'I’m not a flashy person in the slightest': Boss criticizes employee's personal spending habits, claims it looks bad while company is doing layoffs

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Jun 15, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

What you choose to spend your hard-earned money on should be of no concern to your employer. You work hard for your money, so you should be able to use it to buy what you want. Even if you don't need more clothes, collectibles, fancy dinners, or whatever else you choose to spend your money, it's just that - it's your money. Well, this employee is being scolded by his boss for what he's been spending his money on recently. And here's the kicker - it's not even flashy items. One of the recent items he bought was a nine-year-old used car because his old 2007 Camry was totaled. Yet he was still pulled into his boss's office saying that he was "showing off" his new purchases and that he needed to be careful how he spent his money as "the optics can look bad for the company" amidst their layoffs. 

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  • 01
    r/antiwork ⚫14 hr. ago Tlr321 I got told that my personal spending has "bad optics" for my company
    via u/Tlr321
  • 02
    A few weeks ago, my company announced that they would be closing our east coast location (along with 12 employees) and would be laying off about 10 employees from our west coast location (where I work.) The 10 employees where I work are employed through July 19th, and the east coast location is closing at the end of the year.
    via u/Tlr321
  • 03
    I am not in the department that is being shuttered or being downsized - I work in Finance/Sales, whereas most of the people being let go are in Manufacturing/engineering. There are two things that I guess caused "concern":
    via u/Tlr321
  • 04
    Over the weekend, I bought a new (to me) car. It's a 2015 CR-V, in very good condition. I bought it as my old car was totaled at the end of May & last week it finally got closed out with insurance. Over the last few days, a few of my coworkers have approached me to talk about my
    via u/Tlr321
  • 05
    new car. It is in no way flashy or overly stylish, but it's the "Touring" trim & I got it for a really good deal. Then, last night, my wife bought me a new pair of shoes - a pair of Hoka's from Nordstrom Rack (for $55). They are very
    via u/Tlr321
  • 06
    comfortable & I had always been wanting a good pair of shoes, especially since I walk a lot as I do rounds in our manufacturing plant to check in on the status of various projects for my customers.
    via u/Tlr321
  • 07
    Our HR guy noticed them this morning & said he had the same ones for walking. We joked about Nordstrom Rack & their good deals. Then this afternoon, my boss called me to her office for a "quick chat."
    via u/Tlr321
  • 08
    She tells me that she's been made aware by "several" employees that I've been showing off a few new purchases lately & word is spreading that people were laid off so that raises could be given to other employees. She said that I need to "be careful" of how I spend my money as the "optics can look bad for the company.”
    via u/Tlr321
  • 09
    I was shocked about our conversation. I'm not a flashy person in the slightest. The nicest thing I was wearing during that meeting was my shoes. Both my shirt & pants were from Costco. My previous car was a 2007 Camry.
    via u/Tlr321
  • 10
    Additionally, nobody besides the HR guy talked to me about the shoes. And the only people who talked to me about the new car have been other people I work with directly in my department & had been asking me how the whole 'sorting out the car wreck' thing was going.
    via u/Tlr321
  • 11
    I don't even know what to think about it. I don't want to come back to the conversation with my boss & "defend" myself, but I feel like it's a bunch of baloney.
    via u/Tlr321
  • 12
    Stolen Wishes • 17h ago I don't want to come back to the conversation with my boss & "defend" myself, but I feel like it's a bunch of baloney. It is. If you won't defend, you'll have to ignore.
    via u/StolenWishes
  • 13
    remedialknitter • 17h ago Yeah, Ole Costco Pants out here showing off his nine year old mid size SUV. Stop flexing on everybody, OP. What a crazy thing to say to you. I'd just ignore it, but leave the Louis Vuitton gear at home for now...
    via u/remedialknitter
  • 14
    nndscrptuser ⚫17h ago. Holy cow that is absurd. Even if you spent every dime you had on leasing a Ferrari, it is absolutely none of their business what you do with your money. What kind of business is this, exactly, where a 9 year old car and a pair of shoes would present a bad image? It is not your job to protect the company, justify their business decisions or sacrifice your own life so they aren't embarrassed that things are so poorly run that they have to lay off people and worry about rumor
    via u/nndscrptuser
  • 15
    You did nothing wrong, and it's great you still have your job. If I were you, I'd take advantage of that current stability but be looking in the background for a new opportunity and leaving as soon as something better comes along. Clearly things are trending in the wrong direction for the business.
    via u/nndscrptuser
  • 16
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    via MART PRODUCTION

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employment issues boss antiwork workplace-stories fired job work coworkers layoffs workplace Horrible Bosses entitled reddit thread Reddit company employment in the workplace
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