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A TikTok creator is going viral after refusing to train the 25-year-old coworker who was promoted over her, arguing that companies routinely exploit experienced workers while favoring younger and cheaper employees.<\/p>\n
The creator, who goes by The Unobsolete (@theunobsolete<\/a>), said her employer expected her to hand over decades of knowledge for free, despite passing her over for the role.<\/p>\n In the Feb. 10, 2026 video, she explained why she said no and the fallout that resulted from her decision.<\/p>\n \u201cThey expected me to teach her the job they said I wasn\u2019t good enough for,\u201d The Unobsolete said.<\/p>\n She went on to say that if they wanted her 25 years of knowledge, they would have to pay her appropriately. Furthermore, she was not going to be passed up for someone younger, willing to work for a fraction of her salary, and then use her experience to train them.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not your free training program,\u201d she explained. \u201cWant me to smile while you humiliate me? Wrong person.\u201d<\/p>\n The creator received backlash from her company for her decision, but she told viewers that she didn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n \u201cThey said (I was) not supporting team. I said (the) team didn\u2019t support me.\u201d<\/p>\n The video concluded with some words of advice for navigating the corporate landscape: \u201cThe second you stop being useful, they stop pretending to care,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo stop pretending you owe them anything.\u201d<\/p>\n The video immediately went viral, receiving nearly 4 million views and 400,000 likes. Most comments were in support of the creator, applauding her for setting boundaries and pushing back against age discrimination.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t be a team player for a team that played you,\u201d said one user. Another said, \u201cSomeone should tell corporate America that is illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n Another simply wrote, \u201cageism is very alive and well.\u201d<\/p>\n Others recounted their own workplace inequities. \u201cThey hired 6 people to replace me and the work I was doing & wanted me to train them.\u201d One TikToker recounted. \u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy aunt sued the state of Ohio for the exact situation and she won her suit,\u201d said another. \u201cYou did the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Forbes reported<\/a> that 99% of workers over the age of 40 reported ageism in the workplace. This included navigating ageist stereotypes, bullying, and feeling pressure to hide their age.<\/p>\n Additionally, according to the AARP<\/a> 22% of workers over 50 years old say they are being pushed out of their job because of their age.<\/p>\n A day after posting the TikTok<\/a>, The Unobsolete posted an update to her situation, garnering over 2.3 million views.<\/p>\n She shared that she had a meeting discussing her \u201cattitude.\u201d While she didn\u2019t get fired (which would be illegal), after the meeting, she began being excluded from company functions and given less work.<\/p>\n Additionally, her interactions were constantly being scrutinized. This was no surprise, as she was warned in the meeting that the company\u2019s culture might not be a \u201cgood fit\u201d for her.<\/p>\n \u201cI agree,\u201d the Unobsolete said in the meeting. \u201cA culture that exploits experience isn\u2019t a fit for me.\u201d<\/p>\n The internet is chaotic\u2014but we\u2019ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot\u2019s newsletter here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\nTikTok rallies behind her refusal<\/h2>\n
What happened next<\/h2>\n
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