FAIL Blog

‘Excellent is just a trap’: Boss refuses to promote top-performing employee because they're too valuable in their current role, and gives the position to a coworker who barely hits quota

Cata Holmes — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:35:00 -0700

When being too good at your job becomes a career liability…

We were always told that we have to give 100% in everything we do if we want to "succeed". What is success, anyways? I don't want to get into the philosophical road just yet, but I think it is a question worth asking. Anyways… we grow up thinking that we have to be the best at everything we do and life will pay us back with the things we want and deserve, of course.

Well, this employee can totally disagree with us, because their experience at their job proves the exact opposite.

For starters, they were always the top-performing employee. They not only were the best at reaching their goals and targets, but also were the ones who would go beyond their job descriptions and really wanted to be good at what they did. They fixed broken workflows and also had the best relationship with everyone on the team. Obviously, they want to grow with the company and thought they really had a chance at doing this when a management position was opened a month ago.

Naturally, he was the first one who applied for the role and was really hoping to land it. But life has its tricks because the person who ends up getting the role was someone who barely knows their numbers and doesn't bring anything to the table. He went to his boss and asked about this… and the response was that he was 'too valuable' in his current role, and that they couldn't afford to lose him…

I'm sure the boss is aware, but they just lost the best employee he ever had.

For everyone who's currently working for a company, this story can be a good lesson. If we look at this person, they did it all, and they got nothing. Success was not in pursuing a higher role… maybe he needs to find another company that's willing to let him grow and to give him the space he deserves to be the best employee. For now, I'll leave you with the story…

Friend decides to tell best friend’s boyfriend that her 20-year-old girlfriend soft-cheated on him after she didn't tell him herself, now they are back together: 'Her boyfriend said she doesn’t trust me anymore, that’s fine'

María Cetra — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:15:00 -0700

This story seems to have come out of a soap opera.

I hate people that get involve in things that are, actually, none of their business. Why are you getting involve in your friend's relationship drama? I get trying to be supportive to her and trying to guide her in the right direction when you think she's committing a mistake. But to purposely get involve and talk to her boyfriend behind her back instead of letting her do all the talking is weird You may be right by pointing out that what your friend's doing is wrong. And calling her out IS the correct thing. But to call her boyfriend and tell him everything is just going too far. Girl, you have your won life. Stop getting involve in other people's personal lives, I mean it. And this tip goes out to whoever needs to hear it. Stay in your own path!

Mom of 2 offers to babysit her friend's kids full time, only to have her friend tell her she needs to cut down her paycheck to half: 'I would have never agreed to this'

Giuliana Tiscioni — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:00:00 -0700

Being a babysitter full-time is a full-time job like any other, and it should be paid accordingly. Childcare is already hard enough and dismissed enough. We don't need more people diminishing the amount of work it takes to be in charge of small children.

Two friends got into an awkward situation about this. One of them offered to take care of her friend's 2 children, similar in age to her own kids, all under 5 years old, while their mother worked. She got paid $100 per day, being the part-time job that it was. The friend switched jobs and needed her to take care of her children full-time, but instead of maintaining that rate, she wanted to cut it in half because she couldn't afford it. Double the work for half the salary. Under any other circumstances, that would be one heck of a lawsuit and something HR can't allow. But since this wasn't in a corporate environment, there's not much that could be done. The friend insisted that she couldn't pay her the usual rate, that she was getting back on her feet, and that she had bills to pay. Newsflash, your friend, who willingly babysits your two toddlers, also has two children of her own and bills to pay. The friend was trying to get her to accept less than minimum wage for a full-time job that is also extremely demanding.

The thing here is, anyone can get through a rough patch and needs help to get back on their feet. But there's a difference between needing help and taking advantage of your friends' time and resources. Just because her friend doesn't have an office job doesn't mean that she doesn't work. Childcare and motherhood are full-time occupations, and society looks down upon them as they are. She's basically telling her friend that her time and work are less valuable than hers, that her work is not worth being paid, and the worst part is that they're both mothers. Society will never change if the work of mothers keeps being diminished. She may have financial issues as we all do, but if she can't afford to pay her friend a respectable salary, she should consider other options.

Employee realizes that management values teams that look stressed over ones that deliver: ‘I spent two years building a healthy operational system, only to learn that executives reward visible panic over competence’

Olivia Arocena — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:15:00 -0700

If they wanted actors, then they should hire actors or pay for the acting lessons!

I've seen variations of this play out time and time again. Whether it's upper management asking their employees to track how many hours their work actually takes, with the secret intention of making them prove they don't need to be paid as much because their work takes way fewer hours than the original contract said; or bosses favouring employees who look overworked over those who actually perform well.

If I had to pick my battles, I would definitely pick this one, but I would approach it not with feelings or emotions, but with receipts. Maybe this employee could send a report of his team's productivity with a message explaining that they perform that well because they approach their work by trying to reduce stress. Stress is minimized by focusing on tasks instead of schedules and rewarding results, not performative panic. As I'm writing this, I realize it might be a lost cause, but we're all free to choose the hill we stop our journey on.

If they don't understand it this way, they might have to learn it the hard way and lose their most objectively valuable workers to keep the ones who only look valuable, but that's honestly a loss for everyone involved.

I honestly think there is a way to approach this issue so the executives understand what's happening, but it would definitely take excellent communication skills and dedication.

They are the only ones who know if they're that interested in the company to invest all that energy into it.

They have another option: to act as if they were incredibly stressed while doing the same thing they were doing before. Maybe that's the way management wants them to go.

Woman asks her landlord to fix a minor issue, and the landlord dares her to report her to the city: ‘Now I'm going to enjoy living in a unit that is entirely 100% up to code and maybe save some money in the process. Sounds good to me!’

Olivia Arocena — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:30:00 -0700

Most dares were never meant to be followed through

I guess that's what you get when you dare someone to do something serious, secretly expecting that they won't. Sometimes, I think, these people are so entitled they forget to question their actions, and they seriously think they've got nothing to hide or be ashamed of.

That's where the police come in to provide a little of an 'outside perspective,' to say the least. But a tenant has to do what it has to do.

There are only a few things more pleasurable than doing what's right, knowing you'll come out victorious. These are the advantages of knowing your rights. You can actually go to authorities, and they'll have your back.

This anecdote does more than prove the tenant was right all along; it also uncovers a lot of other things this landlord wasn't doing well or being fair about. And justice did its thing.

Divine justice like this doesn't happen every time, but when it does, we must enjoy every second it lasts. The only downside is that things can get more tense with the landlord from now on, but if everyone is mature enough, it will just be a subyacent feeling and not an outward fight or even discussion.

Do you think this landlord knew what she was doing and was hiding it? Or was she handling things poorly, and stuff like that flew under the radar?

One thing I'm sure about is that she never thought she would be reported to the city, but well, it doesn't happen until it happens, and surely not for a good reason.

Landlords are well known for stunts like this, but I had never heard a story where justice had come to the rescue. Give it up for the tenant and the city!

Man revokes his friend’s rooftop access: ‘[He] admitted he’d been bringing dates there because the rooftop had become his “secret weapon”’

Olivia Arocena — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:45:00 -0700

Sometimes we shouldn't even wonder if we're being mean; just move on with our lives

Some people will take advantage of what we give to them. To accept a gift once is one thing, but to continue using and abusing the same thing over and over without ever asking again is a whole other story.

There is no way to justify it; it's obvious that this friend didn't mention his rooftop use openly because he knew it was wrong. This attitude only worked against him because if he had asked again, his friend would've probably said yes.

This is simply a disgusting attitude, and my advice is to never act this way, because if you already have a generous friend, it makes no sense to take advantage of him by secretly using his stuff. I suppose this was motivated by shame, because he likely was pretending to have a lifestyle he didn't have, but what a waste of time.

He was also warned before being revoked accordingly, so his reaction doesn't make sense either. What irritated me most as a reader is that when things went down, he reacted angrily instead of being apologetic. That shows you a lot about someone's character and how entitled they think they are to someone else's property. It's insane if you think about it, but there are many people like this walking amongst us.

Either way, as I always say, the information OP gathered thanks to this incident is incredibly valuable to adjust the access some people have not only to his rooftop, but to his life, in my opinion, but you'll be the judge of that.

Do you think it would've been better if he talked to his friend more deeply before revoking access? Or did his attitude express everything he needed to know?

Renter argues with landlord due to the state of the apartment, landlord says to take it to the city, the renter complies, and they go in her favor: 'All I needed was the peeling paint fixed now I'm going to enjoy living in a unit that is up to code'

María Cetra — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Being a renter can sometimes be horrible, but once in a while some good things happen.

