“Starting a new job can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. But for some people, the first day on the job ended up being their last. From unreasonable demands to toxic work environments, these 15 individuals on Reddit share the shocking and unbelievable experiences that led them to walk out on their first day of work. These stories serve as a reminder that sometimes it’s better to trust your gut and move on from a bad situation, even if it means leaving a job before it’s officially begun.”
1. They wanted us to make our first sales to friends and family members.
They wanted us to make our first sales to friends and family members.
Fuck that. If your first option is for me to make money off the people I care about most, there’s really nowhere to go but down (morally).
2. Was asked to clean the fish tank
I’m a fish hobbyist and I got a job in the fish department at PetCo. On my first day they wanted me to take out all the rocks (substrate) from each tank, scrub them and put them back in the tanks, one tank at a time. Moving substrate releases bad bacteria and can get the fish sick or kill them. I explained this to them and said that it was best to just do a water change for 20% of each tank. They said, basically, sorry this is what corporate says and you have to do it. I was like, “Okay, I’ll do it after lunch.” I never came back from lunch.
3. Scammed into a door-to-door sales job
Was supposed to be an office job, straight salary. Got there the first day and it turned out to be door to door sales, commission only. Not even people who had expressed interest; just literally cold calling but in person at their door instead of on the phone. Didn’t even stay to hear the end of their explanation of how really if you think about it this is the job they advertised and interviewed me for, just better because (I don’t know, some bullshit, as I said, I had left by then).
4. Forced to pray and recite the pledge of allegiance
They forced us to pray together every morning and recite the pledge of allegiance. The only thing I have allegiance to is my 14 year old arthritic dog Bisco. Haha let me know if you guys want to see photos.
5. They hired me for the wrong position
They hired me for the wrong position, one which I was woefully unqualified for and not interested in faking it. The first day the “grunts” were training the “expert” on the most basic stuff and it became clear to everyone I had no business being there. After the shift I handed in my hard hat and told management to do their homework next time.
6. Charged parking, open fire and rats
20$ for parking wasn’t included in for being an employee. This was when min wage was 11.50.so you work 2 hour and pay your employer. Fuuuuuuuck That.
Another place I worked open kitchen caught fire. All the customers could see this. They didn’t make anyone leave. They kept putting food out! They expected me to clean up their now burnt kitchen. Nope nope nope.
Another place had defrosted chicken by leaving it outside of the fridge over night. On the floor. During the summer. Rats scurried away from it when we turned on the light. Called the safety department on that one.
7. Manager got my car towed on the first day
I was specifically told to park in a certain lot to pick up my parking sticker on the first day. My almost manager met me at the front of the building to walk me to security and get my sticker and show me around, but was a complete asshole for about 3 hours. I was asking questions about what’s expected/priority (you know, the usual first day stuff) and he just shot down every question so condescendingly. Lunch time comes around, so I walk out to vape real quick / put the fucking sticker on and guess what? My goddamn car is GONE. Why? They towed my car because I didn’t have a sticker yet. I called my sister to pick me up, never went back to that place. $250 to get my fucking car and a waste of a day.
8. Made the right decision by staying
I had been at a job for more than 4 years, and was desperate to get out. I was doing interviews multiple places, but the one I REALLY wanted hadn’t given me an offer. So I picked from the other 3 offers I had. Of course, on my first day, I got the offer from the company I wanted, and it was 25k more than the job I had started that day.
I sat down with my manager and let her know. She was shocked at first, but understood. There were no hard feelings, and she said that if it didn’t work out, she would love to have me back. I actually gave her a name of someone to replace me, and that person was hired and is being groomed to be her successor when she retires.
I took the job at the company I wanted, and not 2 hours after signing the offer letter, got a 5th offer offering even more money. Had an Internal crisis, and stayed with the one that I had initially wanted. 17 months later I just got promoted, and I am wildly happy about it.
9. Sent me to the sales department with zero training
They sent me to a room to do a bunch of on-boarding paperwork and those incredibly dull orientation videos companies love so much. Less than 10 minutes into it the manager comes in and tells me they need to cover the sales floor immediately because I was the only person for the department that day.
