''I Am In Hell:'' Reddit User Shares Toxic Workplace Experience, Sparks Conversation

Work From Home (WFH) became a worldwide norm in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that Covid-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, companies are asking their staff to return to the workplace on a full-time basis. However, many employees still have the WFH option in case they are unwell or are dealing with some difficult situation.

One such employee, who came back to the office after being sick for over a week was left shocked when his boss revoked the WFH privilege and threatened to fire him. The unnamed person spoke about the toxic work environment in a Reddit post that has now gone viral. 

The boss accused the employee of not being able to do the simplest of tasks on the job. “So I came back to the office for the first time in a week after being sick. I take care of a couple of emails and then my boss emails me and says he wants to have a meeting. We get into this meeting and he begins tearing into me about me not being able to do the simplest of tasks even though I've been busting my a** doing all of my reports and any extra tasks he's thrown at me. He told me I can no longer work from home because I need to be able to ‘learn more from the office environment' and that I need to speed up the process of finding a new job because I'm one write-up away from being fired,” they wrote.

The employee further expressed feeling worthless and defeated due to the treatment he received upon returning to the office. 

See the full post here:

My boss revoked my work from home day and told me to hurry up and find a new job.
by u/AHogwartsDropout394 in antiwork

''It seems like every day I'm being dragged into these meetings and told I'm stupid, I'm worthless, and that my future is in jeopardy. I feel defeated and I honestly don't know what more to do. I'm depressed when I'm here and I'm constantly stressed because I am always being watched. I'm tired of being a punching bag. I have an interview today and I really hope that I get this position because I am tired of feeling like I am in Hell,'' the post further reads.

The post got a lot of attention, with many sympathising with the employee, offering words of reassurance and encouraging him to find a better job.

One user wrote, ''You've got this, that boss doesn't deserve you.'' Another commented, ''To be blunt, you're in an abusive relationship with your boss. He's convinced you you're worthless so he can pile the work on, and he knows you'll be too scared to leave. Don't give him even two weeks, get your next job lined up and just go to lunch on a Friday and never come back.''

A third added, ''No one has the right to treat you like that. Just get up and walk out of the meeting. Say you are going to get back to work. What's the worse that could happen? They fire you? Oh well they are already threatening that every day anyways.''

A fourth wrote, “It's typical Boss gaslighting, negging and undermining to break your morale and spirit. The same thing happened to me, and when I left, I had this huge sense of relief, and like a weight was off my shoulders. I do hope you leave and go to another place of employment. I also highly recommend therapy following leaving to help with coping with what your boss put you through.”