Some jobs feel like a perpetual Monday. They’re draining and time seems to stand still no matter how many times you check your watch. But the reality is that most of us need work to survive, so we put on a brave face and go deal with whatever it is that awaits us there.
The Instagram account 'Reasons I hate my job' perfectly portrays what it's like to have a dreary and detestable job. It features memes that might be very relatable to those who despise how they earn their daily bread. We have gathered some great examples of what that might feel like. Scroll down to hopefully find some solace in them, if you hate your job—it seems like nearly 13k of the page’s followers do.
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For some happy individuals, work can be an exciting thing they look forward to every day. For the rest of us mortals, though, it might feel more like torture. If you belong to the latter group, don’t worry—you’re definitely not alone. A 2021 survey has revealed that half of people in the US despise their jobs.
The main reasons for that are that people feel underpaid and underappreciated. Time is the most valuable thing we have, and considering that we spend an average of one third of our lives at work, it only makes sense to expect proper compensation.
When it comes to working hours, people in some countries tend to work longer than others. According to 2021 data, India (working 2117 hours a year) is the leading country in the amount people spend at their jobs, followed by the US (1757 hours a year), and Japan (1738 hours). The fourth and fifth places are taken by the UK (1670 hours) and Germany (1354 hours) respectively.
Unsurprisingly, none of the five countries make it to the list of places with the happiest workers. If your job conditions don’t suit you well, you might want to consider moving to Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, or Denmark. Data shows that these northern and Scandinavian countries seem to be the best places to work, considering working hours, salaries, and the number of public holidays.
What if I still want to ride a pony on a space rainbow and I want my future employer to know?
Being unhappy at work might lead to leaving the source of misery altogether. A recent survey revealed that a mind-boggling number of over 90% of respondents are looking for a new job in 2023. Back in 2022, some of the main reasons for leaving were toxic company culture (62%), unmet financial expectations (59%), and inadequate management (56%).
My new manager started complaining about me sometimes being a minute late although I often came 10 min early and stayed 5 min late. I started staying in the kitchen area until 15 seconds before the hour instead and turned off the computer in the middle of an email if needed at the exact finish time.
And always remember - your email may some day be read in a deposition.
Incompetent management plays an important role in employee dissatisfaction. Nearly 60% of them have admitted to quitting a job because of their superior. You might have heard about an unqualified boss or two in your own environment. Or maybe even had to deal with one yourself, which might have led you to believe you would be able to do their job. As a matter of fact, that’s what 84% of workers in the US think.
Or that we work more then them guy barely show up to work and his attitude is getting worse and worse.
But it’s not only the superiors that cause headaches at work. Colleagues can also become a pain, which is unfortunate considering that you’re rowing the same boat. Whether it’s that lady in marketing that just wouldn’t get off of her phone, the young guy slurping his coffee, or someone else, each of us has likely had an annoying co-worker at some point in life. Statistics uncovered that nearly 70% of people have confronted a fellow employee about certain behavior. In addition to that, roughly 60% have thought about quitting because of them.
Quitting might not always be the answer, though. There is always a chance of things going from bad to worse, as the new company might not be any better. Over 40% of people believe they were more content at their old place of employment.
Oooh, yes. Especially since the former boss "predicted" that I'd come back to beg him to hire me again. Not.
my most enjoyable ex-job story: I got fired because I let a cash bag get stolen. I already had PTSD from being held up at gunpoint by an employee and her girlfriend. Especially after I found out that the Store Manager knew that they were thieves and that they thought I would not be able to identify them. There is still more to that story, but, while I learned the information from one of the police, there is an element of racism, but it was not on my side. So, got fired, and on the one mile home drive, was rear ended in a hit and run. 3 days later, I was able to call the obnoxious saccharine Assistant Manager and say "hey, I already have another job" She chortled "Oh, that's wonderful!" "Yeah.......and I am making $2 more an hour than you are." click.
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Or one you were fired from...found out why you "didn't seem happy" after they found out you were carrying most of the load. The stories I heard about the train wreck that followed were blissful to me.
More like a lot. Especially when it's a job that treated you like garbage. Then you find out in the aftermath that things literally fell apart and corporate totally would have had your back, reprimanded everyone for basically making you the scapegoat for everything that went wrong, and then transferred you to work under them had they known the full extent of it. Then you later hear that the entire department is going under in a fashion that can only be described as spectacular. Warm fuzzies in my tummy and a little giggle to boot.
"A lil excited"????? What are you, kidding me? It is one of the best feelings a petty human like me can have!
I was the foreman of a painting company. I would always but heads with the owner, he said I was a perfectionist & I cost the company money. I got my contractors license & quit, 6 months later he was out of business & I'm booked out at least 6 months at all times.
