Struggling At Work? This Viral Reddit Post Offers Eye-Opening Advice

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Last Updated:February 21, 2025, 10:04 IST

A Reddit user warns employees that in the corporate world, no one is truly your friend and people may not treat you with basic respect.

Redditor explained that how others see your actions matters a lot. (Representative Image)

Corporate life can be tough and many struggle to keep up with its demands. In a recent Reddit post, an anonymous user shared valuable advice on how to manage corporate life without sacrificing productivity. Titled “Indian Corporate Handbook: What I’ve learned from my 4 years at Corporate," the individual warns that in the corporate world, no one is truly your friend and people may not treat you with basic respect. The user advised workers to be realistic about their job and not have false hopes. They also pointed out that the Human Resources (HR) is mainly there to protect the company’s interests, not to support or care for the employees.

The individual wrote, “Nobody is your friend. There are only people you don’t dislike and some you do. You can only ‘trust’ someone if there is no conflict of interest between you and that person. You can also choose to trust them if they have incentives tied to your progress/condition. The role of the infamous Human Resource (HR) is not to aid you in your time with the company. It’s to protect the firm from any negative impacts you may open them up to. As long as your interests align with the firm’s interests, HR will back you. Nobody cares for you or treats you like a Human Being."

Mentioning certain axioms about corporate life, the user shared, “We have all heard about working smart. But it doesn’t matter unless you appear to be working hard. To take an example, if you work smart around an issue and can finish it in 2 hours as opposed to others finishing it in 6 hours, sit on the work and hype it up to your reporting manager as hard work. It’s all about appearances and perceptions. If you do go ahead and submit the work in 2 hours, don’t expect much appreciation, expect more work. To climb up, you have to show the ability to get work done rather than doing the work."

The user advised that it’s important to keep in touch with your immediate manager (L1) and the next level manager (L2). This helps to avoid any situations where your L1 manager might try to take credit for your work. Although most L1 managers won’t do this, staying connected with the L2 manager is a smart way to protect your reputation. It can also help you grow, open doors for new opportunities and get guidance. Employees should focus on setting clear deadlines and responsibilities. This prevents unnecessary pressure, like late night work calls and ensures that others take action instead of relying on one person.

“Document everything communicated by mail or some sort of written evidence. In case s**t hits the fan, 9/10 times the situation turns into a witch hunt to pin the blame on someone. Having documentation and evidence can protect you from any grizzly events," the user added.

The user explained that in a corporate setting world, how others see your actions matters a lot. If you want to make things smoother for yourself, you can shape people’s opinions through emails, messages, behaviour or the way you present situations. For instance, if you need to leave work early or avoid a task, you can hint about health issues or a personal matter. Even if the reason isn’t completely true, it helps create an impression that justifies your decision.

The redditor concluded by sharing, “Being a nice person only ends up screwing yourself over by the System. I am a cynic. I felt it best for my fellow human beings to adopt a certain cynical attitude and discard the rosy-tinted picture of the bulls**t, ‘We are Family,’ propaganda companies keep pushing onto us. The only reason you and your co-workers are in the same room together is Money. Some people are genuinely nice, yet they are extremely rare."