Organizations really, more than anything else, love scapegoating lowest-level workers for mistakes made by management and general organizational incompetence. The only thing that comes close is their love for simultaneously insisting that you should have just “handled” something on your own, even though the process you were following stated explicitly otherwise. Really, the truth of the matter is that they just hate having to handle any customer issue that has escalated to them, so there's no w…

Why do boomers want the next generations to suffer just as much as they did?

There's this idea that sums up how we end up with so many incompetent managers, which is called the “Peter Principle." You've probably heard of it before, but if you're just coming across the term for the first time, it's basically surmising that people who are good at a job get promoted to the next level, even if that promoted position really has nothing to do with the skills they've proven to be apt at. What's unfortunate about these situations is moving into management is really the only way…

After their boss vetoed their preferred method of travel, this worker got the last laugh. Next, check out these folks who were rather uninformed about some crucial things in life, like the cook who “once served ‘rare’ chicken.”

Earlier in my career, working for a retail organization that also had a workshop providing maintenance and break-fix work, I received some sage advice from a wizened and weary mechanic who had been dealing with unruly customers for far too long. “Bend over backward to solve their problem today, and they become your permanent problem.” See, there are plenty of people in this world just looking for the attention of someone, and if you make it your problem to help them, they'll identify you as som…

There's something about the realization that your manager is younger than you that triggers complex and deeply confrontational psychological crises and self-evaluation, making you wonder how and why you never progressed to that point, or at least passed the point you're at. What happened? What went wrong? Where did things go off course? Even if you never really wanted to be promoted to a management position in the first place, having someone younger than you as a manager for the first time may…

Have you ever met someone who’s so misinformed about things that you start doubting them yourself? It’s a strange feeling to have someone happily inform you that solar panels are going to be too powerful sometime in the near future… because they’ll soak up too much sun? Yes, that’s a real thing that u/ChanceFray was told by their oddball roommate. They aren’t the only person who’s had some funny encounters with people who just weren’t very bright. When u/noelioli asked, “Who’s the stupidest per…

This retail merchandiser fell right into her manager's trap. No matter how hardworking an employee is, it just won't be enough for some bosses. But that won't stop that boss from trying to work that employee to the bone anyway! When you're trying your hardest at work, it's tempting to take both successes and failures personally. You want to do your best, and if your manager criticizes you, it can sting. This manager realized that he could push this retail merchandiser to take on way, way more t…

A throwaway line in this person's story was drawing some major side-eyes from those who read it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Too many workplaces disregard this rule , and try different strategies that do nothing but annoy their workers. If you have a hardworking employee who gets all their tasks done and is loyal to your company, that's a benefit to the company. But some bosses refuse to leave good enough alone. Instead of finding an actual issue to fix, they've decided to bother this empl…

We've all come across a bizarre job advertisement on the internet that made us consider the most out-of-left-field career pivots. Perhaps you have found yourself stuck in your current industry with no sign of a promotion or upward mobility. You consider quitting on the spot but you've got rent and bills and you don't want to risk having zero income for an unforeseeable amount of time. Then, out of nowhere, you see the job posting you never knew you needed, one you never could have predicted eit…

One of the worst parts about shift work is being sent home early—despite all the memes and jokes to the contrary. Sure, when you're a student, you might gladly raise your hand to be sent home early since you probably don't want to be there in the first place and would rather be out studying or partying. And you're young enough and in enough debt already from your student loans that it's hard to see how a few hours working is going to make any difference… That or your parents are paying for ever…

Movie theater etiquette can be quite divisive. A lot of movie-goers appreciate a quiet theater. But then, the general public enters. Some people clearly do not want to be at the movie at all, and they show this by being on their phones for the entire run time. Some people bring their kids, who insist on using their iPads or running up and down the aisles. And then sometimes groups of teens come into the movie, and since they're just kids, they don't really care about the movie experience of the…

Work never ends, so you've got to pace yourself. You can't be taking work so seriously that you burn yourself out. As they say, no one ever lays on their deathbed and regrets not working enough hours of overtime for their ungrateful boss. You'll remember the good times in life, and all those endless hours of work will blend together. Sometimes, you've got to make the fun times happen on your own terms: just ask the people below, who shared their most unprofessional moments on the job . More tha…

This boss is requesting more emails . In today's day and age, that's a surprising request, because most of us get more emails each day than we can possibly read! If you aren't getting spammed with dozens of random email each day, congrats to you. If you've found a way to avoid the scourge of constant emails, more power to you. Emails have become a bit dated in many businesses. Instead, people have pivoted back to instant messaging in order to quickly contact people. After all, many people can r…

Typically, earning a bonus is a sign that you have assuredly gone above and beyond your employer's expectations for your role; it's more than likely you've contributed considerably to any increased revenue the company might have reported, and so, in a sense, you're just getting your cut. The thing is, this is cash in your pocket for you (after taxes, of course), and you'd probably never imagine that the company is going to come looking for it. This worker reported that once they had handed in t…

This guy is living the life that many people wish that they had; instead of being stuck on site or in the office for 40 hours a week, he has managed to finish his work in only 25 hours, even taking showers during meetings to cut down on personal responsibilities. "The dream," as some may call it, though there are debatable ethics involved in doing this. On the one hand, if you're completing your tasks and even performing well above standard, Is there really any problem with doing this? Even wit…