FAIL Blog
Advertisement

malicious-compliance-reddit

'I did exactly what they asked': College student moves every item they own into their room after roommates complain

'I did exactly what they asked': College student moves every item they own into their room after roommates complain

This person may only be a freshman in college, but they're wise beyond their years. Their roommates may not agree… but u/KarsonWasHere did exactly as they requested. As a freshman in college , lots of students won't know any other people on campus. Maybe they're moving from out of the country or relocating from another state, and it's all brand new. Students often get randomly paired with roommates, who may become their first friends. In the first few weeks of school, it's easy to bond with a r…
View List
'He did not budge and bow down to my boss's demands': Employee refuses to sell out, rejects truckloads of material against boss's wishes

'He did not budge and bow down to my boss's demands': Employee refuses to sell out, rejects truckloads of material against boss's wishes

One employee found themself working at a company that kept pushing them to bend the rules. Some industries are just like this. Stories about issues in the concrete industry crop up often, which is concerning when basically every building is made out of the stuff. Concrete makes up our sidewalks and roads, houses and stores, and even huge things like bridges and overpasses. This dude shared their malicious compliance story about what happened when they decided to reject the status quo. I give th…
View List
Advertisement
'If she does this again, we won’t be asking her politely': Woman blocks snowy sidewalk with car to avoid shovelling, neighbors repeatedly ask that she move her vehicle

'If she does this again, we won’t be asking her politely': Woman blocks snowy sidewalk with car to avoid shovelling, neighbors repeatedly insist she move her vehicle

This woman thought she had a pretty good plan to use on snowy days . She didn't want to shovel any part of her sidewalk unnecessarily. Even though this woman was paying someone to shovel her walkway, she blocked off a part of the sidewalk with her vehicle. Her thinking was that if her car was covering some sidewalk squares, that's less ground that needs to be shoveled . I mean, she's technically correct… but how does everyone else who has to walk through the neighborhood feel about that? Sure,…
View List
'We can’t go home early anymore? Sure! Not a problem:' Manager protects team by maliciously complying to new rules, changing scheduled hours during shifts so workers can leave early

'We can’t go home early anymore? Sure! Not a problem:' Manager protects team by maliciously complying to new rules, changing scheduled hours during shifts so workers can leave early

Staying until the end of the day when your work is complete should not be a sign of a good employee. If the work is done well, nothing else should be questioned. Staying late is a sign of poor boundaries between work and life, nothing more and nothing less. Let this also be a friendly reminder that any extra work or help with other tasks after one's regular work expectations are fulfilled is a gift and a favor, not an added responsibility. Thankfully, in this story, we have the rare instance of…
View List
Update: 'The place was already in chaos': Health professional promised raise, bosses change their minds after she has already taken on more responsibilities

Update: 'The place was already in chaos': Health professional promised raise, bosses change their minds after she has already taken on more responsibilities

White lies are one thing, but these bosses told a whopper of a lie right to their employee's face. As a manager , you have numerous responsibilities to your employees, and strangely enough, being truthful is not on that list. For example, a manager might hear word from their own boss that layoffs are coming. Suddenly, that manager is working with a team of people who are blissfully unaware that their livelihoods are going to be taken away from them. But all they're allowed to do is to continue…
View List
Advertisement
'Can’t you just unload around me?': Construction workers make parent wait after she tells them to 'chill'

'Can’t you just unload around me?': Construction workers make entitled parent wait after she tells them to 'take a chill pill'

This must've been the craziest day on the job for one group of construction workers . At every job, there will come a day that is so outrageous that it turns into a legend. Maybe someone gets in a public screaming match with the boss and tells them off in front of everyone. Or perhaps the serial food thief finally gets caught. Or maybe one employee flips out on a client. Days like these don't happen all the time, and when they do, it certainly breaks up the monotony. One group of construction w…
View List
'I believe that's the coldest I've ever been': Mom insists kid do a chore for her after the kid had just fallen in a river

'I believe that's the coldest I've ever been': Mom insists kid do a chore for her after the kid had just fallen in a river

One mom came to regret her phrasing when talking to her kid. On a snowy day, when you've been outside in the freezing cold , coming inside to warm up is a wonderful feeling. Whether it's sipping on a bowl of soup or holding a warm mug of tea, that feeling of getting warmth back into your shivering body is very much needed. Some people even put blankets in the dryer for a few minutes so that they're toasty warm. This sounds like pure luxury---what a cozy feeling that must be. This is especially…
View List
'Every time he called... the call was recorded': Contractor loses thousands of dollars to construction company, then takes a different job with them and plays the long game

'Every time he called... the call was recorded': Contractor loses thousands of dollars to construction company, then takes a different job with them and plays the long game

Taking a peek into the life of a contractor as he works to build a restaurant is so interesting. If you don't work as a contractor, you'd have no idea what goes on while people are building a restaurant. By reading this story, you get a good insight into the process: for example, it's not just one group of people who are in charge. Instead, there is a general contractor who is responsible for managing subcontractors who work under the GC's supervision. There might be one person who's in charge…
View List
Advertisement
'Just run the ad exactly as I wrote it': Local newspaper agrees to run man's advertisement as-is, costs the customer a job

