Security footage of an employee gleefully holding up two middle fingers while leaving their workplace had gone viral on TikTok.
The clip was uploaded by user @interrailingpackages, along with a joke about the unsettling omnipotence of senior management, “When he says he can see everything, he means everything,” with a face with tears of joy emoji.
The video received 1.9 million views and over 43,000 likes. Hundreds of users resonated with the sentiment expressed in the footage, and shared their thoughts in the comments. One TikToker pointed out the silver lining, “At least you waited until you left,” while another commented, “Doesn’t everybody do this when they leave work?”
However, most people took issue with the boss calling the employee into their office for flipping the bird, describing it as violating their right to free speech. The most popular comment read, “I feel like that’s a moment of self-expression and none of their business.”
According to Talks On Law, giving the finger is protected under the First Amendment — within limits. In other words, people are free to flip the bird when they wish to communicate their stance:
“The Supreme Court has long recognized that protected speech may include symbolic and expressive conduct — like flipping the bird — when the speaker intends to convey a message or idea.”
As it turned out, the woman’s co-workers uploaded the video as a gag. She was headed to her car on her lunch break when her frustration got caught on film. The company playfully shared the footage on their official TikTok account. Interrailing Packages took to the comment section to clarify, “Guys, just to confirm, this is a joke. Our boss is great.”
Healthy workplaces recognize that workers are people and have a right to their personal opinions and emotional states. When Liz Montoya uploaded a video of herself flipping the bird at work, several managers commented they would have laughed if someone on their team had done it.
Sometimes, all it takes is a cheeky one-finger salute to lighten the Orwellian mood of the modern workplace.