Getting fired can be one of the most catastrophic events in your life or it can be a total blessing and a wake up call.

Sometimes you don’t know which it will be until you jump in with both feet.

See what pushed this woman to her breaking point.

“Today can be your last day.” Oh, so you’re threatening my job now? My last day is coming sooner than you think, pal. Right before Mother’s Day since you wanna play games.

I was serving tables at a restaurant.

They worked us like dogs and I made next to nothing.

The amount of unpaid side work we had to do was astronomical.

The criticism from management was nonstop.

The manager very obviously never liked me and constantly made me feel like I was terrible at my job.

They just sucked.

Here’s just a taste of how bad it was.

At one point, they took away literally all of my dinner shifts, and gave me only lunch shifts, only 3 shifts a week.

They also routinely gave me the worst section and then wouldn’t put anyone in my section until there were no other available tables, then would sit everyone there at once, meaning that I’m now behind and none of them will get great service.

After my first shift by myself, I thought I did pretty good. No complaints or upset customers at all.

The manager said in front of everyone that I “Need some work” and then immediately went on to call 2 trainees “Rockstars” and they weren’t even there.

I’ve been out of training for 2 days at my new job, and I just received a call from the owner asking if I want to start bartending because they let one of the the new bartenders go already.

She said they “Want someone who actually wants to work and socialize with the guests.”

I do yap at work when I go behind the bar to make a drink and I usually talk with whoever is sitting in front of me while I do it.

Towards the end of a lunch shift on my second month at that job, yes I was still new, the manager approached me and said that we needed to talk and took me outside.

I was having a good shift, so I figured it can’t be anything bad, and went happily.

The first thing out of his mouth was “So, today can be your last day.”

His reasoning? “Because you can’t think that certain tasks aren’t your job” and “I didn’t see you buss anyone else’s tables today.”

Then this curveball stirred up a change.

I was like “I counted 4 tables today that weren’t mine that I bussed.”

Then he said that “Maybe” he didn’t see me doing it, and will “just give me the benefit of the doubt this time.”

I literally immediately started looking for another job.

In the parking lot lol. A few weeks pass, and I happened to stumble upon a job posting for a restaurant that I’ve been trying to get a job at since last year.

I interviewed the Wednesday before Mother’s Day, and was hired the same day.

Originally, I had planned to stick it out and work my shifts through Mother’s Day.

But then I got to thinking… my last check for 2 weeks of work was barely $600…that’s only $300 a week.

So I came in on Friday, and told the manager “So, today’s actually gonna be my last day.”

God that felt good to say.

When I was ready to leave, I rolled some silverware only to help the other servers that were working, did my checkout, and brought it to the manager.

They’re lucky that I was nice enough to stay until after lunch rush in the first place instead of leaving after the checks were passed out.

I’ve been LOVING my new job.

Everyone is so nice and I fit in really well there.

We do so little side work that it almost feels wrong.

They actually have support staff, so no more bussing tables or washing silverware.

An added bonus, they’re only open for dinner, so I will never have to work before 4 pm!

I’m beyond happy that I left.

Here is what people are saying.

My friend said cocaine use is commonplace among hospitality workers. Maybe this is why.

It’s true!

I hate hearing that. I’m glad there is public pushback now.

That sounds tough.

Sarcasm? I’m not sure. But I’m glad she is happy.

So many people feel entitled to exploit people.

It fills me with rage.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.