'Just run the ad exactly as I wrote it': Local newspaper agrees to run man's advertisement as-is, costs the customer a job

One newspaper editor shared a very funny story that occurred at their workplace. It's one of those times where someone wanted to procure a service… but then he declared that he knew how to be a better copyeditor than the literal editors at the paper. This kind of schadenfreude is so satisfying to witness, especially in a career like writing, which is often underappreciated. Lots of people think that writing is easy or fast, and that makes them think anyone can do it. Not everyone can write well…
View List
''Some professors really shouldn't teach': Student gets bad grade on midterm because teacher made him rush, cue malicious compliance for the final

''Some professors really shouldn't teach': Student gets bad grade on midterm because teacher made him rush, cue malicious compliance for the final

Students are not always the primary reason for getting poor grades. Sometimes, it can be stifling extracurricular commitments, overbearing parents, absent parents, a lack of access to proper resources and technology, etc. But sometimes the reason is even simpler. Sometimes, it's just the teacher. This could be the result of a professor doing a subpar job giving lessons or failing to give students a proper understanding of the course material prior to assessing them. In this case, the professor'…
View List
'Every piece of paper?': Office cleaner agrees to clean off everyone's desks after boss says she's 'very disappointed'

'Every piece of paper?': Office cleaner agrees to clean off everyone's desks after boss says she's 'very disappointed' in her work

This story is a great example of why you should get everything in writing . While that's great advice, it's not always easy to accomplish in real life. For example, if you have a two-hour long meeting with your bosses, and then request everything from that meeting in writing, there's a 99% chance your boss will disregard that request entirely. But you can still get things in writing if you write to your boss something like, “Per our phone conversation, I'll be doing X and Y.” Next up, these peo…
View List
Advertisement
'Haven't you boys heard that the customer is always right?': Alpha male customer thinks he can lift a sofa bed singlehandedly, then damages his own furniture and truck

'Haven't you boys heard that the customer is always right?': Alpha male customer thinks he can lift a sofa bed singlehandedly, then damages his own furniture and truck

No matter how clear the rules of your business are, some customers just won't abide by them. Even when these rules are utterly crucial, some folks either won't understand, or they'll forget. Or, they might just choose to ignore them, like the guy in this malicious compliance story. It doesn't necessarily matter how strong you are when it comes to moving giant bulky items like couches or refrigerators. You certainly need to have some big muscles to move those things, but it's easier if you can u…
View List
'You do your job and I'll do mine': Warehouse supervisor interrupts operations, gets upset with employee when they don't tell him how to do his job

'You do your job and I'll do mine': Warehouse supervisor interrupts operations, gets upset with employee when they don't tell him how to do his job

This manager was what we call a “seagull manager”: they randomly swoop in to scream and make a mess everywhere before fleeing the scene. Perhaps you've been in a job like these two guys were. As u/RedEd024 writes,
View List
'I was just a naive younger adult... who thought some companies really cared': Deli employee cite safety concerns during exit interview, gets pressured into rewriting letter by their bosses

'I... thought some companies really cared': Deli employee cite safety concerns during exit interview, gets bullied into rewriting letter by their bosses

This deli worker was not thrilled about the sanitation standards at their job. Since they worked behind the counter, this worker got to see how the sausage was made, so to speak, because in their case, they were witnessing how rotisserie chickens were being sold. Instead of trashing turkeys that definitely shouldn't have been consumed by the general public, this guy was asked to just put them out for sale. It seems like this is not uncommon. How can bosses just not care if they're putting out f…
View List
Advertisement
'It took just 2 days for the client to... reach out to me': Chat support team manager writes honest analyses of their employees and sends it to their client

'It took just 2 days for the client to... reach out to me': Chat support team manager writes honest analyses of their employees and sends it to their client

One business decided to let their customer support chat staff man the phones without any training… what could go wrong? This story is about the help desk workers who specialize in using the chat feature. Instead of calling up a company, these days, a lot of places will let you instant message with an employee instead. This feature is incredibly convenient. You can get help with your issue while you're at work without having to get up and make a long, drawn out call. You can also get help while…
View List
'Can't help you, we were told to zip it and leave you alone': Man refuses to wait his turn while waiting to purchase beverage

'Can't help you, I was told to zip it and leave you alone': Man refuses to wait his turn while waiting to purchase beverage

Some people flourish under pressure. Don't ask me, something about a tense environment, or rather, a chaotic setting, drives them to excellence. Us mortals, on the other hand, crave a peaceful work environment with warm and amicable coworkers. While we all recognize the burdens of working in customer service, I think we ought to address the burdens of the customers themselves. The story below is an account of an innocent customer who is overtaken by an entitled individual who believes himself t…
View List
Advertisement

Hot Today

Advertisement