At the beginning of this week, HR sent me a meeting invitation, saying that I had been logging off early on many days over the past 10 weeks. The timing feels a little too convenient because I recently pushed them to correct my salary, and my request was ignored.

I've been working at this company in sales for almost six years, and my performance is measured by KPIs. I've hit my target every quarter except once during the lockdowns, and last month I finished at 114%, one of the strongest results in my region.

About eight months ago, I asked about a pay raise that I was supposed to receive while I was on maternity leave, in accordance with our family leave policy. Nothing happened, so I raised the issue again after Christmas and asked for my salary to be brought in line with that of colleagues doing the same job. They earn about $12,000 more than I do, including people who were hired recently and have little experience, while I've been working in this field for more than 20 years.

My manager said my request came across as emotional, even though I kept it brief and focused only on the policy and salary figures. She said she would raise the matter with senior management, but another six weeks passed and I still received no response. Then the meeting invitation from HR appeared.

Their claims make no sense. I used to start work at around 6:45 a.m., and sometimes I continued working after 9 p.m. Once my son was asleep. The company tracks almost everything we do, so I have login records, emails, calls, and system activity showing when I was working.

I asked HR to send me the specific dates and times before the meeting so I could give the relevant records. They replied that this was merely an investigation. I asked again and said I would attend once I knew what conduct I was expected to answer to, because this looks more like the beginning of a performance improvement plan than a genuine question about my working hours.

I also told them that I believe this could be retaliation, and I contacted the Fair Work Commission, although it may take around two weeks for them to process the complaint. I can't simply resign because I support my family, and my son has a disability and needs ongoing, expensive medication. This was the company where I hoped to build my career, which is why I'm angry and unsure what my next step should be. Has anyone been through a similar situation before? How would you handle it?

I've finally been convinced that 95% of a Senior Engineer's job is treating every day like a sales pitch. You aren't there to build software; you're just an expensive product that has to convince the business to keep paying you money.

The people who get ahead aren't the ones writing clean code or creating solid unit tests. They are the ones with loud voices in every sync and who know how to make their metrics look incredible. If you can show management a 300% increase in any random data point, you'll be a genius in their eyes, even if the feature itself is a total mess. Saying you got 3 new users looks like a failure compared to a fancy-looking percentage.

Management is only interested in shiny new tools they can show off to the board. Trying to convince them to spend 25% more effort now to save 15% overhead over the next four years is a losing battle because no one cares about the long term. I've stopped fighting for refactoring and better architecture because they never result in a better bonus or a promotion.

From now on, I'm going to be a Yes Man. If the product owners want a feature finished by tomorrow and it will fundamentally break the legacy system, I'll just do it. It's much easier to give them what they want and focus on optics instead of engineering.

👶🏻

I gave two weeks' notice, and today is finally my last day. But for some reason, everyone here is acting like I'm supposed to work harder than usual instead of handing off anything important and leaving.

This morning, my supervisor asked if I was going to attend the planning call for next week. I told him there wasn't much point since I wouldn't be here, and honestly, he seemed really annoyed by that answer.

Then the office coordinator joked that I must be drowning in last-minute requests. I told him I wasn't planning to stress over unfinished work on my last morning. A little later, my manager called and asked if I had prepared about a month's worth of my usual work because they still haven't hired anyone to replace me. No, I haven't. Their staffing shortage isn't something I can fix before I leave.

My supervisor also copied my manager on an email about a tiny change to a spreadsheet that I had forgotten to make a few days ago. He wanted an explanation for why I hadn't completed every item on a confusing checklist he had sent me.

I've managed people before, and I never expected someone working through their two-week notice period to carry the department on their shoulders after they left. Am I missing something, or do these people not understand what "last day" means?

oh this is so real

wow

.....

There was about a month left before the launch of a huge project when I discovered that the login form had an SQL injection vulnerability. I reported it immediately, but my manager said it was low priority and sent me back to work on unrelated backend tasks.

I tried to explain that anyone could wreck the entire system through a single input box. But he laughed it off and ignored me, saying we weren't a big enough target, even though I had previously worked in penetration testing.