My favourite was the one where they needed 2 VPs and an executive assistant to do what they told me was "not contributing enough" and that i needed to "take on more responsibilities" after the head of HR had told me not to take on more responsibilities because i was already doing too much.
I have an interesting track record. I've had 4 jobs. First was about 10 years and then they went under a little after I left. Waitress for about 3 years then they went under 2 years after I left. I worked a summer at one place but they're still doing ok. Then there's my current job I've been at about 7 years; lots of things have changed and I wonder if I should worry
Best one ever. I got fired on Friday, had a new job on Tuesday, and my toxic boss asked my BFF how I was doing. She goes, You realize you needed her more than she needed you, right? A week later the Commander came by and said, “Where is (me)?” We had to let her go. “Well, that was pretty stupid. She was your highest performing employee.
I found out it took over nine months for them to find a replacement for me, who they had to fire after four months. Such a nice feeling.
I worked for a guy who held meetings in reception to yell and scream at all the employees. I started requiring my pay in cash because payroll checks bounced several times. Not a nice guy. A few years later I found myself working for his competitor. I got all my old clients to switch over to the new place and got several of my old co-workers to start working at the new place. We had a celebration when we found out the IRS had closed down the business and left big stickers sealing the doors so they could do their business without him removing any evidence.
This happened at a place I used to work at. I had been trying for years to get promoted to manager and I knew I could do the work because I actually was doing the work for months after they fired our previous manager and didn't have the position filled, so I, being the senior employee, took over the manager duties and kept letting corporate know I was interested in the position. They, instead, transferred a lady from a previous location who had been with the company for three months and just finished closing down two other locations that SHE managed. I quit and guess what happened? That's right, that location closed, too. Wouldn't have happened if I were manager, but good riddance in retrospect.
Like Toto in The Wizard of Oz, "He got away! He got away!"
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Oh God yes!! When the manager who relentlessly bullied me, and picked on other people too, was finally forced out of the job herself, due to her own shítty behavior!! She picked on the wrong person, and got a complaint. That complaint triggered a landslide of calls and emails to corporate, from current and former employees she'd terrorized-myself included, and I did NOT hold back, LOL! She was forced to step down from being General Manager, all the way to regular hourly employee, and she ended up quitting altogether a few weeks later!! God, it was glorious!! I still wouldn't go back, though. Also, a BUNCH of people I worked there with, left right after I did. And I heard their numbers really tanked. Serves 'em right!! Hahaha!!
I quit a little over a year ago - had a colleague who wasn't happy I got promoted to a post similar to his and he decided to "work ghost" me (I'm not sure how to describe the situation, but I ended up alone, put aside by my whole team, no answers to critical email, destruction of my property...). I was doing all of his work load and covering for is absences. I warned my boss I would quit. I warned my colleague I would quit. They didn't believe me because they pegged me as the sweet push-over. I quit, found a new job, and now I keep getting offers to come back for double the pay load because nothing is getting done anymore. I almost feel guilty about feeling happy about the whole situation.
I’m leaving my job in about 4-5 months. I’ve been formally recognized as one of the best employees there and they have no idea how much I resent them. I won’t even give them the required 2 week notice. The reason? My boss tried to use me as a escape goat and didn’t work out too well for her. She lost my respect in that instant.
I was a contractor and took two weeks off (unpaid) to get married. While gone, the company let me go. They announced it to the staff and made them share my 60+ hour a week workload. I was the primary analyst for two massive accounts. Nobody informed the internal team that I supported, or my clients.They were mad! My clients took their multi million dollar contract and left within 6 weeks. I helped the client transition at triple my contract rate and they hired me direct to lead the project. "They fired you when you left to get married, we don't want to partner with such unethical decision makers."
A little too much actually. Especially when I left without having anything else lined up. And I told my "co-worker" friends that I'm probably the first of many to do this. And I. Was. Absolutely. Right.
It was scary at first but I did the exact thing you did. I have never regretted leaving Whole Foods Market I have a better job now
Load More Replies... Yes! This is how I felt when i quit teaching elementary school just before Covid hit and all the teachers had to figure out virtual teaching... for 7 yr olds. I was like, Phew! That must suuuuuuuck!
YES!! I quit a toxic job, and not even 2 years later they had to lay almost everyone off.
I got let go twice to be replaced by 2 people who could not handle job. I'm not excited, just trying to work out what I'm doing wrong that management can't see if I do job of 4 people - I will miss things. Booo
I was fired from a job as a manager of a well-known restaurant after closing early on Christmas Eve, there had been no customers for hours, the restaurant closed within a couple of years.
