A TikTok video elicited sympathy from the internet when viewers learned that a septuagenarian who earned minimum wage working for the same company for 42 years was rewarded with just a BBQ and a certificate.
The clip featuring John Bartlett's final day on the job, filmed and shared by co-worker Soniah, a.k.a TikToker @m3nta11y1ll1, went viral and inspired a fund to give the retiree the send-off he deserved.
The text overlay in Soniah's video explained:
“Today is my co-worker’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.”
Sonia continued:
“He takes the bus and BART [Bay Area Rapid Transit] to get here everyday on time."
"He’s 70+. He loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire.”
She ended with a word of caution to younger workers before expressing gratitude.
“Don’t be a slave to your job. Thank you John for your loyalty.”
Here is the clip.
Soniah's video tugged at heartstrings and racked up over 9.4 million views since she posted it on September 29.
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Heartbroken TikTokers asked how they could help.
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The video also prompted a discussion about job loyalty.
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Due to many inquiries asking how they could assist Bartlett, Soniah started a GoFundMe on his behalf.
"Can we give John a little something more for his retirement?" she asked donors in the description.
"Or maybe just some positive vibes and words of encouragement to get him through the rest of his days."
"He 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."
"Thank you for bringing awareness! If anyone would like to keep John occupied, please send positive thoughts, he loves to read!"
After the fundraiser got off to a slow start...
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...Soniah shared an update about how much the fund earned.
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Bartlett's now-closed campaign raised $89,745–far ahead of its $28,000.00 campaign goal.
Happy retirement, John!
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Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for ZFF