Leaving a job is never easy. No matter how fraught the workplace relationship is, many employees will try to maintain a positive relationship with their soon-to-be-former employer, either so they can keep the door open for a positive reference later on or simply because they want to be polite.
However, some employers don’t offer the same courtesy, as TikTok user Lauren (@bookhuddle) recently noted in a video with over 307,000 views.
In the video, Lauren recalls her decision to leave her job to pursue freelancing full-time.
“Remembering the time my supervisor asked me to have a 1:1 farewell lunch when I gave notice to try pursuing my dream of freelancing full time, and when the bill arrived, he pushed it toward me and said, ‘Why don’t you get this since you’re so successful now?’” the overlay text reads.
@bookhuddle That was fun. 😖 #businessowneradvice #businessownertips #freelancelife #badbosses #toxicmasculinity ♬ original sound – Dre
In a comment, Lauren reveals that she did, in fact, pay for the meal.
“I was young and lacked confidence to stand up for myself,” she recalled. “It was so shocking that I didn’t know what else to do.”
“It was really fked up,” she added in another comment. “Especially [because] he was making 2x as much as me at the time.”
While commenters were understanding of the awkward position in which Lauren was placed, some users claimed things would have gone a little differently if they were faced with the same scenario.
“I would’ve said it’s customary to pay when you invite someone to lunch,” one user wrote.
“I would have brought the receipt to their supervisor and ask how to go about being reimbursed from petty cash,” offered another.
“‘Oh sure! This is about the cost of one brutally honest Glassdoor review I’ll be leaving on you shortly,’” a third joked.
A few noted that scenarios like these may be contributing to the growing sentiment against two-week notices and exit interviews.
“Whoa. That’s why I decline exit interviews,” a user concluded. “I prefer a clean slate.”
In a comment, Lauren says she doesn’t regret her decision to leave the company in the slightest.
“I haven’t worked for anyone but myself for over 8 years now,” she detailed. “Best decision I’ve ever made.”
We’ve reached out to Lauren via TikTok direct message.