Ohhhhhh yes. I was the first to quit an abusive startup. All downhill for them afterwards. And yes, I was management level.
Only my last job, because I knew damned well everything was going to fall apart without my organization & scheduling skills. Heard it took them 2 years & 3 new people to even remotely get back on track. They shoulda just given me the raise.
When I left one job, they hired two people to replace me and three months later they were phoning to ask if I wanted to come in and do the filing, the new girls didn't have time for it. Gee, I managed to do ALL of this for six years!
Yep indeedily! I quit a job after I was promised @ $10k pay rise (still under going rate), then it was rescinded as my immediate manager got a $20k pay rise. They replaced me with a 3 day per week casual at $20k per annum. Didn’t work. Next step FT employee @ $40k. Didn’t work. Add another FT on top of that @ $50k, job FINALLY is done properly. I was only asking $60k, they are now paying $90k for 2 people to do the job I could do blindfolded!
All of them. Every job I've ever worked at has had to hire 3 or 4 people to replace me. My previous job had to create 3 different positions and divide my portfolio into those divisions and hire a new person to specialize in each. Could have paid me a bit more but it ended up costing them big time.
I had a former employer that had to split my work load among three employees to get everything done well and on time.
Or a job you didn't get ended up sucking. I've had this happen to me twice. Relief!!
Where I worked they decided to bring in a new group of accreditation inspectors. Unlike other inspections where we had weeks of warning about when they would show up, these just showed up with no warning. Several of my old bosses got in big trouble. One got nasty with the inspectors. She was in one of regular moods & could not be bothered. She made major mistakes right in front of them & told them to mind their own business. They visited my old unit one day & then the next day they visited the other unit. Many familiar faces up there. They then went back to my unit. Management was playing musical employees. There were forced retirements & demotions of several of the bosses. Good.
Somehow, I'm still disappointed when I drive by an old workplace and it isn't a smoldering pile of rubble because I'm no longer there.
After I handed in my notice four other members of my already small team handed in theirs. Then another quit shortly after that. I still get messages from time to time asking me to help out 🤣
That a bias, after you left a company, you hears will only listen to complaints about that company
This is actually happening at my old job right now. My bff still works there and tells me all the time how bad its getting.
Or, your the only one that could see it was going to get worse that's why you left.
If you don’t feel happy at work, it’s worth thinking long and hard before making any decisions. Chances are, the source of work-related gloom is not the company at all. It might be the professional path you once decided to take, which is a pretty common problem—more than 70% of workers admit to being unhappy with their career choices.
One of my favorite co-worker got transferred to a different department a few months ago and the other is on pregnancy leave, so I'm left all alone 😭
Some people stay despite hating their jobs. That is understandable considering that the labor market is constantly fluctuating, and finding a new one can become quite a quest. The size of the competition alone can be enough to scare away the thoughts of a new workplace. For instance, a vacancy for a corporate job usually attracts around 250 applicants. When there’s only one job offer, such odds don’t seem too encouraging.
Yup, i feel this, not só much about work, but about life in general...
Yep, all the turn around was actually the characters getting killed off
There are employees who detest their job so much, they might wish they didn’t have one. However, such people would likely feel very different if they suddenly became unemployed. According to Zippia, 17 million workers were laid off in the US alone back in 2021.
This might be one of the reasons nearly half of Americans have layoff anxiety. But they say that every cloud has a silver lining. As cheesy as it sounds, it is true—even something as grim as being laid off can open new doors.
Double my salary, and provide health insurance that doesn't have a deductible I can buy a car with.
Whether it’s the silver lining to a layoff story or a personal choice to start a new chapter, some people create a job of their dreams themselves. Data shows that one of the main reasons they start a small business is the ability to be their own boss (roughly 61% of respondents say so). Nearly a third of them do it to pursue their passion. And such a decision seems to pay off—nearly 75% of small business owners report being happy.
During a long time of my life i though like that, " i want more responsibility, i want to be important " but then i found out that being a box pilling " monkey " is a lot better for my mental health lol, and Im quite happy now ( work wise at least )
I love this 😂 I hope that for everyone, including myself!!
A job is a double-edged sword in many ways. It might be a source of income as well as stress. A place to meet inspiring people and test your patience with the rest. An opportunity to learn from the best or watch them fail the test. It’s up to each individual to decide how to deal with a job they hate, but they can find comfort in knowing they’re not alone in this situation. And these posts surely prove it.
People in groups - especially at work, are stupid. It's like we switch off parts of our brains in groups or when we're customers.
I prefer the privacy of my screen not visible to everyone (so I can BP peacefully!)
