Man gets nothing but certificate, barbecue after 42 years service, then colleagues step up

Loyalty is often seen as a workplace virtue, but some employees feel overlooked despite decades of dedication. John Bartlett, a California man who spent 42 years committed to his job, learned this the hard way. When he retired, the company offered only a certificate and a barbeque to acknowledge his service. Bartlett’s coworkers felt he deserved more, and one of them, Sheena (known as @producer_sheen on TikTok), posted a video capturing his last day on the job.

“Today is my co-worker’s last day. He worked for this company for 42 years making minimum wage,” Sheena’s video caption read. “He loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire. No bonus, just a barbecue, and a certificate. Don’t be a slave to your job. Thank you, John, for your loyalty.” The TikTok video resonated with viewers, quickly going viral and amassing over 10 million views.

The comment section was flooded with people eager to support the old man.  “How can we make his retirement better,” asked @shoelover99, while @hotishpocket commented, “Can we get his Venmo or put money towards a nice dinner or something? He deserves better!” In addition, many people suggested that someone should start a GoFundMe page for the retired employee. Taking this suggestion, Sheena started a GoFundMe, which has since then raised $119,024.

“John who is 70+ is one of the most talented & hard-working co-workers I know. His energy is unmatched! Mr. John worked for 42 years for our company. Rain or shine, he will make it to work. Extremely dependable. It doesn’t matter how much we would suggest to take his vacation days, he would still want to work,” Sheena wrote on the GoFundMe page. She also created an entire playlist on her TikTok, based on John’s story. The playlist features as many as 14 posts as of now.

In one post, Sheena revealed that when she told John about the overwhelming support pouring in from people all around the world, his response was simply a “classic shoulder shrug.” However, after raising tens of thousands in funds for her former colleague, Sheena told News Australia in October 2023, that she was worried that her employer might terminate her employment, because people were slamming the company after John’s story became viral.

“If there’s one thing that I could ask for, if I do get fired, please book me,” she said, according to News Australia. “I do own a small business which I barely get bookings for so it would be nice if I could work for my money rather than getting handouts.” Sheena’s business is based out of Northern California and deals with mobile cocktail-making services that set up a pop-up bar for local events and parties. “If you guys want to hire me … I have a team so we’ll come and rock your party and I’ll work for my money,” she urged her followers.

You can follow Sheena on TikTok to catch up on her photography business.