40 Eye-Opening Posts About Toxic Work Culture

This article was originally published on our website: yourdailyexercises.com

Almost everyone blames the employee when things go wrong. Bosses will spring up into action to give a detailed account of your faults and flaws. But, hey, it’s not your mistake every time. The chunk of the blame is on the employers and companies. And, no, we’re not asking you to take our word for it. These 40 eye-opening posts about toxic work culture will show you how businesses are set up to make you feel unworthy and horrible. Everyone should know these red-flags in work culture!

Injuries Pay More than Salaries

Sometimes the world would test you, but other times it finds an odd way to help you out when you are stuck and don't have enough money to cover your needs.

Oh man, imagine getting hit by a car in a ruthless accident and getting a down payment as a settlement amount. Ironically, you could have to sell your kidneys to get this much amount in America, as hard work alone won't help. Get hurt and receive a payment, how typical of the U.S.

Where this world is headed toward, the bigger the tragedy the more your settlement amount would be. Paying for your home by getting injured - it's like we're living in a surreal dystopian movie!

Union Indeed is a Strength

Have you ever noticed why organizations disregard labor unions? Because they are well aware of the fact that together they can hold the employers accountable for their actions and decisions.

So, if you are forced to overwork and get underpaid, the union is your way out. Don’t let them get away with your hard-earned money. It would be best if you always had a work union so never get influenced by a misled thought that a union member is a group of less hard-working people - they indeed are the biggest support in your workspace.

Please stay connected with them, and do not let corporate machines eat your peace.

I am a Swedish Mom, Not a Regular Mom

Do as Romans do when you are in Rome has a new meaning now. Didn’t get the point? Well, let us explain - suppose you are planning a baby and living in Sweden, you will be getting a good 480 days of leave and a good percentage of regular wages.

The case in the wealthiest country on Earth is slightly different as nothing of the earlier mentioned incentive is guaranteed.

So, select your Rome as per the life standard you prefer to live in and if you are not born in your preferred type of Rome, then have a child when you have enough savings in case you are planning to give some time to your newborn.

Quit! If you are not loving it

This is a perfect example of what no job satisfaction looks like. Be to the point and avoid any gibberish talk.

This man nailed it. So, the next time you see McDonald’s and are disappointed to see such a note, be happy as someone has moved on to achieve their dreams.

When an employee is unsatisfied with his job, he will develop an unintentional negative feeling toward the organization. So, do yourself and your organization a favor and jump out. Seek a good opportunity for yourself and join your preferred type the job that satisfies all your needs and makes you feel happy.

Truth Will Set You Free

We don't know whether the owners of Kmart have learned their  lesson or not, but this girl was surely satisfied. She thought out of the box to get her day off. The moral of the story is that truth should be heard and unreasonable pressure by bosses should be avoided.

After complaining about roaches this young woman got the day off she deserved . This employer was certainly asking for it! This is what they sow.

One wise employee can give a life lesson to their employers. We don’t mind appreciating this sort of change no matter where it comes from. So, listen up all the employees and future employees-to-be, take note from this girl!

Hard Work or Smart Work

Hard work is overrated when we jump into the field straight from academics. We believe that we cannot earn more because we aren't working hard enough.

We keep on working harder and harder, thinking that it will pay off. Unfortunately, the truth is somewhat different.

Some organizations are meant to rely on the hard work of persistent employees. Jump out of such industries and think of exploring other genres - you will be paid twice with half of the effort you made in the previous work environment. So, what’s the moral? Work smart - not hard!

Don’t Rush, Good Things Take time

Sandwich is a quick go-to food for us, but for this guy - it is his pride. All he wants from his customers is patience.

Just don’t rush the process, good things take time. Happiness for them is making a well-deserved sandwich for you.

Let them do their job in peace. A sandwich is a wonderful creation and not just two slices of bread slapped together. We adore his passion for his job. You should too.

Starbucks Got No Stars from Employees

All that shines is not a star. Starbucks is a massive multinational brand that sells coffee and food items like sandwiches. We all have tried this amazing chain at least once.

But this employee seems to be not very happy with the employers. The nature of their jobs requires them to smile at their customers, but how can an employee smile when he is targeted emotionally by the superiors?

This employer has audio proof of the disrespectful behavior of his manager. We love Starbucks and expect them to treat its employees with respect. Its high time to upgrade their own stars.

Quality Costs Money

A trained professional is costly, but most of us seek the best services at the lowest price. This welder is well aware of this, so he visualized it to make his employer understand what they would be getting.

Scrimping on prices will lead to quality compromise. Spend on quality, and you have to spend once; compromise on quality, and you will pay two times more. Quality work might be more expensive, but it always pays off.

This is a true example of not pushing anything on your employers but making them see what they would be getting.

