A woman stepped up after being left heartbroken that her elderly colleague was thrown a retirement barbecue and only given a certificate after working for the company for 42 years.
After more than four decades commuting to work for a minimum wage salary, a worker named John - who is reportedly in his 70s - was rewarded very little for his long service.
The sub-par prize for his dedication to the job for 42 years left many of his coworkers upset, especially a devastated woman named Sonia who took to social media to share his story online.
The employee - who goes by the handle @m3nta11y1ll1 on TikTok - felt John's hard work was unappreciated so she set up a retirement fund for her dear friend.
The video is no longer available to view on TikTok but was re-uploaded by another user on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Watch Sonia's video below:The video showed an elderly man working in what appeared to be a warehouse unit during his final day. A lengthy on-screen caption said: "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," she continued. "He takes the bus and Bart (train) to get here every day on time. He’s 70+.
"He loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire. [He got] No bonus, just a barbecue and a certificate. Don’t be a slave to your job. Thank you John for your loyalty," she concluded.
Sonia went on to to post more videos about John which received hundreds of thousands of views and comments from people asking how they could support him.
On October 2, the TikToker announced a GoFundMe page had been set up for him. In the fundraiser, she revealed it didn't matter if it was "rain or shine," John would always make it to work.
She described him as "one of the most talented and hard-working" employees at the company and shared that he was "extremely dependable".
Sonia added that it had been difficult to convince him to take a break because he always wanted to work. "It doesn’t matter how much we would suggest to take his vacation days, he would still want to work," she said.
"Can we give John a little something more for his retirement? Or maybe just some positive vibes and words of encouragement to get him through the rest of his days," she penned. "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," she concluded.
As of the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised a staggering $36,504 in donations and has been inundated with heartfelt messages from supporters saying his work ethic had inspired them.
"John - your dedication and work ethic are humbling. Much respect and best wishes to you in your much-deserved retirement. God bless, brother," one user wrote.
Another said: "John you are an inspiration! God Bless you John, my middle son is named John and I hope when he grows up he possesses the qualities you displayed all these years, loyalty, dedication, hard work and having gratitude, and a positive attitude!
"Please enjoy your retirement John it is so richly deserved and may you be Blessed, sending you lots of love and blessings and very best wishes, Margaret," they added.
"Your hard work and dedication is an inspiration, John! We need more like you in the world. All the best to you from NYC!", a third added.
On Wednesday (October 4), the doting coworker posted a screenshot of the fundraiser and announced to her followers that John would be "coming over to collect this special gift you all put together for him".
We wish John all the best in his post-retirement stage!
