Your first day at work is usually the most stressful one. You work hard to show your best side, you try to make friends during lunch, you do everything to leave a good impression.
And usually, we are so preoccupied with our own performance when starting a new job, we may actually not realize that the workplace is not doing a good job either. In fact, people in these threads (this and this) say that the first impression, not just of you, but of any workplace you enter, is the most important one.
So you have to stay alert and make sure you don’t spot any of these screaming red flags, either during the interview or during your first day at work, that show you that you gotta run, not walk out of there.
#1
“We work hard and play hard”
translation: You’ll have no work-life balance but we also all drink too much.
Image credits: Gerreth_Gobulcoque
#2
If you have to pay any amount of money in order to work for them it is a scam and stay away.
Image credits: owen00600
#3
My friend got hired at a place that called itself “the family”.
Nahhh.
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#4
Constantly having people leave. Constantly hiring people. No real training structure for new hires
Image credits: anon
#5
Treating you like a child- ie. monitoring the time you arrive/leave, timing your breaks/bathroom visits, dress codes that don’t make sense for your role, and any other rules that make more sense for a kid than an adult.
If you’re an experienced professional in an office setting, you should be basically left to take care of yourself as long as your work is getting done.
Obviously, these rules make more sense for jobs where you need to schedule breaks around other people, or service jobs, or jobs with lots of people with little experience – but still, I hear stories of places that give people warnings for being a minute late.
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#6
They’re not prepared for you on your first day.
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#7
People have either been there for decades or a few weeks. No people in between.
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#8
If everyone is trash talking everyone else, you don’t want to work there. 
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#9
I always ask in interviews what the turnover rate is, or why the person I am replacing left the position. Definitely avoided some sketchy scenarios with those questions.
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#10
Having a guy saying in the 1st group meeting: this company IS NOT a pyramid scheme
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#11
Employers who bemoan the lack of “good employees who want to work”. If everyone who hires sucks then either you are the most unfortunate business owner in the world or you need to look in the mirror.
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#12
If they lure you into an interview for a management position, but tell you during the interview that the position has already been filled. Then they ask if you’re interested in interviewing for the entry level position instead.
Image credits: Wisco1856
#13
You realize that all of the other people working there are related to the person who hired you or the person who is running the place. Run while you still can. 
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#14
They don’t ask you what your wage expectation is, but instead ask you what you were making at your last job. 
Image credits: SpinPsycho
#15
If you constantly get “this is how we’ve always done it” responses to your suggestions. 
Image credits: regularasslady
#16
A boss who spies on his employees. With hidden cameras. 
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#17
A side room to nap is probably the #1 red flag
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#18
Everyone has their own best way to do something and they all tell you in private. It sounds like their helping, but it’s really a symptom of bad management. 
Image credits: rollbackprices
#19
They have literally everything in the building. I interviewed at a place where they had the cafeteria and a nurse station (not healthcare related) in the building. I was pretty desperate for a job so I overlooked this, but was glad they didn’t call me back. They didn’t allow missed days, and I was told by one of the ladies who let me listen in on her phones that she had missed a day of work so she didn’t get any sort of raise that year. If you’re sick, they expect you to be in there and doing the job. Worst case scenario you need to visit THEIR nurse.
Image credits: ImAPixiePrincess
#20
If they ask you to clock out and then keep working to finish closing or whatever, run away fast. It’s never just a one-time thing.
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#21
If they tell you overtime is voluntary, then get mad when you never volunteer. 
Image credits: anon
#22
Disagreements on procedure. If the book says one way, manager tells you to do another, and a coworker suggests differently all on the same situation – red flag, especially in retail. I like working somewhere where there’s consistency in rules and how things are done mostly because I don’t want to look dumb doing it the “wrong way” for the same situation another time.
#23
They like to micro manage you but then tell you off for not having enough initiative to do something…. then tell you off for doing it due to micro managing and the cycle continues 
Image credits: SwimnGinger-
#24
Be concerned if they have outside consultants doing “analysis” and looking into departments, processes, systems, etc. They may be preparing the company for sale or bankruptcy and heads will soon start rolling.
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#25
If all of the employees are young it means there’s no opportunity for advancement.
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#26
If you work in manufacturing, the company buys cheap and s****y machinery to save money.
