10 Times Kindness in the Workplace Changed Lives

When we think about the workplace, we often remember the drama that comes with it. And very few of us experienced the acts of kindness. So here are 10 stories to remind us that there are still heroes out there, even though they’re not wearing capes.

• I worked for a guy I hate. He was constantly complaining about my work and even tried to cut my pay. The situation became unbearable, but I kept pushing.
  He passed away last week, and I was summoned by his lawyer. When I arrived, the lawyer gave me a letter from my ex-boss saying he had no kids and that he always pushed me because he saw me as his son. He left me his entire fortune, including his company.

• When I started at my IT help desk job, I had no experience or exposure to the field. And was provided little to no training since the manager just had a kid and the place was in the middle of a big migration.
  The team of, like, 4 people had trained and taught me so well that I was promoted twice. And now I’m in the network operations center in the main office down state only a year later and could aim for a junior admin role in about 3 months. I’ll never forget those guys. © rcbiggin / Reddit

• Had a coworker who was deathly afraid of clowns. Even balloons would trigger some gnarly freak-outs.
  One day, someone brought a bunch of balloons and other celebratory stuff for a co-worker’s life event. I watched in horror as they walked down the hallway, totally oblivious to this phobia, and I knew my pal was at the end of it around the corner in the office kitchen.
  I made eye contact with another guy toward the end of the hall who was hip to this, but he was already half out of the chair and sprinting toward this bearer of balloons and All That Was Bad. Nearly tackled the dude and spun him into a different room, explaining and defusing the situation. © realfakedoors000 / Reddit

• In 1997, I worked for a small, family-owned business. I was called into the office by the owner, thinking I was in big trouble. He slid a blank check across the desk and told me to enroll in school. It was the start of me moving from production into administrative work, which boosted my income. © Efficient-Regular-96 / Reddit

• They paid all employees to stay home for a few months in 2020. Employees with computer-based jobs still had to WFH, but everyone else, from mechanics to warehouse staff, just stayed home and received their normal pay. © tiny_bamboo / Reddit

• Was training to be a Legal Executive aged 17 and was working for a posh partnership. One of the partners called me in and said that my clothes were not suitable for the office. I told him I would struggle to pay for the correct attire, as most of my pay went to my mum, but I would do my best.
  He wrote a note to his tailor to measure me up head to toe with 2 suits, 2 shirts, 2 ties, 5 pairs of socks, and 2 pairs of shoes. I was too proud to accept his help and bought a suit, etc., on credit. I’ve never forgotten the kindness to this day. © gegorb / Reddit

• 19 yrs old, first apartment, first winter, first winter utility bill. I smiled and told my coworker I’ll just pay it, skip lunch, and eat cheap mac and cheese for dinner. It’ll be ok.
  All that month, co-workers accidentally got extra chips from the vending machine. A wife packed an extra sandwich. A box of my favorite crackers would be on my desk when I came in.
  It was still hard, but I didn’t starve. Thank you, guys. © alady12 / Reddit

• I work in a supermarket collecting and packing up customers’ groceries. My dad had just lost his unexpected battle with cancer, and I had just come back to work after taking some time off.
  I had my arms full of milk, and I was carrying them to my cart, when one of them slipped away and broke. One of my coworkers happened to walk past me and saw all of this happening. So she immediately rushed to pick up the broken milk carton so it wouldn’t leak anymore, took it to the trash, and even brought me a new one. All without asking.
  It really warmed my heart; she was so sweet. I’m sure it wasn’t a big deal to her, but to me, it was and still is. © Rag1ngRedHead / Reddit

• At work, I was complaining about heartburn once. I was still pretty new to the job. Didn’t really have any work friends. Felt like an outsider. My life outside of work was pretty bad as well.
  The bartender on shift overheard me and ran to a nearby coffee shop to get me a chocolate milk. It definitely made the heartburn go away, but it was such a needlessly kind act. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. © PhreedomPhighter / Reddit

• I had a coworker about ten years ago. We became work friends, but he was moving to another state. So on his last day, he brought and gave me an iPod Nano (back when they were fairly new) completely filled with different music that we had talked about or listened to together.
  No one had ever done something that thoughtful for me before. I could have cried. © BareBearFighter / Reddit

These stories remind us that things that happen in the workplace aren’t always as bad as we assume they will be and that sometimes unexpected gestures from our coworkers can make all the difference in the world.

If you liked this article, check out the next one: 10 Workplace Adventures That Are More Shocking Than Reality TV.