Kit Roberts
The TikToker who posted a video of herself in tears because of her 9-5 job has responded to people who criticised the video.
Brielle Asero posted the original video on her TikTok page, and tearfully explained how difficult she was finding it to adjust to the new job.
She tearfully explained in the first video: "I know I'm probably just being so dramatic and annoying, but this is my first job, like my first 9 to 5 job after college.”
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Many people responded to the video with empathy, sharing their stories and showing their support.
One wrote: "The 40 hour work week is beyond outdated and your feelings are totally valid."
Another responded: "40 hour work week was designed with a homemaker to take care of house tasks. We need dual incomes now, so that’s not possible. No time for anything."
A third said: "I had a crisis when I got my first 9-5 job. Literally I couldn’t believe this was life."
Despite many people reassuring her, others showed less empathy, instead responding with mockery and belittling.
Now, Brielle has hit back, saying in a recent interview with Rolling Stone: “I don’t even understand how this has turned into a political argument when all I was trying to do was open a conversation and be respectful towards people that work even longer hours than I do.
“Different news stations picked up my video and painted post-grads as entitled and lazy which is far from the case.”
Other creators have also come to her defence and shared their own stories about struggling with their work.
One TikToker, Julia, questioned how it's possible to run errands when places like banks don't have opening hours that accommodate 9-5 workers.
She said: "I don’t get how people with 9-to-5’s get literally anything done.
"Going from the service industry where I would have Monday off, Wednesday off, random days. I could go to the bank and get my car checked."
She added: "My check engine light is on right now, and I also need to go to the bank to get a check for rent.
"But I can’t do either of those things because the places are only open 9-to-5 and I have to be at my office [from] 9-to-5.
"I just don’t get it. How do you get things done?"
The 40-hour work week was introduced by Henry Ford, and made US law in 1940. At that time the cost of living was much lower, meaning that you could sustain a household on one income while someone else stayed at home to look after all the unpaid and unappreciated work in the house.
In 2023, sustaining an entire household on a single average income is simply not possible.
No wonder so many people are feeling so burnt out and tired.