Economy & LaborJAN 16, 2023

People Share 30 Workplace Red Flags That Just Scream "Working Here Would Suck"

Your first day at work is usually the most stressful one. You work hard to show your best side, you try to make friends during lunch, you do everything to leave a good impression.

And usually, we are so preoccupied with our own performance when starting a new job, we may actually not realize that the workplace is not doing a good job either. In fact, people in these threads (this and this) say that the first impression, not just of you, but of any workplace you enter, is the most important one.

So you have to stay alert and make sure you don’t spot any of these screaming red flags, either during the interview or during your first day at work, that show you that you gotta run, not walk out of there.

#1

People Share 30 Workplace Red Flags That Just Scream "Working Here Would Suck"

Constantly having people leave. Constantly hiring people. No real training structure for new hires.

anon, fauxels

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121points

To find out more about what red flags you should watch out for when entering a new workplace, Bored Panda reached out to Gleb Tsipursky, the CEO of the boutique future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Gleb has been consulting Fortune 500 companies for 20 years and is the author of 7 books, including the global best-seller “Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters.”

“Some potential signs of trouble to look out for when joining a new company,” Gleb explained, “include a lack of transparency from leadership, high turnover rates, and a lack of clear communication and expectations.”

#2

If you have to pay any amount of money in order to work for them it is a scam and stay away.

owen00600, energepic.com

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118points

#3

"We work hard and play hard"

translation: You'll have no work-life balance but we also all drink too much.

Gerreth_Gobulcoque, fauxels

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117points

#4

They’re not prepared for you on your first day.

nikkitgirl, Mizuno K

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111points

“Another red flag,” Gleb continued, “to be aware of is a toxic or negative work culture, which can manifest through gossip, backstabbing, and a lack of support among colleagues. Additionally, it's also important to be aware of any cognitive biases that may be present, such as the sunk cost fallacy, which may lead you to overlook red flags in the hopes of making the best of a bad situation.”

#5

I always ask in interviews what the turnover rate is, or why the person I am replacing left the position. Definitely avoided some sketchy scenarios with those questions.

Pjvie, cottonbro studio

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104points

#6

Treating you like a child- ie. monitoring the time you arrive/leave, timing your breaks/bathroom visits, dress codes that don't make sense for your role, and any other rules that make more sense for a kid than an adult.

If you're an experienced professional in an office setting, you should be basically left to take care of yourself as long as your work is getting done.

Obviously, these rules make more sense for jobs where you need to schedule breaks around other people, or service jobs, or jobs with lots of people with little experience - but still, I hear stories of places that give people warnings for being a minute late.

NixonsGhost, AlphaTradeZone

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96points

#7

If you constantly get “this is how we’ve always done it” responses to your suggestions.

regularasslady, Monstera

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91points

If you identify one of these red flags, Gleb argues that it's important to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

“On one hand, it may be wise to walk away if the red flags are severe and it seems unlikely that they will be addressed or resolved. On the other hand, it may be worth giving the company a second chance if the red flags are relatively minor and there are good reasons to believe that they can be addressed or improved,” the CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts explained.

#8

People have either been there for decades or a few weeks. No people in between.

desertravenwy, fauxels

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85points

#9

You realize that all of the other people working there are related to the person who hired you or the person who is running the place. Run while you still can.

adoptagreyhound, fauxels

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82points

#10

If everyone is trash talking everyone else, you don’t want to work there.

ijustsmokeok, Yan Krukau

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81points

Moreover, “checking with your gut is an initial step to evaluate whether to join a new company, as it can help you to identify potential red flags and to make decisions that are in your best interest.”

“However, it's also important to be aware of cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias, which may lead you to overreact or overlook red flags or to make decisions that are not in your best interest,” Gleb explained.

“Therefore, it's important to check with your head and use your head to overrule your gut when your gut and your head disagree,” Gleb concluded.

#11

If they ask you to clock out and then keep working to finish closing or whatever, run away fast. It's never just a one-time thing.

lilgraytabby, Magnet.me

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77points

#12

Employers who bemoan the lack of “good employees who want to work”. If everyone who hires sucks then either you are the most unfortunate business owner in the world or you need to look in the mirror.

YeOldeDingusKhan, August de Richelieu

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75points

#13

My friend got hired at a place that called itself "the family".

Nahhh.

zeroGamer

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70points

#14

If they lure you into an interview for a management position, but tell you during the interview that the position has already been filled. Then they ask if you're interested in interviewing for the entry level position instead.

Wisco1856, Alex Green

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67points

#15

Having a guy saying in the 1st group meeting: this company IS NOT a pyramid scheme.

masteroftheseas, fauxels

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65points

#16

They like to micro manage you but then tell you off for not having enough initiative to do something.... then tell you off for doing it due to micro managing and the cycle continues

SwimnGinger-, Jonathan Borba

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64points

#17

A boss who spies on his employees. With hidden cameras.

frankramblings, alessandrozocc

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64points

#18

My workplace has a sign in the employee bathroom that says, “The best way to appreciate your job is picturing yourself without one.” They also don’t pay benefits until after 2 years and have an incredibly high turnover rate.

They’re great..

arguen

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62points