Design job requires employees to clock out to use the bathroom and refuses to heat the office, doesn't understand why they're losing workers: 'Is it too soon to walk out?'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jan 31, 2026 10:00 AM EST

It's a tough job market, but that doesn't mean you should settle. 

Every job has compromises. No job is perfect, and you have to decide what sacrifices you're willing to make. Maybe the commute is a bit longer than you'd like. Maybe the pay is a little less. Maybe it doesn't match the vision in your head of your dream job. But you know you have to start somewhere, and every position you hold is going to have some sort of drawback. You just have to decide whether or not you're okay with that level of sacrifice. It's not easy to get a job, especially one in your field that you want to pursue. You can't be overly picky, or else you'll end up unemployed forever. But that doesn't mean you should accept poor treatment. No job is worth your own sense of dignity.

Even though every job has sacrifices, you should be firm with your boundaries. It's easy to get taken advantage of, especially when you're the one who needs the job. Some toxic work environments thrive on being able to exploit their workers. They're too scared to say anything, and the boss is relying on that sense of fear. But you have your own autonomy, and you have to remember that they need your work just as much as you need them. But standing up for yourself is easier said than done, and often comes at a cost. That's the situation that this worker encountered when they started a new position. 

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  • A dark haired young woman blows her nose into a tissue at her desk
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • After months of searching for a new job, this worker was glad to finally be able to hang their hat. They were hired, and in a field that they were interested in. But the excitement stopped there. As soon as they started the job, they realized that things were not going to go as smoothly as they wanted. A few red flags were starting to be raised, and they wondered how long they could take it. Things seemed to be getting worse and worse, but they didn't quite know if they were overreacting. Read on to see what happened in this story and what you think.

  • Finally landed a design job after 8 months. 2 days in and I want to quit. Am I overreacting?

    I'm honestly devastated. After 8 months of searching and constant rejection, I finally landed a role in my field (design). The hiring process was crazy fast. I applied Monday and was hired by Friday. I'm two days in and the "red flag" list is already a mile long:
    via u/According-Status482
  • • The Office is a literal freezer. It's winter here and the building is huge with zero insulation. My hands are actually numb while I'm trying to use the laptop. The boss knows, the clients know, no one cares. I'm in physical pain from shivering all day. •The boss never introduced me to the team or showed me the ropes, but he expects me to know the entire workflow already.
    via u/According-Status482
  • •My coworkers told me we have to clock out every time we use the bathroom. Apparently, the boss monitors how long we're in there and gets angry if it's "too long." . My trainer spent the whole day whispering because she's convinced the boss is listening to us through the security cameras. She spent the entire day telling me how much she hates it here and can't wait to quit.
    via u/According-Status482
  • • I made a tiny mistake on an ad (on my SECOND day) and he called me to demand I "explain the mistake right now" in the most condescending, "Who is this?" tone. •I was hired for design and marketing, but now they're saying I have to be the cashier and handle the storefront too. I'm basically doing three jobs for the price of one.
    via u/According-Status482
  • I feel like a failure for wanting to quit after 8 months of looking, but my gut is telling me to run. I'm so stressed and it's only been TWO days. Am I overreacting because I've been out of the game for a while, or is this as toxic as it feels?
    via u/According-Status482
  • TL;DR: Landed a design job after 8 months of unemployment. The office is freezing, I have to clock out to pee, the boss is condescending, and I'm being forced to do retail work on top of design. Is it too soon to walk out?
    via u/According-Status482

  • Commenters gave their sympathies and speculated about what might be going on here.

    VixKnacks Any time the application to start date is less than two weeks it usually means they're hemorrhaging staff. Good reason to avoid like the plague before you even walk through the door.
    via u/VixKnacks
  • A blonde woman looks upset at her desk
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • According-Status482 Original Poster's Reply Thanks for the advice! I'll keep this in mind for my next job
    via u/According-Status482
  • Mismagireve Quit and look into how much of your current working situation is even legal, because I highly doubt this company isn't doing SOMETHING you can report it to the Labor Board for.
    via u/Mismagireve
  • According-Status482 Original Poster's Reply I'm sure the bathroom situation and the freezing workplace can't be right it's my first job and I was really debating if I was just exaggerating
    via u/According-Status482
  • craptastic832 Are you allowed a space heater at your desk?
    via u/craptastic832
  • According-Status482 Original Poster's Reply We have a couple of heaters but they barely make a difference... I'm sure I could bring one for myself if I wanted to. I don't even have my own desk bc my boss makes me work downstairs at the store even worse he keeps me next to the door where I can feel the cold air from outside
    via u/According-Status482
  • ConfidentHope Oof baby get out of there. I'm in design too and know hard it is out here for jobs right now, but the longer you stay here the worse it's going to get. Leave now and don't put them on your resume.
    via u/AConfidentHope
  • According-Status482 Original Poster's Reply Thank you my coworkers act like everything is normal and I thought I was going crazy Imao
    via u/According-Status482
  • bramtyr As a designer, who has been a junior designer in the past, if you are getting raked over the coals over an error in a piece that went live, that is something your seniors have to own as they are the ones who are supposed to be the final eyes proofing and signing off on literally everything that goes out the door. Yes its important to QC all of your work but you're literally a new higher and learning the process. This place sounds sketchy as hell and a TON of red flags are waving loudly.
    via u/bramtyr
  • According-Status482 Original Poster's Reply that's one of the main problems, the design team is non-existent it's just me and my boss, he doesn't care he just wants it to be perfect but can't even bother to look at what I do for more than 5 seconds and not really... I'm more of a web designer but someone else already designed the website...
    via u/According-Status482
  • According-Status482 Original Poster's Reply hey guys a little update. Thanks for all the nice comments I really appreciate it:) I have decided to quit as I woke up feeling awful with a terrible sore throat and headache. Boss is expecting me an hour earlier today but I'm never going back to that place. My family supports me and I have enough savings until late February, I hope I can get a good job this time!
    via u/According-Status482
  • merkmerc Not sympathetic to the "office is a freezer" like what is the actual temperature?
    via u/merkmerc
  • According-Status482 Original Poster's Reply idk the actual temperature? me and my coworkers wear about 4 layers of clothes... we're constantly shivering and sneezing and as I said, my hands get numb and my body hurts from the cold. Clients mention how cold the store is every single time
    via u/According-Status482
  • chompy283 If u quit you are no worse off than you were last week. Don't put that job on your resume
    via u/chompy283
  • mrDanteMan That's exactly why they're hiring so fast, they can't retain people. No one can put up with that kind of nonsense for long. You know how hard it is to find work right now. Personally, I'd ignore that kind of behavior, stay long enough to collect at least a month of pay, and keep applying on the side. I wouldn't plan on staying there longer than necessary. In this market, survival comes first, and I wouldn't feel bad about treating it the same way the system treats workers. At the same
    via u/mrDanteMan
  • tfg46 This isn't a design job, if they're already asking you to do retail bullshit that wasn't part of your job description then that's what they intended to bring you in there for. Stand your ground and keep looking while this place is paying you.
    via u/tfg46

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