If they don’t even value their equipment, they definitely won’t value their people.
Image credits: 330CI01
#27
Places with truly great culture don’t have management teams constantly gushing about how great the culture is.
If management talks about the culture ten times in the first week you’re there, run. Don’t look back.
#28
Hearing coughing. People should be encouraged to stay home with minor illness to prevent spreading contagious diseases. 
Image credits: smileedude
#29
When the atmosphere really relaxes when the big bosses are gone. People start to actually talk and not just whisper to each other. People get up from their desks and walk around the room, not having a particular destination (bathroom or someone else’s desk). People stop pretending to work when they are waiting on stuff to do
#30
A good one I heard was to check the state of the employee toilets. If they were well kept that meant the employees had a certain amount of pride in their work place, but if it’s pretty trashed looking employees don’t like their job or workspace. When I contemplated on this with my own employment experience it was fairly spot one
#31
Toxic work environment such as refusing to address issues and becoming passings aggressive about it.
Image credits: breiner2
#32
The look of defeat on the faces of their employees.
When a place is good to work, their employees seem to be excited to be there. There are smiles, there are jokes, there is enthusiasm.
When a company screws over and abuses their employees? The employees get that look of defeat in their eyes. Their job has no enjoyment, it is merely about survival. When I say survival, I don’t mean working to make some money to get food to eat, I mean that you are trying to make it to the end of the day, just to go home and repeat the cycle, each day a bit worse than the next. People don’t joke and if they do, it seems to be morbid jokes about the workplace. People aren’t social. You can feel the lack of joy. The company has managed to defeat their workforce.
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#33
The person interviewing you doesn’t seem to have any idea who you are. I don’t mean your name, I mean the stuff in your CV/application. If they don’t know who you are, that means they don’t *care* who you are. They just want a warm body for as long as they can have you.
Also, an overly complicated bonus schedule based off a large number of metrics. That’s the sign of a company that will be doing everything they can to screw you out of bonuses while simultaneously using the promise of future bonuses to retain people. I can guarantee you that at least 2 of those metrics are all but impossible to hit simultaneously.
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#34
“We don’t “technically” have breaks. We just take smoke breaks and stuff here and there.”
No, f**k you. I don’t smoke. You can’t deny me a meal break, I don’t give a s**t how busy you are.
#35
“We’re like a startup” is usually bad. Everyone has to wear every hat and is completely overworked
#36
Christian company. God shouldn’t be a selling point for their clients or employees.
Most the time it’s horses**t to seem like they’re going to treat you right or have some values. Instead they will use it to excuse pushy Chaplains as their HR reps and several fundi obnoxious employees who drank the koolaide.
Subtle religious stuff is fine but it shouldn’t be “Hi we are X-Company, we’re a christian company that does Y.”
The last company that did this used $15,000 to put up some s****y looking painted metal boxes with bible verses on them. I wouldn’t doubt that it cost them $250 bucks and the that CEO’s nice Audi was just a gift from Jeebus.
Also, personal bias perhaps, but fat upper management. I mean obese, not just hefty. Something about the CFO at my last job just stank with “I indulge myself at every opportunity.” When they were so gracious as to pay us a few dollars above minimum wage and ensured no one felt overworked by being fulltime.
#37
This may not be something that bothers others, but for me I see red flags when there is a steep, obvious, and unquestioned hierarchy separating levels of staff. I’ve worked in places where the lowest-level staff had nearly no way to hold bad managers accountable. Led to some serious workplace bullying, harassment, and in at least one situation, sexual assault by a senior leader to his assistant. I don’t want to work someplace where whole classes of employees are treated like shit, even if I’m personally not.
#38
Everyone is taking about high turnover, but I think you should check out corporate culture as well. If the culture is toxic, or otherwise incompatible with your lifestyle, you should find out asap. If 60+ hour weeks are the norm, and you want to raise your family, it might not be worth the paycheck/stock options/bonuses that kick in after 3 years.
#39
Pay is production based only with no base pay. Meaning if there’s no work available, you’re not getting paid.
#40
Being hired for a specific job and then having additional duties tacked on after you are hired.
The company doesn’t follow it’s own employee handbook or whatever rules and guidelines they have.
Work hours and days change after you are hired.
Telling you which holidays you have off, then not giving you those holiday’s off.
