Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
50 Former Employees Share The Worst Company Secrets They Learned On The Job
Learning “how the sausage is made” is one of those classic parts of growing up and getting a job that still even applies if we take it literally. Generally, your workplace will frown on you giving out “secrets” that make them look bad, but if you don’t work there anymore (and any NDA’s have expired) then it’s fair game.
Someone asked people to detail some company secrets from their previous workplaces and netizens rose to the challenge. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section down below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
99% of Black Friday deals are not in fact Black Friday deals. They are the same price they’ve been or higher. You are RARELY actually getting a deal
RELATED:
#2
I still work there. You ever get a medical bill because you spoke to the doctor about a new problem during your annual exam. Call that office and ask for a coding review. You as the the patient has to say those words. Don’t just ask why you got billed. Demand a coding review.
#3
HR is not your ally at all. always save and time stamp everything you send in an email to everyone in case you get fired and need an attorney.
General Anaesthesia 4 months ago
As the recent Astronomy-Coldplay scandal proves, HR is in bed with management, not workers.
#4
911 dispatcher- we’re dispatching people within 30 seconds from when we answer the call. Either electronically or via radio while we listen to you. Help is coming but we have to ask you those questions for your safety and the safety of the people we’re sending. But I can’t make them go faster unless you tell me a reason. I can’t up the call priority without a reason.
#5
Girl Scout cookies are made by Interbake foods in South Sioux City, NE. Same EXACT cookies are sold and relabeled at Dollar General and packaged as Clover Valley. You can also find Thin Mints at Dollar Tree. Same factory makes them all.
#6
most police officers dont know their own state laws and regularly break the law unknowingly
#7
When these temp agencies say they can’t go past $22-$24/hour, just know the client is paying invoices @ $40-$50 an hour.
Rick Murray 4 months ago
I was an agency care assistant circa Y2K. The number of times I had to explain to people that, no, I'm not making £20/hr against your £7/hr. I'm making a tenner and so is the agency for, essentially, providing me (nice work if you can get it...). And while that's more, you know that you get to come to work tomorrow, and next week, and next month. I do not, such as is agency work. Oh, and those weeks where I did 7 eight hour days? Still get counted as a part time worker so no holiday entitlement or sick pay (though I think that loophole got closed?).
#8
If you are harassed at work, don’t go to HR. Call an attorney or the EEOC
#9
I worked at Costco and have nothing negative to say besides members being entitled and acting like they’re better than us. Sir your cashier makes 75-80k a yr…
David 4 months ago
Also remember, Costco makes a profit before selling a single product. If you took the entire expenses of Costco a year (all purchases, salaries, etc) and lined them up against membership fees, they make a profit at that stage. Everything they sell, is literally profit as a result, and they pay well using that calculation of membership fee revenue.
#10
Mc Donald’s ice cream is rarely ever down they are just too lazy to clean it
#12
Wells Fargo DID open up fake accounts under soooooooo many people
BrunoVI 4 months ago
The failure to prosecute Wells Fargo or other corrupt financial institutions or their executives after the Great Recession was absolutely incredible. The only response of the federal government was massive bailouts, rewarding high-risk behavior. The desired response by the right wing to let them all fail probably would've worsened the recession, but letting all of their bonds and stocks go to $0 while their management was replaced and prosecuted would've been a good start: investing stupidly or criminally should not be protected by the government.
#13
Most companies that put job openings on Indeed aren’t really hiring, they just want your information to sell it.
#14
I was an assistant for Ellen DeGeneres and she was the most horrible person to work for I had to go for therapy because of her and her short temper. She was two faced and pretended to be the most likeable person when she wasn’t she ran me to the ground.
#15
If you work for princess cruise lines for one summer you can take a cruise anywhere in the world for $10 a day. 😊
#16
Winco is employee owned so if you get caught stealing you’re banned for 99 years.
#17
Worked in HR/recruitment for 7 years. Those ‘employee surveys’ corporate jobs send out and claim your answers will be anonymous….they’re absolutely not anonymous.
