After more than four decades of commuting 40 minutes each day for a low-paying job, an employee by the name of John Bartlett was given a disappointing send off on his final day before retirement when the company he worked for threw him a pitiful barbecue to thank him for his many years of service.
The company’s treatment of John was the subject of ridicule from many of his colleagues, with one co-worker taking to TikTok to voice their outrage.
A woman by the name of Sonia shared a short clip of John, now in his 70’s, to the social media site on his last day.
The clip showed him walking around the warehouse looking fairly glum and sad.
Sonia wrote in the caption: “Today is my co-worker’s last day. He worked for this company for 42 years making minimum wage.
“The company only threw him a barbecue and gave him a certificate,” she added.
“He takes the bus and Bart (train) to get here every day on time. He’s 70+.
“He loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire—[He got] No bonus, just a barbecue and a certificate. Don’t be a slave to your job. Thank you John for your loyalty.”
The video, which has since been deleted, was viewed hundreds of thousands of times and received thousands of comments from internet users desperate to help make John feel appreciated.
The reaction to the video inspired Sonia to set up a GoFundMe for John, in the hopes of raising some money so he can enjoy his retirement with a little more comfort.
On the fundraiser page, she revealed John could not drive because of a disability, but “rain or shine” would always make it to work.
He was “extremely dependable,” she added, revealing it had been difficult to convince him to take a break because he always wanted to work.
He was “one of the most talented and hard-working” employees at the company and his energy was “unmatched,” she said.
“He has no wife or kids, however, he does have a nephew whom he loves dearly,” she wrote in the fundraiser.
“It would be nice to give him some kind of company or something to do so he knows that he’s special and loved.”
Within a few days, over $28,000 had been raised for John.
Sonia revealed to the New York Post that the money raised surpassed the entirety of John’s retirement fund.
She added that she was in the process of telling John about the enormous response to his story and that she planned to print out names and messages from his supporters.
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