Don’t be Busy, be Productive!

The pandemic has turned the economy of the world upside down. Along with many other wonders of COVID-19, working from home is one productive thing. Employers have understood the fact that quality of work is more important than attendance.

Many organizations have hired freelancers and allowed work from home to those whose physical presence is not mandatory for the office environment.

So, do not drag yourself to the office every morning if you feel like working from home, instead look for employers who understand the ideology of smart work. This way, you’ll be more productive and efficient!

It’s Illegal!

Oh, God! How can someone do that?! The boss of this workplace installed hidden cameras to monitor employees in the restrooms.

This is outrageous and illegal. Placing a hidden camera in the restroom is one of the most disgusting things to do. These employees could easily sue him!

How did this even happen? It’s such a shame and the whole situation definitely deserves a much-heated reaction. We hope these guys filed a case against this business. Or, at least, they should name and shame their boss online so everyone knows the toxic work culture practice at this workplace!

Just Be at Ease

It’s not at all your fault if your colleague is short-handed due to your emergency sick leave. It is the responsibility of your organization to arrange enough people to back up each other. After all, they are not hiring super humans who cannot get sick.

Be at ease, you deserve a peaceful sleep and stressless days when you are sick. Let your employers take the stress so next time they come up with some practical plans to cover sick people’s shifts.

No one can force you to work when you are feeling low. Just eat, sleep and repeat.

Be Your Own Voice

We love to go through some funny memes about Elon Musk. Usually, most people don't what he says too seriously, but here he has an important note for all the oppressed employees out there.

This man knows the power of social media as a medium to raise one’s voice. Make a hashtag, and you are all set to trend against any organization that maltreated you. While that may be right to some extent, having some extra protection from unions never hurts!

Do you agree with him? It's easy to talk about 'being your own voice' when you you're a billionaire, but other folks have a different background and need to take care of themselves and their families the best they can.

Work to Live

Loyalty is among the many other things that work both ways. An employee can be loyal to the environment and organization as long as they are getting incentives and acknowledgments. Doing something that doesn’t mean anything to you only causes stress.

This employee is crystal clear about her ambitions in life. She knows her worth and knows loyalty alone can only lead to compromise on her professional and financial growth. You deserve a great salary and acknowledgment for whatever you do from your employers.

We second Albert Einstein here who said and we unquote, "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

Employee Loyalty Begins with Employers Loyalty

Corporations are more interested in hiring new talent than nurturing the already existing ones. This is where the employee loses his loyalty. They prefer to keep switching their jobs every 3-4 years to get a good salary.

The basic incentive of staying loyal to any organization is a pay raise, and if you aren't getting any then there is no point in staying loyal. Do not let your loyalty compromise your personal and professional growth. Similarly, employers should not push a loyal employee to an extent where they don’t care anymore.

Loyalty is the best policy when you are emotionally and financially happy with your employers.

Live to Work or Work to Live

Are you working to earn a living, or is it your passion to work? The earlier could be a sad state, but once it turns to the latter one, you would enjoy every bit of it. But this doesn't mean that if you like your job, you should tolerate all the injustices that come your way!

And if a job is just a job for you - no need to worry, being able to provide for yourself is a good enough reason to work.

We wish you get your dream job or at least a breathable environment in your workspace.

Stay Away From Oppressive Debt

Did your parents tell you that only a good degree can make you successful and will let you lead a prosperous life? Well, they were right, education enlightens you and enables you to explore new paths in your field.

But mate, what they have not told you about is that this road to success is also a highway to a lifetime of repressive debt. Educational loans become a nightmare and consume a good percentage of your daily income.

A 4-year paid apprenticeship sounds better than a 4-year degree program ending in 100k student debt.

I am (Not) Lovin' it

Some employers think they're smart, trying to talk their workers out of quitting by using fear and twisted logic, but we can see right through them.

McDonald’s didn't want its employees to leave and was all ears to hear back from store managers about their feedback on the reasons for workforce quitting.

But that reason is obvious enough! Poor work conditions and low salaries - it's as easy as that. Even in other countries working at McDonald's is a better paying job that in the U.S.

Drop That Corporate Greed

If you think someone is rich because they have worked harder in life or are poor as they made wrong decisions or were afraid of taking risks - hold your horses because the reality could be a not-so-pleasant eye-opener.

In the majority of cases in America, people are living a less privileged life because of someone ELSE’S decisions. The sky-high inflation is a major cause of the economic slowdown.

Nothing is driving up costs more for everyday families than corporate greed. So, it’s not inflation - it’s just corporate greed against which working people have to fight back.

Raise the Bar

This is what an employer does when you ask for a raise. They can raise you from the floor to a ceiling but cannot raise the salary bar. The boss seems quite creative, but the approach is ferocious.

