Employees dramatically quitting their jobs is something we cover often here at Bored Panda, as there are many different ways that situation can go down and the internet certainly has no shortage of fascinating tales. The police might be called, aggressive text messages might be sent, and the company might even miss out on millions of dollars. But sometimes, one particularly traumatic incident can lead to a herd of employees all jumping ship at once.
Earlier this month, Reddit user RealSlicy reached out asking fellow workers of the world what happened at their former places of employment that caused everyone to quit at once, and boy, did people come through with some crazy stories. We’ve compiled some of the most shocking and disturbing incidents that caused people to decide that their mental health, safety, and morals were much more important than a job.
Below, you’ll also find interviews we were lucky enough to receive from Penelope Trunk, career counselor and blogger, Craig Ancel, career coach and host of the Career Growth Made Easy podcast, and the person who started this conversation in the first place, RealSlicy on Reddit. Be sure to upvote the stories that get you riled up, and then let us know in the comments if you have ever quit a job under similar circumstances. We would love to hear your personal stories, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article featuring accounts from people who are glad they quit on the spot, check out this story next.
#1
Long, long time ago at a coffee shop. Me and a co-worker were effectively teamed up as openers and had a regular schedule. One day a very annoying manager was there, who had a history of being a real d**k to female employees.
He made a sexist *and* racist remark to my co-worker in front of the massive line of customers we saw every morning and knew by name. I could see her begin welling up. The people in the front heard, for sure, and I saw them react in surprise. My partner took off her apron and left.
The manager turned to me, looking for some f****d up white bro solidarity, and made another racist remark about finding good help. I went from stunned to walking immediately.
My last act there was to hold the door for the huge crowd of customers who walked out when we did.
Image source: patricksaurus, Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas
#2
My mum worked at a primary school where there was a tree planted on the field for a student who had died about a decade ago. The headmaster (who people had many problems with already) decided the tree was “in the way” of the massive field and had it demolished without the family’s permission. A lot of staff were already considering quitting for other reasons, but that was the final straw for a lot of them. Seven teachers and nine other members of staff quit that year.
Image source: molwalk, Pieter Benjamin Nijs
#3
For the Xmas holidays about a decade ago after a very successful year coming out of the recession the boss showed up in a new 400k motorhome to show everyone his new toy. It had the hydraulic slide outs for the living room; all the bells and whistles.
Everyone got envelopes for bonuses. We were stoked. $5 Walmart gift cards. People just started walking out.
Image source: CherryManhattan, Hanson Lu
#4
I worked at a petrol station when I was 16. One time we were robbed and a colleague was forced to empty the cash register at gunpoint.
They took bout 3000€ cash and about 5000€ worth in cigarettes and tobacco.
Our boss expected the heavily traumatized colleague to pay back the whole value that was stolen, because “he could have just refused to give them anything”. He obviously couldn’t do that and refused to work for free for 4 months, so he was fired. He was a single dad with 6 months old twins.
All of us 7 colleagues quit our jobs there immediately.
Image source: Limp-Sundae5177, sergio souza
#5
Back around 2000 SQL server was a hot skill to have, and “big data” was a license to write your own salary. Despite this a new CEO came in to the company I was at and decided to show that he was boss by immediately firing the server team manager. The manager had a new job with our main competitor the same day and immediately got the entire server team positions and a significant pay rise. The entire team handed in their resignation the very next day.
Image source: Fenrir101, Caspar Camille Rubin
#6
Worked at a chain pizza place. The manager didn’t approve of how well we cleaned and prepped for the next day. So we all came in to a note saying something to the effect of “you are all replaceable” so we all said ok, took off the uniform and left. We didn’t even lock up or close up shop. Just walked off. Phones were ringing for orders, there were people coming in to the dining area but nobody was there working. Once she realized nobody was there she was calling everyone going nuts telling us to come to work or we’re fired. One person went back and tried to save it. I just reminded her that I was replaceable, and so was the person who signed my check, then hung up. They had to close for about a week or two to replace the staff. The location completely closed and filed bankruptcy less than a year later at least partly due to her leadership. The location is a Verizon store now.
