In a TikTok video titled "My 5 Things Employees Should Not Do," creator @notyouravgHRlady used her expertise from 8 years of human resources experience to spell out the things employees should avoid.
She started her video, which has now been viewed 428.5k times, with:
"Alright, these are my five things that employees should not do, coming from someone who works in HR."
@notyouravgHRlady counted down:
"Number five: Do not leave a job without giving a notice."
"You don't want to burn bridges, the business community is small - don't let one moment of frustration potentially cost you a future opportunity."
She continued:
"Number four: Don't ignore your pay stub."
"I know you like to think your company's paying you correctly, but they do make mistakes."
"So always check your pay stub, make sure you're paid right."
"And if something looks wrong, ask about it."
She warned not to "overshare personal information" for number three.
"Things like harassment, discrimination, getting hurt at a previous job, the fact that you're pregnant, the fact that you have a criminal history..."
"They can't ask you about those things in an interview."
"You don't need to share them because the sad reality is that companies do know how to use that stuff, even though they're not supposed to use it against you, and make it look like they didn't."
"So just keep it to yourself."
For number two, @notyouravgHRlady informed:
"Do not ignore policies and/or your handbook. Make sure you keep that thing."
"Know your policies."
"If you gotta report something, you need to be able to follow the reporting requirements, and you need to be able to point to the policy that was violated."
And finally, she advised that the number one thing an employee should not do is be the one who is "constantly, constantly complaining and reporting things all the time."
"That does not benefit anybody. And if anything, it puts you into a situation where folks are gonna stop taking your complaints seriously."
"So when the day does come that you have a serious complaint, where something legitimately went wrong, it's gonna be really hard for you to be credible at that point."
You can watch the full video below.
The video definitely sparked a debate amongst viewers. Many did not agree that an employee should be required to give notice when leaving a job, especially since a company does not give always give notice when terminating an employee.
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
Some users, however, did agree.
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady herself clarified:
"I never said the notice is required, b/c obviously it is not. It's just professional courtesy for those who have jobs in which that is important."
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
Many also acknowledged and reinforced her point about checking paychecks.
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
@notyouravgHRlady/TikTok
All in all, @notyouravgHRlady's advice was well received, but many viewers of the video had poor experiences in some of the areas covered.
It's important to remember that not all employers and companies operate the same, but these are definitely some nuggets of wisdom to keep in your back pocket.
@huntichon/X
@bigugly/X
@JonCowboyBear/X
@TommyJerry4000/X