Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

After 40 years of dedicated service, a man was fired just before retirement, leaving his family and the internet outraged. His daughter, u/DriverOk9165, shared his heartbreaking story on Reddit, sparking a debate about corporate loyalty and the treatment of longtime employees.

Representative photo by Maxime Agnelli | Unsplash


Her father had spent his life working tirelessly, often holding down two jobs to support his family. For decades, he remained loyal to the same company, believing it would carry him through to retirement. Instead, just weeks before Christmas, he was told that his store was closing and he would not be transferred elsewhere.


 

"My dad has been extremely loyal for decades and now that he is less than a decade out from retirement, he was informed 2 weeks before Christmas that his store is getting closed and they will not be transferring him to another store."

— **u/DriverOk9165**
 


 

His daughter explained that the store would close within a month, leaving him with little time to find another job. His role involved heavy lifting, which had already taken a toll on his body. To make matters worse, he had recently undergone surgery and likely needed another one soon. The only small comfort? The company couldn’t immediately cut off his health insurance.


Representative Image Source: Pexels| Ron Lach

His struggles didn’t start with this job. From a young age, he had worked to survive, taking on difficult labor from childhood. "He dug graves as a teenager and roughed. He went to a couple of years of college before he had to drop out to support his family," his daughter wrote. Despite the hardships, he had always been a hard worker with dreams beyond the jobs he took.

"He wanted to be a writer. He even wrote a book for the family, and it's funny as hell," she shared. Seeing her father lose everything just when retirement was in sight felt cruel.


 

"It's just cruel that he spent his whole life working so hard and right when the finish line was in sight, he had everything taken away from him."

— **u/DriverOk9165**
 


Her father’s dedication to his job went beyond just showing up. A few years ago, he posted on Facebook about a country musician he loved coming to town. His daughter commented, telling him to close the store early and go. His response was heartbreaking.

"He laughed it off and said something about needing to have a good work ethic. Look where a good work ethic got him. Don’t make the same mistakes he did. They will use you until you are broken and throw you away because you cost too much," she wrote.


media.giphy.com

The story resonated with thousands of people online, many of whom had experienced similar betrayals in the workplace. u/compost-me commented, "I'm so sorry to hear that your dad is going through this." Another user, u/newwriter365, pointed out how corporations often take advantage of dedicated employees, saying, "It sounds like he’s the type of person who is fiercely independent. And CVS is taking advantage of that."

Image Source: Reddit | u/falvius_lavicivious

Image Source: Reddit | u/chubbysumo



This isn’t just one man’s story—it’s a reflection of a much larger issue. Many employees dedicate their lives to companies, believing their hard work and loyalty will pay off, only to be discarded when they become “too expensive.”


Representative photo by Clem Onojeghuo | Unsplash

Unfortunately, in the corporate world, loyalty often isn’t rewarded. But as many in the Reddit thread pointed out, respecting your own well-being over company loyalty might be the most valuable lesson of all.

More For You

consumerism, marketing, unnecessary products, gaslighting, modern life

Confused shopper

Canva

These 21 products gaslight you into thinking they’re essential. They’re not.

Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.

Recently, we asked our Facebook audience: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.

Keep ReadingShow less
A Tim Hortons and a biker.

Representative Image: Luc Perreault's experience outside a Tim Hortons has opened a lot of eyes.

A mom told her daughter not to talk to the ‘dirty biker.’ His epic response is pure class.

We've all heard the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover," but in reality, snap judgments happen every day. Whether it's based on someone's clothes, tattoos, or demeanor, these assumptions can often be unfair—and completely wrong. One Canadian biker experienced this firsthand when a mother at a Tim Hortons dismissed him as a "dirty biker" in front of her child. Instead of reacting with anger, he shared a powerful message on Facebook that resonated with thousands.

Luc Perreault, a burly, tattooed biker, had stopped at Tim Hortons for a coffee when he exchanged a friendly smile with a little girl. But rather than receiving kindness in return, he overheard the child's mother pulling her away and saying, "No, no, dear, we don’t talk to dirty bikers."

Keep ReadingShow less
Her baby was pronounced dead. What happened when she held him stunned the room.

Representative Image: The first moments of a child's life can be precarious, but new moms have power in these moments.

Representative image by Canva

Her baby was pronounced dead. What happened when she held him stunned the room.

Life rarely gives us the storybook moment where darkness turns to triumph—but it does happen. Kate and David Ogg had such a moment. The Australian couple welcomed premature twins into the world on March 25, 2010, but their joy quickly turned to heartbreak when doctors told them that their baby boy, Jamie, hadn’t survived. What happened next would become a story of love, resilience, and the extraordinary power of a mother’s touch.

Kate and David had been ecstatic to learn they were expecting twins, but their excitement was overshadowed when the babies arrived prematurely at just 27 weeks. Doctors worked tirelessly to save them, but after 20 minutes of efforts, Jamie was pronounced dead. Devastated, the medical team placed his tiny body on Kate’s chest so she could say her goodbyes.

Keep ReadingShow less
She offered a homeless man some pizza—he was actually a Hollywood star in disguise
Canva

She offered a homeless man some pizza—he was actually a Hollywood star in disguise

A simple act of kindness turned into an unforgettable story for one woman and her family while visiting New York City. Karine Gombeau, a French tourist, was exploring the city with her husband and teenage son when she spotted a man rummaging through a trash can near Grand Central Terminal. Moved by what she saw, she decided to offer the man some leftover pizza.

"He should have my pizza instead of going through that bin."

— Karine Gombeau

What she didn’t know? That “homeless man” was actually Hollywood legend Richard Gere.

Keep ReadingShow less
Her baby was pronounced dead. What happened when she held him stunned the room.

Representative Image: The first moments of a child's life can be precarious, but new moms have power in these moments.

Representative image by Canva

Her baby was pronounced dead. What happened when she held him stunned the room.

Life rarely gives us the storybook moment where darkness turns to triumph—but it does happen. Kate and David Ogg had such a moment. The Australian couple welcomed premature twins into the world on March 25, 2010, but their joy quickly turned to heartbreak when doctors told them that their baby boy, Jamie, hadn’t survived. What happened next would become a story of love, resilience, and the extraordinary power of a mother’s touch.

Kate and David had been ecstatic to learn they were expecting twins, but their excitement was overshadowed when the babies arrived prematurely at just 27 weeks. Doctors worked tirelessly to save them, but after 20 minutes of efforts, Jamie was pronounced dead. Devastated, the medical team placed his tiny body on Kate’s chest so she could say her goodbyes.

Keep ReadingShow less