'Now they know they're about to lose me': Corporate employee ruffles feathers in the office by changing his employment status to 'Open to Work'

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Jan 31, 2024 3:00 PM EST

If our early 2000s self could post a status about our next story, they would say, "It's complicated", but u/Jealous-Highway239 would send an even more definitive status update to his bosses online.

Back in the early days of the Internet, you could log in to your social media page and change your 'status' to send an update or message to your following. Like communications during the Cold War, these status changes were often misunderstood, inflamed, or just downright passive-aggressive, which is why in 2024, very few social platforms still have OG statuses. So this type of petulant communication only happens on the stages of the un-evolved social media platforms of workplace networking, coworker feuds, and mass-produced job applications… You know the website I'm talking about.

Scroll onward to read about one corporate employee's successful attempt to ruffle the feathers at the office and how one simple gesture– a status update– could finally get a message across to their boss.