Every employee is talking s**t about every other employee.
Poor or non-existent training time.
Management with no management training or knowledge.
#41
The owner or CEO doesn’t have a long-term business strategy. During an interview, you should **always** ask where they see the company going in both the short and long term future. If they can’t at least provide a simple answer, don’t accept the job.
#42
If your future manager insults the team in any way, run.
I once interviewed with a manager who made 2 very brief “jokes” with a bitter edge implying her current team was incompetent/lazy. It gave me pause, but I brushed it aside as “well, of course I’ll be awesome!” and took the job.
It only took 1 week for me to see she cruelly berated her entire team and other staff on a daily basis, and within 2 weeks I was enjoying the same treatment.
That job killed my mental health. Never ignoring those screaming red flags again.
#43
Specifically the management’s turnover rate. The employee’s is important too, but in every job I’ve worked there’s always people who think it’s an unfathomable hell hole. Some folks just don’t like working, so I take it with a grain of salt. Management is a different story. If you’ve got new bosses every few months, you know there’s a real problem.
#44
When they want to know about private accounts or even some asking straight up for social media log in information. 
Image credits: anon
#45
My workplace has a sign in the employee bathroom that says, “The best way to appreciate your job is picturing yourself without one.” They also don’t pay benefits until after 2 years and have an incredibly high turnover rate.
They’re great..
#46
How about this: your lunch time isn’t respected and cut short because “we’re too busy today.”
#47
If they say they are family-friendly. It mean that as a childfree person, i will have to pick up the slack of parents. No thank you.
#48
“Unlimited vacation” policy. It means they have structured their policies around the most cost efficient way to lay their employees off (no vacation payouts) and they also will likely frown upon you taking more than 2 weeks without raising eyebrows.
#49
Lack of direction, either scope creep or being shifted onto new projects quickly with no direction. People either work all hours of the day or you never see them. Cliques and favourites trump ability and achievements
#50
Group interviews. If you are being interviewed alongside anyone else then just walk out. Its a huge sign of massive employee turnover rate that they need to group interview to “save time” since they probably pull the stunt once a week. The group interview spells poor management, poor working conditions and poor company moral.
#51
When I first started at my job before the one I’m working now, I saw tons of very talented, smart, qualified individuals working in roles that they excelled at. Normally you would think that this would be a good indication of a great hiring system and application process.
The longer I worked there, the longer those same people stayed right where they were when I was first hired. At first I just thought they liked what they were doing as these people always were very kind and helpful to me, which I appreciated because I was so new and the job really was a lot to learn
Then, as time went on and I got more comfortable in my role, those same people also stayed in their roles. Maybe they just have a long time frame before you can be promoted, or so I thought.
Then a few people were promoted, but it wasn’t the people you’d think it should have been. Many of them were people who refused to help us newbies out. A lot of them were people I’d hardly spoken to, or straight up didn’t know who they were or that they ever worked there.
People who seem to deserve promotions who stay in their roles isn’t always a bad sign. But when 95% of the promotions are people your entire department feels shouldn’t be promoted, it is a sign of a bad workplace.
Shortly after those promotions, a lot of people left. Upper management also changed. New policies were put into place that didn’t make sense for the work we were doing. Beloved managers were let go. I left shortly after being told for several weeks that I would be promoted, seeing other, less qualified individuals being promoted ahead of me, and then being told I would be part of a “new department” which would entail less work than I was currently doing (a demotion).
People being highly qualified in their roles isn’t always a sign of a bad workplace, but if you look for other indicators, like why so many people seem to excel in their roles but never move up, you can definitely see that it’s often an indicator of a workplace that doesn’t value loyal and hardworking employees.
#52
Workers are surprised you showed up for your second day.
#53
I mentioned my mom had surgery and I would be using a vacation day to take her to the doctor for a follow up.
The owner of my company asked if she could have any left over pain pills.
#54
Your bosses bringing in “help” from overseas. Just to help the company get caught up on projects. Yet you are sitting there wondering what projects are you behind on.
#55
Hiring you on the spot. There’s a reason and it ain’t your skills.
#56
Lack of fire extinguisher and other equipment
#57
No break room where you can sit down for a little if it’s a standing job. Then again I dont have much experience with jobs but this seemed like a red flag to me when I was trying a 2nd job out. The other workers just stood around on their phones when there weren’t customers. And as someone who faints easily I can’t stand for super long without a break.
