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toxic-work-environment

'[I] threw it in a dumpster out back': Employee throws out coworker's smelly sweater, coworkers conducts formal investigation, gets fired

'[I] threw it in a dumpster out back': Employee throws out coworker's smelly sweater, coworkers conducts formal investigation, gets fired

There are various ways to deal with your coworker's annoying quirks and eccentricities. Taking their supplies and throwing them in the trash is certainly not the most adult way of handling things. That being said, this employee seems fully convinced that what they did was the only way. In short, this Redditor confirmed that the strange odor they were smelling was emanating from their coworker's sweater, which he always kept at the office and therefore never washed. When OP asked the coworker ab…
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'I was told I'd be making $15/hr, flat': Housekeeper blindsided by employer at resort after salary keeps changing

'I was told I'd be making $15/hr, flat': Housekeeper blindsided by employer at resort after salary keeps changing

How many red flags does one need before it's time to quit and run? Imagine going through an interview process and being told an hourly rate that you're comfortable with should you get the position. Then, you get said position and you're told the exact same number as you sign the contract. Now that the contract is signed and you're beginning to schedule your training, you're told a wildly different number by someone else. You contact your boss and they tell you not to worry about it. You move fo…
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'People got passive aggressive': Micromanaging boss asks employees to give more updates, they maliciously comply to prove a point

'People got passive aggressive': Micromanaging boss asks employees to give more updates, they maliciously comply to prove a point

Anytime a micromanaging boss tries to implement something new, the effects are often actively counterproductive.
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'I'm not used to being managed like I'm a child': New boss requires employees to notify every time they go to the bathroom, employee debates taking it up with HR

'I'm not used to being managed like I'm a child': New boss requires employees to notify every time they go to the bathroom, employee debates taking it up with HR

Imagine having a new boss who felt the need to watch your every move, including your bathroom breaks. If you've ever been in this position before, we imagine you found a loophole at some point because one simply cannot get their work done well without much-needed breaks. As for monitoring bathroom breaks, that simply feels hierarchical in a way that is no longer conducive to healthy work environments. It's merely invasive. Managers should have way more important priorities on their hands than n…
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'Rep has horrible body odor': Employee has had it with coworker's B.O. problem, files a complaint to management

'Rep has horrible body odor': Employee has had it with coworker's B.O. problem, files a complaint to management

What do you do when you have a coworker with a body odor issue? Picture this: you're at your desk at work and you're trying to focus on your daily tasks. Just as your brain locks into focus, you start to smell something funny. At first, you think it's coming from you. You smell your armpits to make sure you put on deodorant this morning. You quickly realize that it isn't you at all. In fact, it's the new coworker who's sitting right behind you. Your brain starts spiraling as you try to figure o…
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'Do not work for free': Employee pressured by Karen coworker to come in early for unpaid work, employee refuses

'Do not work for free': Employee pressured by Karen coworker to come in early for unpaid work, employee refuses

Sometimes doing what's convenient for a coworker is not necessarily what's fair to you. It's time to stop adjusting your needs to the needs of folks around you, especially when you gain nothing from adjusting said needs. This employee was recently encouraged by her boss in a team meeting to show up five to ten minutes early to shifts so that the handoffs from one coworker to the next would be smooth and easy. Luckily, this change didn't affect the employee's schedule very much, so it was an eas…
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'Lol I quit': Boss shames employee for getting sick, claims coworkers were mad at her, employee catches boss in a lie and quits

'Lol I quit': Boss shames employee for getting sick, claims coworkers were mad at her, employee catches boss in a lie and quits

It doesn't matter how your employer feels about it. Getting sick is literally part of what it means to be human. It's part of life and it's completely out of our control. There is a reason why employees are given a number of mandated sick days, and it doesn't matter if your boss is the King of the World; you are entitled to taking those sick days whenever you need to take them. This boss shamed her employee for not giving enough advanced notice when they took their sick day. The employee shared…
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'First day on the job, gave another coworker a wet-willy': 20+ stories where people got fired on day one

'First day on the job, gave another coworker a wet-willy': 20+ stories where people got fired on day one

Getting fired on your first day is no easy feat. Like many things in life, you have to work at it. You have to be so aggressively unsuited for your position or so unbelievably unprofessional that you're leaving your managers and everyone in HR with no other choice. Usually, people are very forgiving on the first day. Perhaps you did things differently at your old company and need some time to readjust to the standards of your organization. Perhaps you're not particularly well-versed in all the…
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'You are not allowed to clock out': Micromanaging boss chews out employee for clocking out early, employee maliciously complies and gets extra pay

'You are not allowed to clock out': Micromanaging boss chews out employee for clocking out early, employee maliciously complies and gets extra pay