Image source: Titan_Uranus_69, Louis Hansel
#7
Exposure to crystalline silica, the company I worked for was supplied materials labelled as non hazardous, when we found out they actually contained silica dust (well over the safe levels) we all had to get tested for silicosis and lung scarring, a few of us got nice payouts at the expense of about 40 years of life span. Everyone at my company was told lies and had information withheld from us, for about 3 months we continued to use that material when the directors knew the dangers but hadn’t told us, when everyone found out there were only 2 people left at that company; the directors.
Image source: refinedflour, Kier In Sight
#8
One of my first jobs was as a dishwasher at a local steakhouse which was always really busy as it overlooked the waterfalls of the the local river. My 3rd or 4th day working the whole kitchen staff just didn’t show up. Except for me. Boss grabbed me and taught me how to cook as we went. Not only had I never cooked before, this was a Friday night and I was missing a concert, so I was kind of angry about that. Probably not the culinary experience some of the customers expected that night, but I tried my best. Then, after we closed I had to stick around for another 4 hours to wash dishes. Turns out everybody went to the concert. This was almost 40 years ago. Still mad.
Image source: MadonnaBinLaden, Boris Dunand
#9
I worked at a KFC in the 80s. We had a really cool manager. I was assistant manager along with another, and lots of other great young people worked there. Our manager was hired to turn around the store and he was given a budget to buy new equipment. He also saved money on paper products and got the store really clean with our help. At the end of the year, he was fired by the upper management for “spending too much”. They then brought in a new manager who immediately set about giving us all a hard time. Everyone walked. The store had to shut down for several days and the new guy brought in his family to help run it.
They store shut down permanently a few years later. The district manager offered me a job in management but I just didn’t trust them at that point.
Image source: EurassesDragon, Jonathan Leppan
#10
Company did a survey of employee happiness. It had super limited answers. We filled it out and tried to explain that, internally, our team was doing well and we were happy but just about everyone had problems with two other employees outside the team who were bullies in important positions.
The company asked us instead what -we- could do better so the bullies don’t bully…
Over half the team quit within a month which is unheard of at that company and our team was/is a corner stone of the entire buisness.
Image source: Butterbubblebutt, Annie Spratt
#11
I was working as a chef in a mall in Espoo, Finland back in 2009, when there was a shootout with six casualties and the owner of the restaurant told everyone to continue working in spite of this. Eventually we were forced outside by security. I was literally doing mise en place when security stormed in and told us to get the f**k out. Yeah, I quit that job.
Image source: Current-Ad-2698, Magda Ehlers
#12
Covid hit the fedex supply chain. Broke the entire system and exposed bad management. The pressure fell on top of the drivers. We quit one after another.
Image source: RandomBloke2021, Bannon Morrissy
#13
There was a staff of 10. At the beginning of last year it was agreed if more than 50% were out sick with covid we close the place down for 1 week and then reasses. 9 of us were out with covid at the same time including the boss. He threatened to fire the last person if they didn’t go in and cover for 9 people including the boss! We all quit within the next month like hell did any of us want to be in that position especially when the ‘plan’ we co-constructed wasn’t honoured. F**k profits over people.
Image source: ohno_spaghetti_o, energepic.com
#14
I worked at a bread manufacturing plant. This happened in the bagging area. A worker tripped and somehow the way he landed his hand slipped underneath the machine guard and into a chain. Cut off his arm just below the elbow. The supervisor insisted we just wipe off the machine with a towel and continue running the rest of the already baked product. Twelve out of sixteen including myself quit. I found out later the manager fired that supervisor that day.
Image source: Bignona
#15
The management declined to raise waiges and canceled remote right when second covid wave hit. Our whole department started looking for a new job when that happened.
Image source: h7hh77, Nick Morrison
#16
Worked with a small team that had two managers. One of the managers was great, loved by all, amazing at her job. The other manager stole, showed up late, and verbally abused an employee that identified as trans.
Our good manager contacted the store owner about all the issues. She told the manager along with us staff that we had to do this “by the book” if we wanted her to be able to fire him. We all wrote reports, documented EVERYTHING, found video proof of the thefts. We turn it all over to the owner and what does she do? Fire the food manager for not focusing on her work.