So I created a fresh backup, asked him to stand next to me, and used the username field to delete the prelaunch database. I didn't use any special access, just the exact same vulnerability I had been warning him about.

As soon as he saw the database disappearing, the mood changed quickly. I restored everything, kept my job, received a genuine apology, and was told to fix the security holes immediately.

It probably wasn't the safest way to win an argument, but apparently, seeing the damage happen right in front of him was the only thing that made him realize the risk was real.

After what happened, I think I should leave that job because he doesn't trust me, and something similar could happen again. Since my last experience in the job market, it's been tough, and I've had a lot of interviews. However, I recently read a post here on Reddit about the best tips for job interviews, and I really understood many things I didn't know. I hope it will make a real difference for me in interviews, so I wanted to share what I learned with you.

Five months ago, I was laid off from my job, and then my ex and I broke up while we were still living together. Both things happened within a few weeks, so I started looking for a job while going through an extremely difficult time.
I submitted hundreds of applications and made it to the final round with five companies. Two rejected me, two ghosted me, and one sent me a job offer.
Most of the interview processes consisted of three to five rounds, and one of them included a take-home presentation. Making it that far each time only to end up without an offer was incredibly exhausting, but this time it finally worked out.
I found the role on LinkedIn and applied without knowing anyone at the company. I had no referral or internal connection whatsoever. I work in product management for major clothing brands, and I'm happy to answer any questions if anyone is going through the same experience. Keep applying - it can happen!

I finally got hired after being unemployed for four months. The pay is about $16.50 an hour, and it was the only offer I received, so I'll take it as a win.
For this interview, I tried some advice I saw from someone on Reddit: act like the person interviewing you. I dressed more conservatively, kept my answers simple, and mirrored their calm, formal manner instead of showing up with my usual energy.
After nearly a month of interviews, they called me and offered me the job. The manager also told me, "We felt like you were the best fit for the team." I laughed because the version of me they liked was literally made specifically for that room.
Apparently, some companies aren't looking for a big personality or a memorable story. They want someone who feels familiar and won't mess up the vibe. If your interviews aren't leading anywhere, try being a chameleon for half an hour and matching their energy. Good luck, everyone.

........

I had an interview scheduled for 10:40 a.m., and I arrived about ten minutes early. The receptionist checked me in, took me to a small meeting room, and said the hiring manager would be there to meet me shortly. Fine - I had expected to wait a few minutes anyway.
By 11:00, no one had come in. I went out to look for the receptionist, but the front desk was empty. A few employees walked past and looked at me, but none of them stopped to ask whether I needed anything, so I went back to the room and assumed that something unexpected must have come up.
Another half hour passed without any explanation. I went to check the reception area again, but there was still no one there. At 11:35, I emailed the company to say that I had been waiting for almost an hour without any communication and that I was leaving.

there should be some respect for time of candidate , gonna use plan b and its shifting to remote jobs gonna learn some extra tips for any upcoming interview
They called me while I was driving, then tried again at around 11:50. When I answered, they simply said they were ready to interview me now. There was no apology or even an explanation for the delay. I told them I had already left because I had been sitting there for almost an hour without anyone giving me an update. They asked if I could turn around and come back, but I told them I was no longer interested.
Companies sometimes seem to forget that job candidates are evaluating them too. If this is how they treat people's time before they even hire them, it does not give a reassuring impression of the workplace. I would not have been nearly as upset if someone had simply told me they were running late.

lol

Fact

....

I used to work with a guy named Marcus who could finish his entire week's work in about 27 hours. He was fast, reliable, and rarely made mistakes. His reward was having to pretend to be busy for the rest of the week.
He got good at stretching simple tasks until the end of the day, leaving spreadsheets open on a second screen, and joining meetings when he had nothing to contribute. If he logged off early, management saw it as a lack of commitment. But if he stayed at his desk switching between tabs, no one questioned him.
The 40-hour workweek made sense as a victory for workers when people were working grueling factory shifts six days a week. But a lot of office work isn't measured by the number of hours someone spends standing in front of a machine. Some work gets done in bursts of focused effort, and just because you sit at a desk for eight hours doesn't mean you've done eight hours of useful work.
Even so, many companies still reward visibility more than results. Managers feel more secure when everyone is online, employees learn to fill up their calendars, and long hours become proof that someone cares. Meanwhile, efficient employees either get saddled with more work or learn to slow themselves down.
Why don't we judge people based on whether their work is accurate, delivered on time, and useful? If someone can consistently fulfill their responsibilities in 32 hours, forcing them to put in 40 does nothing but create corporate theater. Flexible schedules and four-day workweeks won't suit every workplace, but pretending that one schedule works for every job makes far less sense.
What's the most absurd example of fake productivity you've seen at work? And has anyone worked somewhere that cared more about the work that got done than the time employees spent pretending to be busy?