#18
Nursing homes don’t care about your grandparents they just want the 10-15k a room
Tele Avision 4 months ago
Why would this be any different? It's a business. Once you stop buying into all of these myths, the disappointment goes away.
#19
I used to work for an eye doctor in Lasik surgery is literally so dangerous because of the fact that it TERRIBLE EFFECTS on mental health if something goes wrong and the possibilities are HIGH. I would never recommend it to anyone✨
KrazyChiMama 4 months ago
I once asked an Ophthalmologist about this years ago and he said “how many eye doctors do you see having it done? “ I looked thru the physician roster that day when eating my lunch and saw ever single one of the ophthalmologists on staff where I worked were wearing glasses! Don’t do it! It’s not worth the risk and it doesn’t typically last anyway when it does work so you’re wasting your money too!
#20
i worked at both mcdonald’s and tim hortons, and let me tell you, mcdonald’s has STRICT hygiene policies and tim hortons is basically okay with serving flies in food, expired food, and HUGE lack of hygiene
Charlie the Cat 4 months ago
I worked at several fast food places when I was younger. McDonalds was by far the cleanest.
#21
Starbucks is nothing but sugar
Don't listen to me 4 months ago
In EU they take their coffee seriously. Starbucks is is a joke.
#22
Not a big secret, but people forget banks and hospitals are FOR PROFIT!
Don't listen to me 4 months ago
Not UK hospitals. And EU hospitals are severely regulated as to how much they can charge, by the government!
Ace 4 months ago
Private, for-profit, hospitals do exist in the UK and other European countries too. Yes, in most places they're strictly regulated, but there are certainly some, whose patients are mostly paying the bills direct;y themselves, who are free to charge whatever they can get away with.
Load More Replies...
Michael Largey 4 months ago
And remember that even if a hospital is owned by a non-profit organization (like a church or foundation), it may be run to generate profits that will end up going to that organization.
keyboardtek 4 months ago
When I was a kid, hospitals in the US used to be city owned and non profit. Then the capitalists took over the country.
David 4 months ago
Actually in the US Hospitals are nearly all Non-Profits, its the "management company" which many times owned by the same Network, that are the for profits. Its a very complex thing with health care regulations and tax codes. Current FDA Head, Marty Makary, who is also head of Johns Hopkins Medical School's Evidence-based Medicine and Public Policy Research Group, Chief of Islet Transplant Surgery, and Director of Medical Policy there (yes, Trump made a good pick, though I would rather give him RFK's job, over FDA), in his book The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care, explains and shows how this weird hybrid system is messed up and leads to a chunk of higher prices. He actually has some very simple solutions to fix it, including some changes to the Tax Code, and he now is using his position at the FDA to push for changes. So we will see.
James016 4 months ago
Going through a mortgage renewal at the moment which should have been completed a month ago but the bank has been a completed a**e. Even the broker we are using said they have mishandled my renewal. Almost there now. UK hospitals are not for profit
Rick Murray 4 months ago
UK hospitals are not supposed to be for profit, but you can get seen in about three or four months on the NHS, or next Thursday if you go private - same doctor, same room, same facilities.
Load More Replies... Cydney Golden 4 months ago
Prisons and medical care should be not for profit enterprises. But that would be socialism and for some reason that scares Americans. the current regime wants to make almost everything a FOR profit enterprise including social security, the postal service and education.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
Here in the U.S., we’re never allowed to forget. If business people could figure out how to sùck all the air out of the atmosphere and then make us pay to breathe, they would do it.
Gabby Ghoul 4 months ago
Not all hospitals, but many are in the USA. If you are in the USA and are eligible to join a credit union rather than use a bank, I recommend you do so.
General Anaesthesia 4 months ago
Banks everywhere, hospitals in America the beautiful. There was a reason that Jesus tossed the money changers out of the temple.
Jane Hower 3 months ago
Which is WHY hospitals FAKED the Covid numbers because they were closed to elective surgery BUT anyone for ANYTHING that came to the hospital could be 'clamed' to be COVID and the GOVT would pay them. Even someone killed by a gun, if they could post mortum test him and 'say' he had Covid, they got money. OMG what a scam was pulled on US and the world.