Being a landlord or being a renter can both be horrible or great. It really depends on the land, the house or apartment that's being rented, and who the renter is if you are the landlord, or who the landlord is if you are the renter. So basically, it has to do with the person that you have the agreement with, as with almost everything in life. Life is really for the ones with great social abilities, or at least the ones that advocate for themselves when it's needed. Being able to express your mind can save you from a lot of trouble. It doesn't matter what the situation is or what it involves. If you are able to speak for yourself and defend what you think is true and fair, life will be smoother for you.

In the story below, we find a renter who was living in horrible conditions due to the landlord's lack of help. This person was really trying to get the landlord to fix everything for herself. She gave her 3 months to fix the roof, you read me right, 3 MONTHS! And what did the landlord do? Absolutely nothing –oh, sorry, she did one thing: blame the renter for not being able to schedule, when the renter explained a million times that they weren't receiving an answer from the contractors she had hired. I do not know what this person expected this renter to do. Just live in awful conditions because it was cheaper for her than having to fix it? That is not how being a landlord works. There are laws, and you have to respect them. Not providing fixes for an apartment that is not in the correct condition is against the law.

Luckily enough, this story had a pretty happy ending. This renter was smart enough to advocate for themself. They got the city involved, and an inspector came to the apartment to check it out. They discovered a lot more things that were wrong with the apartment, so now this person will get to live in a place that is 100% up to code, all while getting it fixed by the annoying landlord. She should have just fixed the roof. It would have cost a lot less money.

20 Pumpkin-Inspired Fall Decorations That Should Go Back Inside the Box

Melissa Knudson — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0700

Who doesn't want a rotting, half-carved, terrifying-looking pumpkin in their backyard this fall? (With glasses and cinnamon flavor).

If you're passionate about handmade projects and get inspired each season to try the most impossible crafts the internet can possibly offer you. If you also think that you can nail them no problem, even when you have never touched a pair of scissors in your life, this message is for you: please, watch the complete tutorial before letting your wild creativity kick in. We love your out-of-the-box ideas, but we also love to sleep soundly at night without getting hunted by unexpectedly terrifying creatures. We really just want to walk by your garden without ending up with residual nightmare fuel.

We know your intention wasn't to create a horrifying creature, perfect for Halloween night. We know that, deep down, you just wanted to be like that one influencer that pops up on your feed every single day, who can make wonderful and functional color lights out of some used paper, foil and hot glue. One day, perhaps, but for now, please stick to Spirit. Unless you're actually a DIY pro, in which case we deeply apologize for the disturbing images you're about to see.

Fall is almost here, and failing at overly-creative decorative projects will be the number one activity very soon. To get your ideas going, we are hoping that we can inspire you to create the next new pumpkin monster horror protagonist of the season. So, we have dived into a collection of peculiar-looking fall pumpkins that might not be the most masterful, but are certainly the ones that have earned a little (not so crafty) place in our hearts. At the end of the day, the best Halloween ambience often comes from the most unexpected trendy DIY fall decoration videos out there.

Boss demands employee show up 1 hour earlier unpaid, sends an AI-generated message to motivate them: 'You have the potential to do great things'

JR Atkinson — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 08:15:00 -0700

When your boss asks you to do something unpleasant, the least they can do is write it themselves.

The world is full of cop-outs these days. The widespread use of AI means that if you don't want to try so hard, you don't have to. This can mean that we're treating things with less respect than they might deserve. Especially in professional interactions. It makes sense that you'd want to save time, but business is really all about relationships. If you're not treating that relationship with respect, then you're not going to go far. This includes using AI to communicate with your employees for you. It's hard to feel like anyone cares about you when they're using a robot to talk to you. That's what was happening in this story, though.

Timeliness is important. Every job has different expectations about timing, and every job requires a different level of attentiveness in terms of timeline. Some jobs are fine with you strolling in past your start time and leisurely starting your day. Other jobs will ding you for every minute that you waste. It's your job to respond to the needs of your workplace and figure out your rhythm within it. The employee in this story was getting conflicting information from their employers regarding their start time. This is a pressing issue because lateness can have grave consequences in the workplace.

Recruiter accidentally leaves notes on job description, reveals secret applicant requirements: 'Traits to avoid—2 to 4 month resume gaps, 8+ years of experience'

Ally Perry — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 07:30:00 -0700

What do hiring managers even want from job applicants anymore?

A lot of advice about looking for a job comes down to knowing how to play the game. An applicant learns how to tweak their resume to every job description, making it engaging enough for a person but also simple enough to be processed by AI; they coach themselves on common interview questions and do their research into the company so they can make some engaging questions of their own. They sink hours of their time into applying and networking and trying to land a new role, but often, they find no luck. It's rough out there.

It is not uncommon for somebody seeking work to feel like they are doing everything right, but not seeing any results for it. There always seems to be a better applicant, a company changes its mind, or maybe the job they were hoping to get didn't even exist in the first place. It is almost inevitable that they start to wonder if they have a problem.

While it is true that everyone has their flaws and they can prevent them from being hired, it is fair to say that some employers have standards that are ridiculous. They seem to chase an ideal candidate who doesn't really exist, and leave behind those who may not conform 100% to their strict criteria, but who would be a worthwhile employee. When they get so many applications, though, they don't want to broaden those horizons. It is just too much work.

Texas tenant contacts property manager to dispute $3,200 security deposit deductions and is told they owe an additional amount totalling $10,000 for landscaping charges over brown grass: 'They’re taking my entire deposit and I owe $6,500 on top of that'

Brad Dickson — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:45:00 -0700

This tenant, eager to follow up on their security deposit with a property manager who had ghosted them, logged into the online property management portal and discovered $6,000 in "charges" they had never been notified about.

When they finally got a hold of the landlord and property manager, it was explained to them that these charges were in addition to the loss of their entire $3,200 security deposit.

The reason given? A grass had given up and turned totally brow. The landlord argued the tenant was responsible even though the lawn wasn't in good shape when they moved in 5 years ago. And the heat of summer and lack of maintenance were more responsible for the state of the lawn than anything the tenant felt they had done.

Employee only realized what unlimited PTO really meant once he was already working for the company: ‘They said unlimited and “true” unlimited, that most people take around 6 weeks off a year’

Olivia Arocena — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0700

We all understand that a benefit can be a little exaggerated in a job offer, but a straight-up lie is a little bit more complicated

I guess this bold statement the company made could be legally investigated, but this employee would have to invest quite a lot of energy for the investigation to go anywhere. It depends on whether he thinks he could benefit from it (if you know what I mean), and I believe he can.

Few things are worse than a passive-aggressive work environment. In this type of story, whether it's posted on Reddit, X, or even TikTok, people seem to react by commenting something along the lines of: 'Find another job' or 'Just quit; they don't deserve you', as if it were that simple.

Jobs are not easy to find in this economy. Imagine simply leaving your job and applying for new ones while rent is due and you're living off a credit card. Life is definitely not that simple. You have to evaluate a lot of variables when you try to get a new job: whether it pays enough, whether it's remote or not, whether it's freelance, whether it has other benefits; and, on top of all that, we'd have to be contacted at least for an interview. Sometimes it's easier to keep our job and try to make the best of it, even if it's not perfect.

If he considers the job worth keeping, he could take the petty route and use every paid time off that doesn't collide with a blackout date, further complicating the relationship with his bosses, or he could start grieving the unlimited PTO he thought he was going to have. Or, well, if he has the resources, the time, and the energy, he could take this to court and make some money off it? I guess.

Designated driver gets tired of friends constantly volunteering him to drive strangers home for free, finally refuses when he promises three women a ride without asking: ‘He thinks I embarrassed him’

Cata Holmes — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:15:00 -0700

His car, his gas, his time… although it seems that all of this depends on his friend's decision.

I'm sure this story is going to feel personal for too many people out there who struggle with entitled friends who feel they can do whatever they want with their other's time. Every time the OP and his friends go out at night, he's the one driving everybody home afterward because he prefers it. That's fine: if this is an active decision, then there should be no problem. Well… let me tell you a bit more.

There's one person on this friend group who constantly adds more people to the ride… but not people they know: total strangers they meet during the night. Because he wants to look cool, he offers free rides from his friend. "Don't order an Uber, he's already driving…" kind of thing. One night was okay, since the people were already in the car and refusing felt bad. But the following weekend, when they went out, the issue happened again.

Instead, there were three ladies who were going to call an Uber, but the friend said that the OP was going to take them. And, in that moment, he refused and said that he was going straight home. His friend was playing along and insisted that he could drive… like it was nothing to him! The prior weekend, it took him 40 extra minutes to get home, and let's not even talk about the money and gas.

