Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things in the entire world. We need time to grieve and process what’s happened. Few people can simply ‘jump back’ into their lives beforehand. What helps during this difficult time are family and friends who can support you and empathetic colleagues. However, some companies show just how heartless they can be.
Redditor u/Jadex9, a machinist who recently lost their mother and is now homeless, recounted how they were fired after they asked for extra time to grieve, in a series of posts. Not only that, but they have also shared how after the story went viral, their former employer began pressuring them to delete all of their posts in order to protect their reputation. On top of that, the company also appears to be deleting some comments and posts on social media. Read on for the full story.
Bored Panda got in touch with the author of the viral posts, u/Jadex9, and they were kind enough to share a few of their thoughts. They said that this job was a huge deal for them and that the internet has stunned them by supporting them, sending them money via Cash App ($CheoGomez). However, the author also asked everyone to tone down the hate they’re giving the company, saying that plenty of good people work there, too.
It can take a long time to process what happened after losing a loved one. Support from family, friends, and coworkers can go a long way
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
One employee revealed how they were fired because they asked for some extra time off after their mother's funeral
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Image credits: u/Jadex9
The author's story went viral and they kept up a constant stream of updates
Image credits: Ron Lach (not the actual photo)
Image credits: u/Jadex9
"The only thing I ask is that people chill with the company hate! I’m positive there are a lot of great people who work [there]"
Image credits: Startup Stock Photos (not the actual photo)
“I was NOT anticipating this kind of response from Reddit or Twitter, getting this kind of response has been scary and surreal!” the author of the viral posts, u/Jadex9, told Bored Panda.
“I originally posted what I had posted to vent, I had no intention of posting anything personal and have tried to keep everything private!” they explained that the story soon took a life of its own.
“I also did not want to name the company. I was just genuinely sad and upset by what had happened to me. I'm currently homeless and this job was a big deal for me!” they opened up to us.
Bored Panda asked the author how their former employer had been pressuring them to delete their posts on Reddit. “I received a couple of blocked calls asking me to ‘delete your [effing] threads,’” they said.
“I assume these were the company, but I cannot be certain of that. The reason for my assumption is that the initial call from HR to schedule my interview was made by a blocked number. Which is unusual for a company to do!”
The Reddit user said that they live out of their vehicle, currently. However, the internet’s support has been a great help. “I’ve received help on Cash App and appreciate it all!” they were incredibly grateful. Anyone wanting to support the author can do so via $CheoGomez on Cash App.
“The only thing I ask is that people chill with the company hate! I was not expecting social media to go bonkers like this on them, I’m positive there are a lot of great people who work at Koroseal and they also need to feed their families!” they pleaded with their supporters to tone down their response.
The company's reaction to what happened was less than stellar
Image credits: Sora Shimazaki (not the actual photo)
According to the information the author shared in their viral posts, their company had given them 3 bereavement leave days to bury their mother. However, when the machinist got in touch with HR to ask for some additional time off to grieve and process what had happened, they were, instead, fired. The OP sent the supporting documents proving everything that happened to some moderators on Reddit who confirmed that the entire story was real.
Redditor u/Jadex9 allegedly worked at Koroseal, which describes itself as a “leading manufacturer, distributor, and designer of commercial wallcoverings & interior solutions.” The former employee noted that the business has a strong social media presence “that presents itself as friendly.”
The author claims that they’ve been contacted by representatives of the company, demanding that they delete all of their posts about Koroseal on Reddit. On top of that, according to some redditors, it seems that someone from the company may have also been writing comments on the platform, attacking the OP.
The company had also locked its Twitter account at the time of writing and, according to some redditors, has been purging various comments on its social media. This is because the Reddit community came out to support the OP in force, shocked by how the business reacted to the request for more time to grieve. Some comments may have been less than friendly, so the company’s social media team responded in turn.
As we’ve recently covered on Bored Panda, one of the signs of good workplace leaders is their capacity for empathy. Managers who understand what their employees are going through and genuinely care about supporting them will have a loyal team. On the flip side, bosses who are distant from the problems their workers face can’t expect a motivated force.
Everyone grieves differently, it's a very personal thing
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
When it comes to grieving over the loss of a loved one, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Psychotherapist Silva Neves previously explained to Bored Panda that everyone grieves differently.
“Some grieve with a lot of crying and others grieve with being practical, and anything else in between. Not seeing any tears does not mean that people are not grieving. The process lasts as long as it needs to last, there is no time limit,” the mental health expert stressed.
“Usually, grieving diminishes over time, which means that people become less and less upset over time, but some people will never ‘recover’ from grieving, especially those who lost a very important person. Most people learn to live with grief and sadness. Significant dates, such as anniversaries, may always be painful,” he told us during a previous interview.
“Although there is some common knowledge about grief, such as ‘stages of grief’, a lot of people don’t follow ‘stages’ of grief because grief can be messy and unpredictable. The best way to support someone who is grieving is by sitting with them, listening to them and that’s it,” the psychotherapist said.
“It is also important not to tell people ‘I know how you feel’ because grieving is so unique, nobody can know what another person’s grieving feels like, but perhaps we can imagine how painful it is. A lot of people get a lot of support with grief at the beginning of the loss, but often people stop talking about after a while,” the expert noted.
“Grieving people usually do appreciate their friends asking about it, even a year later or two years later. Don’t be afraid to ask the question, ‘How are you?’ and allow the grieving person to speak. Ask them for what they need but don’t assume what they need. Sometimes a grieving person might need a hug, but sometimes they may need to sit in silence. Sometimes they may need to be distracted with something else, other times they may want to talk about their pain.”
The author shared some more information in the comments
Many people supported the worker. Here's how some internet users reacted to the story