#23
Former HR manager. Document everything and sue. Dates, times, keep a detailed record and sue. I've won 4 lawsuits for myself and lost a few because of this. Let them do it and document. Stay quiet and sue.
#24
i was a correctional officer, call your people & check on them if they’re locked up, too much sneaky stuff & abuse by authority for fun.
ElfVibratorGlitter 4 months ago
I was also a correctional officer. Not everyone sucks. Some do.
#25
culver’s rootbeer is the ORIGINAL A&W recipe. they sold the recipe to culvers years ago
KrazyChiMama 4 months ago
Culver’s is awesome! I don’t think there’s anything I’ve ordered there that wasn’t good. And their prices are really good compared to other chains.
#26
Mattress Firm: the prices are always the same, they just re-advertise it as a different sale. As long as it’s not Tempurpedic brand, you can negotiate almost any price and ask for free stuff. They want the sale.
#27
Never be disrespectful to your cleaner there’s a lot of bad things that can happen to your toothbrush
#28
if you want to speak to customer service select the Spanish line. the line is way shorter and all the agents are required to know English as well 💕💕
Tim Fawcett 4 months ago
I am from Barcelona - I speak the good English, I learn heem from a book.
#29
Nursing homes are filled with neglect. No staff, and owners don’t care.
Roxy222uk 4 months ago
If this is from someone who worked in a nursing home like this and they did nothing about it then shame on them. Report them to the equivalent of the CQC, and if still nothing happens go the press or TV. In the UK it is required that all care workers (and, I’d imagine, nurses) have training on whistle blowing.
#30
Not a specific workplace. but alot of companies move managers around rather than fire them for being incompetent and turning their establishment into a revolving door of ppl quitting cuz of their trash management
Riley Quinn 4 months ago
Must be taking cues from the Catholic Church's playbook. Just keep moving them around.
#31
Cooks in the kitchens at restaurants wear gloves but will still touch their phones, their hair, other objects outside the line, then will continue cooking/prepping
#32
If your child cannot talk, make frequent surprise visits to their daycare or classroom. Being advocates to IEP meetings. They’re worth every cent
Karl der Große 4 months ago
It depends on the advocate. I've seen them make a nuisance of themselves to no benefit.
#33
GIRLIESSSS b careful when you try to go somewhere to fix ur phones cause they will in fact look at ur pictures!
Somebodys grandmother 4 months ago
Fine with me. They will get a chok! No nudes, but a lot of funerals...
#34
Bath and Body Works does recycle old scents and call it something different. Sometimes they’ll even trade with Pink/Victoria’s Secret since it’s their sister store 😭
#35
Wells Fargo has a toxic culture.
#36
Worked at a an electronics store. When I went to “check the back”, I just stood there for a few mins. We never “had more in the back.”
Geoffrey Scott 4 months ago
I often ask if there is any more inventory than what's shelved if I can't find the right size/color, etc. Have had SOME answer yes, and go check.
#37
Don’t put your full address on your resume. The largest closest city to your actual address will do. Some hiring managers will google your address and decide the job isn’t for you - even for remote roles.
#38
Not a secret but a fact, amazon delivery drivers get blamed for damaged packages caused by ppl working inside the delivery station
#39
Bath and body works foam soap is just watered down gel soap. Buy the gel. Add water and instantly get 3x more soap from one bottle
T'Mar of Vulcan 4 months ago
In South Africa there's a brand called Renew that has foam soap, but it's the pump part at the top that turns the soap into foam. So yes, you can just buy any liquid soap, water it down, put it in the dispenser with the foam pump part, and there you go!
#40
Red lobster biscuits are the exact same as the box in stores but with double the butter.
#41
If you’re in the process of having your employment history checked and you don’t want your current employer contacted, legally they can’t be contacted and if they are you can sue. For a lot.
