It feels like a common scene, doesn't it? Watching folks breeze into high-paying jobs effortlessly while the rest of us scramble for opportunities that seem just out of reach. It's the age-old story of the power of networking, where the people you know often overshadow your education and skills. It's especially upsetting to see jobs with high salaries go to those whose experience doesn't seem to line up. Imagine seeing someone with a background in English land a tech position, all thanks...

This (former) coffee shop worker has had a confusing week as they switch jobs. It really shouldn't have been that difficult for them, but as they described it, their new bosses suddenly decided they “don't need you anymore.”

The process of booking leave exists for one reason and one reason only: So that managers can maintain some control over staffing levels ensure the continuity of the business and make sure that everyone doesn't all go and take off at the same time. The thing is, this takes—well… managing. You, the manage-er, have to be able to manage your workers' leave requests and ensure that the business stays running while your workers get the time off that they need (and are entitled to) so that a little th…

No one can agree on the way this person should've talked to their boss. In any job, communication is key, but it's a skill that one develops over time. You don't enter the workplace at 20 years old already knowing the decorum of an office setting. People might give you weird looks if you speak up loudly during meetings or say something off-putting, and that's just how you learn those things over time. This person isn't sure if they talked to their boss appropriately or not, so they asked the in…

Respect begets respect—and flexibility begets flexibility. It's no surprise that as in the old adage of ‘The Golden Rule' along with so many other maxims, if we treat others with esteem they'll be far more likely to do the same. In the context of the modern workplace, this comes into play with a surprising frequency. Say, if a member of the team you're managing needs to leave early one day for an appointment or to take care of a personal errand, not making an issue of this means that they're go…

A good old-fashioned dramatic quitting can really boost morale. When times are already rough at the workplace, watching someone quit with flair can feel so righteous. Most people don't quit on the spot. Even if it seems like they're doing that, usually the resentment has been building for some time. There's that common saying that people don't quit bad jobs, they leave due to bad management. Over time, having a micromanaging boss or a supervisor who continually berates you really wears an emplo…

Loopholes can be so sweet. This former department head now knows this all too well after they gained more than two weeks PTO! Reorganizations aren't usually a positive sign. No matter how much the company insists that workers won't be impacted, they'll all feel the differences in some way. At this university, a reorganization caused the loss of several highly-trained personnel. That's an issue in a specific field, and a major loss for a university. But when the only thing that matters is “pinch…

Focusing intently on petty mistakes and slights is a surefire way to make sure you miss the big picture. As a leader, this is a fantastic way to make your workers feel like they're being micromanaged and have no agency, potentially derailing the entire organization along with the workers' sinking morale. Sure, if someone isn't pulling their weight it makes sense to step in, but when your team member is late back from lunch one time after coming in sometimes hours early, you'd do well to cut the…

It didn't take long after leaving a job before this employee began plotting their revenge . If your boss cost you roughly $10,000, you'd probably feel the same way! As you rise through the ranks of your career, you might spot opportunities to prove yourself. Maybe your boss is going on vacation, and they ask you to keep an eye on things until they're back. Or maybe your supervisor wants you to take on extra responsibilities to help you better understand the industry. Employees will often take o…

If you could work just five hours per day , would you? Most of us would thrive with that lifestyle and would take that offer instantly. For many or most adults, working full time is a norm we get used to. In other parts of the world, people take three month vacations or work just a few hours every day. Meanwhile, America is a bit more focused on hustle culture. People love to talk about how they're always grinding away to make money and advance their careers. Have you ever been to a party and s…

Leave it to an executive with no common sense to make a huge mess. As so often happens, this higher-up wanted to prove that they were the head boss in charge, and made everyone else's days a little worse for it. Our society would be nowhere without the folks who work in construction. Concrete is in just about every modern building, not to mention sidewalks and roads. Construction crews can make quick work out of this. In just a few hours, your company can go from having a broken slab of concret…

This company just kept stringing their coder along without ever paying a dime. Working a side hustle has become the norm for many Americans. Inflation means that prices have never been higher. We're all renting instead of owning houses. Lots of millennials are even still living with their parents to save a few bucks! Even if you work 40 hours per week like this programmer did, it still might not be enough to cover all your expenses and have a little extra fun money. It wasn't enough for this du…

Growing up, we're taught that it's important to always tell the truth and that we should, further, point out and draw attention to any wrongdoing that we witness in the world around us. These points are even beaten into our heads in the US in the form of various folktales about historical United States presidents and other prominent figures doing “the right thing” when the chance was presented for them to do otherwise. Of course, while stories like “Honest Abe and the Six Pennies” serve as grea…

This woman managed to turn lemons into lemonade, even as she was getting fired from her job . We admire her can-do attitude, and her kid clearly did too, since they shared Mom's story to the malicious compliance subreddit. When companies do less-than-legal activities, they often try to make it seem totally normal. They need their employees to believe it's perfectly normal to bend the rules… and bend them some more… and keep bending them. By the time an employee has fully broken the rules, they…

This employee didn't want to one-up their boss , but their hand was forced (by said boss). What's an employee to do? While working in IT at a small company , this guy was accustomed to working on different types of devices and operating systems. The employee was encouraged to bring their own device "as long as it got the job done." It's clear that their boss didn't understand what they did, though, after he made some questionable decisions. It's one thing if you and your boss don't get along at…

One retail worker inspired us all with the way they got back at the company that was going to fire them. There's a reason most companies fire people in the most private way possible. Usually, the person will be called into a meeting with HR at a time when few employees are around. After HR breaks the news, the person might have to sign a few papers, but their desk will be cleared out for them and they'll be escorted out the door. I mean, that's the professional and careful way to do things, but…