Employee moves into his office cubicle after boss's act: 'Form of protest'
A man who moved into his work cubicle after claiming he couldn't afford his rent has gone viral on TikTok.
Simon Jackson, from the US, said it was a "form of protest" after his employer allegedly refused to give him a pay raise, but it backfired and he lost his job.
He posted a TikTok showing him setting up his "new apartment" in the Seattle office building earlier this month. He said it mostly empty due to Covid and people working from home.
Mr Jackson filled office drawers and shelves with his belongings including clothes and toiletries and slept in a sleeping bag under his desk.
"Check out my new [apartment]," he wrote alongside the video.
"I’m moving from my apartment into my cubicle at work. They do not pay me enough to do both, so as a matter of protest, I am just going to live at my job, and we’ll see how long I can get away with this," he said.
But his temporary accommodation only lasted four days before he was forced to leave and ordered to remove the videos he'd shared on social media, he claims.
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In that time, Mr Jackson kept his followers updated by sharing a series of clips detailing his "home life" in the office.
Although the stunt was a "form of protest, he claims it came "at the right time", according to New York Post.
His lease was ending at his Seattle apartment and he couldn't afford the increase, he told the publication. Mr Jackson was unable to find a new place in time.
Mr Jackson was hoping a performance review at work would potentially result in a pay rise, but he claims he was denied a meeting by his employer.
"When I found my company had an empty office downtown, this was the perfect solution as it was close to all of the venues I frequent and it would be free," he told the publication.
Mr Jackson said he thought his stay in the office would have "lasted indefinitely", but his social media posts proved to be his undoing.
He claims the company ordered him to remove any videos associated with the office or "disciplinary action" will be taken if he "failed to do so".
Mr Jackson implied there'd been several conversations with HR about the incident, although he wasn't clear about what had been discussed.
He revealed in another clip this week that he'd been "fired" from his job, however he told the New York Post that he "chose to leave the company".
Yahoo News Australia reached out to the company for comment.
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