This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/antiwork by /u/TimeAd1111 on 2026-02-15 12:10:00+00:00.

I work retail in a store that is almost always understaffed. I am not a supervisor or a lead, just a regular employee, but even on my worst days I am still faster and more efficient than most of my coworkers, so I end up carrying a lot of the workload. At first I did not mind because working faster and putting my head down kind of made the day go by quicker. Lately after years of doing it, it has started to wear on me mentally.

Yesterday I called out. It was Valentine’s Day and I wanted to spend the day with my girlfriend, and I honestly needed a mental health day. It feels good to have one day without strict schedules, break timers, questions about where you were, or how long you were in the bathroom etc. You know, all the typical micromanaging bullshit.

When I came in today my boss said they were screwed yesterday. I told him (sort of sarcastically) I’m sure (company name) still did just fine overall. I said compared to what the company and the higher ups earn, both of us are still making peanuts. This store ALONE last year made 100 million. What did him and I make combine? $115k??? He didn’t seem to like that response. In the bigger picture we are not that different. The company will still make billions this year while the people doing the day to day work are paid very little.

I cant keep being the person who pushes harder than everyone else. If one person calling out or slowing down makes the whole system fall apart, that means the store is understaffed or workers who are terrible are being ignored and allowed to do nothing. That should not be on one regular employee to solve.

I am 29 and I know it is on me if I stay in retail forever. I am looking at going back to school or building something else. I am interested in music production and fitness, maybe coaching or training on the side. Even an office job sounds better right now because it would be less physical strain and hopefully better pay.

I feel like people look down at retail/grocery store workers and sure, it’s a little to no skill job but that doesn’t take away the fact it is still hard work and you’re getting paid very little for it. It can be mentally taxing as well.

I’ve heard from enough people who have left retail and got office jobs or found other lines of work and even they say in retail there’s way more micromanaging, belittling, egos and understaffing than where they work now. I wonder why that is? I’ve made the joke sometimes that my boss try’s to run this place like it’s the Navy. It’s not that serious dude lol

I just hate how these sort of jobs gaslight and make you question your own work ethic. They’ll make you feel lazy or like a bad performer just because you may give 60% some days or call out here and there for a mental break. It’s honestly sick.