The entire staff walked out and the store was closed for over a month. Place is a joke now and I’m expecting to see them shut down by the end of the year.
Image source: majestyyy_, Craig Adderley
#17
Smallish company with a very necessary programming team of 5 people.
CEO spent several hundred thousand dollars repainting and refurbishing the building, deciding he didn’t like the colour, and got it redone in the same month.
Then lockdown hit and the company was suddenly struggling for money, CEO decided to retrench two of our team members, at first we thought that he picked those two because they were less familiar with the systems.
But then the other 3 of us were told by the CEO that those two were in the most rough positions financially, and one was expecting another kid in a few weeks. And that this meant that they could hire them back as contractors for cheap because they’d be desperate.
In the next week the three of us chatted among ourselves, all resigned, and they had to keep the other two devs on with their standard paycheck for longer, all while looking for new places to work
Image source: 1112212111122112, Malte Luk
#18
Not everyone, but a big chunk of the good people including managers.
This was McDonald’s, after COVID hit. We were already slammed on the daily with ridiculous demands from our franchise owner and his cronies, but when COVID hit they used that as an opportunity to add on more and more stuff to make even more money. They wanted more jobs done when we were already understaffed, wearing masks AND face shields that THEY got (we weren’t allowed to use our own even if they were more effective and clean).
The list of additional demands from our owner and his cronies were:
Upsell EVERYTHING from pies to cookies to bagels to donuts on every order and if you didn’t you’d get written up.
Talk in a specific way without any changes in the script (I’m not joking, they wrote out scripts for us) and if even one word was wrong, written up.
If you interrupt the automatic greeter (which customers thought was a real person cause the ones in that area were a really special kind of stupid) even by accident, written up.
If you didn’t get payment done at the window fast enough, even if it’s the customer being slow, it’s your fault.
If you don’t constantly sound happy and/or cheery, clearly that’s your fault and not the fact that you’re going through 8 hours almost every day of mental abuse while also physically pushing yourself to do the jobs of 3 people cause they don’t want to schedule the right amount of people for shifts.
All while we’re living in a pandemic barely making ends meet on 40 hours a week.
Not to mention all the abuse from the incompetent managers who wouldn’t give us our breaks, and later on breaking health services regulations because surprise surprise, some workers got COVID and came into work cause calling in sick was still frowned upon…
This caused a whole bunch of people to leave, not even giving notice most of the times because the work environment was and still is extremely toxic. And because it was most of the good managers and workers who left, that made things even worse. And yet the owner and his cronies still had the gall to ask “wHy’D eVeRyOnE lEaVe?”
Image source: Howler452, Carlos Macías
#19
We had a tiny team, just three people, and really didn’t need a manager. Still, a manager was hired. She was a micromanager, nothing was too small for her to notice. Forgot to put a double space at the start of a sentence? She would literally sit next to you for half an hour, prompting you to double space. The boss was impressed because she always seemed very busy – and she was, but only because she spent so much time supervising us and not enough time on her own work. She never listened to explanations of why things were done a certain way (to conform to government requirements on medical records…) and would just start talking over the top of whoever was speaking to remind us that we just didn’t know how to do things and we needed to follow her instructions.
Things started going especially badly when she took a major dislike to one of the team because she believed this person wasn’t working efficiently (ie, the way the manager wanted). She started piling work on top of this person, taking it away from the other two of us, until all I was doing was sitting at my desk waiting for the day to end. When our overwhelmed coworker asked for help from us, we happily agreed. We all got a dressing-down and official warnings because our coworker was supposed to do everything by herself.
Then the manager went on maternity leave. The person acting in her position had been there forever, knew we were perfectly capable of doing our jobs without oversight, and left us to it. For a year we all had meaningful work to do, we cooperated and relaxed, we could laugh and talk to each other, and we started getting compliments on how fast and well we had completed tasks.
Then our manager called to say she would be coming back. We went to her boss, pleading for help, as we had done countless times before. Boss said sorry not sorry, she’s a great manager, we should be looking forward to her return.