#58
If during the interview they emphasize how things used to be bad, but they are so much better now. It most likely means they have a reputation for a bad work environment, and its probably still a s**t show.
#59
I worked at a place where the guy training me wouldn’t share any special tips or tricks. He gave the base training and anything else I had to figure out myself. I worked extra one night and the third shift manager showed me some magic and shortcuts. The whole place was like this.
Everybody hoarded their skills. Anything you said or did spread throughout the plant. Rumors mills, backstabbing and pitting production against the Q.A. Lab. Because of my skillset being an IT guy that could also get dirty in the production area, they called me a unicorn and praised me. Then constantly threatened to let me go – then back to slapping me on the back the next week.
12-16 hour days and – no s**t, seven days a week sometimes. I’ve never worked in a more toxic environment before, or thankfully, since.
I sensed something like that at a place a few years later. I told the manager I’d worked in a toxic environment before and wouldn’t again. He put his head on his desk and asked if I would at least stay past lunch and I promised I would. I’ll never forget how grateful he looked when I actually came back – but that but the nail in the coffin for me and I put in notice that night.
#60
When they require a 2-week notice for days that you would need off but, once you place the request they say there is no guarantee. Insult to injury is when they schedule you on the day anyway with no reason as to why. They have a lot of people they can call in to cover (my favorite is when my boss does this and then complains that he scheduled too many people.).
I drew the line on Christmas day. I requested the day all the way back in October so that I could make the trip over to my mom’s house and celebrate with her. Unsurprisingly I was scheduled for the day. I waited until 1am to call off so that he had no time to find anyone for my opening shift.
#61
This may not apply to new workplace. If the contacts you make at work leave and are suddenly making lots of social media posts about how much better life is now. That huge red flag.
#62
Just started my new job. I swear to god, one of my new coworkers said, “My one piece of advice? Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer.” I just blankly stared sort of nodded my head. I don’t think I’m going to enjoy the environment at work…
#63
They screw up your orientation/begin inconveniencing you before you’ve even officially started. I showed up for orientation at the ‘corner of happy and healthy’ only to be greeted by the store manager who cheerfully informed me there’s some glitch with my name in the system and I’d have to come back the next day. It was because during the application process, I’d placed a period after my middle initial. So not only did they know this was a common issue that I could fix from home, they let me drive 12 miles instead of just calling me and telling me.
I gave it a shot anyways, and proceeded to get scheduled 10 hours a week, after being assured I’d get at least 28, and at a dollar less an hour than what was promised. Got the ‘baptized by fire’ treatment and was treated like a huge inconvenience when I had a question; they tossed me on pharmacy drive through with next to no training. Got called on almost every one of my days off and despite needing the hours, it was still annoying that they expected me to come in at the drop of a hat. Christmas eve with my family? They were calling wanting me in. Sitting on the couch heartbroken because I’d just had my dog euthanized? F*****g Walgreens calling me. They got mad when I quit without notice after getting a job that paid $6 an hour more.
#64
The boss being 30 minutes late to an interview and/or going to the wrong building.
#65
Started a new job 6 months ago. Coworker took me out to lunch and warned me not to trust anyone. He repeated it again. **DON’T TRUST ANYONE**.
Turns out he was the one that I wasn’t supposed to trust.
#66
The first thing that’s said is “Your only limit is how much you can sell.”
#67
No talking.
#68
An open floor office with rows and rows and rows of headsets.
Edited to clarify: “Rows and rows and rows” of headsets generally means call centre. Yes, there are cool places to work that have open floor offices. No that does not make open floor offices inherently good. No, there are no good call centres to work at.
#69
Shoot.
I started a new career last spring and a month before graduation I Googled all of the companies in my area related to the field and brought them my resume in person.
This one particular company gave me a job offer without even looking at the resume and only asking a couple questions. It went something like this:
“So you’re getting ready to graduate?” He glances at resume.
“Ok, I’m going to hire you. Where are you working now?” *”I’m working at X”*
“Alright. I want you to start immediately, can you come in at 6am tomorrow?”
*”Well no, I’ve got to put in my two weeks.”*
“So you can’t start tomorrow? That’s fine. I don’t even do the hiring, that’s what Karen does but she’ll be gone for a few days. We usually start people at $x/hr but I can probably get you going at something higher, how’s $x/hr sound?”
