A former Forever 21 worker on TikTok shared that he despised working at the retail store so much he would go to work drunk. And he says his performance improved while inebriated.
The six-second clip features TikTok user @1_sicko, who shared that he once worked at Forever 21 and hated the experience so much that he would show up to work “wasted.” However, it didn’t harm his performance. On the contrary, according to @1_sicko, they said his work performance improved as his drinking increased.
@1_sicko #alcoholicsonly ♬ savior – Novulent
The Daily Dot reached out to @1_sicko via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment for more information. The video racked up over 596,000 views as of Oct. 29, and resonated with former and current retail employees.
“I was a manager at forever 21 and I was usually wasted too,” one viewer wrote.
“I drank whiskey out of my water bottle when I worked at JCPenny lmao,” a second shared.
“working at cvs i drank straight vodka in a water bottle at 8am,” a third remarked.
In addition, others revealed how their work performance improved while intoxicated as well.
“no this is 100% facts, I got gift cards, all sorts of gifts from managers n costumers, I was tipsy every shift also [I’m] a friendly drunk lol,” one user stated.
“me bc my boss said I was working more efficiently like I’m just high out of my mind it’s like I’m playing a game,” a second commented.
Job unhappiness is at an all-time high. “50% of workers reported feeling stressed at their jobs on a daily basis, 41% as being worried, 22% as sad, and 18% angry,” per CNBC. In particular, retail workers are quitting in droves.
Furthermore, @1_sicko joins other content creators who’ve personally worked or knew people who worked under the influence. TikTok user @shitsack420 revealed his discreet method of drinking on the job: Squirting a sauce bottle containing wine into a cup. A restaurant server named Mary claimed that her co-workers are always “so high all the time.” As a result, it made it difficult to place special orders because the “restaurant employee preparing the order is often so high that a special request is ‘really gonna freak [them] out.’”
Typically speaking, drinking worsens work performance. “Drinking not only increases the possibility of employees getting injured, it can also lead to more on-the-job accidents. Additionally, alcohol can cause a lack of concentration and coordination in an employee’s work performance. This reduces productivity, which in turn impacts business goals and objectives,” per Alcohol Rehab Guide.
However, drinking on the job is prevalent. According to American Addiction Centers, “22.5% of people admit to using drugs or alcohol during work hours. 1 in 4 men admit to using drugs or alcohol in their place of work, while 1 in 5 women say that they have used drugs or alcohol in a professional setting. A whopping 66% of people admit that they have once used alcohol during work hours.”
