Did you ever get a package of something you ordered, and what you got was a different item, but a slightly better one than what you were supposed to get? If you did, what was your thought process at that moment? Did you contemplate whether or not to contact the store that sent it and let them know? or did you decide that if they made the mistake, it was theirs to pay for it? I'd like to imagine that each and every one of us has a good conscience and a bad conscience, like an angel and a demon s…

A family is a place where you can always be yourself, imperfections and all. It's a secure haven. Nevertheless, every family has a unique set of issues that they would have rather kept private, especially in this day and age of social media, where one click may have a profound impact on someone's entire life. The story that follows is an account of a frustrated sister. The twenty-one-year-old Original Poster (OP) has made the decision to reconnect with her long-lost half-sister. To put things i…

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…

Be careful what you wish for, Karen! If you're the type of person who sends a drink back at a drive thru, let's clarify a few things first, starting with what are you asking for. If it's a major modification to the menu or an innocent mistake, perhaps reconsider, especially if the line behind you lasts an eternity. This is not a Michelin star restaurant; it's a drive thru. Second of all, remember the old “you get what you get and you don't get upset” saying? That doesn't just apply to your kid,…

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…

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…

This Karen literally did all of this to herself. First, she marched into a popular Mexican restaurant with approximately 15 teenagers behind her, threw down her credit card, and let all these kids order whatever they wanted. Her abrasive behavior had already ticked off the manager and the other employees at the restaurant, so they were happy to see these teens order more than their fair share. By the time the manager gave the Karen a $250 bill, things started to get way more heated. For one, sh…

If you work somewhere long enough, you know all of the business's pressure points. And if you work at a coffee shop for 90 or 100 hours per week, you'd know exactly how to sabotage said business. This work shared their malicious compliance story of the time they really got back at their boss. This person was a manager, but they found it hard to work because their bosses were breathing down their neck all the time. They “only cared about money,” the employee writes. That can be a big red flag in…

Generally, when someone is willing to lend their advice to help you with a problem it's best to listen. Still, no one likes unsolicited advice and that's an important thing to remember when you consider offering it—regardless of whether or not someone is in dire need of hearing it. Those who have elected to proceed without the proper knowledge and precautions are most likely to be the least receptive to listening to other people. Then, if they decide to arrogantly proceed with something that is…

Welcome to the workforce, where managers never pick and choose their battles carefully. This one decided to scold her employee, a lawyer at a firm, for leaving the office early one day because he had to start a few hours earlier for a deposition. The meaning behind her frustrated lecture was that she did not want other lawyers to get the wrong idea that they can leave the office at any time. Let us be clear if we haven't been already on this site: if you are an employee and you have to come in…

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…

There are challenges in the food industry. Drama, anxiety, and unforeseen events abound every day and must be managed to keep things running according to plan. What would happen, though, if your manager—who specifically sought you out for the position—tried to play the corporate game with you? Do you stay in your current role and work alongside those who make you detest the career you once loved, or do you leave to pursue better and more exciting opportunities far, far away from it all? The sto…

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…

Too many bosses don't know or care to go through company policy. But a handful of them know exactly which rules will benefit them… and not their employees. You would think that a boss who purposely makes their employee drive 200 miles a day without being compensated should be fired. I find it hard to believe I'm the only one rooting for this dude's professional demise… So what happened? This boss lied to his employee and worse, manipulated them into commuting 200 miles a day for 2 entire years…