Tell them that you are not receiving internet signals at this height, so expect the work to come slow.  That’ll be a really nice response to the situation!

You deserve a satisfactory payroll and everything good that you work for. Going slow and steady is good, but smart work is another wonder of the world you should know about. Take care of yourself!

Unions Making Families Happy

There are always two sides to a coin - as per the girl's father, his family suddenly got richer and he got a nice Christmas present. However, there was a reason behind that 'miracle' that made him so happy as a kid.

From now on, try exploring the other side of the coin, so you know that union does make a difference.

Unions have a bad rep, but all the weird stuff you hear usually comes from the mouths of corporations and not individuals. Get all the security and protection you can lay your hands on!

Senseless Inflation

Today a young man is working his heart out to make both ends meet. Some blame the wrong educational paths, whereas others believe he's not working hard enough. Well, the reality is that wages are not enough in these times of inflation.

The rich are getting richer, whereas the poor are getting poorer, while the middle and the lower middle class are struggling.

Don’t lose your mind if you are also struggling to earn bread and butter. Trust us, you are not alone and it’s not your fault. Just don’t lose hope!

Born With Experience

Are you also a fan of Japanese animations? No, this meme has nothing to do with Ash Ketchum becoming the Pokemon master. It is a voice of the heart of an employee with good work experience who is probably a victim of the interviewer.

Is there any organization that is ready to hire freshers? If not, there should be a semester dedicated to a must-to-do internship program at the end of every degree.

It should be the institution's responsibility to ensure the arrangement of an internship program for every student that could lead to a permanent future job for their passing out student.

Underpaid Workers

The lower the post, the more a person is required to work, and it’s a fact. The biggies are supposed to swan around with their fellows and attend meetings. A massive difference between the salaries of lower scale to these bigwigs is quite unfair.

Ironically, the huge difference in the salaries of both is not determined based on the level of productivity.

A bunch of hard workers in every organization are holding the burden of the whole infrastructure on their shoulders. The rest is just enjoying the position with little effort and more compensation. Sadly, even in present advanced times, nobody has bothered taking action about this unfair corporate culture!

What About Justice?

Do you increase the price of your products? Quite understandable, as inflation has increased the productivity cost. But are you willing to increase the labor cost, too? No, really? Why couldn't an employer understand that inflation also increases labor costs?!

The point raised in this meme is hilarious yet disturbing. Employers rank high in taking profits but are not willing to pay more to workers.  The ever-stagnant wages. on the other hand, are making it hard for the working class to make both ends meet.

We hope employers start increasing wages. Otherwise, they'll end up with no work force at all!

Quiet Clear

The employee clearly needs to earn enough to pay his bills, so motivation and inspiration are already there. However, we are unsure about the quiz maker being biased toward the employers and not the benefit of employees.

The primary responsibility of any individual seeking a job is to make both ends meet, so we believe this quiz is just a random joke for the machine. And, if this is no joke, then we believe the employer wants the applicants to make a decision between work and life.

That’s very unfair considering people work to earn first. Helping the business grow is the consequence of a motivated worker. Treat your workers well and they will gladly help you grow.

Oh, you sweet tooth

At first glance, this cake seems like something you'd order to congratulate your loved ones. But the cruel message on the cake just spoils all the warm and fuzzy feelings we might have had seeing it for the first time.

It could be a ruthless message for someone who has managed to make a bold decision to quit, and their fellow workers felt jealous of him. They might be in a toxic workplace, too, but can’t leave for some reason, so they want him to fail so they feel a bit better about themselves. That's just mean!

But, on the positive note, the person got a delicious chocolate cake (secret message - haters are going to hate, you go and live your life the way you want!).

Give the Due Value

It is ironic that we criticize teachers, social health workers, and therapists for making wrong career choices whenever they complain about incompetent salaries.

Why should we not expect proper compensation or even literally comfortable working conditions from people like nurses and teachers who are doing important work that is directly essential to the fabric of our society? Can you think of a society without teachers, therapists, or social health workers? Probably not!

Start valuing these professions and respect them for raising their voices for their rights because a world without them will be in total chaos.

Job Satisfaction

This is a serious note. People suffocating in a particular workplace hesitate to quit as they need to work to get basic necessities like food and shelter. So, someone not quitting doesn’t mean they love their job a lot.

Sometimes, it means they are not left with any other option. And so, before you judge or form any kind of opinion, think twice. We are specifically addressing ignorant employers here.

Your employee needs to be happy and motivated to work better. If you want him to perform well, make sure you provide him with job satisfaction. Go on and give Herzberg’s theory a read to understand how to run a successful business (the key is literally satisfied workers!).

