The phrase “nobody wants to work anymore,” popularized in the pandemic by people with a fundamental misunderstanding of economics, has always bothered me, because by and large, most people have never wanted to work.

Sure, some folks love their jobs, or at least find them rewarding, but how many would be showing up day in and day out without a paycheck?

We don’t work because we want to work, we work because we need money. And when one half of that bargain isn’t being sufficiently met, the whole thing falls apart.

Take this example from TikTok user @devondittmer:

“I just walked out of my job because I was supposed to get paid today, and my boss forgot to run payroll, so I’m not going to be getting paid today. So I’ve decided that I’m not going to do any work until I get paid for that work.”

“This has happened maybe three or four times in the almost five years that I’ve been working here, where she just forgets to run payroll, and either me or one of my co workers has to remind her, ‘hey, we’re supposed to be getting paid, because that is our transactional relationship. I don’t come here for the ******* fun of it.'”

“So am I being unreasonable? Am I the [jerk]? Honestly, I don’t give a ****.”

@devondittmer

Baby don’t work for free #payday #corporatelife

♬ original sound – ✨Devon Dittmer✨

Many said it was time to tattle.

How could this slip your mind?

Many speculated there was another issue at play.

And that it was time to seek greener pastures.

Let’s get this bread.

Now that you’ve read that story, check out this one about a delivery driver who took a $400 grocery order back because she wasn’t given a tip.