'Oh, people like to work late': 20+ Workplace red flags that scream, "Don't work here"

Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor

Apr 13, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

Don't accept that job until you've vetted the company well. I know it's hard not to accept the first gig that offers you a contract, but it's worth your time to spot red flags before signing on.

One person mentioned another great one, which is having a lot of very young people who are running an older company. Young people are great, of course, but it signifies that the company can't retain their older workers, who probably left to find better wages. And it implies that they're hiring youngsters who don't know any better. When you're 20 and starting your first job in the real world, you often don't know how to negotiate your salary or stand up to your boss. If managers take advantage of that, it's a sign that they don't respect any of their workers, young or old.

As another commenter mentioned, some workplaces love to tout how fun they are. That was a very cool moment in the early 2010s, when companies started buying foosball tables and nap pods and making game rooms for the workers. It's an odd catch-22, though. If you're spotted playing pool in the middle of the afternoon instead of working, your bosses might give you the side-eye. It's hard to have actual fun if you know there are negative ramifications for doing so. Why not just have a normal workplace that lets you clock out at 5 PM and have fun with your friends and family instead? No one wants to spend all of their time at the office, no matter how fun it purportedly is.

Up next, this manager changed up their employee's schedule just for funsies, and came to regret it almost immediately.