He stood his ground and luckily got away with the situation. But not with his friend's anger. Apparently, he had promised those girls a ride, and he made him look bad by saying no… But whose problem is that? From the person who owns the car and is the one who actually goes behind the wheel, or from the one who has a big mouth and wants to look cool? Please… let's be respectful of others' time and money. Friendships aren't based on favours, and being kind towards each other is key to having a good relationship.

"Is everyone short-staffed?": Workers everywhere wonder how and why seemingly every workplace is operating at a near-permanent reduction in staffing levels

Brad Dickson — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:15:00 -0700

Companies across different industries and sectors are pushing layoffs. Justifying these job losses under the guise of AI improvements and efficiencies.

But I keep returning to the same thought:

I haven't seen AI actually take anyone's job yet. Have you?

Don't get me wrong. Jobs are vacant and disappearing. Everywhere is short-staffed, but I have yet to see evidence that an AI is actually doing that work. It has always just been pushed onto the remaining team members.

Woman is worried she’ll be caught in the middle of her cousin’s wedding drama: ‘Someone please explain to me why my dad’s girlfriend decided to go with a WHITE DRESS WITH GIANT SKY BLUE FLOWERS ON IT’

Olivia Arocena — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:00:00 -0700

A wedding is the one time in our lives when we're allowed to go absolutely crazy and drag our family into that loophole

I'm just kidding, but apparently, this is the unspoken rule of weddings lately. Or have they always been like this? They seem to be the focal point of any family issue that was going on prior to the ceremony.

Maybe these types of rituals are good in a counterintuitive way. They bring what's hidden to the surface and we get to deal with it and move on.

Maybe my opinion is too frivolous, but why avoid drama that is not ours? Isn't drama entertaining when you're not at the center of it? If I were her, I would totally attend this wedding with the sole purpose of watching everything unfold.

I mean, you get to enjoy free food, free drinks, fun music, and an amazing live performance. Will it be a tragedy? A comedy? Who knows! You have to attend to find out.

I'm feeling philosophical today, but we're only on this earth for a limited amount of time; why not do our best to seize every minute of it?

If you really, really can't enjoy the wedding and the drama it will likely unfold in, you can always bail out! You can go out for drinks that night with your best friends. You can tell your family you're sick. Nobody will find out, and you'll protect your peace.

In the end, what matters most is what makes you the happiest. But if it were for me, I would pay to see that WHITE DRESS WITH GIANT SKY BLUE FLOWERS ON IT in action. Seriously, What could go wrong?

MA Artist discovers a print shop selling copies of his illustration after he paid them for 25 prints, claiming that the fact he sent the file granted them permission: ‘[They] cropped closely enough that my small signature is missing’

Etai Eshet — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:30:00 -0700

Oh, so paying your print shop to make copies of your artwork gives them the right to reproduce and sell it? Cool, cool, cool.

But it obviously doesn't.

Life and law are sometimes pretty straightforward, even when it comes to messy, complex stuff like IP, because a written order for twenty-five prints on heavy paper means twenty-five prints. It doesn't mean the shop can crop out the signature, hang the image by the register, and treat it like inventory.

That's true for Massachusetts print and also pretty much any state and any shop.

Friend persuades employee to let him use employee discount, protests when he bans him from letting others use it too: 'I'm not turning my employee account into a group coupon'

Ally Perry — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:00:00 -0700

Should the perks of the job apply to an employee's social circle?

For all the complaints about the working world, it does occasionally come with some benefits. Those companies that aren't too stingy acknowledge that a few perks can make their employees happier and maybe even more inclined to do a better job for them. If it's in the budget, it should be a no-brainer.

That being said, these kinds of arrangements have to operate with a certain level of trust. Somebody who exploits them unfairly could end up ruining it for everyone, or at the very least, getting in trouble themselves. Of course, employees are going to try to use their benefits to the maximum of their ability, but it is sensible to have some limits. Not only can employers be fickle, but other people can be inclined to use the worker so that they can make the most of their perks, too. It is yet another scenario where it is necessary to have firm boundaries and be careful who you share your goodwill with. There will always be a person who wants to take things too far and turn it into a bad thing instead.

Managers review employee, saying he lacks “executive presence”, for things he did during three prior meetings: ‘I wrote all three down with what actually happened in each, using my notes and my calendar’

Olivia Arocena — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:45:00 -0700

I've talked about corporate jargon before, but this takes it to a completely different level

What makes remarks like this so disrespectful is that you know they hold a much deeper, personal meaning, but they are expressed in such a dry, professional, and seemingly assertive way that you are forced to smile while, at the same time, you're being openly insulted.

Executive presence is nothing more than a value judgment based on the way you present yourself or speak. They are basically telling you that you don't look the part, and that they won't give you roles that fit that part.

Maybe it is something you can improve; maybe it isn't.

Of course management has the right to decide who'll occupy those roles, but it stings nonetheless.
If one wants to be successful in corporate, one has to find the right, HR-approved ways of saying "I hate you", "I'm going to succeed at this regardless", and "When I get there, you'll be the first person I'll fire if you're not already gone by then".

I think we've all been told something that later turned out not to be true. Or we were told that we weren't fit for a role we were totally fit for. Not everybody has the vision, and you can't blame it. To me, you've got to go with what feels right for you. One should never reject an opportunity to learn and should always remain humble, but nobody can tell you that you lack something and that you will lack it forever. They simply can't know that.

What do you think this word salad actually meant? Do you think this employee still has a chance of escalating within this company, or should he start looking for another job that gives him the opportunity to learn some 'Executive presence'?

'What are some of the craziest "employee did something [dumb] and got fired" stories you've heard/witnessed?': Employees share stories about the dumbest reasons people got fired

María Cetra — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Sometimes the dumbest thing can be the reason for your firing.

You can get hired for a job position without being the most intelligent one. But you can get fired without being the dumbest one as well. Getting fired can even be easier than getting hired even was. To get hired, you have to send your resume, get approved, get called into an interview, ace it, and maybe go through even more interviews. Then, finally, after all that effort, you get the job. On the other hand, to get fired, you just need one dumb thing, and that can be reason enough for your job to no longer be yours.

So, if getting fired is that easy, does that mean that everyone could lose their job over one mistake? Well, it depends, but mainly, yes. Especially if the mistake is actually harmful to either the company or your superiors. You have to remember that, as an employee, you are just one more person who works in favor of the company. Your job description also includes being useful, being important for the company, not the reason that damages it. So, if by any means you dumb act or bad day, it's actually harmful to the company, its production, or any of the hired people who work for said company, then you can count on the fact that you will, in fact, get fired. And, unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it, as it is justified.

I'm sure that every employee who has worked for a while at a company knows at least one story about a person who got fired from the job due to a dumb mistake. Sometimes is something extremely dumb that can even be not able to be understood by other people. And everyone just thinks, "Why did they do that?" But well, those things happen, and we have to just deal with it. If you want to know more about this kind of story, I would suggest checking the thread below.

Employee refuses to charge coworkers for the free candy bowl he's stocked for years, office committee blames him for taking profits away from its snack fundraiser: 'You're not being a team player'

Celeste Mello — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0700

Maybe the office fundraiser needs a better strategy instead of trying to stop an employee from handing out treats.

A free candy bowl should be harmless. The owner of the candy bowl is an employee who posted in the Reddit AITA subreddit under the username GrotiusandPufendorf. He explains that he keeps candy stocked for everyone to help themselves, spending about $40 every two or three months on treats. He is happy to do this and doesn't expect anything in return. People occasionally contribute a few dollars or bring more candy, but there is no price list or expectation attached. The bowl has become a small part of the office's workday, bringing a nice gesture meant to make people a little happier at work.

The conflict began when the office committee started selling snacks from a shelf in the lobby. They use the profit to pay for happy hours, holiday decorations, and occasional office lunches. That system exists separately from the candy bowl. The candy bowl had been available for years before the committee was formed.

Anyway, the members of the committee dared to ask the employee to charge for his snacks and even accused him of not being a team player, as he was cutting into the committee's snack sales. The employee naturally refused to charge for his candy. Coworkers remain free to support the fundraiser if they want lunch and social events, but they are also free to take a piece of candy that a colleague purchased to share. The fundraiser can't depend on controlling or eliminating every other free alternative. They have to find another way of raising money.

‘Some things are simply irreplaceable’: 24-year-old woman chooses to donate all her roommate's clothes without her permission and claims it was an accident

Giuliana Tiscioni — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:15:00 -0700

Moving in with a roommate sometimes is the only way to pay for all the bills and live in a somewhat comfortable place, but living with a stranger is always a risk.

