‘I love how you advocated for yourself’: Company chooses not to promote a woman, asks her to train her replacement, but she refuses
A video from user @theunobsolete is going viral on social media for all the right reasons. The woman featured in it is basically listing all the ways her previous workplace humiliated her before replacing her with a 25-year-old for a position she was qualified for. What’s more? They even asked her to train her replacement and weren’t even open to compensating her for her labour.
Nowadays, it is not just Gen Z who are protesting in their workplaces, refusing to tolerate ill behaviour, it’s people from other age groups as well. Take TikTok user @theunobsolete, for instance. Despite not belonging to the group that is popularly known to protest, she is raising her voice against the injustice she encountered in her workplace and is raising her voice against it while also creating awareness about an existing problem that is seldom discussed.
TikTok user @theunobsolete is making it clear that she is unwilling to provide free labour at work
User @theunobsolete’s experiences at her place of work have created quite the stir on TikTok. As of this writing, the video she uploaded on February 10, 2026, narrating her encounters, has received more than 4 million views with thousands of comments, shares, and saves. It’s safe to say that a lot of people have resonated with what the woman says in the video and have opinions about it. So, what exactly is she saying in the video? Well, a lot.
User @theunobsolete in her video starts by saying that when she was asked to train her 25-year-old replacement for a role she had worked hard for years, she responded with a strict no without any window for negotiations. However, her responses were not taken positively by her superiors and the HR, who asked her to be a “team player.” She then continues speaking, highlighting that she would have been willing to do what they were asking of her if they appropriately compensated her, but instead, they were attempting to get free labour just so that they could pay half the salary she draws to a new joinee.
User @theunobsolete’s TikTok video has hit a nerve with her video about her office
User @theunobsolete’s video’s comments section is filled with people asking her to take action against her workplace, with some suggesting legal action on grounds of ageism. A user who goes by the handle name, @britifacres, wrote, “If you’re over 50, get a lawyer now.” User @cobirrer hinted at something similar and wrote, “Reply to HR with the phrase “hostile work environment stemming from age discrimination.”
Besides this, her video’s comment section is, of course, filled with words of support from those who have possibly faced similar circumstances in their lives. User @barbarab711 wrote, “If I’m not qualified for the position, I’m not qualified to train the person receiving it.” User @azbeautybestie said, “The ageism is rampant in every industry. Terrible I’m sorry. Respect the standing up for yourself.”
Ageism is real in the American workforce
According to an article published by Forbes on January 30, 2025, ageism is “running rampant” throughout corporate America. The piece highlights that, based on a recent survey conducted by resume and career advice service MyPerfectResume, 99 per cent of workers over the age of 40 have reported facing ageism in the workplace. In this bracket, 95 per cent of the people have said that age discrimination has pressured them, resulting in them feeling excluded. 86 per cent of these people have admitted that people of a certain age (older) are victims of bullying, and 92 per cent have revealed that they feel pressured to conceal their ages and undermine their work experiences to avoid negative consequences. 88 per cent of these people say that they have changed their behaviour to be more acceptable.
The Forbes article also highlights that age plays an important role when people switch jobs, noting how those who are hiring may be more inclined towards procuring younger people over comparatively older ones. In that context, an AARP survey found that 74% of people over the age of 50 believe that their age will negatively impact their hiring chances when looking for a job.
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