BrunoVI 4 months ago (edited)
Depends on the state. In fact, in Virginia, if you quit your teaching job because a principal subjected you to persistent, severe sexual harrassment and physical abuse, any other school district absolutely is going to go to that principal and ask them what they think of you, no matter what you say or do. And they won't touch you if you don't include your most recent teaching experience. (Legally, Virginia is the worst of both worlds when it comes to the flaws and drawbacks of both liberalism and conservatism.... and a plantation mentality to boot!)
#42
I work in car insurance. Just call 10 of the major companies every 6 months or so and switch. They’re hoping you don’t shop every now and then. Do it. Shop around and see what’s available. The industry is very price competitive
#43
I worked for a charity call center ..90% of profits dont go to the actual charity
#44
Philippines here, Century Tuna is not a real tuna. It’s a freaking texurized vegetable protein! 🫠
#45
I used to be a baker at Tim Hortons. Absolutely NOTHING is fresh. Every single thing comes in boxes stacked in the freezer and heated to order. Every. Single. Thing. No exceptions.
#46
17 years ago I worked at a movie theater in high school. The “butter” had 140 cals per pump.
#47
Having seen a few men under the suit...can we normalize not forcing our kids to sit on the laps of mall santa, easter bunny etc
alot of the time its the sketchy security gaurd 🤭
#48
It's not a secret but be nice to your pharmacy staff at CVS. I'm sure Walgreens it's the same stuff but they are underpaid for what they do and corporate is greedy AF not giving them enough staffing and hours to do work at a healthy pace.
#49
The military is using your tax dollars to pay us to sit around and be glorified janitors all day
#50
Don’t EVER leave your child alone with the doctor. Trust me on this one!
KrazyChiMama 4 months ago
This one is odd to me working in healthcare, I’ve never once had a doctor ask a parent to leave the room and be alone with a pediatric patient. Some parents can’t handle the sight of blood so they may step out for that but there is always a nurse or assistant still in the room.
#51
Tim Hortons chilly comes from a bag, lol and none of the donuts are made from scratch.
#52
Everyone stole from Charlotte Russe and no one cared or took it seriously and it shocked me to my core. I quit so fast
#53
I used to work in auto insurance - black people are charged a higher rate than white people with the same criteria.
Jrog 4 months ago (edited)
Misleading. Nationwide statistics show that black drivers have higher accident rates than any other demographic except AIANs (American Indian/Alaska Native). Per mile traveled, a black driver has 1.5x the fatality risk of a latino, over 1.75x the risk of a white driver, and six times the risk of an Asian. Black drivers are also statistically (and from political inheritance from the segregation era) more likely to be resident in areas with significant socioeconomic disparities, leading to worse (more dangerous) infrastructures and increased crime rates, leading to higher premiums.
#54
Debt collectors STALK your fb and ANY social media looking for clues on how to contact you.. which is illegal.. threaten to sue and they will wipe your debt
#55
From my personal experience, never completely trust a doctor’s advice.
Brian Hawley 4 months ago
My wife is a director of nursing. Some doctors are great, and some are idiots.
#56
Ex retail worker: generic and name brand really are the same. MK, Marc Jacobs, Kate spade, dkny, Emporioarmani Armani, Armani Exchange, diesel, Burberry, Michele, adidas etc watches/accessories are made by Fossil Inc.
#57
Texas Roadhouse line dances to annoy u and turn tables
#58
Dollar general doesn’t use the charity for actual charity, they use it when the drawers are too short 😭
#59
At Shoprite.. we used to repack food past expiry date and reduce the prize to 50% off..😩
BrunoVI 4 months ago
It is a common and legal practice in the United States to reduce the price of fresh meats as they approach the sell-by date. Such food is usually placed in a clearly marked, "mark-down" section. On the other hand, sell-by dates mean nothing more than that the seller won't accept blame for rotting or stale food if the date passes. The meat you're buying is probably the better part of a year old, and the sell-by date often may simply be based on when the meat is likely to look a little grayish under bright lights. They may very well take that superficially gray meat, grind it up into hamburgers, and put a new sell-by date.