These two girls have been living together for a few months now, and mostly they get along just fine without major issues. But recently, they faced a situation that strained the relationship. One of them came back after a long shift at work and found that half of her closet was missing. At first, she thought she had misplaced some items, but they were nowhere to be found. She asked her roommate, and she said she'd been cleaning up and had taken her clothes to a donation center. Without asking first. Just because she thought those clothes were up for donation. Mind you, the clothes were inside the closet. The first girl asked her to get her things back, but she wasn't able to do it, and they only gave her $60 for everything. The thing is, there was valuable stuff among those clothes that was worth far more than that, especially a jacket that she had received as a gift from her brother. A few days later, the electric bill came, and she refused to pay it until she was reimbursed for all her stuff.

You know what? That's completely fair. The other girl left her with half a closet empty (clothes are not exactly cheap), got into her room, and went to her things without asking. She basically stole from her. She didn't respect her roommate's space and boundaries, and if she's not willing to pay her for everything she made her lose, she might as well take care of the bills as a way of reparation until the cost of the items is covered. She can always just pay her what she's owed for all the clothes, but we all know she most likely won't want to do it. This is what 'a risk' means. Not everybody understands boundaries in the same way, and even if they help you pay the bill, they can make your life more complicated. Let's hope she's learned to be respectful of other people's space and belongings.

Boss extends new employee's probation period, so employee quits without notice after finding better job: ‘Boss threw an absolute fit’

Bar Mor Hazut — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:30:00 -0700

Why do bosses keep forgetting that employment is a two-way street?

The first three months of a new hire's in a workplace are often referred to as the employee's "probation period", and it is exactly what it sounds like. These three probationary months are there for the employee to prove that they were the right hire for the job. During these 90 days, new hires are expected to bring in their A-game, work as hard as they can to show their worth, and prove to management that they are worth keeping, without a single doubt.

An employee who fails to do so by the time the probation period ends will most likely be let go, without the company having to provide a severance package, a notice period, or anything else a long-term employee is eligible for.

However, most employers forget that this probation period is also there for the workplace to prove it's worth it to the new hire. The new employee also gets these three months to test and judge the workplace to see if it fits their expectations. Everything that applies to the employee also applies to the employer, including the end result: if the employee isn't satisfied with the workplace, they can leave immediately, no questions asked.

So, when the boss featured in this post on Reddit's r/antiwork decided to extend a new employee's probation period by another 90 days, he was doing so on both ends. If the workplace isn't yet sure about the new hire's value to the company, extending the probation period means that both parties can still cut ties at any point.

That is exactly what the employee did. Being told that she still didn't prove her worth in the company was a key sign for her that this was not a job she should keep, and luckily, she already had another offer at hand. When she sent her boss a resignation letter without any notice, he threatened to report her for breaking their contract. A contract that doesn't apply since he decided to extend the probation period…

Basically, he has no leg to stand on.

‘A nepo baby is trying to destroy my career’: Manager confronts CFO's son for refusing to do his job, but higher-ups warn that being too harsh on him could get the manager fired

Cata Holmes — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 06:45:00 -0700

What would you do if the CFO's son put your career at risk?

Imagine that you're a good manager and you know how to do your job. People respect you, and working feels natural and not very demanding. Well, to this wonderful scenario, add a new character: the CFO's son. This nepo baby was stuck in your team because his father wanted to give him a job… or something to do. You know that is probably a sensitive topic, so you give him the simplest task ever: CTRL C + CTRL V. Copying and pasting documents…

At the same time, the company hired an intern, and your coworkers, smarty-pants, decide to give all of their nasty work to this new kid… leaving you reconsidering what you did with the nepo baby. Perhaps you should have given him more responsibilities? Maybe one of yours? And after confirming he's not even capable of copying and pasting anything… You confront him.

Shame on you, because now you're on the blacklist.

Your higher-ups told you not to push him, or you may end up being fired. Imagine that, take a second…

People go to college; they work hard to find a good position in this hideous job market that we're facing, only for the company you're working at to side with this rich kid who clearly doesn't want to work or know how to work. Anyways, you know it's already a lost battle. You should swallow your pride and just do what you're asked to do… nothing is going to happen. Play along, and that's it. Yes, it's awful, and this manager probably deserves some respect. But ranks are ranks, and have to be "respected".

Besides the ego issue here, it's good to understand the rules inside any company. If there's somebody's son in there, then you should treat them like royalty and maybe expect nothing from them… play along with what you're told, and your job position will be secured. Sounds terrible, I know. But look what happened to this manager here: he wanted the kid to work harder, and he got iced out.

Couple flies 600 miles for a wedding, only to discover one of them doesn’t have an assigned seat: ‘I went over to the gift table and found my envelope. I put it in my jacket and we left’

Olivia Arocena — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0700

Some petty things are mandatory

Some things in life are obligatory. Not all of them are nice and ethical. Not all of them make us the bigger person. Sometimes we must do the petty thing, as this is the only way the message we mean to send will be understood.

If, by any chance, we were to be delicate or choose the mature road, some people would never understand that they've wronged us. Of course, we should be wise when choosing when to take the petty road, because not everything is worth creating a scene for, but some things are, and oh boy, we should squeeze all the juice out of them.

I don't really understand wedding code, because nobody around me gets married anymore. I assume this is a pretty dramatic situation, and that's why the OP reacted that way, especially after travelling so much to get to the event. What I do observe is that many stories reflect the economic nature weddings are acquiring. They seem increasingly more related to cash-grabbing than to celebrating union.

Angry brides demanding expensive gifts their guests can't afford is now becoming the norm. But if you're expected to travel 600+ miles and deliver an expensive gift and you're not even included on the list, I don't think that's a fair exchange, and it definitely deserves a petty reaction.

I don't think OP caused much of a scene; I think he was coherent, and after all, gifts and even presence should be optional. If they weren't, it wouldn't be a party but an obligatory fundraising event, and maybe that's what it secretly is, apparently.

Do you think this couple caused way too much of a scene? Or did they do well by leaving the party with their precious envelope?

‘How firing me backfired for my boss’: Textile company tries to dodge severance by dragging out a firing, but boss's own delays and paperwork mistakes force him to pay two months of unworked salary plus full severance and a 10% penalty.

Etai Eshet — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 04:15:00 -0700

Just like there are people who see the law as advice, there are bosses who treat employment law like a suggestion box and wonder why it bites them later, you know where.

This one spent years yelling at staff, denying it on camera, and assuming nobody would ever push back. Then he met an employee who understood the rules well enough to turn a firing into a slow-motion financial trap.

The plan started simple enough: put the worker on a special government leave, stretch it with extensions, and hope they found another job so the company could dodge severance. It worked for a while, until paperwork due dates did what paperwork due dates do. An extension request arrived late, gov said no, and suddenly two months of paid leave became two months of paid nothing, billed directly to the boss.

'It all started when...': Pour a dash of these laughs into your morning meme coffee for extra energy (September 14th, 2026)

Cata Holmes — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:00:00 -0700

Your morning coffee will be extra funny with this dash of laughs.

There's nothing worse than a Monday morning… But as much as we want to hate it, it's here, and there's nothing we can do about it. The good thing is that we have memes, and they can totally help us improve our mood, and maybe our day, too! Memes were created by someone on the Internet who thought that creating portable, small jokes and sharing them online were the key to making someone happy… and that idea was a total hit! Without a doubt, these funny laughs are here, and they know how to make us feel a bit better when we need it the most.

Before you feel discouraged and hesitate about going to work, remember this: you get to have another weekend in a couple of days! Isn't that a good feeling? I'm convinced that I can't enjoy the weekend if I don't struggle through the week first. Well, maybe struggle is not the word, but you get what I'm saying… Is like old people said: "There's good, because there's bad", and that can be applied to weekdays and weekends.

Besides this whole rumble, which I'm not sure is even making sense, I think we should learn to love our Mondays. Yes, it's hard to get up early again and to commute to work… but it also means a fresh start. Fresh start to what? That thing you've been postponing. If you were wanting to pick up running, poetry, writing, cycling, pottery… this is your sign to go do it, or to maybe schedule that first appointment that will get you started.

That last thing I said must be the best advice I've ever given… let's take Mondays and add something that will make you love it! For me, I started incorporating a group meditation every evening, and every Monday I'm counting the minutes until I get to do it! But meanwhile, enjoy these memes that are here to add some fun and laughter to this Monday… you won't regret adding some extra spice to your coffee!

Man becomes dependent on AI bots for every decision he makes, using them for 8+ hours a day: ‘My whole life was consumed by AI. When texting real people, I’d message like I did to the AI bots, or I’d talk to people IRL like I did to the AI bots’

Olivia Arocena — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:15:00 -0700

It's happening; we're becoming dependent on robots. Little by little, they started taking up more and more space in our lives, and we've delegated tasks we used to do with our brains

Brains love reducing effort, and when you have an incredibly quick way of producing any reasoning, redaction, or calculation, you will most likely end up reverting to it for pretty much everything.

