A woman said a co-worker reported her to human resources (HR) for “being mean to” herself in a meeting at work.
“So someone reported me to HR today for being too mean to myself. … Now I have to go to a meeting where I assume I have to apologize to myself,” TikToker Laura Zam’s (@zam_wow) said in her short video.
She said, however, she is going to refuse to apologize to herself “because I f*cking deserve that shit.”
Zam’s video grossed over 3.1 million views in under a week.
@zam_wow Self love and all that #thisis4u #selfesteem #workplaceproblems ♬ original sound – Laura Zam
In a follow-up video, Zam went into further detail about the meeting. She said, during the meeting, the HR professional read her a “list of insults” she was overheard saying. “Did you say, ‘You bitch, you stupid fucking bitch. How dare you think you can be here?’” she recalled the HR professional asking her. She said some of the insults also contained some movie quotes.
“When she was done reading it to me, she was like, ‘Do you have anything to say?’ I was like, ‘No,’” Zam recalled.
She said the HR professional told her she “should be nicer” to herself and more forgiving of herself.
“I was like, ‘I know. You and my therapist both agree. But also have you met me? Like, no. Can’t be trusted,’” she said of herself.
She then issued a PSA to all her fellow self-deprecators out there. “If you’re gonna hate yourself, you gotta do it quieter at work.”
Her video seemingly reached its target audience. “Noted,” the top comment on her follow-up reads.
Another viewer shared their own experience with making self-deprecating jokes in the workplace. “Two people at my old work won’t be in a room with me because of my self deprecating jokes,” the TikToker named Zara shared.
“This would totally happen to me if I didn’t work remote. My inner monologue is RUTHLESS,” another said.
The Daily Dot reached out to Laura Zam via TikTok comment.