No training, no computer logins, no idea where anything in the building was or who any of the dozens of other people wandering around were or even what was really expected of me. Just go and solo a department that usually had between five and eight staff at any time.
I gave it a shot for like 45 minutes, and realized the whole place was staffed by miserable entitled fucks who went out of their way to avoid work. I just walked out without saying anything.
10. Felt like a cattle working at the Amazon fulfillment center
Amazon fulfillment center. Had us lined up outside the building. There was a guy in line that was already losing his shit because he had been scheduled two hours earlier but they wouldn’t let him inside. Lined up like cattle. Then we go in and its the most impersonal experience of my life. Literally felt like cattle being ushered from one stop to the next. Then we went to see out work stations as “stowers” and it was the worst job Ive ever had. Repetitive and frustrating. Then we went to lunch and it was so goddamned bleak. This was peak Covid so the lunch tables were just single desks, six feet apart all facing forward. A few vending machines and thats it. My car was parked too far away to even go out and chill for a bit. Then back to work. Its all AI assisted so it is so fucking frustrating. I go to the bathroom and hang out for a bit. Go back to my station and check out how my other newbie stowers are doing. Everyone looks pissed and miserable. I give a solidarity nod to the guy next me and then just walk out of the building never to be seen again.
11. Made me work on Sundays
It wasn’t quite the first day. During the interview I informed them that I would not work on Sunday. The interviewer told me that would be acceptable. During my two week training, I did not have to work on Sundays. My first week after the training, I was scheduled to work that Sunday. I protested and reminded my manager about the agreement during the interview. He informed me that they couldn’t always honor it and that I would sometimes be expected to work my fair share of Sundays. I quit on the spot and walked out.
12. Asked to sign a salary contract of less than agreed upon
They didn’t pay some of the workers their salary because of mismanagement (legit boss fucked up and decided that he wasn’t gonna have his 6 figure salary deducted) and tried to make me sign a contract where my salary is less than what was agreed upon. BONUS: they also added two extra jobs in my position that I had to do and apparently I am to be on-call at all times.
I was desperate but I wasn’t stupid.
You know it’s bad when even before I could unpack at my new desk three co-workers came up and warned me to read my contract carefully AND told me it sucked to work here.
I wasn’t even there for 30 minutes.
13. They slowly changed the terms of Employment
Slowly started changing the terms of employment during the day. Started off “10 hour days 5 days a week £8/hour”. Shifted to “sometimes you have to work weekends too”
Then “actually it’s crunch season right now so we’re going to expect you to work Saturday and Sunday this week”
Then “actually we’ll need you to stay Saturday and Sunday most weeks”
Then “You’ll be working Saturday and Sunday for the foreseeable future”
Then “We’ll need you to stay a few hours after work today”
Then “Actually you’ll be working 12-14 hours a day 7 days a week for the next 6 months”
Yeah nope.
14. Ungrateful co-worker
Hired as a banquet captain at a very prestigious (4 diamond) hotel. First solo shift after orientation. Had multiple banquet rooms. Mine was all set up 3 hours before the event started. The massive kitchen was cranking our food for 100 people. I grabbed a tray of food and ran it into the servers. The captain of that room asked me “what the fuck are you doing?” I said just trying to help clear the line. “Worry about your own dining room.” I told them my dining room was all set and not seating until 5. This women says “then go stand against a fucking wall until your event starts.”
So I decided to go outside and smoke. On my long as walk out of there I was trying to make sense of her attitude, but she was my superior. The chef couldn’t plate food because the line was backed up. Nobody wants to stare at food dying. Got in my car and never looked back. They mailed me my check.
15. Claustrophobia kicked in
It was at xentel, a call center that calls around for donations for unicef and other charities.
I did the orientation, got put on my first call. I always hated being in offices, especially when they have cubicles.
My flight response kicked in and I got up and ran out the door and went home.
Have you also quit a job on the first day itself? If so, share it in the comments below.