The problem is that if we don't use our brains anymore, they will become stunted. We will become poorer at creating text, slower at math, and less bright at finding answers.

We're already seeing the effects of AI usage in our daily lives. We go out on the streets, and many signs are AI-made; many 'pictures' of people are not actually people, and we're increasingly dependent on it for any daily answers we might need.

We have to remember AI still makes mistakes and invents sources, even though it will soon be more developed. We definitely have to keep an eye on the rapid, huge effect it is having on learning, socialization, and people's minds in general.

It would be great if it were mostly used for practical tasks and to make our jobs easier, but many people are using it as a confidant, as a replacement for a friend, a therapist, or even a lover. Do we really prefer a condescending 'relationship' with an LLM that isn't actually thinking over a real-life relationship? Is the world going that way?

We have to keep an eye on what people working in tech are saying about these fast-evolving models, because many declarations are very alarming. I hope we can, as a society, use the tool wisely and that it doesn't completely take over our lives or stunt our human capacity for learning, socializing, loving and even listening.

Boss ignores employee giving 2 weeks' notice after rejecting $5.50/hr raise, gets surprised when they leave: 'I didn't answer any of the calls'

Ally Perry — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:00:00 -0700

Since when is denial a good business strategy?

There comes a time in the career of every employee who knows their worth has no choice but to walk away from a job. Perhaps they get an opportunity elsewhere that they would be foolish to refuse, or things simply got so bad at their workplace that unemployment actually felt like a better alternative. Whatever the scenario, there is almost always a good reason behind somebody putting their livelihood at risk in a way such as this.

Almost all companies will expect an employee who is leaving of their own accord to give them a notice period before they go. Ultimately, though, this is more a courtesy to the former employer than something that is an absolute necessity if someone wants to leave their job. Also, the awkward thing about giving notice is the chance that a manager or HR department might not meet it with the response that an employee hopes for. This can make the already difficult process of quitting a job into a greater ordeal than it needs to be. When you leave a role, you want to be focused on your professional future, not the hang-ups of the past.

Homeowner mowing 1.5-acre rural lot comes into conflict with neighbor's 20-something-year-old adult daughters for disrupting their pool party next door: ' I've mowed my lawn every Saturday during the mowing season for the past 20 years'

Brad Dickson — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:45:00 -0700

A homeowner was blamed for disrupting his neighbor's pool party, which he knew nothing about, while mowing his sizable rural property at the usual time.

Some homeowners do their yard work like clockwork. Out early, at the same time every weekend. A well-practiced weekend ritual. Mow the lawns, trim the hedges back, prune the trees. Then take care of whatever other routine maintenance needs handling.

Noises from this general maintenance of neighbors doing general maintenance of their homes are to be expected. You might hope not too early, not too often, and not for too long, but that's not always a fair expectation to set. Some things just need to be done.

At least, this is what you mutter under your breath as your neighbor starts up his new battery-powered leaf blower yet again in a futile effort to render every square inch of his property spotless.

Granddaughter inherits more money than the other grandchildren, so his uncle asks her to give up some of her money to her cousins: ‘I told him that it would not be happening’

María Cetra — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0700

It's an inheritance, not the lottery.

Making plans based on the assumption that you will receive money when a family member passes away is extremely tacky. Firstly, because that money is not yours. It was someone else who decided to leave it to you once they are gone. They are allowed to change their mind, leave it to somebody else, or fully spend it before that day comes. Secondly, this is a family member, a loved one. The fact that someone they love is plotting to do things when they are gone with their assets seems evil. You want that person to live, supposedly, not them to pass away only so you can have their money. Do you even love them, or do you just want their money?

A person is allowed to leave whatever they want to whoever they want. They can pick and choose what they want to leave for who, in their eys, deserves it. In this story, we get a grandma who decided to divide her inheritance as she pleased. She didn't want to leave everything to be divided equally by her grandchildren. She wanted to leave more to some grandchildren than to others. And you know what? She has every right to do so! If you feel like this is unfair in any way, get over it! She had the right to pick and choose as she pleased.

So now we have this big family feud over money that is not only tacky but also so evil. They are fighting for money when somebody they loved, their grandma, has just passed away. Why wouñd yopu do that? Why would you judge what a person decides to do with HER money? It was her money that made her entitled to decide to do whatever she wanted with it. And no one, NO ONE, has a right to be upset over this. It's life. Accept it! And inheritance is a gift, not an expectation. Stop expecting people to give you things that you don't deserve! Do with YOUR money whatever you want, but expect nothing from everyone else's.

CTO enforces rule stating employees should only work if they're at their office desks, they all comply, resulting in client crisis during the weekend: ‘Nobody was working'

Bar Mor Hazut — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0700

If work only counts when you're at the office, why should you spend even a minute working while you're out?

Not that long ago, in an era when cell phones didn't exist and you couldn't reach out to other people at a moment's notice, there was a clear separation between your work life and your personal life. As long as you were not physically at the office, it was really tough to contact you and have you work after hours. The job stayed at the office, and once you were out, you were free to pursue your personal life without being bothered with work. Everything could wait until 9 AM on your next workday.

These days, however, availability is much more accessible and therefore is expected. Since your boss, coworkers, and clients often have access to your personal phone number, and your smartphone is conveniently connected to your email, Slack, and any other work channel, getting in touch with you even after you leave work at 5 PM is not a problem. This means that it has become an expectation for employees to be available for work-related issues even after they have clocked out for the day, which also directly leads to an incredibly uneven work-life balance.

The employees in the story below were used to this balance, mainly because they were only expected to be at the office for two days a week. When you can work from anywhere, you accept the blurred lines of work hours in favor of the flexibility in your work location. However, when a new CTO decided to remove that flexibility and demand a strict 9-to-5 schedule from the office only, employees decided to bring the good ol' days' style back into fashion: If they are expected to only work from the office for five days a week, they will no longer make themselves available for work issues after they leave the office at the end of each day. Any problem that might arise after 5 PM can wait until the next morning.

So, when a major crisis with a client arose after 5 PM on a Friday, there was not a single employee ready to tackle the issue until Monday at 9 AM. When the CTO heard what (didn't) go down over the weekend, he had to face the repercussions of his own rules…

Man charges his daughter-in-law $5,000 for a trip to Europe he was supposedly paying for: ‘I would have booked different flights, hotels, and experiences if I knew I would have had to pay for all of it. I was only told I would be paying for the flight’

Olivia Arocena — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:15:00 -0700

Retroactive family charge

There is a distinction between a gift and a debt. A gift produces an asymmetry. A genuine gift produces an asymmetry; you can't immediately 'give back' or repay, and that's part of what makes it genuine. It's not something you're expected to pay for.

This father, although, inverted that mechanism by retroactively saying: 'You owe me'. Many times, although it misses the point of gifting, a gift comes with a subterranean sense of debt; the thing is, that it shouldn't be explicit, otherwise it becomes a quid pro quo, a simple economic exchange.

The important thing here is the surprise. That is what makes it fishy. If he had told his son and daughter-in-law they were going to pay for the whole thing, they could've just declined. And of course it wasn't an accident. We're talking about adults who know their way around money.

This retroactive charge sounds more like an unelaborated emotional charge coming in the form of a financial one than simple miscommunication. The father's attitude, apart from being very immature, is very inconsiderate of the obviously different financial situation of his daughter-in-law.

It is a really poor way to maintain authority; the father gets to determine what counts as generosity and what doesn't, and you have no say in what you want to participate in. You were forced into that economic agreement.

You are not included; you are paying for a service I provided. This type of generosity is persecutory; it creates a demand, and anyone should try to escape deals like this. But this deal wasn't even disclosed from the start. I really think it is the boyfriend's responsibility to talk about it with his father and leave his girlfriend out of it; after all, he is the one who has issues with his authority.

Entitled customer expect front desk employee to unattend the other hotel guest so he has priority to book a room oveer the check ins: 'He screamed on the phone "NO! YOU HAVE JUST LOST MY BUSINESS!!!"

María Cetra — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 07:30:00 -0700

'I will take my business elsewhere'. Do so! Nobody cares.

I hate entitled customers, but these are also able to be divided into categories. There are the ones whose entitlement makes them scream. Then the ones that start mistreating with heavy insults towards the poor employee. There are also the ones that refuse to leave, no matter if security is escorting them out. And then we have this customer. He started yelling from the moment he was told 'no'. Then he said my favorite phrase: 'I will take my business elsewhere'. What a saying! It's almost magical. It just gives you, as a customer service employee, all the information you need to know about the customer, and that is that they do not deserve your time. Never, ever respond trying to help them, unless you really have to for store policies. They do not deserve anything after that. Only answers that apply as a response after that phrase are 'GO!'. You want to take your business elsewhere? Do so! Nobody is going to stop you. Just do it!

