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In a now-viral Reddit post, a 22-year-old retail worker has sparked a heated discussion online after she shared her experience of being criticized for refusing to work on her scheduled day off.
The post, shared under the handle ‘AliceWillxo’, details a recent incident at a small clothing store where the woman is employed. According to her account, corporate management recently downsized the workforce, cutting three out of six employees without notice. The abrupt layoffs left just the manager, another part-timer, and the Reddit user to manage daily operations.
Scheduled for a break after more than a week of continuous shifts, the woman had planned personal errands, a doctor’s appointment, and some much-needed rest. However, at 8 a.m. on her day off, her manager allegedly texted her, requesting she come in as the store was overwhelmed.
She declined the request, explaining she had prior commitments and wasn’t scheduled to work. What followed, according to her post, was a wave of passive-aggressive behavior. That same night, the manager allegedly posted a cryptic story on Instagram implying some people “only care about themselves.”
The issue didn’t end there. The next day at work, the employee claims her manager questioned her commitment and began “reconsidering” her reliability. She was also reportedly told that “real team players step up when it’s hard.”
“I’m paid $15 an hour. I don’t get PTO, I don’t get benefits. You laid off half the team. You don’t get to guilt me into unpaid loyalty,” she wrote in her post, which has since garnered more than 22,000 upvotes on Reddit.
The online community quickly rallied behind her, with thousands sharing similar stories or criticizing the manager’s behavior. One user noted, “Wait until she finds out how much of a team player you are when you get a better job and quit.” Others pointed out the unprofessional nature of using social media to indirectly confront employees, calling it a misuse of personal platforms.
“Being given the silent treatment by a manager like that sounds more like a reward than a punishment,” one commenter remarked. Another advised workers to avoid connecting with employers on social media entirely, citing risks of boundary violations.
While the original story cannot be independently verified, it has struck a nerve with many online, highlighting growing frustration with toxic workplace cultures, especially in low-wage retail settings.
