TikTok user @laurenapronsoff has a cautionary tale for viewers about trusting their gut when something feels off in the workplace. At the time of publication, the video had 11,800 views and 55 comments.
Lauren begins by explaining that the story is about a head chef position she took. It was her first time applying for a role like this, and she was excited to be offered the job.
"The commute wasn't bad. Literally was like a 15 minute commute from home. What they were offering was great. Only thing was they said to me, because it was the first time me applying for a head chef role, they wanted to put me on some management courses and then they'll promote me in six months' time once all the courses are complete and they feel like I have proved that I can manage a team," she says.
Lauren explains that she already had experience leading teams but had never held the title. However, because everything was in writing, she wasn't worried about having to wait six months to take on the head chef title.
Two months into the job, however, things seemed to have stalled. She still had no date for her training, and the manager she spoke to didn't give her a clear answer. Three months went by, and nothing changed.
"So I sent her an email and I said, hey, is it okay if we sit down, have a meeting, and go for a plan of, like, what the plan is to me? Because obviously we're three months in on the six month plan and I've done nothing. So she's like, oh, I'm a bit busy this week. Can we do next week?" she recalls.
When the meeting finally came around, Lauren sat down with her manager, who asked if she had any concerns. Lauren explained that she was supposed to be on a training program that hadn't happened yet. According to Lauren, her manager responded that she didn't feel Lauren was doing enough in the kitchen yet.
"At this point, I'm just like, well, if that's the case, why would you not bring that to my attention? And that's a lie. Then she brought up all these things and all these things I've done," Lauren says.
Lauren lists the things she had done for the kitchen that she felt her manager was overlooking. Still, her manager brought up something else, this time a complaint.
The complaint was the last straw for Lauren
"Then she then says, oh, um, also, we've had a complaint that they think that your nails are too long. Bear in mind, at the time, my nails were literally the natural length and bit up," she says.
At that point, Lauren had had enough. As the conversation continued, she told her manager that she didn't feel she deserved to be put through everything she had experienced when she had already proved herself.
"So I said to her, at the end of the day, I'm very aware and grown enough to know that there are some people you work with and you have to tolerate. You may not like them, but that's okay. But what I'm not gonna do is stop someone progressing because I have a personal issue towards them. So you don't like me, and that's okay, because at the moment, you're telling me all these reasons why I've not been put on the course, which are flawed because I'm doing that. Okay? So if you want me to be putting stuff in the group chat, no problem, say that, but don't say I'm not doing it without asking," she says.
Although the manager reportedly said she didn't hate Lauren, Lauren had already made up her mind. She began looking for other jobs and, during that time, says she noticed that her manager was falling behind on certain tasks.
For example, supermarket expenses Lauren submitted were being delayed. Finally, eight months into the job, Lauren quit. But that wasn't the end of the story.
"Maybe 3 months after I've left. I'm still in communications with some of the people that still working there. They told me she was fired because she was stealing money, she wasn't doing her job properly. And, I think ... someone was suing her for racial discrimination," Lauren says.
These claims about her former manager are based on what Lauren says she heard from former colleagues and have not been independently verified.
Lauren's story allowed viewers to share their own toxic workplace stories
Users quickly jumped to Lauren's defense, praising her for standing her ground and leaving when she did. The video also prompted others to share their own experiences with toxic workplaces.
"I left a job like that because it was so toxic. They breadcrumbed me and made it look like I was crazy to ask for a promotion. I kept receiving praises but never reflected in my finances. I left and soon after, someone I trained got that promotion I wanted for years. Everyone said I should have been patient but I felt like I was the one they didn't want to give it to," one user said.
"Omg! It's so sad because alot[sic] more people go through this on a daily basis, i experienced this myself," another commented.
A third user shared their experience working at a school, claiming they had conflicts with the deputy head and another colleague after noticing what they described as concerning behavior involving students. The commenter alleged that, after they left, one of the teachers was suspended following an incident involving a student.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made by TikTok creator @laurenapronsoff, which are based on her account shared in the video.