I do not think that this kind of customer will ever change. They have their mind set on entitlement to a point where there is no return. So it's pointless to spend time trying to explain to someone that their attitude is wrong. It's important to me to clarify it, just in case someone would see a point in listening to me and what I have to say. But, realistically, nobody will ever change just because they are told by a stranger online that they should be like that. Their entitlement blinds them to the point that they justify their actions, even though deep down they do know that what they are doing is wrong. They know this is no way to treat an employee, and they also know that they wouldn't have liked to be treated that what if they were the ones who were working at the front desk of that hotel. If you do work in customer service, you will be able to testify that these people do this over and over. They don't change. And you will also be able to say that you wouldn't treat ANYBODY ever like this. But that is what customer service is like sometimes. And there is nothing left to do about it.

Recently fired employee uses the perfect tactic to collect a bigger severance: ‘I send a thank you and it doesn't register as sent, seems he immediately blocked me’

Olivia Arocena — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0700

Laid-Off To Dreamland

Some of us can only dream of something like this ever happening to us. We dream not only of being given the opportunity to stop going to our boring jobs one lucky day, but also of being paid to do it. That's extremely luxurious. And also something to be celebrated.

If this employee had planned it, it wouldn't have come out this good. But sometimes, stars align, and things like this happen- not always, but they do.

Being laid off can be really stressful. If you have no savings, which is something that's becoming increasingly hard to have, you are forced to get a job as soon as possible, and that can be tricky and stressful in itself.

You're running out of money, and you have to seem professional and easygoing, like you weren't worried about whether you'd be able to afford groceries the upcoming week.

At any rate, at risk of sounding too cliché, some of the best opportunities in our lives appear in the worst possible moments; at least in my life, it always happened like this. This doesn't mean it doesn't take any effort to be granted an opportunity; it just means that sometimes, even though we work hard, things don't seem to be going our way, but if we hang in there, they most likely will at some point.

This is one of those cases in which justice works, and time works in the good guy's favor. The fact that the good guy was well informed of his legal rights most certainly helped as well. Could you imagine keeping a straight face while you offer your employee the worst severance 'deal' ever and act as if what you're doing is totally contemplated by law? Life is wonderful.

Guys, I think I want to move countries…

24-year-old corporate employee decides he wants to leave his job but doesn’t know what to do instead: ‘I’m already realizing that I really don’t want this to be my life for the next 30–40 years. The problem is…I don’t know what the alternative is.’

Olivia Arocena — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 16:15:00 -0700

We all want to leave our day job, but we have to be realistic

Nobody directly told us it had to be like this, but in a way, we still complied. We went to school, we graduated relatively early, and then dived headfirst into corporate.

Before we even had time to consider if that's what we wanted to do, we were already working 9-to-5. There is no use in crying over spilled milk; we can't change the past. All we can do is avoid a dreadful, grey, corporate future.

It would be really easy if we all had a very clear calling from the get-go, but not all of us do. Some of us didn't have time to think about what we really wanted to do.

Still, having a well-paying job is something to be thankful for, because if you didn't have that but had a very clear calling instead, it wouldn't be as easy as it sounds to make enough money to sustain it.

If I were in this employee's shoes, I'd use the extra money I make from corporate to invest in anything I find pleasurable. I'd take my time to find my path in my free time, while I hold my stable income.

I trust that, at some point, after deep exploration, desire will come through and guide the way.

Of course, another alternative would be to simply invest in startups and look to retire early. The main issue is that it sounds boring, but well, if it's for the good money, so be it.

If you had to advise this young corporate employee: What would you do instead?

Woman lends cookbook to friend, and she cuts the pages she likes to keep them: ‘She says I never specifically told her not to remove pages’

Olivia Arocena — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:30:00 -0700

In what universe is cutting pages from a book you borrowed normal behavior?

Food is a universal language. Every culture has their own example of a cookbook, passed down through generations, perpetuating the knowledge and the love mothers have for their children.

People say you shouldn't expect books you lend to even come back, but nobody said anything about them coming back with fewer pages.

If we had to explain the most basic, common-knowledge rules of private property every time we lent something, we'd never do it; so naturally, nobody expects something like this to happen, and everybody assumes we most likely operate from the same system of values. Well, turns out we don't.

Things like this happen; the sad part is that we can't really predict them. We'd suffer more being as paranoid as we should be to avoid these outcomes than by living and accepting a certain degree of misfortune.

By this, I'm not saying this woman should limit herself to accepting her fate and let go of her beloved, passed-down cookbook. I'm simply saying it's unfortunate, and mostly not her fault.

That said, there needs to be something done ASAP, because a cookbook is basically a family relic. Luckily, family relics can be reconstructed, and previously cut pages stuck back in can look quirky and give it more history, but for that to happen, those pages need to come back.

I'm assuming the other woman kept them for her and didn't throw them away. I really don't want any more surprises coming from her at this point. This story is sufficiently ridiculous as it is.

Is this the end of this cookbook's story? Or does it have more pages?

Homeowner leaves 2-star review after appliance repairman refuses to return to finish the job, they update their review to include that the repairman was only willing to refund their $240 if they took the review down

Brad Dickson — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:00:00 -0700

Should a customer feel responsible for taking down another negative review when it might affect a small business?

A homeowner's refusal to remove their negative review, even after the appliance repairman offered them a refund in exchange for its removal, left the homeowner wondering later whether or not they were in the wrong for the negative impact the review might have on their business.

Manager asks employee to clock them in 30 minutes before they arrive, ices them out when employee refuses: 'I'm not risking my job for someone else'

JR Atkinson — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 09:30:00 -0700

Would you risk your job for someone else's gain?

For most people, the answer to this question is a pretty clear no. Jobs are a precious thing. It's not easy to get one that you like and that serves you well, so when you do have one, you'd better hold onto it with all you have. You certainly don't want to put your job in jeopardy just because somebody asked you to and because they're socially pressuring you to do so. Peer pressure is never a good thing to inflict on somebody else, no matter how old you are. But that's what was happening in this situation between a manager and their employee. Sometimes people ask you to do things for them, and you feel like you have to say yes. This happens all the time. Maybe they are in a higher-status position than you and try to lord it over you to get what they want. You feel like if you say no, you'll suffer the consequences. This happens all too often. But you have an ability and a right to say no whenever you want to. You don't have to do something just because somebody asked you to. Even if that person is your boss. If it makes you uncomfortable, then you shouldn't do it. This includes doing something at work that might not affect you but will affect somebody else.

Guy remembers a story from his childhood when he saw a guy dressed as if he were from the 18th century disappear in front of his eyes: ‘I personally lean ghost. My friend says our revolutionary friend accidentally clipped into the other's timeline’

María Cetra — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 07:30:00 -0700

Paranormal activity or childish imagination? Ghost, time traveller, or lost performer?

I'm going to start a debate where I will convey all possibilities, their pros and cons. And then you will be in charge of deciding which of these possibilities is true. This story is about two childhood friends who, on a special historical anniversary, saw a guy dressed as if he were from the 18th century and then disappeared in front of their eyes. There are three theories: the one the writer of the story has, the one his friend has, and the most rational one. Which one do you believe?

The writer of this story argues that what they saw was a ghost or some kind of spectre. His reasoning lies in the fact that this was on the 4th of July, a really important day, especially to their town. The guy was dressed as if he was from the 18th century, which would mean that he would have already passed away in the 20th century, so making him a ghost makes sense. He believes he appeared and was frightened by the two living kids. And that his appearance is tied to the anniversary taking place. As if he had been in that place during the 1700s.

The friend isn't completely against the writer's theories. But he thinks that his theory is better. He believes that this man was a time traveller from the 18th century. He argues that he disappeared because he got scared due to not understanding whether the two kids were out of place or he was. This theory is also supported by the writer. It seems plausible for both of them. They say that a time traveller fits their story.

Lastly, we have the rational theory. This was a performer who was doing some kind of show to resemble the 18th century to celebrate the anniversary. The man went into the woods because he got lost, and then he saw the kids. He realized that it wasn't his place to be. So he turned around and left. The kids had a big imagination and made the story more interesting. To this day, they do not remember that they made up the part where the man disappeared. So what do you think? Which of these theories is the true one?

Employee Who Stole a Coworker's Project to Get Promoted Then Tried to Expose Him for Not Helping With It: ‘Apparently, he told them that the project was falling behind because I was withholding information...’

