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Writer's pictureEmily Johnson

How An Employee Learned His Company No Longer Respected His Values And Found Freedom

What would you do if your life came crashing down on you?

Darin Mitchem was convinced he would work at his company until retirement. He had spent most of his career at this long-time, locally-owned business, where he shared their values and loved the workplace environment.

It looked like everything was smooth sailing. Then COVID hit.

The company began to push vaccines—not with a mandate, but with heavy social pressure. That’s when Darin came to realize that the company didn’t actually share his values—particularly in determining his own medical decisions.

For Darin, values weren’t just another box to check at work; they were everything.

When he brought the matter up, his managers were sympathetic but explained that they had no choice.

Darin knew something had to change. He wanted to make a statement, but he didn’t want to disrupt the workplace or alienate his coworkers. So he decided to quietly turn in his notice. His conscience was clear now, but he also didn’t have a job anymore.

That’s when Darin turned to RedBalloon.work. After applying on RedBalloon, Darin was amazed with the responses he got. For every job he applied to, Darin was contacted within a day or two. All of these employers shared one common value: workplace culture and freedom mattered to them more than government control.

Darin ended up getting a job with Maddox Industrial a nationally-renowned transformer manufacturer and sales company. Now, a year later, Darin loves his job, since differing viewpoints are allowed, but nobody is forced into decisions that conflict with their values. “I found a great work experience I didn’t know existed,” he said.


Darin is just one of thousands of RedBalloon success stories. The freedom economy is growing, and employees are making the decision to seek out employers where they won’t have to choose between their values and their job.

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