#60
At nike you can refurn your shoes until 2 years as long as you use the app even if they are ripped,shredded etc for the same pair or a pair of the same price and if you work there for 5 years..you will get a lifetime discount no matter what.
Cosmos in your eyes 4 months ago
A pair of Nikes cost the same as what the worker who makes them earns in a month.
#62
i worked at tim hortons as my first job, NEVER eat the food only bagels, doughnuts and coffee that’s it.
#63
Vision and dental insurance is basically a scam lol. You can get better discounts with cash pay prices a lot of the time.
KrazyChiMama 4 months ago
Depends on the insurance company. US Government benefits are really good if you’re lucky enough to get them.
#64
Insurance agent here!! The AGENTS aren’t scamming you—we literally know the industry inside and out. We HELP you to NOT get scammed by the billion dollar companies. If you want the best insurance value, contact an insurance brokerage not a direct company
KrazyChiMama 4 months ago
I absolutely love my insurance agent. I was in a minor accident (rear-ended at a stop light totally not my fault) and had to go to the hospital for some X-rays. She actually came to the hospital ER to check on me and offer me a ride home as my car was towed to the shop for repairs. She sends me cards on holidays and calls me twice a year to discuss my policy and looks for ways to save me money.
#65
anna oop (and all "her" side channels) are run by crealon media and they put off paying their freelancers their tiny amount of pay until you threaten to sue them
#66
At Verizon, if you find the higher ups on linked in, they will credit you whatever you want just to leave them alone
#67
Donuts aren’t made fresh at Dunkin. They come shipped frozen, add frosting, and bake them at midnight for the next day. Old and stale by morning.
#68
Daycares are the worst. The teachers are fake when you walk in and talk crazy once you walk out the door. PUT A RECORDER IN YOUR CHILD BAG. You’ll be shocked
#69
Furniture stores buy a sofa for $399 and sell it to you for $3200. The market up is insane which is why so many are closing AND due to online sales now.
Riley Quinn 4 months ago
Following the pharmaceutical playbook. Sure, R&D is costly, as is overhead, but gouging is not necessary, esp. when it's going to executive salaries.
#70
All of wawa food is frozen and we boil it and serve it
Annik Perrot 4 months ago
In French, "wawa" is one of the words for "toilet" (short for "waters", itself short for "water closet").
#71
me and most RNs would not take the psychiatric medications we give to patients ..because of side effects we have seen😳
Dragon mama 4 months ago
Yes but you don't need them. If you did it would be a whole different matter. Sometimes there is just a bad choice and a less-bad choice
#72
All the "handwritten" cards from Chewy are written by machines.
Lady Eowyn 4 months ago
That's kind of obvious. Even so, the fact that they keep a record and send sympathy and birthday cards means a lot to me.
#73
If you “get hurt” at Walmart as a customer and make a claim in the store, threaten to sue, most of the time the company will pay you 5-10 grand to avoid going to court if it was a minor occurrence.
#75
Roadhouse drops steaks on the ground and sells them. There I said it
#76
If getting a divorced, go to the courthouse and tell them you want to pack it for a free divorce.You are too poor. they will help you fill it out. My divorce costed 4 stamps. 2 for his copy and 2 for mine. don't pay the courthouse all that money.
#77
You can quite literally make everything from cava at home it's a huge waste of money
#78
If any debt collector contact you after 8pm you can sue for $10K
#79
Tim hortons chills and soup are boiled while in there plastic bags so u get melted plastic with your soup. And its not fresh everything is frozen 🙄
#80
miss your flight because you were running late? no. you had a flat tire. DOT requires flights to be changed for free if you're within 2 hours of scheduled departure
Jrog 4 months ago (edited)
That is simply not true, neither in the USA nor anywhere else. The DOT mandates airlines have to refund flights reservation made more than 7 days before the flight can be canceled within 24 hours of the purchase without charges or fees; after that grace period you are SoL. https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/buying-ticket
#81
SUE THEM ALL everybody 😂bc if you look closely somebody always breaking the terms and agreements when the last time yall ever actually read your lease ,subscriptions work contracts etc
Argotina Schmurgle 4 months ago (edited)
And then the rest of us pay for it in higher subscriptions and poorer contracts. The company will always recoup the money from its customers. It has to.