Olivia Arocena — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 06:45:00 -0700

If you are 'smart' enough to copy an entire project, you shouldn't try to make the person who created it help you make it work! They'll likely find out you copied them!

I thought this was an unspoken rule of copying, but time and again, it turns out I'm wrong, and it seems you can't assume people will behave coherently. All in all, this example is rather righteous, and the bad guy of the story only made matters worse for themselves. So to each their own!

Apparently, divine justice exists, and bad guys who took our credit will eventually fall without our help. Of course, this doesn't happen every time, but we surely should enjoy it every time it does.

I don't think this employee should assume any informal responsibility and help his former colleague be further celebrated for a project he created. The thing is, it is not in anyone's best interest to seem bitter and uncooperative, so the thief's empire should fall without their involvement.

The only way to remain dignified, in my opinion, is to subtly mention that he created the project, without making a big deal of it, because it reflects badly on him, and to be willing to cooperate with a positive attitude.

The hardest part would be to remain calm and agreeable while your ego is fragile and you feel a little envious, because, let's face it, I think he feels a little envious, and that's the root cause of all this drama.

Do you think he would've gotten the promotion if managers knew the project was his? I'm not really sure…

Woman buys a $349 espresso machine without consulting her roommate, who then refuses to pay her share: ‘She said I’d end up using the machine, so I’d be getting it for free, and that you can’t opt out of something that is already in the apartment’

Olivia Arocena — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0700

Someone wanted to have an espresso every morning

And that's okay. Everybody is allowed their own little luxury; the thing is, if you can't afford it, you shouldn't try to drag everyone around you to help you get it.

Moving together is the fastest (and most extreme) way to get to know someone deeply. I've lived in many cities, with many different people, and with all of them I had transformative experiences that completely changed my mind about them.

People who seemed really put together were actually really messy inside the house, or people whom I was best friends with turned out to have huge, hidden parts of their personality I didn't like at all and had never seen. There are things you only learn when you cohabitate the same space.

In this story, the roommate basically wanted to coerce her friend into paying for the coffee machine by giving her no other option to make herself coffee, but that's obviously unfair. There is no question about it.

If I were her, I simply wouldn't use it and, of course, wouldn't pay for it, even if that means not drinking coffee or buying myself a cheaper coffee machine. Of course, I would try to talk to my roommate, but seeing how she handled things is definitely enough for me.

And I even think OP should keep an eye on that, especially on the entitlement the roommate displays by thinking she can decide whatever without asking and that the rest must follow along.

Maybe she felt her roomie said yes telepathically? Hey! We might be ignoring that she might have had special powers. She knows that in the near future, her roommate will be really interested in owning an espresso machine.

Unemployed lawyer visits McDonald's, gets offered a job interview: 'A job's a job'

Ally Perry — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 04:15:00 -0700

A job search is a great way to make anybody start questioning their worth.

A person can spend years achieving the right kind of qualifications and building up the kind of experience that not only looks good on a resume but is actually useful in practice, and still they are faced with the seemingly divine punishment of countless rejection emails in their inbox. Gone are the days when a dose of confidence and a firm handshake would guarantee you a steady role at a reputable company (at least, that remains the case for anybody who doesn't know a guy who knows a guy). Even the most competent and dedicated potential employees are frustrated by elaborate, multi-round interviews and getting ignored because the AI didn't read their details properly.

Things are difficult for everybody in the job market right now, but perhaps most of all those who are trying to take their first steps onto the career ladder. No matter what they may have to recommend them, the entry-level jobs in every industry are becoming increasingly scarce. When somebody has dedicated a lot of time and money to studying a particular subject or profession, it is understandable that they will want to pursue a career that is actually related to that. Whether that is a possibility for them is partially down to skill, but also a hefty dose of luck. If the opportunity fails to arise, they may have no choice but to consider what other fields they may be able to tolerate.

'Hope you have a lonely weekend': 25 work email typos that will haunt the senders forever

Melissa Knudson — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 15:00:00 -0700

We hope you have a "peasant" day; please see the memes "attacked".

You've heard about the dangers of AI and machines taking over humankind (Terminator meets Black Mirror type of thing), but there is an invisible thread that has already started to take over our lives. Autocorrect. It poses as your best friend, promising to make you look professional at your new job, or to save your reputation when faced with the most letter-filled words of the English language. It even goes as far as to give you suggestions that will make your grammar sound more glamorous and engaging, truly making you feel like you can trust it.

Nonetheless, make no mistake. It will betray you the moment you have to send an important communication to your most intimidating boss, or when you're attempting to introduce yourself as the new office hire. When you least expect it, it will change your spelling and help create a core memory in your brain that will keep you up at night every once in a while, until you're a hundred years old. If it makes you feel any better, you are certainly not alone on this ship.

We've all been there. It doesn't really matter how much technology has evolved in these past few years; work emails really have not. You double-check, you triple-check, you call a friend to proofread it for you, and still, as soon as you revisit it after you have just pressed the send button, you feel the sudden urge to crawl under your desk and disappear for the day (or the rest of the week, depending on the severity of the typo). You ended up changing a "u" for an "a" and an "r" for an "f". Might not feel like such a big deal, but the final result is just pure comedy gold.

Fear not. We can help you. Not really with any solution or something of the sort because, if we are being completely honest here, we made most of these mistakes on our morning emails alone. However, we have built a collection of the funniest, most embarrassing email typos, so at least you won't feel alone in your fall from grace. Which one do you think deserves the typo golden crown?

Entitled husband chooses to waste his money on unnecessary things, demands his wife pays his half of the mortage they both split, and gets upset when she refuses: 'He called me selfish'

Giuliana Tiscioni — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 14:15:00 -0700

When it comes to the handling of money inside a marriage, both parties need to agree on big expenses so it doesn't cause strain or financial problems.

When two people choose to marry or move in together, they both need to make compromises to maintain harmony inside the house. Those compromises may entail many different things, but finances are definitely something to keep in mind and one really important issue to discuss beforehand. Couples choose to approach budgeting in different ways, but the most important part is that both are in agreement and stick to what they've decided for the sake of their wallets and of the relationship.

The issues begin when one of those parties actively chooses to go over budget, provoking problems and/or showing that they don't care about their joint financial stability. It's even more problematic when they already have big fixed expenses, like paying rent or a mortgage.

This couple went through an issue of this kind. They both split all their expenses 50/50, including utilities and mortgage. They both cover half of the mortgage every month, but this time, the husband was making some extra big expenses without talking about it with his wife. He bought a gaming console, a set of new golf clubs, and went away for a weekend with his buddies. He spent so much that he ran out of money to pay for his part of the mortgage and asked his wife to cover it. In other words, he expected her to pay for the entire mortgage by herself that month. Naturally, she refused. He was supposed to take care of half of the payments and be responsible for his own finances. He didn't, and now he feels annoyed because his wife doesn't want to take responsibility for his missteps. He claims that they're 'supposed to be a team'. Well, if they are a team, each of the members has to take care of their own responsibilities for the entire system to work smoothly.

No matter whether you have joint finances or individual finances. One is always responsible for their own money and can't demand that others take care or our own mess-ups and reckless behavior.

Woman chastises friend for getting nails done at newly opened salon, protesting when there's no friends and family discount: 'It's $12 cheaper than my normal salon'

Ally Perry — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:15:00 -0700

Is a small business owner always going to be obliged to offer their friends and family a discount on their services?

No doubt about it, making the decision to run your own business is usually a tough one. It requires a person to be incredibly dedicated to what they do, and usually to accept a significant period of struggling to turn a profit before the business in question actually manages to make some real money. It is no wonder so many prefer to be an employee, despite its numerous downsides.

When we are close to somebody who is starting a business, it is prudent to expect that they are going to be having a hard time for a while. It may be a passion project, but that doesn't automatically make it easy. Still, there are many ways to be a good friend and support somebody who is facing the challenges of entrepreneurship; we can be a shoulder to cry on, and perhaps even more importantly, we can offer them our custom. More than anything, a new business needs some exposure, and for people to be paying real money for whatever it is that they are offering. That is how it works.

Hair salon stylist, Chin, butchers gentelmans' hair cut on purpose to get revenge due to his mistreatment towards her: 'Man walked out looking awful, but Chin had the last laugh because he still paid'

María Cetra — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0700

Sometimes your actions say more than your words.

Working in the service industry can be so hard. People who have never worked in customer service love to assume that it is easy. As if it were just smiling and being friendly. It kind of is, until the customer finds your "friendliness" annoying and starts mistreating you, or thinks that you are being mean because you are tired, or just wants your life to be as miserable as theirs. We can think of millions of reasons why customers mistreat the personnel working in customer service. But there is no way of end to that list. People are just mean to employees. And that is exactly why working in customer service is SO hard.

