A young woman has gone viral after breaking down in tears about how stressful she's found her first full-time job.
The transition from being a uni student to working life can be rough.
You can't just skip a meeting and catch up later via podcast, being hungover isn't a valid excuse for turning up late to the office and your mates aren't always there to meet up for a midday pint because they all have full-time jobs too.
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Adult life, eh?
Brielle recently opened up on TikTok about her struggles moving into the world of work in a clip with the overlay text: "qotd in a 9-5 how do u have time for ur life."
Brielle cries as she vents to the camera. "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," she says.
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"I'm in person, and I'm commuting in the city, and it takes me f***ing forever to get there. There's no way I'm gonna be able to afford living in the city right now, so that's off the table."
Brielle explains that to make it to work on time, she has to get the train at 7.30am and doesn't get home until at least 6.15pm.
By then, she claims she doesn't 'have time to do anything.'
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"I want to shower, eat my dinner, and go to sleep," she shared. "I don’t have time or energy to cook my dinner either. I don’t have energy to work out, like, that’s out the window."
The TikToker clarified that it wasn't the job itself that she had a problem with, but rather having to work in the office and the long commute that sees her not returning home until more than an hour after the end of her shift.
"If it was remote you get off at 5 and you’re home and everything’s fine," she says.
"And I know it could be worse. I know I could be working longer, but like, I literally get off [and] it's pitch black. How do you have friends? How do you have time to meet a guy? How do you have time for dating? I don't have time for anything, and I'm so stressed out."
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A number of fellow TikTokers took to the video's comments to offer support to Brielle.
"The 40-hour work week is beyond outdated and your feelings are totally valid," one user wrote.
While another said: "I remember having this same realisation… like this is what I couldn’t wait to grow up for? to live like this?"
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However, a number of trolls took to the video's comments, slamming Brielle as being 'weak' for struggling with her new job.
One person wrote: "Welcome to life poor privileged baby. The rest of us do it. Get used to it. It's OK for the rest of us... right?"
Another told her to 'rid your butt of laziness'.
Despite the criticism, however, Brielle doubled down on her comments about working life, talking to The Independent about how societal standards need to change.
"I want to be able to talk for this next generation and explain that a 40-hour work week plus commute is not necessary for productivity," she said.
"I appreciate all the positive comments from other sympathetic workers and hope that more companies consider following in other countries' footsteps in regards to the work week, especially after so many people are used to being remote after Covid."
Bec Oakes