Sometimes people like their jobs but still quit because a better offer comes along, and in other cases, they might hate their job so much that they quit just to get away from it despite not having a particular plan in mind. But at least they don’t have to suffer from the job or the people anymore.
Not everyone is so lucky. A person came to Reddit to vent about the unfairness of her friend's employer, who got the former employee arrested after they asked for a wellness check because she left the job after 15 years. While you can’t claim that they did it on purpose, it did feel suspicious.
More info: Reddit
Woman is so proud of her friend who finally quit her toxic job just to find out they are petty enough to get a former employee arrested for nothing
Image credits: Rick Obst (not the actual image)
The Original Poster (OP) who goes by the username Ok_Judgment4141 has a friend who had been a cake decorator working for Fred Meyer for 15 years. They actually used to work together and that is how they met, because the author of the post also decorated cakes and was the manager of the bakery, but she left a few years ago and started her own business.
The woman described the job as requiring creativity, but that was not the case at Fred Meyer and when Bored Panda contacted the OP, she let us know that it was a toxic environment to work at and she has never been happier than now, working for herself.
She added, “Fred Meyer has stolen years of our lives. When we come home after a toxic workplace, our emotions and thoughts are still withdrawing from everyday abuse. When we get together with other co-workers, outside of work, all we do is berate and talk about how we're being abused by our employer.”
The author of the story is friends with a former coworker who finally decided to leave her emotionally abusive workplace after 15 years
Image credits: u/Ok_Judgment4141
But until recently, OP’s friend still worked at Fred Meyers. The friend suffered emotional and psychological abuse and tolerated it, but what made her take the leap was when she was suspended for not coming to a shift that she wasn’t supposed to be scheduled on.
The OP encouraged the friend to do what would make her happy and this was all the encouragement the woman needed. Although, it wasn’t a smooth process. The next time Ok_Judgment4141 heard from her friend was when she called her from a mental hospital where she was taken after being arrested.
The woman was very happy for her friend until she got a call from her saying that she was in a mental hospital where she was taken by the police in handcuffs
Image credits: u/Ok_Judgment4141
Turns out, the employer asked for a wellness check on the friend and when the policemen asked if the woman had any thoughts of harming herself or others, she was sincere and opened up that she was mentally in a bad place and she had such thoughts.
This is when they handcuffed her and took her away in the middle of a walk an hour after she attended her first therapy session. The Redditor believes that workplaces should definitely care about their employees’ mental health, but she asks “Why couldn't they just call my friend's emergency contacts to check on her before calling the police?” Also, why did the police come alone without a mental health professional?
Turns out, the workplace asked for a wellness check and when the friend confessed her dark thoughts caused by her toxic job to the police, they arrested her
Image credits: u/Ok_Judgment4141
Image credits: Rosemary Ketchum (not the actual image)
Image credits: u/Ok_Judgment4141
It makes it seem that the employer knew what they were doing and of the possible consequences. Ok_Judgment4141 and her friend can’t prove if it was done out of spite, but she told us, “I wouldn't put it past them. I've known managers do petty a*s s**t before. Got endless examples.”
Fortunately, the friend is doing fine except for the massive medical bill and this traumatizing experience didn’t break her spirit: “She's excited like she just divorced an abusive relationship. She is looking to the future, I encourage her to go take a weekend away with her and her husband and kids.”
The Redditor believes that “She's in no danger to herself or others, she's incredibly sweet and shy and passive. Not one mean bone in her body.”
However, now that she has been released from the hospital, she is considering suing the company and the successful examples she witnessed give hope. “We do have a friend, an old coworker, who was able to sue the same company for mental and emotional distress... And won! I have another friend who had a similar circumstance with a different company, sued and won. She is actively seeking help, professionally and through friends.”
The friend was taken to a mental hospital and held there for 5 days at her own expense when she already had a therapy session booked an hour before the police came
Image credits: u/Ok_Judgment4141
Image credits: RODNAE Productions (not the actual image)
It seems that the OP’s friend has a shot at getting justice served and is seriously taking care of herself. People in the comments actually related to the woman because apparently former employers are kind of petty and will do such things more often than you would think.
Have you ever heard of similar stories? Why do you think the workplace just can’t let go of employees without harming them further? Do you think wellness checks are actually useful? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Readers concluded that it was a mistake to talk to the police but also weren't surprised at the former employer's actions as they had similar experiences