No Water For You

We wish we could say 'Oh my God is this for real?', but unfortunately, we are already aware that it is. When you are working in retail you cannot carry any water bottle unless a doctor has prescribed you to have it on you

There is a lot of paperwork required to convince a medical practitioner. The process needs to be reviewed and approved. So, people can’t really get a quick response from doctors.

And, considering that water is essential to human survival, this work condition is simply unjust. You cannot expect people to work without water, can you?!

Honey! We Can’t Afford It

Did you ever confront your children for not being able to buy a home for themselves because you managed to get one when you were very young? Not the best thing to do.

The devaluation of currency over time has made today’s youngsters strive for everything be it buying a home or their dream car. Everything is just much more expensive these days!

The first thing that comes to mind is that we cannot afford it without drowning in some kind of debt. These are definitely different times we live in, ladies and gets.

The Worst Scneario

If you have been the victim of an overload of work at your organization, you can genuinely relate to this lady. This word play perfectly portrays the greed of organizations who are least bothered about their employees and are only concerned about how to save some extra bucks.

Do not let them fool you because loyalty is not unconditional (at least at work). Be loyal to your organization but don’t let them treat you like a slave. Don’t settle down for unjustified policies and acts.

Raise your voice for yourself or this so-called loyalty will make you suffer emotionally!

Candy for the Brain

Do you know the best exercise for the brain? Just use it more often to solve various problems. If you are happy and satisfied upon getting a pizza as a payment, buddy, you are ruining your abilities.

Make the best use of this organ, and do not settle for less. You deserve everything good, and unionization is one such enlightenment that proves you are using your brain well.

Believe in yourself and stop being the victim of the administration of your organization. It’s your good service that has made them stand among their competitors. They are successful thanks to your effort!

That's Too Much, Buddy

So you know how big companies and businesses expect you to spend all your working and living hours thinking about the job? If you've never experienced that, we congratulate you, but if you have, then you know what we're talking about.

Some companies just think that if they pay you wages they own you, but that's simply not true and you should always remember that when you're asked to work extra hours without extra pay.

You always have the right to refuse excessive workload if you don't want to do it or if you feel tired. You're a human being with your own needs that should be taken into consideration.

Leave me Alone

This meme depicts that PTO life is not as glamorous as it seems, as nobody is ready to leave you alone. It’s not a pampered time off if you are available on any possible communication medium.

A work-life balance isn't possible unless you draw limitations. Make sure you let your bosses and clients know that when you're on PTO you're fully unavailable. Or better still - simply switch off all the gadgets and enjoy your free time!

Serious note: work life balance is essential to keep productivity and efficiency levels high. Even countless studies have proven it. So, please employers and employees, take this into consideration or else you’ll burn out.

Wait a Minute

Wait a minute, who are you? Well, I am your employer, and you have no choice but to follow orders. No, you cannot question back, and none of your genuine or ingenuine excuses would be taken into consideration.

Report tomorrow or look for reposts of jobs in the morning newspapers. This employer is so unfair! We wonder what would have been the reply of this dude.

Imagine raising your voice for what’s right and then being told you’re fired. This kind of boss attitude gives so much emotional damage and stress to the employees. Why can’t people be a bit more empathetic and just in their actions?

Tolerating No Injustice

This dude was not going to compromise when the boss asked him to work at an unreasonable hour.

Of course, the boss could have reprimanded him in some way, but we're glad he didn't! This man was right to say 'no' to working so late at night. What was his boss even thinking about?

The night is meant for sleeping and all you should do is sleep in peace. Let the boss be angry if he wants to, but you should chill. Get a nice rest because the work hours haven’t started yet.

Taking Pennies

This one is completely trivial. Visualize placing a wager with someone at the workplace, maybe your boss, and winning! That sounds fun, right? You think there are no hard feelings between you two.

But the boss was a sour loser, so he came up with the most inconsiderate way to give the money - in pennies! Sneer or cry out, but you are going to have a tough time. Boss rocked and the employee was shocked.

We hope nobody has to go through this situation, though. It will undoubtedly be the most challenging time someone might have at work!

No Chill

This guy was at a loss when the employer asked him to get to the office ASAP. It’s true that all one needs is a good work-life balance and this should be a basic priority. But sometimes, you need to cooperate with the boss to get the business through tough situations.

That being said, considering the employee is somewhere else in Michigan, this demand from the employer is completely unjustified. He cannot cancel his trip and waste all the money when someone else can help the boss out.

However, we are not sure what happened afterwards - we hope he wasn't fired!

It’s Okay to Quit!

Imagine driving into a supermarket or your favorite food place and seeing the entrance covered with this poster - CLOSED. WE ALL QUIT. It would have been quite a situation, especially in case of an emergency.

If a bunch of people are in trouble and they are sure to fail, they can make the hard decision of quitting together. We should normalize failing and quitting because there’s hidden glory in it. Only people who try and take risks get to experience failures!