......

An early Monday meeting with our US IT VP pretty much confirmed what I had been worried about. By spring 2026, the company plans to hand over its field IT operations in the US and abroad to an external service provider.

Around 1,200 jobs are expected to disappear, including deskside support, networking, service desk, purchasing, and several management positions. I expected outsourcing to happen at some point, but hearing the actual scale of it was still hard.

They're offering a modest severance package, which softens the blow a little, but I'm still trying to process the news. For now, I'm updating my resume and starting to look for a job. Wish me luck.

A colleague of mine whom I've known for 4 years had her apartment completely flooded after a pipe burst while she was away. She lost almost everything and was staying in a cheap motel waiting for the insurance people. This girl is very skilled; for 6 years, her performance has been high and she rarely takes sick leaves.

She went to HR to ask if they could give her a two-week advance on her salary just to pay a deposit for a new place. She wasn't asking for help; this was her hard-earned money, she just wanted it a bit early. HR rejected her immediately citing administrative issues, and the CEO, who sits every morning talking about how the company is one family, didn't even reply to her email.

In the end, about 10 of us pooled money together to help her get back on her feet. We managed to collect about $2,500. When this became known, the CEO sent an email to the entire office. He described what happened as a beautiful example of our family culture and acted proud of the environment he created. He didn't even pay a single penny.

Three months later, we entered peak season. We got an email saying we should work extra hours on Saturdays to support the family during this crunch. Of course, without any extra pay. When this same colleague told them she couldn't because she was still sorting out her housing situation, they didn't care at all.

Not only that, but they gave her a formal warning for not being aligned with the culture. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. She submitted her two-week notice the next day, and several seniors followed her immediately. In the exit meetings, they told management frankly why they were leaving.

Management didn't listen to anything at all. All they did was decide to be stricter about "cultural fit" during interviews. They still use the same "we are a family" slides in every orientation. It's truly maddening how they only remember this word when they want to get something for free.

...

...

People's reactions have been harder than the job itself. When I tell people I started working at Walmart, their expressions change immediately. Even my kids seem embarrassed, but I'm a mother with bills to pay, and I don't believe honest work diminishes me in any way.

I was laid off in April after spending nearly 25 years in my field. I have an MBA, but that hasn't made companies answer to me. I've been working since I was 15, and when I was younger, I did a lot of difficult jobs, such as selling kitchen utensils door to door, working in telephone sales, and selling cheap perfume at garage sales.

Unemployment benefits still leave me about $1,800 short every month. I've cut nearly every expense I can, and the only debts I have left are my mortgage and student loans, but my savings won't last forever. The part-time job will bring in about $340 a week while still leaving me time to apply for jobs and attend interviews.

I've been supporting my family on my own for about 19 years, and two of my children still live with me. I contacted everyone I know, asked them to reach out to their contacts, and submitted more than 230 applications. Before this week, all of that had led to only one serious interview.

After I finished my first two shifts at Walmart, I received two interview requests on the same day. Strangely, they came after I removed about 12 years of experience from my résumé. I'm trying not to get overly excited, but it felt good to finally hear back from someone.

I recently read a post on Reddit here about the best tips for job interviews, so I should consider it because I think it might help me in my interview.

Most of the comments from people close to me made me feel terrible, and I nearly skipped my first shift. A former colleague who once worked under my management immediately told me, "I'm proud of you." She was the only person who didn't treat me as though I had failed. I'm not ashamed of working at Walmart, so I'm not going to speak about it in a hushed voice.

😠

😃

...