Remember me
An internship that was meant to mark the start of a new career ended the same day it began after a worker in Beijing said they were fired for refusing to return to the office late at night.
The story, shared on Reddit by user popo_fish, describes what the original poster (OP) called a “surreal” first day at Alpha Test, an SAT preparation and coaching company.
The official work hours run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m, though the intern said they stayed until 6:30 p.m. on their first day to finish tasks before heading home.
About an hour later, however, they received a call from a company partner demanding that they return to the office immediately.
"No emergency, just a random demand," the OP wrote. "When I told her I couldn't make it back, she fired me on the spot.
"Her literal words: 'Our company focuses on efficiency and profit, not on the employees' personal time. Our philosophies do not align.'"
The OP added that the role paid 200 RMB (about $28) per day, which they calculated to be less than $2.50 per hour if the company expected constant availability.
"I’m sharing this because I refuse to accept this as 'normal,'" they added. "This is a company that claims to 'educate' students for their future, yet they treat their own staff like disposable tools with zero human dignity."
Reddit users weighed in via the comments, with one declaring, “F them. You’re lucky to be free.”
Another pointed out, “If they pride themselves in efficiency… how come they can't even finish on time?” to which the OP replied, “Exactly! Their 'efficiency' is just a fancy word for 'we expect you to work 24/7 because we can't manage our own schedule.”
In an update, the OP revealed that a different leader from the company contacted them directly and apologized.
“I’ve decided to forgive and move on,” they added. “For me, this was never about the compensation. It was about professional ethics and basic human decency.”
Toxic WorkplacesStories about workplace culture often strike a chord online as employees compare experiences. Career coach Tiffany Uman spoke about similar concerns in a Newsweek report on toxic work environments.
“I continue to hear too many horror stories of incredible talent struggling with toxic workplaces and toxic bosses, and we need to do better,” Uman told the outlet.
She said one warning sign can be a lack of respect from management, adding, “Another sign could be that they're constantly dismissing your ideas, throwing you under the bus, taking credit for your work.”
'The horrible truth'Career experts say sudden dismissals or conflicts with leadership can happen even when employees perform well. Writing in a LinkedIn article, executive coach Kyle Kalloo described how job loss can occur without clear warning.
“The horrible truth is that anyone can be fired for any reason or no reason,” Kalloo wrote.
However, he added that losing a job can sometimes open unexpected doors: “Losing your job is not the end of the world, nor is it the end of your career or the end of your life.”
For this intern, the incident appears to have closed one chapter before it fully began.
Newsweek has reached out to popo_fish for comment via Reddit and Alpha Test via its website. We could not verify the details of the case.