Sometimes the only way to make sure a job is done (and done right) is to do it yourself… Even when that job is taking a sledgehammer to the department copier to ensure that it's well, truly, and undeniably broken—whatever it takes to get the pencil pushers off their butts and get something useful accomplished. This hardened division lead shared their story on Reddit's r/MilitiousCompliance subreddit, a community for sharing malicious compliance from within the military. They report that they we…

This is what happens when an absent boss gives her employees unclear instructions.

Idiots have the uncanny ability to work themselves into petty positions of power, which they then rule over with an iron fist, completely ignorant of the fact that absolutely no one takes them seriously or even wanted that position in the first place. One could attribute this undeniably overly prevalent idiot phenomenon to possibly being due to the individual's complete and utter lack of self-awareness. For, one needs to be aware of one’s own actions and place in the world before one can begin…

There's a reason why you're forced to show your work in math class. It's important that you can prove how you reached a conclusion to show that you comprehend the reasoning and aren't just blindly following the rule. Unfortunately, the same requirement is not translated well—or consistently—from the classroom to the workplace, with too many managers blindly following rules that they don't understand to the point of sociopathic cruelty. This issue also isn't helped by the fact that there are a l…

Lunch boxes with locks were created for a reason, and that is to keep lunches safe from potential thieves. When working at an office, employees often complain about other workers stealing their lunches. You don't always hear about their boss eating them, but in this case, that is precisely what happened. OP explained how he was working for an orthopedic surgeon who claimed he had 'no time' to get lunch; so the obvious solution was eating his employees' lunches. Duh, right? It seems like a bizar…

Call centers often demand employees hit a certain number of calls per day, even when that isn't the actual goal of the company. In this case, OP was working at a call center for a collection agency, whose main target was to collect debts, generating revenue for the company. OP was doing really well, but sometimes they missed the daily target, and managers would dwell on their call count, instead of taking a look at the numbers OP was generating for the company. OP found out that the company was…

When management fails to step up and do what is required of them to create a change in an employee's behavior, you bet it won't go unnoticed, even if by the employee themselves. In this case, an employee we'll call Ivan was the type of hopeless that not even a boot camp could fix, and the only employee more hopeless than him was his own boss, who we'll call Karen. Ivan was called into a disciplinary hearing by HR along with OP, Karen, and a few other employees after having 50 complaints filed a…

Everyone knows that person who treats their tolerance for spice like it's a personality trait. I used to work with a friend who was practically immune to spice and would always throw out taunting requests like this to wait-staff, insinuating that there was no way their chef could placate his lust for the fieriest of infernos. We had a Thai place near the office that we would frequent for lunch, the pair of us would always order the same dish (pad thai), and my friend would submit his usual requ…

Dealing with changing expectations from your boss or colleagues requires a strategic approach; after all, having all your t's crossed and i's dotted ensures that you have covered yourself when things inevitably hit the fan and they go looking for someone to blame, aiming to hang their own failure's of leadership on the neck of an unprepared scapegoat. Despite all of this, Hanlon's Razor still shines through; it's not as if these people are necessarily aware of what they're doing, and it's not a…

The noble backpack has been used by mankind for centuries, with its usage dating back to ancient times, first likely being used by hunters to carry gear and supplies. Now that pedigree is joined by a new usage: accompanying a Karen on a long journey. If you look, you will find that there is a long and storied history of people becoming great friends with backpacks, “Dora the Explorer” being the most notable example. The famed explorer is now joined by this Karen, who undoubtedly became fast fri…

It's quite something when incompetent leadership and management destroy initiative and morale. In this case, OP was working at a job that required a lot of communication and coordination. Often, a lot of things required from them were time-sensitive. The employees all had a work phone, which they would use for work calls outside of work hours, as well. One day, the company decided to forbid its employees from using their work phones outside of work. They would use scare tactics to make sure the…

With all the talk of AI and all that, you might be looking at your job nervously and wondering… could an AI do this? You'd hope that automation and new innovation would lead to better working conditions and easier tasks. Still, it's more than likely that your company will cut your job to save a dollar today, even if it costs them tomorrow when the AI fails to replicate the nuance of your work. But what if the shoe was on the other foot? What if, instead of having your job automated by your boss…

Be careful what you wish for!

Many companies expect their employees to be on the clock 24/7, and that can be at the expense of their personal time; it's no wonder so many employees feel bitter towards their boss. OP was working at a small factory where he had the managerial role of logistics and purchasing. Now, anyone who has had to deal with trucking brokers will know that the road isn't always exactly smooth. Sometimes it can get pretty bumpy, and that can result in a lot of phone calls for a manager. OP was receiving so…

Living in a world that isn't black or white makes things better for everyone, especially regarding the enforcement of minor infringements. Inflexible policy enforcement begets inflexibility—ask, and you shall receive. If you're going to nitpick the strict enforcement of rules, be ready for a staunch defense using the same reasoning. While punctuality is always a good skill to have in the workplace—being one of the classic ways of showing that you respect other people and their time—it's safe to…

Hopefully, this sergeant will thaw out his attitude before the next time he asks for a favor from someone he has been treating like absolute garbage. It's really not that hard to be nice to someone—or at least decent—and deciding to hate them for a petty tribalist reason, like being a fan of a rival sports team or a member of another branch of the military, is downright insane. It's the kind of thing that works ok as a low-budget melodrama TV show plot or between two kids on the playground—but…