S1E10: This Person Went VIRAL After One of the Worst Boss Calls EVER… and I Spoke to Her.

Ben Askins
12 Apr 202419:49

TLDRTara, a former employee of an eSports company, went viral after sharing a recording of a harsh conversation with her boss, who was also the CEO. In the call, he accused her of being uncreative, lying, and not understanding the company's values. Despite his attempts to make her stay by recognizing her importance, Tara decided to quit. The company eventually went under, and Tara moved on to a new role at Supermassive Games. She advises others in similar situations to not stay silent and seek support.

Takeaways

  • 🌟 Tara went viral after a terrible call with her boss, where she was seeking fair pay and treatment.
  • 💼 The call revealed a toxic work environment and a boss with a manipulative and disrespectful attitude.
  • 🗣️ Tara's boss accused her of being uncreative, lying, and having a lack of understanding about the company.
  • 📅 The incident took place in 2021 at an eSports company where Tara had been working for about four months.
  • 🤬 The boss's aggressive behavior escalated to the point of saying Tara's work would make his dead father roll over in his grave.
  • 😔 Tara felt defeated and shocked by the personal attacks and the sudden change in her boss's behavior.
  • 📞 Tara recorded the call as evidence to protect herself from potential misrepresentation by her boss.
  • 🚨 The lack of an HR department at Tara's company was a red flag that she only recognized in hindsight.
  • 🌈 After leaving the toxic company, Tara found a new role at Supermassive Games as a digital content creator.
  • 📢 Tara's story resonated with many people, leading to a widely viewed TikTok video and a talk show discussion.
  • 🛑 Tara advises others in similar situations to not stay silent, seek support, and report toxic behavior to higher authorities if possible.

Q & A

  • What was the main reason for Tara going viral?

    -Tara went viral after releasing a video recording of a terrible call with her boss, where he insulted and belittled her.

  • How did Tara's boss try to justify his behavior during the call?

    -Tara's boss tried to justify his behavior by accusing her of not understanding the company's brand and morals, and even claimed that she would make his deceased father roll over in his grave.

  • What was Tara's role at the eSports company?

    -Tara was a digital content creator at the eSports company.

  • How long had Tara been working at the company before the incident occurred?

    -Tara had been working at the company for about four months before the incident.

  • What was the turning point for Tara that made her decide to quit the company?

    -The turning point for Tara was when her boss personally attacked her during a feedback call, accusing her of not understanding the company and her role, and making derogatory comments about her work.

  • How did Tara handle the situation after the call with her boss?

    -Tara decided to quit her job and sent a message to her boss on WhatsApp, expressing her intention to leave the company and asking for the address to send her formal resignation letter.

  • What was the outcome of Tara's viral video?

    -The video resonated with many people who tagged others in the comments, and it brought attention to the issue of poor management and toxic work environments.

  • How did Tara's former boss try to manipulate her into staying with the company?

    -After the initial negative call, Tara's former boss changed his tone and insisted that he needed her, claiming the company wouldn't be able to function without her and that they wouldn't find anyone to replace her.

  • What happened to Tara's former company?

    -The company went under, and the boss disappeared without paying Tara or communicating with her after the incident.

  • What advice does Tara have for people dealing with a similar situation?

    -Tara advises people not to stay silent, to talk to someone about their experiences, and to seek support. She also suggests reporting the situation to higher authorities if possible and taking time to heal after leaving a toxic environment.

  • How did Tara's experience with her former boss affect her new job?

    -Tara's experience made her a stronger candidate in her new role at Supermassive Games, where she was asked during an interview how she would deal with a difficult situation and was able to share her story.

Outlines

00:00

💼 Viral Confrontation Over Fair Pay

The paragraph discusses a viral conversation between Tara and her boss, which was recorded and later shared publicly. The dispute centers around Tara's demand for fair pay and her refusal to accept a disciplinary action or a write-up for wanting to be paid fairly. The conversation escalates as the boss attempts to manipulate Tara into believing she's in Mexico and trying to scam the company out of money. The boss's unprofessional behavior and derogatory remarks set the stage for a heated exchange, which eventually leads to Tara's decision to leave the company. The setting is the Ben Askins talk show, where Tara shares her side of the story, explaining the context and her reasons for recording the conversation to protect herself against potential misrepresentation by her boss.

05:01

🤯 Shocking Feedback and Unprofessional Behavior

In this paragraph, Tara recounts her experience of receiving shocking feedback from her boss during a work experience project with students. Despite her efforts to address the initial criticism and make improvements, her boss continues to belittle her and accuses her of trying to cover up mistakes. The boss's behavior takes a personal turn when he claims that Tara's work would make his deceased father, for whom the company was created, roll over in his grave. This deeply hurtful comment leads Tara to decide to quit the company, and she shares how she communicated her decision to her boss, emphasizing the need to leave on a professional note despite the toxic work environment.

