There's something about stories of time in the military that just really tick all boxes. For one thing, you have archetypical authoritarian figures aplenty who have a very real and absolute authority over their subordinates, the kind of power that a overstepping assistant retail manager or wizened doctor's office receptionist would salivate buckets over. The thing is, in this type of environment, you're going to be ordered to do things that you don't agree with or that just plain old don't make…

No one needs that much paperwork! This admin worker relayed a story from earlier in their career when a snarky Karen coworker started to complain about “missing documents.” She would ultimately come to regret that she ever made a complaint in the first place. Essentially, it was the Redditor's job to follow a document distribution matrix model to ensure that all departments within their oil terminal company received the necessary paperwork regarding Bills of Lading. Now, the Redditor had been w…

A couple of corporate bigwigs have gotten into the habit of only speaking to each other through their secretary. Their secretary isn't even supposed to have that job… they've just gotten themselves intertwined in the workplace drama between their different bosses. Up next, these HOAs have some really ridiculous rules that have tenants rolling their eyes, like one person who was informed, “ Your mailbox isn't shiny enough ."

Some bosses care more about enforcing ridiculous policies than assessing whether or not said policies are efficient. How many times have you found yourself in a work situation when the easy solution is staring right in front of you but you can't say anything because of your temperamental and particular boss? This truck driver had to deal with a silly new rule about scanning tons of extra paperwork to corporate when all he really needed to do was scan a few signed pages. Of course, despite voici…

In case no one's reminded you recently, go ahead and test the batteries in your smoke alarms ! Don't roll your eyes: it seems minor, but it could save your life. You might not need to check your smoke detector if it goes off every single time you cook. Then you know it's working! But heaven forbid there was ever a fire in the middle of the night, that detector would be loud enough to wake you so you could get outside to safety. It's not the kind of thing you should neglect, as u/tdlm40 knows af…

"Daughter dearest" gets the karma she deserves.

Email etiquette changes everywhere you go. Politeness is key, of course. But at some workplaces, emails have to be answered in a highly specific way, even if the employees think it's ridiculous. Up next, these goofy goobers are some real dummies according to their friends, like one person whose coworker wouldn't drink water, ever, because “ water makes you rust .”

Sibling relationships can be a little complicated sometimes. There's a moment in every sibling relationship where sisterly obligation overlaps with the 'oh-heck-no' clause–and for some siblings who like to push the limits of their family's patience, this delicate dynamic can quickly descend into a hard-earned life lesson at the hands of malicious compliance.

The arrogant customer in our next story who tried to swindle his customer service rep over the phone, money-grubbing for an extra $200 credit on his Internet bill. But for the working man struggling to keep his cool over the phone, this customer presented a particularly satisfying opportunity for malicious compliance that only comes once every blue moon.

Sometimes, the most rebellious folks in a school are the teachers. Here, we have one teacher who managed to successfully avoid a school tradition for over 30 years at the institution. That silly tradition involved a member of the faculty delivering a speech to the entire student body on significant historical dates. During said speech, the students were also forced to stand still in formation and in silence throughout the duration of the oration. This one teacher, whom the Redditor nicknamed Me…

This is what it looks like when justice is served. This law partner may have been working in the industry for decades, but his outdated way of approaching workplace dynamics became a major problem. It seems like he's the kind of boss who chooses one lowly employee to direct all of his anger and frustration toward, as if there is nothing said person can do to meet his desires sufficiently. Unfortunately for this summer associate , they became the target of all his antics. Most of this unfair tre…

It's hard to take an HOA policy seriously when there are glaring loopholes within the so-called “strict policy.” Here, we have a pair of new homeowners

Making a difference in the world isn't always easy, but it's possible. U/EpicWinterWolf has a family member who knows that all too well, after she gave an unforgettable exit interview at one of her previous jobs. Exit interviews can be tricky. You probably want to tell your boss 101 things they did wrong or could improve on. You may want to disclose everything you think is wrong with the workplace, from the biggest issues to tiny personal gripes. At the same time, you may need a reference from…

Imagine being the person who's the first into the office and last out, yet your boss still isn't happy with your work. That's the rather irritating situation that u/Disastrous-Glove4889 found themself in at their railroad job. They were there to work on a project installing new lightbulbs into train signals, updating them from halogen bulbs to LEDs. Unfortunately, they were working with the boss from h-e-double hockey sticks who was apparently “universally hated.”

There is a fine line between a wronged customer advocating for themselves and an entitled one demanding special treatment. If you're a self-aware human, every so often you will find yourself in situations when you come up against the “system” and have to demand to be treated fairly. As you stand up for yourself, you may feel your body contorting into that of a Karen, but if this is a rare occurrence for you, then you're probably not like this customer. This dude thought he could call up the cus…

You've got to be careful with your words when you're at the workplace , and that's the kind of wisdom that some workers never take to heart. This manager sounds like the exact opposite of a personality hire. He's the guy that's hired for his efficiency and leadership, but apparently he doesn't value morale or even seem to respect his employees . Instead of being the person who attends meetings to give out advice or suggest good ideas, this manager is in the business of shooting down every singl…