A HARD working employee who retired from his job of more than four decades was only rewarded with a measly send off, until his coworker decided to take action.
John – who never missed a day of work – was only given a certificate and a “barbecue” for 42 years of loyalty to his company in California.
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Taking to TikTok, his coworker Soniah shared a clip of John working and putting boxes together at their factory job.
She explained: “Today is my coworker’s last day. He worked for this company for 42 years making minimum wage.
“The company only threw him a barbecue and gave him a certificate. He takes the bus to get here everyday on time.
“He’s over 70 and loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire. No bonus, just a barbecue and certificate. Thank you John, for your loyalty.”
The measly sendoff sparked outrage online and kind strangers began asking how they could give him a better sendoff.
Soniah rushed to set up a GoFundMe to help provide a better reward for John’s years of dedication, and it quickly garnered thousands in donations.
The fundraiser read: “John has no wife or kids however he does have a nephew whom he loves dearly.
“It would be nice to give him some kind of company or something to do so he knows that he’s special and loved.
“If anyone would like to keep John occupied, please send positive thoughts, he loves to read.”
Only days after the fundraiser began, Soniah told John about the kind souls who donated more than £30,000 for his retirement, leaving him speechless.
She also printed out dozens of pages of well wishes from those who donated to him for him to read.
One commented: “John, in an ever changing world like ours today, your unwavering loyalty and dedication to hard work is as previous as gold.”
Another read: “Happy retirement John! To love the job and be there doing your best everyday must have felt awesome. I hope your retirement is fun and fulfilling too.”
John smiled and nodded, speechless from the incredible act of kindness from his coworker and strangers online.
Soniah updated her followers and said: “Mr. John did so much for us without asking. He is so selfless, you ask him for a hand and he will give you two.”
In 2019, a FedEx worker was moved to tears after her coworkers gifted her a car when they realised she walked 12 miles home from work each day.
Darlene Quinn, 60, had made the trek every day for three months after her car broke down and she couldn’t afford to fix it.
But she will never have to make the gruelling trip again, thanks to the kindness of 100 well-wishers and colleagues who donated £5,500 to buy her a car.
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