As someone who has done her fair share of unpaid writing gigs, I can say that people only do it if they truly care about the field. However, imagine wasting your time and not even getting basic respect. Surely, nobody would sign up for it, right?
This guy was co-hosting a radio show on men’s mental health for free and also managing a few other tasks. Ironically, when he took a day off to care for his sick pet, the host went psycho on him. Read on to uncover all the drama that followed!
More info: Reddit
Unfortunately, unpaid workers get treated really badly by some cruel employers
Image credits: JSB Co. / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The poster traveled 6 hours every week to co-host a radio show about men's mental health for free, as he was passionate about it
Image credits: SkelDry / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One day, when he took a day off to care for his fatally sick pet, the host lost it and berated him for breaking the "one rule"
Image credits: DC Studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster was stunned that a person who preached about mental health showed zero empathy towards him, so he quit the show in frustration
Image credits: philastotle
The mean host pestered him for being disrespectful towards the show, and even blamed him for using his pet as a "way out"
In today’s story, the original poster (OP) was a good Samaritan who co-hosted a radio show about men’s mental health. He was really passionate about it, so he did the unpaid work while managing their social media and Spotify. Little did he know that the place that preached about mental struggles would cause him so much distress, all because of one leave.
From driving 3 hours each way every week, to investing his energy, the poster was taking a lot of effort for something that didn’t pay him. One day, he had to take a day off to look after one of his fatally sick pets and messaged the host. Much to his shock, the guy got mad that he was breaking the “one rule” that the show had, and even asked if it was an April Fool’s joke.
Obviously, our dude felt awful about the host’s unempathetic behavior and seriously considered quitting the show. After he vented online, people advised him that he was wasting a lot of effort on something that didn’t show him basic respect. Well, he heeded their advice and texted the host that he was quitting. However, there was more drama in store for him when he received an immediate reply.
The host kept berating him for disrespecting the show’s one rule and even blamed him for using his pet as a “way out.” OP was aghast that a 46-year-old man with a background in mental health could be so uncaring towards his colleague’s issues. In fact, it just drove away all the insecurities he was feeling about quitting, and he admitted he had made the right decision.
Image credits: krakenimages.com / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Netizens declared the host an absolute hypocrite, and many stressed that the poster did the right thing by quitting. To get better insights into free work culture, Bored Panda reached out to Apoorva Kale, an industrial and organizational psychology practitioner. She said it takes passion to work without pay, so being disrespected in such a place is the last thing anyone can handle.
“When a person is giving 100% effort, but receives 0% emotional support from the employer, it creates a massive equity imbalance. It quickly makes the workplace unsustainable. Also, the show’s external mission contradicts its internal treatment of staff. Once the authenticity is revealed to be a facade, the emotional labor of the role becomes an unbearable weight,” she added.
Our expert believes that this misalignment causes moral injury: a deep feeling of betrayal that is much worse than just being tired. She explained that it turns a “labor of love” into a one-sided deal. Since there is no financial incentive to bridge this gap, the contributor’s brain naturally seeks to resolve the tension by withdrawing, Apoorva noted.
“The employee didn’t just burn out on the tasks, he burned out on the hypocrisy,” our expert concluded. Well, it seems only right that the poster quit rather than work with such a toxic person. After all, what’s the point of it if there’s no basic respect? If you were in OP’s shoes, would you do the same thing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!
Netizens were taken aback by the ironic situation, and didn't shy away from chastising the host as an absolute hypocrite