Micromanagers need to be careful about what they wish for. In theory, they tend to demand things from their employees that are conducive to productivity. However, most of the time, it's really about asserting authority for no good reason other than some good old-fashioned ego-stroking. This manager chewed out an employee for allegedly not getting approval before they clocked out, even though of course, the manager was incorrect and the employee had done everything they were supposed to do. But…
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'I was done with Secret Santa at work': Rude coworker threw a tantrum about his Secret Santa gift, employee gets even next year

'I was done with Secret Santa at work': Rude coworker threw a tantrum about his Secret Santa gift, employee gets even the next year

There are certain team-bonding work traditions that should be disbanded and one of them is most certainly Secret Santa. First of all, there's the money factor. Even if the fixed price everyone should spend is decided to be $10, I don't want to spend two cents on anyone at work and I'm pretty sure they'd say the same about me. There is absolutely no ill will or bitterness here; in fact, to me, it feels like a healthy mutual understanding. Now, the next reason why Workplace Secret Santa should be…
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'I'm firing you on the spot': Employees demand raises after seven years with the same pay, boss responds by firing all of them

'I'm firing you on the spot': Employees demand raises after seven years with the same pay, boss responds by firing all of them

Imagine working at the same company for seven years and getting fired the second you bring up the topic of a raise. Talk about a complete lack of respect for the loyalty these employees have shown to the company by staying all this time with no financial incentive to do so. The employee who filmed this video of his boss's tantrum shared that he and his coworkers merely asked politely for a meeting after learning that new employees were receiving higher wages. That meeting led to the conversatio…
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'Now I want to quit even more': Boss ignores employee's PTO request for family emergency but makes her perform other tasks

'Now I want to quit even more': Boss ignores employee's PTO request for family emergency but makes her perform other tasks

Let's talk about the bureaucracy of requesting PTO and how it really shouldn't be a bureaucracy at all. When you sign a contract that entitles you to a certain about of time off, that should be the only bit of documentation involved in planning your personal vacation time. Other than that, you should be able to just send an email announcing that these are the days you're taking off. There should be no “requesting" process. There should be no waiting period between your request and your approval…
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manager workplaces malicious compliance toxic work workplace workers creativity in the workplace toxic-work-environment - 21885701

'I get an email from management stating my numbers are "concerning"': Worker investigated for being too productive at their new job

Companies want as much productivity as possible, claiming that they want to attract the best and brightest candidates—not that they're going to pay those candidates what they deserve. If they accidentally do manage to land one of these workers, they'll wish they hadn't when the new worker arrives and shows everyone up, sparking an internal dilemma and drawing jealousy, ire, and suspicions of the mediocre veteran workers. If you do this, there are chances that you won't find praise and will, rat…
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'Early is on time, on time is late': Boss accuses employee of being the 'queen of tardiness,' employee stands her ground

'Early is on time, on time is late': Boss accuses employee of being the 'queen of tardiness,' employee stands her ground

Bosses who are annoying about promptness should be focusing their attention on far more pressing matters. Whatever happened to focusing on their own tasks and responsibilities? Whatever happened to ensuring that the employees on their team are supported and fulfilled (well, as fulfilled as they can be given the circumstances of work)? Whatever happened to minding their own dang business? In work-related matters such as this, we often go back to our mantra that if the work gets done and gets don…
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'I was still on the receiving end of pettiness':: Employee moves away from coworkers, they leave an urn on her desk with the message 'ashes of problem employees'

'I was still on the receiving end of pettiness':: Employee moves away from coworkers, they leave an urn on her desk with the message 'ashes of problem employees'

It's giving middle school behavior, not workplace professionalism. When it comes to office dynamics, it can be common for some healthy, playful teasing among coworkers. This kind of behavior is always risky, though, since there's a fine line between teasing and bullying. Furthermore, this is a work environment and not a friend group hangout. Teasing of any kind can be quickly misinterpreted. Now, when it comes to this group of terrible coworkers, we think it's crystal clear that this goes far b…
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'This was a massive waste of my time': Cashier forced to get a doctor's note so she can drink water during her shift, doctor writes savage takedown of management

'This was a massive waste of my time': Cashier forced to get a doctor's note so she can drink water during her shift, doctor writes savage takedown of management

It comes as no surprise that at most companies, management tends to periodically enforce tone-deaf rules that can make employees feel undervalued. Sometimes that comes in the form of a new organizational structure, altered schedules, or reinforcing certain ways of doing things that employees know with certainty do not work. However, it comes with the territory of working at a company where management is largely absent but weirdly strict. In this case, we have a pharmacy that shall not be named…
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