Company 'rewards' an employee of 42 years with a barbecue for his retirement
- Replies 41
We often hear stories of hard-working individuals who finally choose to start their well-deserved retirement after giving decades of their lives in service of their respective industries.
Well, in an ideal world, they’re supposed to receive a well-planned celebration. However, it seems that a man’s recent story about retirement has taken quite a detour from this ideal scenario.
This is the story of John, now in his 70s, who was ‘rewarded’ for his service to an unnamed company with a BBQ and a certificate.
After spending 42 long years clocking in on time, putting in his hours and enduring a 40-minute commute each way, the older employee finished his journey at his company with what can be mildly stated as a 'less-than-ideal' farewell.
The event was met with disapproval and disappointment from many of his colleagues, many of whom have also worked there for over 30 years.
Sonia, one of John's coworkers, found this lacklustre send-off deeply unjust. She decided to make a public callout and used the power of social media to highlight the spirit of John's service and the hollow token of appreciation his company gave him.
In a now-deleted video, Sonia showed John’s last day at work, saying: 'Today is my co-worker's last day. He worked for this company for 42 years making minimum wage.’
She continued, 'He loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire. [He got] No bonus, just a barbecue and a certificate. Don’t be a slave to your job. Thank you, John, for your loyalty.'
The video garnered the interest of thousands of social media users, igniting a wave of empathy, anger, and surprise online. Most of them voiced their sentiments and rallied to help John feel appreciated.
Sonia was quick to action, setting up a GoFundMe to raise funds and give John ‘a little something for a better retirement’.
The fundraiser's description read: ‘Rain or shine, he will make it to work! Extremely dependable! It doesn’t matter how much we would suggest to take his [holiday] days, he would still want to work!’
It continued: ‘He has no wife or kids however, he does have a nephew he loves dearly. It would be nice to give him some kind of company or something to do so he knows he’s special and loved.’
In just a few days, the funds raised had swiftly crossed John's retirement fund, amounting to almost $32,000 at the time of writing this article.
Aside from the monetary contributions, many people around the world resonated with John’s story and left messages for the retiree.
‘Happy retirement, John! Wishing you all the best, and I hope you enjoy your well-deserved free time!’ One person wrote.
Another stated: ‘This was a wonderful story—I wanted John to know he had supporters from all around the world (Sydney, Australia)’
‘Your hard work and dedication is an inspiration, John! We need more like you in the world. All the best to you from New York City!’ A third person said.
A fourth person left this message: ‘Hi John, my name is Sophie, from New Zealand. I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work and generosity over the years. Happy retirement!’
To donate for John’s retirement, you can visit the GoFundMe page here.
Based on Sonia’s latest update, they plan to inform and give the proceeds of the fund to John as soon as they receive his communication. As of writing, John hasn’t received the funds yet.
If you want to be updated on this story, you can visit Sonia’s social media here.
We at the SDC wish John a happy retirement! We hope loyal and hard workers like him are properly recognised for their service and work ethic.
What do you think of John’s send-off, members? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Well, in an ideal world, they’re supposed to receive a well-planned celebration. However, it seems that a man’s recent story about retirement has taken quite a detour from this ideal scenario.
This is the story of John, now in his 70s, who was ‘rewarded’ for his service to an unnamed company with a BBQ and a certificate.
After spending 42 long years clocking in on time, putting in his hours and enduring a 40-minute commute each way, the older employee finished his journey at his company with what can be mildly stated as a 'less-than-ideal' farewell.
John retired from his company after 42 years and received a BBQ and a certificate. Credit: @m3nta11y1ll1/TikTok
The event was met with disapproval and disappointment from many of his colleagues, many of whom have also worked there for over 30 years.
Sonia, one of John's coworkers, found this lacklustre send-off deeply unjust. She decided to make a public callout and used the power of social media to highlight the spirit of John's service and the hollow token of appreciation his company gave him.
In a now-deleted video, Sonia showed John’s last day at work, saying: 'Today is my co-worker's last day. He worked for this company for 42 years making minimum wage.’
She continued, 'He loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire. [He got] No bonus, just a barbecue and a certificate. Don’t be a slave to your job. Thank you, John, for your loyalty.'
The video garnered the interest of thousands of social media users, igniting a wave of empathy, anger, and surprise online. Most of them voiced their sentiments and rallied to help John feel appreciated.
Sonia, John’s co-worker, posted a video on social media on his last day of work. Credit: @m3nta11y1ll1/TikTok
Sonia was quick to action, setting up a GoFundMe to raise funds and give John ‘a little something for a better retirement’.
The fundraiser's description read: ‘Rain or shine, he will make it to work! Extremely dependable! It doesn’t matter how much we would suggest to take his [holiday] days, he would still want to work!’
It continued: ‘He has no wife or kids however, he does have a nephew he loves dearly. It would be nice to give him some kind of company or something to do so he knows he’s special and loved.’
In just a few days, the funds raised had swiftly crossed John's retirement fund, amounting to almost $32,000 at the time of writing this article.
Aside from the monetary contributions, many people around the world resonated with John’s story and left messages for the retiree.
‘Happy retirement, John! Wishing you all the best, and I hope you enjoy your well-deserved free time!’ One person wrote.
Another stated: ‘This was a wonderful story—I wanted John to know he had supporters from all around the world (Sydney, Australia)’
‘Your hard work and dedication is an inspiration, John! We need more like you in the world. All the best to you from New York City!’ A third person said.
A fourth person left this message: ‘Hi John, my name is Sophie, from New Zealand. I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work and generosity over the years. Happy retirement!’
To donate for John’s retirement, you can visit the GoFundMe page here.
Based on Sonia’s latest update, they plan to inform and give the proceeds of the fund to John as soon as they receive his communication. As of writing, John hasn’t received the funds yet.
If you want to be updated on this story, you can visit Sonia’s social media here.
We at the SDC wish John a happy retirement! We hope loyal and hard workers like him are properly recognised for their service and work ethic.
What do you think of John’s send-off, members? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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