A worker demonstrated their protest to not being given a raise at work by deciding to only fulfill their job requirements and nothing more in a viral clip. The TikTok has garnered 2.7 million views as of Sunday.
The video was posted to the @culturekidsgroup account, which describes itself as an “International creative agency run by gen z” and shows an employee exiting their job the moment the clock indicates his shift is over.
@culturekidsgroup call it fate, call it karma #officelife #officefun #officehumor #officememe #officememes #officetok #officelifestyle #corporatelifebelike #corporatelifebelike2023 #corporatelifesucks #corporatelifemillenials #9to5life #9to5memes #working9to5 #9to5worklife #workinga9to5 ♬ Karma – Taylor Swift
In the video, an employee hovers over their laptop at 4:59pm, an image of an active physical digital clock plastered on the device’s screen. They place their hand above the laptop and the second it switches to 5pm they close it, pick it up, and make a beeline straight for the door.
For added impact, the video is set to a snippet of Taylor Swift’s “Karma,” which helps to provide further context for the text overlay in the TikTok which reads, “When your boss denies your raise request so you start taking the 9-5 serious.”
A number of viewers agreed with the worker’s actions, like one TikTok user who wrote, “Me when I was denied a raise that wasnt even a raise just asking to be paid the same amount my collegues who do the exact same job I do.”
Someone else said they took this same attitude with work even prior to being denied a raise request, saying, “I take the 9-5 serious from the day I start my job.”
Another user said that regardless of how much they were getting paid, the second it was time to head home for the day, they were leaving work.
Nahhh..regardless of the raise or not..the minute right after my hours..I’m gone,” they said.
One person said that they get a head start on their exit time.
“5pm? on the dot?? ppfffttt amateur,” they shared. “I’m out by 4.55 at the absolute latest!”
A commenter who claimed they were a manager said he urged their workers to not stay late at their jobs.
“I’m in upper management and I actually encourage people to take 9-5 seriously I had to kick people out of the office a couple of times,” they said.
However, another user said the video was an example of how feeling underappreciated at work can affect performance at work.
“When you don’t feel appreciated that really change how you work,” they wrote. “You want to do the bare minimum, but they hate that and now they want to fire you.”
HRD America published survey statistics in February 2023 gauging the value 540 different employees felt from their bosses. The outlet stated that 48% of all folks queried in the study remarked that they felt “undervalued” in their positions. 27% “said they feel recognized” while 25% mentioned that even though they felt “appreciate a bit” it was still “not enough.”
Risely wrote that a lack of employee appreciation can lead to higher turnover rates, which ultimately ends up costing acbusiness money in the long run.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @culturekidsgroup via TikTok.
