Workers Trapped, Disillusioned by Their Jobs
Individuals express deep dissatisfaction with the demands and perceived meaninglessness of traditional employment. The core pain revolves around feeling trapped by financial obligations and societal expectations, leading to burnout, a sense of lost freedom, and a questioning of the value of work itself.
SOURCES (60)
“So around 2015, I decided it was time to shift into other things. After having worked throughout my twenties doing security, I decided to go back to college, and I needed a more flexible work schedule. I started doing Uber and DoorDash around 2017, and…”
“I want one of the jobs where I get paid this much and yet lack all sense of reality and also budget.”
“Chooses not to work because job doesn't pay enough, then complains about things being unaffordable.”
“5 years of living expenses saved, quit. With that kind of time you can find something better.”
“Alright yall i’ve been working at european wax center for about for years now and it’s TERRIBLE! You can go down the rabbit hole on how the company treats the employees. They have ZERO benefits besides PTO that maxes out at 30 hours a YEAR! it also basically takes a little over a year to gain the full 30 hours 😑. They over book you like CRAZY and I mean I can be waxing for hours straight with maybe a 15 min break here and there. They also expect you to sell product and add an extra service on t”
“I’m sad. I just want to retire now. Or at least not be tied down 40+ hours a week. I have a decent job, good people, good benefits. I just want to live my life, ya know? I’m 32 so I have quite a ways to go. I recently hit 100k in retirement savings; 40k in Roth, 62k in pretax. And 1.7k in a taxable brokerage that I just opened. Bills are approx 1800 per month. So I feel like I’m doing okay and on track for leanfire. Trying to enjoy my day to day life while also saving as much as reasonably possi”
“Just wanted to share a life update with you all. I stopped giving a fuck about workload, deadlines, the level of my performance, AI etc. Doesn't mean I'm not going to work, but I just started to not stress about anything, only do what I can, go with the flow, whatever happens happens, you know. It feels good so far. I've had an amazing day. submitted by /u/icanflybutflycantme [link] [comments]”
“It sucks that you have to choose between living in abuse and a paycheck. Do you know how hard it is to already grow up in an abusive environment, date abusive people in the past, and also be managed by narc bosses? My livelihood is worth more than these corporate soul suckers. Why do I have to deal with people with evil baked in their hearts? Well guess what I chose myself today. It’s going to be hard and I couldn’t afford to do this rn but humans are worth more. I’m not going to bark when you t”
“Just creating conversation, but every career sub-reddit I've browsed makes the job sound terrible. So I'm curious, those of you who genuinely enjoy (or don't mind) going to work, what do you do for a living? submitted by /u/Born-Problem-7313 [link] [comments]”
“We work our butts off Cooking tons and tons of food just to end up throwing away tons and tons of food and washing tons of dishes What’s even the point we’re forced to work overtime just to make a whole bunch of food people aren’t buying just to spend hours of our time throwing away food just to send the dishes through the dish machine This is the type of bullshit we’re sick of dealing with as food service workers And on top of that we’re not even allowed to bring the food that will be thrown aw”
“I absolutely hate what I do. I’m certainly leaving the day I’m eligible to… worst case scenario I can get another job if I have the problem you are currently. With that said, with 2 young children, I think I’ll have my hands full and plenty to do haha… also my spouse only works 3 days per week. So 4 days per week she’ll be home with me. - don’t see myself being bored…. Also have a decent amount of hobbies and able to occupy my time pretty well, always have even before marriage. But thank you, an”
“Underemployment has two different definitions : Underemployment is a measure of the total number of people in an economy who are unwillingly working in low-skill and low-paying jobs or only part-time because they cannot get full-time jobs that use their skills. The first definition is pretty easy to measure as it what I linked in the graph. It oscillates a lot depending on economic conditions, which makes sense; employers will cut hours in tough times. The second one is trickier to measure, but”
People that believe i the work hustle just fuck themselves, all ages.
“Honestly, this is how I feel about work in general. I don’t dislike it, but it’s not the love of my life. It’s there to fund my wants and needs.”