*”Not sure, I’ve had better offers from a couple other places that called me back.”*
“Well that’s ok too, you can discuss that with Karen. She takes care if wages. I just really need someone to start immediately. **I had a guy walkout last week and my own son quit this morning.**”
Right there is when my gut extinct went into overdrive and I got out as soon as I could.
#70
Passive aggressive sticky notes everywhere.
#71
When you arrive on your first day and there are a lot of recently vacated desks. Or if there are a lot of junior people recently promoted to senior positions that seem a little beyond their reach.
At my last job this happened. Got there and my manager “generously” let me pick out any desk I wanted because we recently had several people leave and I could choose from any of those desks. Several of the people I was supposed to be working with directly (and I made sure to screen for competency before accepting the offer) had left so they then introduced me to the people who would be replacing them… and were *way* more junior.
#72
Seeing a department head fired on your first day and then having your job description nonchalantly changed completely in a group meeting 2 days later with no private conversation, explanation, or warning.
#73
In an interview I once asked my potential new employers, “What is your company culture like?/Can you describe your company culture?”
They responded, “What do you mean?”
HUGE red flag.
I did end up working there for six months and there was massive turnover but I left on a good note.
#74
Being asked to create a presentation to justify my “high” wages… They hired me about 4 weeks previously. Lasted 18 months before getting the hell out of that place.
#75
Their training you for your specific duties is limited to screaming at you when you have done something wrong.
#76
My wife got a job selling art. On the first day they told her to show up “around 9.” When she got there, most of the employees were drinking beer. Monday morning. She noped outta there in a hurry.
#77
An old friend of mine worked for a certain coffee shop chain. One day he had terrible food poisoning and wasn’t at all fit to work. When his dad called him in sick the manager threatened to “write him up.” Needless to say, he quit not long after.
When I interviewed at that same location, they had to reschedule my interview because the manager had a personal emergency and had to leave. I can kinda understand, but a phone call would’ve been nice. When I interviewed at a different location, the same thing happened TWICE (see edit). Then when I told them I was 17, they immediately turned me away, despite my birthday being on my application.
I love the food and coffee there, but oh my god their management is just atrocious.
Edit: I don’t think I was very clear. At the second location my interview was initially cancelled because they got busy all the sudden. That’s understandable. The other time though, the manager took the day off!
#78
If, within the first month, your boss complains to you about your peers. Get the f**k out.
#79
– High Turnovers
– Bad mangement
– Coworkers seem annoyed most times.
– When you feel like you have to walk on eggshells so you don’t get written up for the littlest things.
– When getting trained if you get a coworker that is showing you how to get through the day. I.E places to hide. That’s a bad sign.
– If you are the quiet type then you will be surprised about what you may hear from the other employees. I’ve heard so many things. I’m surprised HR isn’t busting down the door.
#80
Anti-union indoctrination videos…
#81
Somebody once told me to pay attention to the cars parked in the employee lot. Says a lot about A) what the pay is like and 2) what kind of people work there.
#82
When it turns out you have more than one manager. And they have different ideas about what/how/why you should(n’t) be doing.
#83
Not being given a copy of the work contract you sign even after asking
#84
A lot of people telling you who you can trust and distrust, and asking your opinions on people you just met. They’ll make it seem like they’re just befriending the new person, but really they’re trying to draw you into their side of the company’s factions (or gauge if they should bring you into their faction), and get some dirt on you to turn others against you if need be.
That’s not to say there’s anything you can do once you see those red flags, except go ahead and figure out how to get out with as little damage as possible.
#85
When new coworkers as you “How do you like working for *new manager* so far?” and laugh and laugh. You don’t get the joke yet, but you will soon.
#86
One of those inflatable tube guys in the parking lot
#87
No personal touches anywhere.
#88
Vagueness, if you cant get a answer to a simple question then…
#89
Getting chewed out for doing a good job but not going fast enough. Then when you speed up the quality consequentially goes down and then you also get your a*s chewed.
WHAT THE F**K DO YOU WANT ME TO DO!!!
#90
They have insufficient funds to cash your paycheck.
#91
A**hole coworkers who give you annoyed look when you ask for help.
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