In this story, we can argue that this mistreatment is worse than any other. But the truth is, it has become so common. This kind of behavior from customers toward employees. When I read the story, it didn't even surprise me. This is how A LOT OF PEOPLE behave and treat the staff that is working. It's unbelievable, and it shows how bad we are as a society. This kind of attitude is not only inadmissible, but they should be ashamed of themselves. This is not okay. And change should be made immediately.

Unfortunately, as I said, this kind of behavior is common, so common. But that doesn't mean that it is acceptable. This comeback that the hairstylist made is great, funny, and smart. But in her case, I would have simply thrown them out of the salon. That kind of person should be denied service. If they can't treat people right, then they don't deserve anything. You get what you give. So, let's hope that this word turns into a better one in the future. In the meantime, we are stuck with awful people who find joy in bringing others down. They love to mistreat and mock other people just to feel superior or better about themselves. In reality, they are just miserable beings who do not deserve anything.

Food service employees and their most embarrassing mistakes on the job: 'Spilled 6 glasses of water on a girl'

Ally Perry — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 09:00:00 -0700

Sometimes the best thing you can do during a shift is go home.

Messing up at work is something that everybody does now and then, and dealing with the fallout doesn't always get that much easier. While all workplace mistakes come with their fair share of embarrassment, it has to be said that the potential level of mortification is multiplied when we talk about customer-facing jobs. These are the roles where employees don't just have to prove their professionalism to management, but also to random members of the public. Failing at that means double the consequences.

Some people will be more understanding than others when their server or similar seems to be having a bad day, but it isn't always easy to predict who is going to take a mistake in good faith and who is going to give a hard time about it. In times like these, the worker in question is going to have no choice but to find out what kind of customer they are. It can feel a lot more difficult to own a slip-up than it can to deal with a time when the customer is in the wrong, as it is a matter of competency.

An essential developer looks for advice on how to leverage a raise after becoming the last one remaining at the company capable of maintaining the company's legacy backend: 'How do I turn this into a raise without looking like I am holding them hostage?'

Brad Dickson — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 08:15:00 -0700

In a viral online detailed account of their situation at work, this developer looks for advice on how to turn their new status as the sole caretaker of a fragile legacy system into fair compensation without making the request sound like a threat.

Homeowner knocks down a wall of his house to make his parking bigger, neighbour complains he has taken down the only parking space in the street: 'I told him I was sorry, but this was my wall, and this is what I want to do'

María Cetra — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 07:30:00 -0700

It's my home, my rule, isn't it?

Sometimes homeowners are right in their decision-making. It's not always when I side with them over a neighborhood dispute. But when I do is because they definitely have a valid point. Like in this case. This homeowner decided to take down a wall that was making his parking space smaller. As he bought a new car, he needed the space. So he did what everyone would have done in his case: take down the wall. Now, everything was fine until his neighbor, who was taking advantage of the wall as if it was his parking space to use, got mad at this.

In this story, I don't believe that anybody would side with the neighbor. I get that it is not ideal to lose your parking space all of a sudden. But that is not reason enough to make a complaint. He was never entitled to the parking space. And the homeowner just did what he wanted with his house, which he is entitled to do. So, in this case, this neighbor will just have to accept the situation and shut up.

Florida employee accepts a new job to learn they must pay a $1000 onboarding fee and stay a full year to get it back: ‘Is it even legal to charge a fee?’

Cata Holmes — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 06:45:00 -0700

Starting a new job usually means getting paid… not handing your employer $1000 before you've even made it through training.

By now, I've read multiple stories about a new position or a new job. Most of them talk about how a hiring manager leaves the candidate with no response for months, or how the initial salary expectation is not met once the person is employed… But this is the first time that I'm reading a story about a candidate who has to pay to be able to start working at the company that just hired him.

According to what they told him, this has to be paid on his first day, either in cash or by check, and the only way for him to get it back is by staying for a full year and being in a good position. Also, there's a disclaimer that states that the company can keep the money if they decide to terminate his contract for any reason. Have you ever heard of something like this? Because this is my first time.

The employee thinks this job is a legitimate one, and he doesn't feel they're trying to scam him. Actually, he met the team, is a small one, but he feels they're honest. He thinks this might be because the company wants to hire someone who's going to stay for the long run and wants people to commit and to put their 100% into the job… but charging $1000 is not the way to go.

A lot of things can happen in a whole year, and that doesn't mean that someone is going to be quitting. If I were in that position, I don't think I'd pay that amount of money to start working… it doesn't really make sense. Besides, I'd be very hesitant about the fact of not being fired, and that would make me anxious and not be able to concentrate properly.

The employee hasn't made a decision yet, but many people are telling him that it is not a legitimate job because no company made their employees pay just to start working.

Woman living at parents' home with her daughter argues with brother because he doesn’t do any housework: ‘My daughter, who had absolutely nothing to do with this distraction is now inconvenienced because a grown adult refuses to clean his room’

Olivia Arocena — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0700

I don't want to be prejudiced, but brothers are complicated, to say the least, when it comes to household chores

I know this story is complicated, and the sister who has a daughter could be living outside her mother's home, but I feel like that's the easiest way out of the equation.

Sometimes, mothers don't know what to do about their son's untidiness, and they decide to make it anyone else's problem. I get it; it's not on purpose, and most of the time, it's not even a conscious decision.

They want to solve an urgent matter, and they will do what's easiest for everybody. And when somebody never cooperates, it's easier to stop trying to make them change and work with those who do.

The problem is that this way of solving things can't be sustained forever. At some point, something has to occur that forces a person to learn to do their chores. And if you don't learn that when you're young and living at home, life will teach it to you the minute you get out.

But what happens when you're still living with your mom and sister and you're making everyone's life harder? Do mothers have a tendency to forgive boys' mistakes more easily?

I know a lot of families that follow this exact dynamic. Are we going to fall into the common place of blaming the mother? Or is it the sister in the wrong here?

Are there any proven techniques that work to discipline a full-grown adult into doing what he's supposed to do? Is he a lost cause?

31-year-old employee suspects coworker is jealous of his recent promotion: ‘Instead of the “congratulations” I’d expect much like the others in our text group chat, she just says “You trying to take my job?”’

Olivia Arocena — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:15:00 -0700

Is jealousy in the workplace dangerous? Is there anything we can do about it?

Jealousy is a controversial emotion. We all feel it at some point, but none of us wants to admit we do. I believe jealousy, when it's ours, can help point us toward our desires and, if we play our cards right, transform into admiration.

It's definitely much more fruitful to relate to the people we look up to through curiosity and compliments than through jealousy and bitterness. The chances of reaching our goals become much, much higher, and we even create an opportunity to be helped by those who are currently in a position we'd wish to be in.

It's much easier to do something about jealousy when it's an emotion we're feeling, but when we suspect someone else feels jealous of us, things get a little more complicated.

First of all, most likely we can't confront the person with what we think is going on, precisely because it's an emotion nobody wants to admit they're having, and even more so if it wasn't communicated directly to us.

Jealousy coming from someone at our workplace, taken to its extreme, can be pervasive, but in everyday work life it's mostly harmless. We have to find a way to ignore it, since our coworkers' emotions are not our responsibility.

Of course, we'd be more than willing to help them reach their goals if they related to us more positively, but when all we receive is negativity and pettiness, there's not much we can do.

Our kindness and overall neutrality should become like a fortress where all the bitterness bounces back. Maybe after some time, the person will understand that the only way to get a promotion is to learn from those in a higher position, and if she doesn't, well, that'd be on her.

At least that'd be my tactic for confronting this issue. What would you do in this situation??

Brother-in-law tries to “flex” promotion by insisting on paying for family breakfast, only to immediately complain about the bill: 'It's the 2nd most expensive thing on the breakfast menu'

Melissa Knudson — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:15:00 -0700

Aren't we all just a hash brown away from family drama?

What seemed to be a joyful and unexpected family breakfast gathering turns into a massive disagreement when the bill comes back higher than expected (at least, for half the party). Here's the context: A sibling, their sister, and their brother-in-law decided to go out to their usual diner to have some breakfast. Here's the thing, though: The sibling is usually the one to pick up the bill (for the past 8 years, may we add). This might already be a problem starter on its own, as efforts might feel a little unbalanced.

Money has always been a delicate subject, especially when it comes to family and friends. This story is certainly not the exception. Let's just be glad that there is some love involved in this unfortunate encounter. However, there are two perspectives here: when someone invites you to do anything, it might be polite to hold back on the expenses a bit, out of consideration. Nonetheless, if you have been the one paying the bills no questions asked, it feels like you get a free pass when it comes to testing the other side of the waters.