#82
For a mortgage after 6 months ask for the original copy make sure you have yours compare signatures more than likely they copied and pasted your name which is fraud or they dont have both copies is court time for a free house
Jrog 4 months ago
That's BS and whoever believes this is dumb as the bricks in his house. Property ownership and mortgage liens are matters of public record, filed with the county or other recording office. Even if the lender lost the mortgage note -or even the deed!- all those documents are easily retrieved in a legally binding form. Moreover, electronic archival meets the legal requirements, so even in the remote case the bank doesn't have the paperwork anymore their digital copy is plenty enough to enforce the mortgage conditions.
#83
Pre made sandwiches and salads sold at supermarkets are sprayed every few days with a water and bleach solution and their expire dates get moved back. Some of that food has been sprayed 15-18 times and is a month old! All FDA permitted.
#84
a shockingly high number of ob-gyns are secretly anti choice and voted for Trump 😞
Cosmos in your eyes 4 months ago
Idk, Tennessee has a strict abortion ban andwe are losing ob-gyns to other states. We were just rated the worst State to live in partially bc of that.
#85
Amazon has to reimburse you $5-$10 if they extend your delivery date. It’s in your terms and conditions
Jrog 4 months ago
False. There is no such thing in the Amazon ToS. The ToS state that "[deliveries] are not guaranteed and may be subject to change. Deliveries can arrive before or after estimated windows." Amazon normally does NOT guarantee a delivery time, except for specific offers under the Prime program in eligible cities and for specific products only and excludes "unforeseen circumstances". Even then, the reimbursement is not fixed and depends on the shipping fees.
#86
Doctors don’t care.. they look at humans like they’re working an assembly line ..
#87
CPS doesn’t care about you or your kids. If you have a baby, they want to get that baby adopted because babies are a hot commodity they get federal $$$ from every adoption.
What do you think ?
Papa 4 months ago (edited)
. . . and most of the rest were either site specific or complete works of fiction.
Load More Replies...
David Paterson 4 months ago
I count that as 30% true, 30% just plain false and 40% I neither know nor care. My number one comment is "don't sue, ever", because the only winner in a court case involving suing is the lawyer.
KrazyChiMama 4 months ago
My take from this is don’t work for Tim Hortons…lots of disgruntled former employees is the biggest red flag there is!
Trisec Tebeakesse 4 months ago
"Dynamic Pricing" is a scam - we call it "Automatic Markups". We list a base price on the website, but the ticket never costs that much. It automatically goes up $10 every two hours like clockwork, no matter how busy the day is, or what our passenger load is. A few reviews on Trip Advisor called it "Price Gouging". So beware. If you live in an old town and have a trolley tour, you know who this is.
Papa 4 months ago (edited)
. . . and most of the rest were either site specific or complete works of fiction.
Load More Replies... David Paterson 4 months ago
I count that as 30% true, 30% just plain false and 40% I neither know nor care. My number one comment is "don't sue, ever", because the only winner in a court case involving suing is the lawyer.
KrazyChiMama 4 months ago
My take from this is don’t work for Tim Hortons…lots of disgruntled former employees is the biggest red flag there is!
Trisec Tebeakesse 4 months ago
"Dynamic Pricing" is a scam - we call it "Automatic Markups". We list a base price on the website, but the ticket never costs that much. It automatically goes up $10 every two hours like clockwork, no matter how busy the day is, or what our passenger load is. A few reviews on Trip Advisor called it "Price Gouging". So beware. If you live in an old town and have a trolley tour, you know who this is.
You May Like 50 World’s Weirdest Jobs That Pay Out Quite Well Employee Denied Time Off After Covering A Crisis All Weekend: “The Stupidest Person Alive” 43 Insider Secrets From Various Jobs That You're Not Supposed To Know, But Are Industry Standards
Aivaras Kaziukonis
Dominyka Proškėnaitė
Rūta Zumbrickaitė
Related on Bored Panda
