Boss Criticizes Employee With Broken Bones For Sitting On A Stool, Changes His Tone Immediately When He Quits

The job industry and the work conditions that employees are subjected to can sometimes feel dystopian, soulless, and robotic, without a scrap of empathy to be found when you need it most. As it turns out, for some managers, technicalities and strictly following procedures are far more important than the health of the employees themselves.

That’s exactly what redditor u/hestolemysmile proved when he shared how he quit his job after getting criticized by his boss for sitting on a stool… even though he had two broken bones in his foot. You’ll find the full text message exchange below, Pandas.

The redditor also had an update for everyone after his post on the r/antiwork subreddit went absolutely viral. It was the top-awarded post on Reddit, got a whopping 235k upvotes (and counting!), and got more awards than we can count. The amount of support redditors gave the author of the post is astounding and is likely to restore at least part of your faith in humanity.

The most astonishing part of the entire story might be the fact that redditor u/hestolemysmile managed to not only get all of his work done with two broken bones but he was also the top-performing employee in the fulfillment warehouse that day.

However, for the redditor’s boss, the fact that he sat on a stool was seemingly more important than being efficient and comfortable. Frankly, it’s no surprise that the author of the post decided to quit then and there. While making big career decisions can be scary, it was very obvious that the redditor felt relief after he quit: “I’m done being bullied by anyone… People like my former boss and family treat people like they own them, and it’s our responsibility to show them that they absolutely do not.”

Luckily, the redditor has enough savings squirreled away that he’ll be able to keep food on the table for a few months while he makes the transition into another, better career path. In fact, he told Reddit that he’s already applied to a few places, but will take a week off to get some rest, spend time with his family, and clean up the park near his home.

The most magical thing? Redditors have been sending the author actual job offers! It’s moments like this that really make you realize that the internet can be a force for good and that online communities like Reddit have the power to change the world for the better, when they’re at their best and most empathetic.

Quite a few people have been thinking about changing up their careers, even if their current jobs aren’t terrible. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a lot of creative burnout and some people simply want a change. Just last week, I reached out to Twitter user Kierra who helps people pivot into tech, especially data-related roles. She opened up to Bored Panda about how she’s been feeling about her job recently.

“I've been working in this current position for some years and I've been looking for a change. The work isn't terrible, but I'm not quite as interested in what I'm doing as when I first started. I feel as though others might be feeling the same way. COVID has been rough on everyone in some aspect of life, even if it's just burnout. So many people are tired of being stuck in their pandemic routines and want a fresh start, something new and exciting... or even freeing."

According to Kierra, whether or not someone should quit their jobs depends on the individual circumstances of the job. If things are truly toxic, you should get out ASAP. Otherwise, you should consider looking for a new job while still at your old one, for various reasons.

"I always recommend people to look for a job while they are at their current role, mainly for job security and financial reasons. Searching for a new role can take some time and quitting a role cold turkey without any savings can make the job hunt even more stressful," she told Bored Panda.

However, if you’re in a toxic workplace environment that’s causing a lot of mental and physical strain, you should move on as soon as you can. “I consider that a different situation and I would advise one to leave as soon as they can. Your health is always more important than a job."