As the US job market is going through layoffs, work pressure, and unwanted office drama for many workers, getting & accepting a good offer before quitting a stable job feels like the logical next step. But what happens when the dream role turns into a disaster, and the old employer welcomes you back with open arms? It may sounds dreamy but that question brought a wave of discussion on Reddit after a user shared “the most surreal feeling” they had ever experienced at work: returning to the exact same role they voluntarily left months earlier, only this time with a pay raise.The post, shared in Reddit’s Reddit r/work community, detailed how the employee left a previous position in August for what initially looked like a promising startup opportunity. “The money sounded way too good, and being in charge was alluring,” the user wrote.But the excitement quickly faded. According to the employee, the startup “crumbled under the weight of ownership being inept and clueless,” with management allegedly expecting one person to handle the responsibilities of multiple employees.“They wanted me to handle everything for the income of only 1 person,” the post stated. After leaving the startup, the employee took another job simply for financial stability, though they admitted they were not particularly happy there either.Then came the unexpected twist. The Redditor noticed their former role at the original company was still open. After speaking with former colleagues, they decided to apply again.“I spoke to several people and they all said: ‘We would be glad to have you back!’” After what the employee described as a stressful process filled with “long wait times” and emotional ups and downs, the company rehired them — with a salary increase of more than 8%.“When the recruiting manager called me up and said they would offer me the role with a bump, and that it equates to around 8.4%, I was floored,” the employee later wrote in the comments.The worker said returning to the office felt strangely normal. “I’m back, in the same role, same seat, largely the same coworkers,” they explained. “Almost nothing has changed. I stepped right back into what I was doing as if I hadn’t left at all.”Worker shares ‘surreal’ experience of returning to old job after failed startup move, internet says it’s a hidden career hack (Image : Reddit)‘Sometimes the grass really is just astroturf’The story quickly resonated with other Reddit users, many of whom shared similar experiences of returning to former employers after disappointing career moves.One commenter wrote: “I left a marketing job last year for a ‘better’ agency that turned out to be a complete mess, came crawling back after 4 months and it was honestly less awkward than I built it up in my head to be.”The same commenter added a line that many readers appeared to relate to: “Sometimes the grass really is just astroturf on the other side.”Man says he regretted leaving stable job for startup almost immediately, but going back turned out better than expectedAnother Reddit user revealed they were returning to a former employer after nearly four years away — despite previously leaving “on rocky terms.”According to the commenter, the company later reached out after leadership changes within the organization.“43% base raise from current wage + profit sharing, transition from skilled trade title to engineering title,” the user wrote.Others focused on the financial outcome rather than the emotional discomfort of returning.“You got 8% raise. That’s a win,” one commenter told the original poster.Returning to old employers is becoming less tabooWhile career advice has traditionally emphasized constantly moving forward, many commenters argued that returning to a previous employer no longer carries the same stigma it once did, especially when workers leave professionally.The original poster appeared to agree. “Sometimes in the professional world, people are - in fact - professional,” they wrote.The discussion ultimately highlighted a growing reality in modern workplaces: not every “better opportunity” lives up to expectations, and sometimes familiarity, stability, and respectful professional relationships can prove more valuable than chasing the next big offer.For some workers, going back may feel awkward at first. But for others, it can end up being the smartest career move they make.