Job applicant abruptly leaves interview after employer offers pay for only 22 hours of a 32-hour shift

Navigating the caregiving industry can be very taxing on most individuals. Combine that with very poor pay, and it becomes clear why they often feel burned out or change their career path. Typically, people discover the realities of their workplace while on the job. However, for u/throwawaybusdude, this wasn't the case—they learned about the poor pay the company was offering right from the interview.

The post titled "rage quit an interview" has garnered 1.5K upvotes and 56 comments. The individual states that the incident occurred around 8 years ago, but it still lives "rent-free" in their head. They shared the story to get others' opinions on it. They mention working at a group home for at-risk youth for over five years, adding that such tenure would typically make employers consider them a "veteran" in their industry.

They write, "I moved from Florida all the way up to Vermont. I was still certified in CPR and all that jazz." Seeking to stay in the same industry, they applied for a job at another group home in Vermont. It was a minimum wage position paying $10 an hour. With their prior experience, they assumed getting the job would be relatively easy. However, they were shocked to discover that the interview was a group interview, with other candidates present.

Reflecting on the interview, they write, "Huge red flag right there." As the interview progresses, they uncover even more startling facts about the position. They write, "Apparently every week you'd work Wednesday 2 PM to 10 PM, Thursday 2 PM-10 PM but then Friday we are to work 2 PM to 10 PM; then CLOCK OUT but remain on site and sleep there, then clock in at 8 AM Saturday morning and work almost a double shift and leave at 10 PM."

The individual discovered that they wouldn't be properly compensated if they had to wake up and tend to an emergency case in the middle of the night at the group home during the weekend. Instead, they learned they would only be paid for the 20 minutes or however long the patient threw the tantrum. They write, "I said right there that I'm not staying there for 32 hours in a row, especially if you're only paying me for 22 of those hours, which is illegal." Feeling cheated by the employer, they walked out of the interview, and three others followed suit. However, they mentioned that the majority of the interviewees stayed.

Redditors commended the individual for walking out in the comments section. u/Kicky92 said, "Yeah, I'd have walked away too. If they want you to be on call, they have to pay you to be on call." u/Behemothschandelier added, "Starts with the states looking to cheap out and trickles down to the group homes. I've worked in the field for years before burning out. I'm in retail now and it's not much easier, but it's much easier to not care."

This article was originally published on December 16, 2023. It has since been updated.