Posting to Reddit’s “Antiwork” forum on Wednesday under the username u/pretendlawyer13, the applicant explained that they received the reproof after giving an honest answer to an “unanswerable” question. The post has received more than 15,000 upvotes and over 600 comments while highlighting a major red flag job-seekers should look out for during the interview process.
At the beginning of the post, u/pretendlawyer13 told Redditors that they were asked to talk about a time they were late to work.
“Instead of [giving] the typical ‘I’m never late’ answer[,] I told them how recently I woke up to my kitchen covered in ants and I was a few minutes late because I didn’t want to leave it for my wife and kid to wake up to,” u/pretendlawyer13 wrote.
“I emphasized how I clearly communicated with my current boss and how I believe that open communication is best since sometimes s**t happens,” u/pretendlawyer13 continued.
However, this answer upset their prospective employer, who responded: “[W]hat do you think they were going to do eat your house? I don’t care about your personal problems. If you were on my job and that was the excuse you gave me I would kick you off immediately.”
When interviewing for a job, Fast Company said it’s important for job-seekers to ask about the company’s culture. One question the magazine recommended applicants ask is: “Do employees feel comfortable using their PTO, calling in when they’re sick, and/or taking time off for mental health?”
How an interviewer answers this question will help an applicant better understand how the company “views work-life balance,” Fast Company explained, adding that an employer’s disregard for their employees’ problems and personal lives is a “red flag.”
“You never know what the future will bring and it’s important to find a company that will have loyalty to you despite what may come up in life’s unexpected challenges,” the magazine said.
Though u/pretendlawyer13 didn’t get the chance to ask their prospective employer whether or not his company promotes a healthy work-life balance, they all but received their answer when they were told that the employer “[doesn’t] care about [their] personal problems.”
Many Redditors agreed that u/pretendlawyer13 “dodged a bullet” and urged them to contact HR.
“You need to write a letter/email to the head of HR and let them know how you were treated,” said u/SquirrelGod9000.
Redditor u/zat132 recommended that u/pretendlawyer13 send a “follow-up” email to the interviewer with “tips” on “how to be a decent human being,” to which u/importedmediorce added: “Attach [HR] to it, too.”
Newsweek has reached out to u/pretendlawyer13 for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
