Whatever you do, do not decorate your office for Halloween using "ghosts" of people who used to work there. Like, specific employees with names and everything. You're gonna have a bad time. Just figured this should be included in the list.
Oh, what list, I hear you saying, dear Panda? Why, the list you can find below, of course. A list of red flags Redditors were pointing out that are sure to make anyone regret ever applying to work at a certain company. But like, red flags as in ones that scream "don't work here".
And Bored Panda has collected some of the most spot-on observations and turned them into a list. So, scroll down, upvote, comment, and share your thoughts and red flags in the comment section below!
More Info: Reddit
#1
At the interview they offer you water. Suddenly you start feeling groggy. Next thing you know you are waking up in a bathtub full of ice with your kidneys missing.
Fool me once Hobby Lobby. Fool me once.
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351points
#2
Everyone you meet has been working there less than 2 years and it isn't a startup.
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335points
#3
When your initial interview doesn’t start on time, and you’re waiting. They don’t respect your time. Which essentially means they don’t respect their workers.
288points
#4
The owners children are in high management / executive positions
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277points
#5
"Were like a family"
"Be willing to work in a fast-paced environment"
This is just code for "we will guilt you into doing things beyond your job, and we are poorly managed"
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262points
#6
If all of the other employees look sullen and depressed. If you walk into the office area and feel like you've walked into a funeral service. Nobody's smiling, nobody's laughing. Nobody looks remotely happy or content.
Just turn around and walk back to your car. That is not a good place to be working at.
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215points
#7
If you ever hear a higher up say anything along the lines of “I don’t have to do that because I’m a X”
As a manager/owner/lead/etc… Your job is to support your team, if that means as a store owner you’re cleaning puke off the bathroom floor guess what, you’re cleaning puke off the bathroom floor.
If you ever see a boss refusing to help when it’s busy or delegating a task poorly (eg the blind guy has to go pick stock while ur boss hangs out in the back room taking calls) quit.
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215points
#8
Information overload. They expect you to understand everything and will somewhat train you Day 1. But after that day, they expect you to do everything to a tee.
Training takes a while.
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194points
#9
Team activities that happen every week. Casual fridays, team meetings, group presentations. Just let me do my job we don’t need to dress up for halloween at the office
186points
#10
I had a job interview a long time ago where I asked if there was any office dress code. The response I got was, "Just try not to wear your gang colors all the time."
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181points
#11
If a larger company buys your company out but says "Nothing is changing but the name and address that your paycheck is coming from" But then everything changes.
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170points
#12
If you get asked in interviews about how you deal with workplace conflict and how you get along with difficult personalities. If they’re asking about how you deal with difficult customers, that’s one thing. If they basically ask how you handle a toxic work environment, it’s going to be a toxic work environment. I very naively learned this the hard way.
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166points
#13
Morning screaming and chants. Ringing a bell when you hit your quota.
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148points
#14
Oh man i feel like my work place is filled with red flags. Like tonight for example, we had a 16 yr old get fired for being drunk while on the job and unable to function. They fired the kid about a month ago, I show up today and that same kid who they fired got his job back and was at work tonight.
It's sad when a place of business is so hard up on finding workers that they will rehire a 16yr old drunk
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147points
#15
High turnover. A team with 10% turnover in three years had a few bad employees. A team with 110% turnover in three years is a bad employer.
141points
#18
One thing I look for when interviewing onsite is checking out peoples desks as I walk through the halls. If there are no personal effects or decor in workers cubicles, then that makes me think people just hate being there. I think if there are decorations, people are more comfortable and enjoy their job and workspaces and it's likely a more friendly place to work.
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128points
#19
Trainers sleeping with the trainees.
Poor retention of staff.
Wine bottles in the toilet bins.
People constantly phoning in sick.
Companies that outsource majority of staff from agencies, 0 hour contracts are the norm.
Constantly having to speak with HR because of incorrect pay or not paid at all, bonus missing and all that s**t.
Companies not being able to supply all the kit needed for the job, you having to spend own money on kit.
Has a team specifically for beefing up its own reviews online.
An absolute huge team that deals with complaints and all things f****d.
I could go on but that’s kind of the flavour.
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114points
#20
Extremely high pay for what is a very simple, low effort job.
Bonus points if they have a sign that says 'Now hiring' outside, year round.
This indicates that even with a high pay rate, they cant keep people on.
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111points