'I gagged, took my apron off, and left': Jaded employees recall the horrors of when they quit a new job on the first day

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Aug 17, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

There are certain things that every employee needs to keep their eyes peeled for on their first day of work. Primarily, every new hire needs to ask themselves, 'Is this job going to be worth the hassle?'  Now, obviously we all work in order to get that paycheck every two weeks, but for some jobs, the money just isn't worth it. Take these stories of work nightmares, for example. In all of these cases, each employee came in to work on their first day, fresh-faced and ready to start to train, and before their shift was up, decided that there were some deal breakers in the workplace that couldn't be overlooked. 

Scroll down for these employee's "I'm outta here" moment that rocked the workplace, shook them to their core, and possibly scarred them for life. These tales are the kind of horror stories that make you appreciate your own workplace. However dull and mundane it may seem, at least you don't have to sift through the scent of rotting vegetables, run petty errands for your boss, or clean a 3000sq ft house in 1.5 hours. For more stories of insane workplace drama, check out this story of a $1M+ sales rep who completely lost it after getting denied a $15 computer mouse replacement.

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/Confident-Fun-8183 21 hours ago People who quit their jobs on the first day, what was your "I'm outta here" moment?
    via Confident-Fun-8183
  • 02
    Font - Green420Basturd edited 16 hr. ago +1. 19 hr. ago. I interviewed for a retail sales position with one of those job placement companies and on my first day I realized it was a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman job based on commission only. I vacuumed my grandma's house with the display model they gave me while she made me French toast, then I quit.
    via Green420Basturd
  • 03
    Font - balance_n_act +2 16 hr. ago Cutco had me go through 3 rounds of interviews before they brought the knives out. I wonder if they think I'm still looking for my pack of gum.
    via balance_n_act
  • 04
    Font - XxCeresxX +1 · 19 hr. ago Stepping into a failing walk- in cooler with 2 inches of standing chicken blood on the floor.
    via XxCeresxX
  • 05
    Font - Bobbi Bari +3 20 hr. ago I was hired for a customer support position that ended up being standing in a mall kiosk trying to get leads from randos walking by for sales. I was there for 2 hours before I went to the restroom and never came back.
    via BobbiBari
  • 06
    Font - AgePractical6298 19 hr. ago. edited 16 hr. ago Cleaning houses. They gave me a quick tutorial on how they like the houses cleaned, since I would be cleaning alone, I wouldn't clean any houses bigger then 1200 square feet. My first house was 3000 sq feet and I had 2
    via AgePractical6298
  • 07
    Font - hours to clean top to bottom. I got what I could do done in 2 hours. Boss called me to go back because customer wasn't satisfied, I blocked the number.
    via AgePractical6298
  • 08
    Font - kaapie 15 hr. ago Same here! I applied for an IT job once, got the job only to find out its forking door to door salesman job for one of those MLM pyramid schemes. LoL
    via kaapie
  • 09
    Font - TouchOfClass8. 11 hr. ago Samething happened to me a couple years ago at a grocery store. I was hired as a part time stocking clerk. I did all the training. Not once was collecting carts part of job description.
    via TouchOfClass8
  • 10
    Font - On the first shift, someone goes on the intercom and says to bring the carts in. I ignored. Then 20mins later my lead comes up to me and tells me that's my job.
    via TouchOfClass8
  • 11
    Font - I also made it clear I need specific days and times because of my university schedule. I check the schedule and my shifts are completely ignoring everything i discussed in the interview. So I quit.
    via TouchOfClass8
  • 12
    Font - CowboyCamploo - 21 hr. ago Went into a Mexican restaurant with the idea that I was going to be a cook. And found out very quickly I was a dish washer, right after quitting another dish washing job like a week before that I hated.
    via CowboyCamploo
  • 13
    Font - itsnotromy 18 hr. ago . I took a job as a “kitchen assistant" in a fairly busy restaurant. From how they described it, I'd be assisting the chefs, maybe clean a bit, all things I'd done before when working in a restaurant. Well.
    via itsnotromy
  • 14
    Font - First shift came, and they pointed me to the pile of dirty dishes, and a large metal sink. I cleaned dishes for hours, and when I tried to go to the bathroom, I got screamed at to go "ask permission" first. I'm a 22 year old woman, like fuck am I asking someone's permission to piss.
    via itsnotromy
  • 15
    Font - · 20 hr. ago Just Frosting2840 Worked Arby's for 4 hours. Came in 4am, prepped meat, shown registers lightly, then left to tend both lobby and drive-thru. Manager just sat in the office. Took my break and never went back.
    via Just_Frostin2840
  • 16
    Font - pitterpatter0207 +1 - 20 hr. ago Got a job in a car repair shop as a tech, everything was going decent for a first day lunch time rolls around boss tells me to go get lunch for him at the local grocery store that makes really good subs in the deli, No biggie
    via pitterpatter0207
  • 17
    Font - I'll get mine and his at the same time. He then proceeds to hand me a shopping list tells me to grab groceries, stop at the high school pick his son up and drop groceries and kid at his house before returning. How bout eat share?
    via pitterpatter0207
  • 18
    Font - qveeroccvlt . 19 hr. ago I was hired to work at a sandwich shop. I did an hour up front figuring out where things were and then I was told to go to the walk-in fridge to get something. The smell... my fucking god.
    via qveeroccvlt
  • 19
    Font - There was unwrapped food on the floor, open pails of stuff with no lids, rotten vegetables. It smelled like a cose and looked like a dumpster. I gagged, took my apron off and just left.
    via qveeroccvlt
  • 20
    Font - NotGAF 7 hr. ago Canada, 2005. McDonald's requires its employees to be clean shaven and their hair must be of a natural color. We had some dudes quit specifically because they wanted to grow a beard.
    via NotGAF
  • 21
    Font - PsychoBabble09 - 19 hr. ago "Orientation" unexpectedly lasted 9hours... for a bartending position Also watched poor quality employees take advantage of the weak manager. I don't have time for that drama
    via PsychoBabble09
  • 22
    Rectangle - stateofyou +1 17 hr. ago I was working as a teacher at a private language school. Between my lessons I went to the toilet for a pe. The manager followed me in and asked "What are you doing? You need to wait
    via stateofyou
  • 23
    Font - until after work to go to the toilet" So my response was "I'm officially finished work now because I quit, now get out and let me finish my pics"
    via stateofyou
  • 24
    Font - edgeofuckery 18 hr. ago A company hired me as a temp employee to replace someone on maternity leave without telling me. One of my coworkers slipped up and mentioned that I was a temp. Grabbed my coat and keys and walked out.
    via edgeofuckery
  • 25
    Font - SquallEater 2023 • 17 hr. ago They let a guy with bleeding knuckles (cut them in the tomato slicer) continue to do veggie prep without gloves or bandages.
    via Squalleater2023
  • 26
    Handwriting - I quit!!
    via u/canva

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