Each job I've had gets better in terms of quality and experience because of this!!! The better the pay, and the better they treat people in the workplace, the longer I stay. It's incredibly stupid to me now to stay in a toxic job. All it ever does is rob you of your energy, and creates mental and physical health issues.
Note: this post originally had 60 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
60 year-old... the only job i ever had that i would have stayed at forever was jury duty. don't know how the lawyers pick the jury members, but they should be working in HR at every dumbass place i've ever worked. the entire jury was a group of serious people who really wanted to work and get the job done right
My only jury duty was at Bronx County Courthouse. It was a civil case. They picked & seated us and gave opening statements all before lunch. We ate free sandwiches and the case was settled before we got back. I could see the shell of old Yankee Stadium from the jury room.
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I was bullied at work for two years.Submitted a three page email to CEO while on stress leave.Nothing was done.Had to go back there for a few hours in another capacity with another company.They asked me if I'd like to come back ( they now have a bad reputation as 7 people left within 2 months after me).I felt so good so laugh into their face 🤣
I had a job that I loved, but for a company that I couldn't stand. I was a forklift driver at a wholesale club. I've always said that it's like going to a go kart track, only you get to drive for 8 hours and instead of paying them, they pay you. I wasn't terrible at it, either. But experience tells me that it's a great job that only bad organizations will hire you to do, and it wasn't worth it anymore
I worked at an auto factory. If the line stops the supervisor instantly wants the line Forman on the phone explaining why. My group got a new foreman who was not the least likable and acted like a dictator. It only took two weeks for workers to get together and plan a sick day that would prove they could not work for that creep. Three workers told the supervisor that new foreman was going to ruin everything. He didn't listen. So, 100 of the 250 workers in his area did not show up on Friday. They could not start the line till people were borrowed from other areas. Fifteen minutes the line was down. Next Monday 100 different people were absent. Line was down 30 minutes. The supervisor was furious. On Tuesday again the line didn't start fir about 30 minutes. The new foreman got railed and transferred to the paint shop, the hottest area in the plant. In August he frequently had to be taken to medical dept for heat exhaustion. He had to stick out for two years to be eligible for retirement.
I love my boss and done his wife a few times too. I am over paid for what I do and like most new starts fake most things including what I contribute to the company that took on a loser like me. I just realised reading these other losers words that I am blessed to actually have a paid job and think I will start contributing. Thank you Lord .
Really? I'm well over 25 and I can relate to soooo many of them.
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60 year-old... the only job i ever had that i would have stayed at forever was jury duty. don't know how the lawyers pick the jury members, but they should be working in HR at every dumbass place i've ever worked. the entire jury was a group of serious people who really wanted to work and get the job done right
My only jury duty was at Bronx County Courthouse. It was a civil case. They picked & seated us and gave opening statements all before lunch. We ate free sandwiches and the case was settled before we got back. I could see the shell of old Yankee Stadium from the jury room.
Load More Replies... I was bullied at work for two years.Submitted a three page email to CEO while on stress leave.Nothing was done.Had to go back there for a few hours in another capacity with another company.They asked me if I'd like to come back ( they now have a bad reputation as 7 people left within 2 months after me).I felt so good so laugh into their face 🤣
I had a job that I loved, but for a company that I couldn't stand. I was a forklift driver at a wholesale club. I've always said that it's like going to a go kart track, only you get to drive for 8 hours and instead of paying them, they pay you. I wasn't terrible at it, either. But experience tells me that it's a great job that only bad organizations will hire you to do, and it wasn't worth it anymore
I worked at an auto factory. If the line stops the supervisor instantly wants the line Forman on the phone explaining why. My group got a new foreman who was not the least likable and acted like a dictator. It only took two weeks for workers to get together and plan a sick day that would prove they could not work for that creep. Three workers told the supervisor that new foreman was going to ruin everything. He didn't listen. So, 100 of the 250 workers in his area did not show up on Friday. They could not start the line till people were borrowed from other areas. Fifteen minutes the line was down. Next Monday 100 different people were absent. Line was down 30 minutes. The supervisor was furious. On Tuesday again the line didn't start fir about 30 minutes. The new foreman got railed and transferred to the paint shop, the hottest area in the plant. In August he frequently had to be taken to medical dept for heat exhaustion. He had to stick out for two years to be eligible for retirement.
I love my boss and done his wife a few times too. I am over paid for what I do and like most new starts fake most things including what I contribute to the company that took on a loser like me. I just realised reading these other losers words that I am blessed to actually have a paid job and think I will start contributing. Thank you Lord .
Really? I'm well over 25 and I can relate to soooo many of them.
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