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Google PlayA TikToker says he lost his job after he moved into an office cubicle out of “protest.”
Chibuzor Ejimofor, who goes by Simon Jackson online, went viral earlier this month with a video titled “Check out my new [apartment].” The TikTok shows the 28-year-old inside an office as he unpacks his belongings and places them in cabinets and desk drawers.
“I’m moving from my apartment into my cubicle at work,” he’s heard saying in a voiceover. “They do not pay me enough to do both, so as a matter of protest, I am just going to live at my job, and we’ll see how long I can get away with this.”
Jackson continued to provide updates throughout the following days, and took some time to answer frequently asked questions about his office stay. He showed off his sleeping quarters, his stash of food and protein supplements, as well as the rolls of fabric he uses for his romper business. Jackson also reassured followers that the office didn’t have security cameras and wasn’t worried about any legal repercussions.
“Nothing that I’m doing is technically unlawful, it’s just frowned upon,” he said in a clip, before showcasing a men’s shower in the building. “We got towels and we got two showers. C’mon now. I thought this out, baby.”
Jackson told Insider the office building belonged to the design and engineering consulting firm Arcadis, located in Seattle. He said the office was pretty much empty, as all of his colleagues have continued to work remotely.
“[…] So I just thought, why not move there? I told my friend about it, who thought I was joking, but I started packing and just did it,” he said.
Jackson said it was only natural for him to document and share his experience on TikTok, but was surprised by how much attention the original video garnered.
“I film content all the time anyway,” he continued. “It got 60,000 views, then 200,000, and then a million. I was like, ‘Oh shit, what do I do now?’”
Jackson said he ran into three co-workers at his stay, but they all appeared unfazed by his cubicle living quarters. However, that wasn’t the case for the HR department, who presented him with an ultimatum after he went viral: either remove his belongings from the office and delete the videos or get fired. Jackson decided to bounce.
“I wish [my former employer] approached the TikToks differently and maybe had a conversation with me about whether there was something more serious going on in terms of money,” he told Insider. “But do I understand their response? 100 percent. [I’ll] take the opportunity to get away from the corporate world. I’ve gotten so many views now, so maybe I can take that and work on building my brand. I can always find another job if that doesn’t work out.”
Jackson said he is now living in an Airbnb. Arcadis declined to comment on the matter.