“I have a job, but I genuinely dislike it. I didn't want to do it in the first place either. And I don't have to even work so it's a choice. But what would your guys advice be? Should I apply to a place that I do actually want to work at and still keep my original job to fill that void? Plus it would be extra money anyways. It might tire me out but hey, is it worth a shot getting a second job? I'm torn. submitted by /u/Fabulous_Hair_71 [link] [comments]”
“I didn't used to have limits, but now as I get older, I find that probably around 11 hours a day to about 75 hours a week. Seems to be about the amount I can get to before I could just physically pass out. What's your limit? submitted by /u/deliverykp [link] [comments]”
“That’s part of the reason why I quit doing it even though construction isn’t much better. When I did lawn care, I could tell most people turned their noses up at me and thought cause I did a job that is considered a “low skill job anyone could do” and cause I got work in the heat all day and get dirty that I wasn’t worth nothing. I see it happen with other lawn care workers too. Sometimes whenever I’m working in the same area as lawn worker works, I notice how people will blow the horn at them o”
“I am in a job I am liking less and less. The good news is the salary is… OK, benefits are OK but the work is mundane with no chance of promotion or career growth. (I'm in my late 50s, btw). But it's also close to home and mostly 9-5 enough that I can work on my writing (first book, second draft). More and more I'm really liking the idea of wanting to write more after this first book is finished. Anyone else putting up with a dead-end or otherwise sh*t job for no other reason than it”
“The fact that most jobs require you to have “open availability” is quite unfair. submitted by /u/OriginalOriginal6926 [link] [comments]”
“I think I have what they call an avoidant attachement style, but for jobs. I’ve never kept a job for longer than two years, and some jobs I’ve only kept for a day or two. I therefore have a FUCKTON of experience in many different kinds of businesses and with different kinds of bosses. And to the surprise of absolutely no one here, most of them sucked! The second that someone is paying you to do something, they seem to get into bitch eating crackers mode where anything you do wrong will be used a”
“1 day per week? Fuck that... no way in hell am I going more than 2 days per week. I'm 100% done with that nonsense.”
“My retirement plan is to become a goat farmer. Got the chickens and the dogs already.”
“agreed. People of reddit, don't fall for that word. You're spending your entire 7 days a week so someone else can reach wealth status, and the ultimate egotistical tech bro status. You'll be spending all of that money you made on future health problems from not being able to sleep, never ending stress, not having time to shower, eat lunch/dinner, cook, or breathe.”
“For context: 36F - currently employed full time at See’s Candies @ $20ish an hour in Oklahoma I started at see’s when I was 22 and it was my first job ever and I started as an associate at the first permanent store opened in Oklahoma. Within 3 years I was promoted to Assistant manager and worked along my in Shop Manager for 10-11 years and she recently just left leaving me to apply for the position which I’ve wanted and worked so hard for. They made the decision to have a manager from another st”
“So I currently am a assistant manager working at Erac, we’re working 47 hour work weeks, I feel like I barley have time for life working 7-6 mostly everyday, I want to switch jobs but can’t afford the pay cut, bad thing with my skills set there is no Jobs in my town, it’s about 100,000 people, I’ve thought about going back to school but only areas that would be worth the time and money is health care or teaching, neither which I’m completely interested in. I’m just lost but need to make a move s”
“I’ve been thinking about this lately because everyone seems to have a five-year plan, while mine is basically “have a job I don’t hate and still have enough energy to exist afterward.” I like doing good work, learning things, and being paid fairly, but I’m not particularly interested in becoming a manager just because that’s apparently the next level. I’m curious how other people think about career progression. How do you decide whether you actually want the next promotion or whether you’re just”
“yeah bro, i know why you feel that way, i let the emotions get the better of me. Clocks is ticking, my savings are almost gone, food doesn’t bring itself to the table and car doesn’t run on air.”
“Welcome to real life. No one wants to do their job. What they want is to earn enough money to put food on the table. So you can either be an adult about or starve.”
“The world is a horrible place. I’m weaker than most people so I had to work harder to keep up. I have a dream job but I have no talent. I have a college degree but it’s useless. I spent three years finding a job. You know what I got? Picking up boxes at UPS for two years. It was awful. That’s what six years in college gets you. After I quit, I’m back with nothing. No money and no future. How come I don’t have a right to feed myself? What do I get for all my hard work? Fucking nothing. Now the fu”
“I work for a multi billion dollar company. Make decent money and I don't have a car either. I walk most places.”
“Advice needed. Obviously job security and a paycheck are motivating factors, but I really need help figuring out how to actually focus throughout the day. I’m tired of being at the office all day and somehow walking out with only 6–7 billable hours, then, coming home to finish more. I always have a steady stream of work, could bill all day everyday honestly if I wanted to, so it’s not a lack of work. For the last two months, I’ve been having a really hard time focusing, and it’s starting to show”
“Started at 8am in 2 hours i got $30 i kept at like $15 an hour until like 2pm, it licked up a bit but I kept falling more behind eventually i was like "screw it let's do earn by time" surprisingly worked out well, I got $25 an hour for $100 on time, hoping tomorrow is better submitted by /u/ZB_Echo [link] [comments]”
“’m 18, living in Queensland and working full-time in construction. I’ve realised that my biggest goal in life isn’t necessarily to become insanely rich. I want freedom**.** I don’t want to spend 40+ years working just to pay bills and then finally have the freedom to enjoy life when I’m older. I want to spend the next a few years building enough wealth and income-producing assets that working is optional. I’m completely prepared to work hard now if it means buying back my time later. If you were”
“Like, for real. I don't. At all. I am in fact not passionate about your product, nor do I care about your company's mission. Money is required to live in the society I was born into and I would like it. Genuine question, what do you guys say? Because I've never found a good answer tbh. submitted by /u/Blackshooks [link] [comments]”
“I’m 17F and I’ve been working at Discount Tire for about a month. I took the job because I’m genuinely really into cars and I want to become a mechanic eventually, so I thought it would be a good place to start getting actual hands on experience. Instead, I feel like I’ve barely been allowed to learn anything and my confidence is honestly worse than when I started. I’m the only girl in the shop. My original trainer who was the manager was gone for around two weeks when I started, so I ended up g”
Thanks, I refer to it as my school-of-hard-knocks days...
