After more than 200 applications, laid-off corporate worker takes on washing dishes for ₹1,049: ‘I don’t do it for the money’ | Today’s news
A 29-year-old former company employee who was laid off took a part-time job washing dishes for $11 ( ₹1,049) an hour after months of unsuccessful attempts to secure another position.
The man said he was fired in April and given what he described as a “nice” nine-month severance package. However, despite financial savings that could have sustained him for years, he struggled to cope with the lack of routine and purpose that followed his job loss.
In a social media post titled “From a corporation to an $11/hr dishwashing job,” he said he had submitted more than 200 job applications and attended more than 15 interviews, but none led to a new job.
Read also | Mumbai woman quits corporate job, retires at 29 to slow down farm life in Pune
“I felt useless” after months without a job
The long job search began to affect his mental well-being, he said, as his days lost their structure.
“Terrified and my mental health took a nose dive, I lost all structure to my days and felt useless. After 4 months of unemployment, I still can’t break away from my identity from this constant need to find another corporate gig that I hated in the first place just for a sense of belonging,” the man said.
He explained that his decision to take the job at the dishwasher was not driven by financial pressure. Since he has kept his spending modest, he said his emergency savings could last him about five years.
A screenshot from a viral post. (Reddit)
Why did he start washing the dishes?
“I just got a part-time job starting next week washing dishes for $11/hr. I never thought I’d come up with this and I’m not doing it for the money but to feel useful in any way,” the man said.
He said he hoped the job would restore some structure to his daily life and help him get rid of the anxiety he was experiencing.
“To give structure to my days, or maybe I justify it. I’m hoping this experience can be grounding and I can turn off that anxious mind for a few hours a day.”
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The man also wondered whether financial independence or retirement would necessarily make him feel less anxious, given how much time he would have without work.
“Even after all my hobbies, there is still so much time left. And the constant, desperate urge to fill it with work. I wonder how my father, who has worked in a corporation for 30 years, will feel when he reaches retirement age in 3 years. I’m sure he will feel even more lost than I do,” he said.
Social media users share similar experiences
The post attracted reactions from users who said they could relate to the loss of identity and routine that can follow unemployment.
“I was laid off from a corporation around last year and since then I’ve ended up in all kinds of jobs. I’m glad I’m not alone,” said one user.
Another commented: “Sorry to hear. Remember it’s moving forward my friend. We are not our jobs but many of us are our routines.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.)
