This led to people sharing examples of toxic, problematic, and downright NOT OK situations that they had to deal with at their work. We asked BuzzFeed readers to weigh in with their examples of toxic workplaces in the comments, and here's what they said:
1. "We were told we were getting a bonus for our hard work throughout COVID. The day we were meant to get paid, mine didn't hit the bank. Turns out, I wasn't getting a bonus because I hadn't worked for the company for the required six months. What they fail to realize is that NONE of us had worked for the six months — we got taken over by them in October."
2. "I got into a pretty bad car wreck while on the job. My car was completely totaled. I called and texted my boss immediately after the accident, while I was with the EMTs, to let him know the situation. He wouldn't answer. After 30 minutes of standing in the rain, getting my car towed, having a cop drop me off at a random gas station, and waiting for an Uber to drive me the 45 minutes home, I got a call from the receptionist, who let me know that my boss knew I got in a wreck and said, 'If she didn’t get hurt, why are you guys bothering me about it?'"
3. "I worked at Walmart. I had gotten in a car accident. I was physically fine, but I was pretty shaken up mentally, so I called in to work to explain that I wouldn't be coming in the next day and why. They told me that if they couldn't find anyone to cover my shift, I'd have to come in."
4. "I worked at a retail store and needed to take a sick day. They had a rule that if you're sick, you have to find someone to cover for you; otherwise, you have to come in. I couldn't find anyone to cover for me, but I was so nauseous that I didn't go in. I was put on probation and told, 'We don't do sick days here.'"
5. "After a snowstorm, everyone worked from home, but I thought that since the office was quiet, I'd go in. It was a slower day, and I had the audacity to take a 30-minute break. Mind you, I never took lunch breaks and never dipped out early like everyone else. The next day, my manager emailed me asking why I took a break when I could've worked on audits that were due in March (it was January)."
6. "A male colleague I considered a friend told me during a workday chat that he’d love a threesome with me and another female colleague, who was within earshot."
7. "My first real job out of college made us sign an NDA and didn't tell us why until almost a month later. Turns out, they were trying to cover up a suicide that happened on the premises."
8. "When I called off on Christmas Eve because I had just suffered a miscarriage that morning, they said, 'Sorry to hear that. Could you at least go in and clean bathrooms and empty trash?'"
9. "My manager recorded a call with an employee without her knowledge or consent, wherein she complained about another member of the staff, and then proceeded to share that recording with the other employee."
10. "I was having trouble breathing and went to the ER. I was told I just had a respiratory infection. Next morning, I get a call from the hospital to come in right away because the radiologist who saw my scans that morning said I needed emergency surgery. I called work, and my manager told me that I was lying and hung up on me."
11. "When my son's school closed, they asked me how I was going to be able to work. I told them I needed to work from home, and the only way I could keep coming in was if I sent my kids to live with my parents out of state for a few months, as a sarcastic joke. My boss said, 'Well, that’s great!'"
12. "My job refused to let me go to my mother's surgery, questioned if I needed time off to be with my dying grandmother, made fun of me day after day when I shattered my ankle, later made fun of me for using a cane, made fun of me for having a hysterectomy, stalked me on the cameras, and then fired me."
Been through something similar? Let me know the story in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.