TikTok user @earthlingxobro recently went viral for urging prospective employees not to work for Target.
“So I got hired at Target three weeks ago and tonight I walked out and I quit,” he says in the video.
The TikToker explains that he quit working for the retailer after such a short period because management threatened to let him go if he did not work more quickly.
@earthlingxobro Don’t work for Target #targetemployee #target #minimumwage #toxic #corporateamerica ♬ original sound – Earthling XO
“Before I even got started on any work today, when I got in there, I got pulled into the office almost immediately and was told that if I didn’t speed it up and start working ‘faster’ that I was going to be let go, that they were going to fire me,” he says.
The TikToker says he was shocked to hear this because he came in on time, never called out, and remained focused on fulfilling his work duties rather than socializing with co-workers. He also claims that it is ridiculous for companies to expect employees to go above and beyond for “a shit wage,” especially if the workers don’t receive proper training to begin with.
“Who are you to expect them to be this well-oiled, perfect machine especially after three weeks when you didn’t even train this person, because they didn’t train me,” he says.
The TikToker continued to criticize the way companies have been treating employees post-pandemic.
“These companies don’t have this leverage anymore and it’s so hilarious to me that they still think they do, you know?” he says. “This is post-pandemic. Everybody’s short-staffed, and it’s for reasons like this. We’re not gonna put up with bullshit. We’re not scared of you anymore.”
While it’s true that several businesses in the food service industry are still experiencing labor shortages after the pandemic, many retail stores have stopped mass hiring practices. CNN stated in November of 2021 that Target had no issues keeping its stores staffed. It was also reported in May of 2022 that Walmart and other retail stores were overstaffed.
The TikToker’s video elicited varied responses from other users on the platform. Some thought it was ridiculous of @earthlingxobro to quit his job after only three weeks, while others contested whether $15-$17 an hour was an “unlivable” wage.
“You were employed for 3 weeks and think its admirable that you didn’t call out?!?!” one user wrote.
“So now 15-17 an hour is unlivable,” a second questioned.
However, many others agreed with the TikToker, stating that they’ve been in similar situations at their respective jobs.
“That happened to me after a week at Starbucks. I was just like ok, then I quit. These places expect too much for too little of pay,” one user commented.
“I was a grocery store manager. I never expected speed until after about 45 days. do the job right and the speed will come. the owners [couldn’t] believe we couldn’t find people after they raised their minimum wage to 10 dollars an hour. this is how out of touch people are,” a second shared.
“I understand I worked for Walmart for one week I was fired though they did not train me And they had me working in three different departments,” another commented.
The Daily Dot reached out to @earthlingxobro via TikTok comment and to Target via email.