Within the next 24 hours two of us had quit; the third one stuck it out until the manager actually returned and then quit. At that point, the manager’s role was changed so she didn’t have any underlings to manage. So at least she can’t drive anyone else out, I guess.
Image source: thirdonebetween, Andrea Piacquadio
#20
Last year there was a public hospital in Portugal, in the city of Setúbal, where 87 doctors, all the chiefs of staff of their respective departments, quit at once because of poor working conditions related to lack of medical staff.
Image source: guilhugas, Erkan Utu
#21
Not my story but my cousin’s. They found out that their boss is a child predator who tries to catfish children from roblox during work often. He was reported to the authorities on the same day they quit.
Image source: bejcbjejs
#22
We worked at a startup with amazing co-founders. Our CEO and COO were the coolest people I’ve met. Our company was doing well, we were some 6-8 months away from break-even and cash burn was so low, we hadn’t needed funding in almost 5 years.
The startup was funded by foreign VCs who had no understanding of local market. They wanted insane growth when the industry we were in just didn’t have that kind of growth potential. So the VCs got the co-founders fired.
5 of 8 departmental heads and at least 15% of total employees of the company quit within the next 3 months.
Image source: magestooge, Marten Bjork
#23
Worked at a board game cafe, poor management amongst other things was pushing all the staff to quit but we didn’t because we liked working together.
Next to the coffee machine we had a couple of sticky notes with doodles we had all drawn, they were very cute and gave a personal touch that made us feel part of the business.
The final straw was when out of the blue our bosses tore these down and chucked them in the bin.
In the next following days every single staff member quit including ones like myself who had been with the business since inception.
Image source: lloydieG1
#24
I worked at a restaurant for a few years. The manager was cruel, hot tempered, and did nothing but stand in the small isles between rows of tables with his hands on his waist and elbows out so that effectively couldn’t walk past home carrying food (and had to weave around). It was normal and expected that we work double shifts on the weekend, starting at 6am we’d set up the patio, do dishes, set tables, and deal with whatever the chef “locally foraged” like picking berries off the stems. We’d work 6-3pm, get an hour off, come back from 4pm-11pm.
One day, I was completely slammed and was trying to bus and set up a table that had left. I missed a bit of ketchup that the customer had left on the outside of the bottle when they poured it. He grabbed my arm and said, “what is this f*****g mess? You are a despicable human being.”
Fast forward several months, and they hire a new server who ends up sexually assaulting me. I then hear from his ex that he tried to kill her and he has a felony on his record for this. I approach management and ask that they check his background (because they wouldn’t have hired someone with a felony) and at least for the time being don’t schedule us together. They promptly ignore my request and schedule us to work a wedding together. I left that day.
Image source: bag_of_goldfish
#25
worked at a fast food place. poorly managed on a good day, black mold growing on the walls, manager was a pedophile that made me take my break in his office every shift, was only working there because my family was poor & i needed the job. one shift one of my coworkers came in showing us videos of a rap concert she had attended the night before, and my manager called the rapper a series of racial slurs. his whole closing staff walked out right after that, leaving him to close by himself.
Image source: samfan98
#26
The guy everyone hated became the manager because the lousy CEO played favorites.
Image source: V4Vendota, Hunters Race
#27
Business largely worked because the owner trusted his employees to do a good job. So the employees did a good job. The business was doing really well and the owner assumed it was all because of him so he started micromanaging everyone’s job. People started dropping off like flies because the working conditions became intolerable. The company didn’t last very long after that
Image source: polywha, Scott Graham
#28
Three of us, the engineers, quit the same week and without any discussion between ourselves. Man in charge was an insufferable, insulting twat. This led to the head office losing faith and the whole subsidiary being sold off.
Image source: PicardTangoAlpha, ThisisEngineering RAEng
#29
They issued phone lockers. All the lube techs quit except for one but he got high at lunch the next day and got fired. Mind you this was one day after the boss just got back from his dads funeral.
Image source: jond200, Autumn_ schroe
#30
Manager kept pitching a way to us on breaks and then cut hours of those that didn’t sign up under him. We worked in retail at the mall.
Image source: rayrayrayray, Andrea Piacquadio
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