Taking over for your coworker in a time of crisis is the nightmare to end all nightmares.

Customers do not care about what time the store closes , they just want their food. As the employee, you just have to enforce the rules your bosses tell you. If the store closes at 9PM, you have to shut the doors right then, but some customers will still try to squeeze in the door and do a last minute shopping spree. It always surprised me when I worked retail that customers would act like that. I understand the frustration of really needing a product, and then that store locks the door in your…

Hardworking employees often get the short end of the stick. Because of their efficiency, they're punished with more work and more tasks, but are never fairly compensated for going above-and-beyond. In this case one employee, who had been juggling the tasks of at least 4 other positions, found himself in a bind when he approached his bosses concerning a promotion.

The human brain has a tendency to cherry-pick relevant details and information that support decisions we've already made and opinions that we've already formed. Confirmation bias is a real and relevant thing, especially in the world of ubiquitous information. No longer do we have to be a specialist in a topic in order to access the information that was once only readily available to us. But do we have the skills, experience, and training to interpret that information, or are we merely overstati…

There's nothing more satisfying than proving to everyone in the office that your manager's pointless rules are... well, pointless.

Malicious compliance is one of those rare, juicy opportunities that don't exactly present themselves very often. But once you get that golden ticket, bets are out you're gonna use it. In this case, OP was one of the few employees in this world that actually liked their job. That is, until his firm merged with another CPA firm, and other managers entered the picture. These managers were the exact opposite of what OP was used to… they were heavy believers in micromanagement (we all know how that…

Looking back on their new purchase in the 1990s, this person realized the car dealership got away with something intriguing. This is a story of a person buying a car in the 1990s, and one of the first things they claim is that these days, the “era of haggling” is over. Though I've never bought a car, I find that hard to believe. When purchasing a car, it's well known that people like to haggle with the salespeople to try and get a great deal for themselves. Meanwhile, the salespeople often have…

We've all had managers who spend way too much energy enforcing silly rules that serve absolutely no purpose.

This food delivery guy got the oddest instructions ever — and they weren't even from his actual customer. Working in the food delivery industry can be quite lucrative if you do it right. Some delivery people can make hundreds of dollars per day between their salary and their customers' tips. Food apps like Doordash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats are so popular that it's no wonder delivery folks sometimes use multiple apps at once. If you're working for two or three separate services, you can try and c…

“My boss was the kind of boss that every employee hates,” this employee wrote as they shared the tale of what happened when they tried to take family leave at a small company.

As every teacher knows, children can be messy. When kiddos are only half potty-trained and still learning how to be real people, preschool teachers are oftentimes the adult-figures who know exactly what kind of messes these tiny humans can make. In this case, OP knew all too well that preschoolers can make mistakes– sometimes just outside the bathroom.

Behold: one of the greatest examples of malicious compliance ever told. This Grandma's commitment to stubbornness is truly unmatched. Back in the 1950s, things were much different than they are now in almost every way. Back then, stereotypical gender roles were in full force, with women getting married, having lots of children, and running a household while raising the kiddies. Meanwhile, the man of the house would work a job. That's it. But that was considered the men's responsibility. Back th…

Early morning routines are sacred, and when a coworker tries to intervene, tensions can rise.

A new boss thought he'd go around micromanaging everyone, but his decision ultimately led to his downfall. This story, told by u/BrightRick, takes place in the 1980s. Back then, there was no internet to speak of. It's unimaginable today, but back then, you had to do everything by hand. Things just took longer, as this OP explained. They were a catalog designer for a sporting goods company, creating four catalogs a year. In the pre-internet era, these catalogs drove tons of sales. It's not as co…

A good bathroom is an essential part of any business where food and beverages are being served. After all, there is a… certain connection between consuming things and the inevitable need to make use of one. This is especially true when you're operating a cafe—as coffee is specifically known for its ability to get things moving. Now, a good bathroom isn't going to necessarily make a good business—but it might break one. The last thing you want your customers to associate your establishment with…

Every worker at this company had a peaceful weekend after their boss cut off everyone's email access . This boss reminds me of cats who really want to go outside when it's raining, so you don't let them out. When they finally get you to let them out, they immediately get drenched and want to come back inside. They'll look at you with this squint of anger, but of course, it's the cat's fault. Basically, some lessons are learnt the hard way because you can't anticipate the consequences of your ac…