‘Discovered my "desk" was literally a cardboard box turned sideways in a dimly lit closet’: Fed-up employees share why they quit their first days on the job

Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."

Mar 6, 2025 6:00 PM EST

In this job market, or any job market, really, optimistic job-seekers choose to believe the gig they landed will work out. This willful ignorance allows us to get by and curb our warranted suspicions about the job role. Is it a good idea to curb our judgment? Probably not. Do we do it anyway and wait until the first day to make a judgment call? Yep. Sometimes, employees don't need to wait out the entire eight-hour shift to realize they should throw on their walking boots and hit the road, and fast. Entitled supervisors and cardboard box desks will do that to anyone.

This r/AskReddit thread is riddled with stories from employees sharing their reasons for hitting the road during their first day on the job. You know it's a pretty bad gig when folks can't even stick out a whole day, and they shouldn't have to. If you're quitting, you're quitting. Save yourself and the company some precious time and be blunt. However, the reasons these employees decided to leave their jobs, well… are astounding.

Though most job-seekers are bright-eyed and ready for the world, bad jobs listed by bad companies tear that optimism away before noon on a first Monday shift. Some of these ex-employees had cardboard boxes for desks, were told to cook breakfast for their boss (in their apartment), and even catch chickens. This Reddit thread serves as a reminder to all: No job is worth the mental distress you might experience after only eight hours of playtime.
via Getty Images For Unsplash+

_{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}
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