A woman shared her quick decision to quit her job just minutes into her first shift, detailing the experience in a TikTok video. Teearra West recounted how she was newly hired but noticed concerning signs on her first day that prompted her to leave before she even began working.
West explained that just 10 minutes into her first shift, she spotted several “red flags” that led her to walk out. Upon arriving at the company, she found her employers unprepared, and existing employees warned her about the work environment.
She described her interactions with her coworkers, many of whom were close friends. When they asked if she was new and she confirmed it, they responded by saying she probably wouldn’t enjoy the job.
“The trainer came out and gave me my badge,” West said. “But then they told me, ‘We’re still waiting on a piece of your background check, so if you want to wait in the lobby, you can.’” Instead of waiting, West declined the badge and quit on the spot, noting that she already had another job lined up.
West described the workplace as disorganized, with nothing prepared for her to start.
In a follow-up video, she further explained what led her to quit so quickly. She had been looking for a temporary second job before her main position started the following week. She went through the usual pre-employment steps, including background checks and drug tests, but began to notice issues when the recruiter gave her inconsistent answers about the hourly pay.
“They gave me three different pay rates, and none matched what I expected,” she recalled. She also experienced multiple delays with her I-9 form, which she had to fill out 12 times because the company kept claiming they hadn’t received it.
Despite being told everything was complete, West arrived on her first day at 10 a.m., only to be informed that her background check was still not finalized. Frustrated by the lack of organization, she decided to leave: “Once they gave me my badge—which took 15 minutes—I told them to keep it; I was going home.”
Reflecting on her decision, West added, “They had two weeks to get everything ready, and they didn’t.”
Commenters on her video largely supported her decision, with one person asking, “Why are they still waiting on a background check on your first day?” Another user added, “You made the right call—they weren’t prepared for your first day.”