“I won't get into it too much, but just for reference I pursued a career in agriculture where I'm already working 50 hours a week regularly, and up to 80 during the busy season which lasts almost three months. I've grown up around farms my whole life and have always helped my local community on their farms. I've been helping my grandpa for about 20 years on and off and he just up and gave me a sizable chunk of his herd. He told me to keep them or sell them or do whatever with them”
“Was wondering if anyone had a similar experience to me here and could offer some advice. I've been working full time for the past 2 years as a manager at my job, and I recently decided to leave to get a new job that would be better for my mental health. In my last job I worked 5/6 days a week and had little to no social life, when I was not in work I was with my boyfriend. This new job I have only has me working 3 shifts a week which is a super big change for me because now I have so much fr”
“For people who work crazy hours (think 60-100 hour weeks), what are your tips for surviving it? I’m starting a new job in a couple of weeks, and it sounds like most employees put in around 70-80 hours a week. My previous job was more like 30-40 hours, so this is going to be a pretty big adjustment. I’m being compensated well, so I have no complaints about the hours themselves. My goal is to perform well and be successful in the role, so I’m curious: what are some practical tips for managing a wo”
Me too. Age 60! Always good at my jobs but get bored and be restless
“I wonder if you are suffering from burnout from stress. No amount of time off helps. It’s like a reset. The buckets need to be refilled. Don’t tell me how. I’m still trying to:(”
“Exactly. Yeah, I mean I have to try and make this work for now as being shittily employed is better than not but absolutely agree.”
“My first ever job was a few years ago and I started my own business. I was able to do things I never thought was possible. Reach over millions of followers, make thousands in a day, sell out, Etc. However I became burnt out a few years later and due to mental health reasons I stopped my business. Ever since then I’ve had countless jobs, never lasting longer than 3 days. I finally have a great job, one I’ve been trying to get into. My vibe, style, workers are great, great pay, and great hours. Ho”
“About done with this place, been looking, have some interviews lined up. My actual job is like an hour and a half of work daily and the rest I pick up things to do for other people. I have such a great distain for my boss so I was thinking, what will happen if I use those hours to very publicly look for a job? I mean he wouldnt just fire me right? Id love to be fired anyways so not a negative. He might send me home, also basically just as good. What's the worst that could happen here?”
“I’ve been struggling to find a job since being let go Nov 2025. Finally found a temporary gig that would pay my rent for the next 2 months. Only the bosses suck. Like, not just work wise, personality wise. It really emphasises to me how when you have money to fall back on, it’s not simply privilege.. it enables you to, I dunno, stand up for yourself like a normal human being? So many times they have been rude and I just had to bite my tongue and smile because I can’t afford to lose the gig. The”
“Look I love what I do, the jobs nice and the pays good. But I feel like I have no time for exploring my hobbies or what makes me feel like me outside of work. I went from over the road to home daily so I could spend more time at home so I could get back into music and try to get more active. I just feel stuck in this cycle of finishing my shift with 10-20 minutes tops on my 14. I still have to commute home and before I know it I sleep for 6-7 hours and I’m back on the road. What can I do? I’ve b”
“On time = ready to work. If you're supposed to start working at 7, you start working at 7. If you're 30 seconds "early", you're early. That mentality of "if you're 5 minutes early you're late" is absolute garbage... But it's most likely due to them knowing that all employees start with a coffee/cigarette and that new hires will probably do the same super soon. I'd definitely pass on that ad tho.”
“I'm 25 years old and I currently work a sales job that pays really well but it's a dead end. You don't learn anything, you don't get challenged to grow, you're not doing anything. It's a zombie's job. I show up to work, I check-in and I take a quick 10 minutes to do an inventory report and after that... Nothing. That's it. Customers barely come in and when they do, they already know exactly what they want so they buy and leave in 30 seconds. I don't have to ac”
“Feel you man, lost my career job in 2022 and have not been able to get back into it since. Only job I could get is for $11hr... Not mad to have something but it really sucks when you can't use your degree or anything related to it...”
“Nobody is laughing in this economy. I respect data entry and janitorial positions now more than ever!!”
“Start of a new month, the grind never quits. Back to $0 and praying to hit quota before the last few days of the month. It never changes. We all know that. Maybe one day I’ll get a real job. Let’s rest up tonight boys and do it all over again. submitted by /u/Fit-Detail-4326 [link] [comments]”
“Take the laboring job. Not as a defeat, as runway. Every decision you make with no money in your pocket is a bad one. You take the wrong client, you price too low, you quit a good thing too early because you need cash this week. Money in the bank is what buys you the calm to think straight. On the several businesses thing, I'd bet it's not a persistence problem. It's that everything you started needed a long runway before it paid. When you're at zero you can't afford a busine”