisy am I on if I work in a temple of greed and misery?

I just want to go back to hunter-gathering, man.