Man Seeks Comfort On Reddit After Quitting Job, Feels Excluded From Farewell Gift Tradition

A man turned to Reddit for advice and comfort after quitting his job of five years. He expressed disappointment over not receiving a farewell gift, which is typically given to resigning employees at his office.

In his post, he shared, “I recently quit my job after 5 years and am feeling pretty cr***y right now. I was never the loudest or most popular guy in the office, more of the quiet, reserved, introverted type – but always friendly and helpful. I wasn’t exactly Mr Popular.” He mentioned that he learned he would not be receiving a farewell gift, unlike others who left the company.

He added, “It’s so embarrassing. I feel miserable, even though I always thought these little things didn’t matter to me. I’d like to go to the meeting to at least say goodbye to people from the other teams, but the thought of everyone seeing that I’m not getting anything is awful. I’m afraid I might cry from shame. What should I do? Just stay home and send a goodbye email?”

Quit my job after 5 years, no goodbye, what to do?
byu/SunInteresting7719 incareerguidance

The post has garnered over 877 upvotes and elicited various responses from Reddit users.

One commenter noted, “The strongest sign you should leave is the lack of acknowledgement when you do.” Another suggested, “That’s also a strong sign that perhaps a person might need to do a bit of introspection, especially if they find it happens again and again.” The original poster replied, “Thank you for the suggestion. I also believe that introspection is very important and I often reflect on my actions. This is the first time that something like this has happened to me.”

A third user commented, “Are you sure you are not getting a gift? It seems strange to me that your colleague would mention this to you. Maybe she just wants to keep up the surprise? In any case: you do deserve a gift after 5 years. Go to the meeting. If they truly did not get you a farewell present, shame on them, not on you. Emotions make us human; don’t be afraid to show them. Also: emotions change. In a few months’ time, you might no longer think about this situation and those people at all. Don’t give them too much power over you right now. I hope you will leave feeling appreciated. Good luck!”

Another user advised, “Hey bud, I think you really need to separate work life from personal life. You don’t need to say anything. That was a place of employment for income not for friendships.”

The post appeared on the “careerguidance” subreddit, which is dedicated to discussing career options and offering advice about workplaces.