10:02

🚀 Navigating a Toxic Work Environment

Tara describes the aftermath of her decision to quit, which involved a toxic work environment and a series of manipulative interactions with her boss. Despite his attempts to convince her to stay by claiming the company needs her, Tara remains firm in her decision to leave. She experiences anxiety and stress as her boss checks in on her constantly, but she perseveres through the four-week notice period. The situation culminates in the company's collapse, with the boss failing to show up for a scheduled meeting and leaving Tara and her colleagues to deal with the fallout. Tara's experience highlights the importance of recognizing and leaving a toxic workplace, even in the face of manipulation and pressure.

15:03

🌟 Moving Forward and Finding a New Path

In the final paragraph, Tara shares her journey after leaving the toxic company, highlighting her transition to a new role at Supermassive Games as a digital content creator. She reflects on the positive outcome of sharing her story, which resonated with many people and led to a supportive community. Tara offers advice to others facing similar situations, emphasizing the importance of not staying silent, seeking support, and reporting unprofessional behavior. She also stresses the need for self-care and recovery after such experiences. Her story serves as an inspiration and a cautionary tale for dealing with difficult workplace situations and finding a better path forward.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Viral

In the context of the video, 'viral' refers to content that has rapidly spread and become popular on the internet. The term is used to describe how Tara's video recording of her conversation with her boss gained widespread attention and was shared extensively across social media platforms. This is evident when the host mentions that Tara has 'gone viral' and discusses the impact of the video on a large audience.

💡Disciplinary

The term 'disciplinary' in the video refers to the action of imposing punishment or penalties for a breach of rules or misconduct. In the context of the script, Tara is arguing that she should not face disciplinary action for advocating for fair pay. The use of this term highlights the conflict between Tara and her boss regarding her rights as an employee.

💡PTO (Paid Time Off)

PTO, or Paid Time Off, is a policy that allows employees to take time away from work while still receiving their regular pay. In the video, the concept of PTO is mentioned in the context of Tara's discussion with her boss about her notice period and the possibility of taking time off instead of receiving a write-up for her actions.

💡Scam

In the video, 'scam' refers to a fraudulent scheme or a deceptive act to obtain something, such as money, from someone else. Tara accuses her boss of attempting to scam money out of her, indicating a perceived injustice or manipulation in the situation.

💡Creative Skills

The term 'creative skills' relates to the abilities required to produce original and imaginative work. In the video, Tara's boss criticizes her creative skills, using the term 'beige' to describe her work as lacking in originality and excitement. This criticism is a key point in the conflict between Tara and her boss, as it pertains to her professional value and the boss's perception of her capabilities.

💡eSports

eSports refers to the competitive environment of video gaming, where players or teams compete against each other in various games at different levels, from amateur to professional. In the video, Tara mentions that she was working for an eSports company, which provides context for the nature of her job and the industry in which she was operating.

💡Start-up Company

A start-up company is a newly established business venture that is typically in the early stages of its development and growth. In the video, Tara describes her employer as a start-up, which implies that the company was small, had limited resources, and was in the process of building its operations and market presence.

💡CEO (Chief Executive Officer)

The term 'CEO,' or Chief Executive Officer, denotes the highest-ranking executive in a company or organization, responsible for making major corporate decisions, managing overall operations and resources, and acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors and corporate operations. In the video, Tara's boss is identified as both the CEO and her direct manager, indicating his significant influence and authority over her work experience.

💡Feedback

Feedback refers to the process of providing comments or critiques on someone's work or performance. It can be constructive, aimed at helping the recipient improve, or negative, expressing dissatisfaction. In the video, Tara's boss provides feedback on her work, but the manner in which he delivers it leads to a conflict and contributes to Tara's decision to leave the company.

💡Mental Health

Mental health pertains to an individual's psychological and emotional well-being. It affects how one thinks, feels, and acts, and can significantly impact daily life. In the video, Tara discusses the negative impact of her experience with her boss on her mental health, highlighting the importance of addressing and recovering from such challenges.

💡Toxic Work Environment

A toxic work environment is one that is characterized by a harmful, negative, or hostile atmosphere that can lead to stress, dissatisfaction, and reduced productivity among employees. In the video, Tara describes her work environment as toxic, particularly after her boss's behavior became more aggressive and controlling.

Highlights

Tara went viral after a terrible call with her boss.

The call was about Tara wanting to be paid fairly and being disciplined for it.

Tara was already in Mexico when the call happened.

Her boss accused her of trying to scam money out of the company.

The host, Ben Askins, introduces Tara on his talk show.

Tara released a video recording of her boss from 2021.

The boss criticized Tara's creativity and called her 'beige'.

Tara was accused of looking for other jobs and lying about it.

The boss was both the CEO and Tara's direct manager.

Tara secretly recorded the call to protect herself from false accusations.

The call happened after Tara decided to quit her job.

Tara's boss blamed her for the poor quality of work from a student she was supervising.

The boss said Tara would make his dead father roll over in his grave.

Tara's parents supported her decision to quit after hearing about the call.

Tara sent a message to her boss to formally resign and ask about her notice period and payment.

The boss demanded a meeting the next morning, which led to the viral call.

The company went under after the incident, and Tara never heard from her boss again.

Tara now works at Supermassive Games as a digital content creator.

Tara advises people in similar situations to not stay silent and seek support.

Tara's story was used as an example in her job interview about handling difficult situations.