FAIL Blog
Advertisement

workplace-stories

workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employment-discussion job work workplace Horrible Bosses employment in the workplace - 25296645

Worker told they're not going to be paid for overtime because they "volunteered": 'I [didn't] get paid'

Overtime, by definition, is still time on the clock, and voluntarily staying to work that time doesn't automatically mean that your employer is now a charity. You can't just “volunteer” for your employer. The very premise itself is silly. Sure, if you're on a salary that is exempt from overtime pay, you'll probably have to work some extra hours during times of high workload, but it's expected that, in turn, during times when there is less work to be done you'll still get paid your full salary.…
View List
'If you say so...': Employee settles score with CEO who demands workers follow alarm protocol, leading to an amusing car chase with the authorities

'If you say so...': Employee settles score with CEO who demands workers follow alarm protocol, leading to an amusing car chase with the authorities

When you first start working in the business sector, you might believe that you have to invest more time and energy into the company as a whole in order to please your supervisors. The same supervisors that, ideally, will offer you increases in pay and promotions when they become available. This seems like a fantastic idea in theory: you overinvest in the company, demonstrating on a daily basis how important your work is to you, in the hopes that your superior will ultimately understand who bel…
View List
Advertisement
Negligent boss fires former employee two years after he resigned: 'Your employment [...] is being terminated for job abandonment'

Negligent boss fires former employee two years after he resigned: 'Your employment [...] is being terminated for job abandonment'

Imagine quitting your job, moving to an entirely different city, and then two years later, hearing back from your former employer that you've been fired. Come again? If you were expecting anything from this guy, it was probably a message wishing you well, or perhaps even asking for recommendations or requesting a personal non-work-related catchup. Instead, of all things, it was a letter of termination on the grounds of "job abandonment." The Redditor mentioned that their former boss was a bit d…
View List
'Boss balked at the idea': Manager forces employee to take PTO for the whole day just because he needed to leave five minutes early

'Boss balked at the idea': Manager forces employee to take PTO for the whole day just because he needed to leave five minutes early

Scheduling appointments during the work day can be difficult to navigate depending on how flexible and understanding your boss is. Most folks understand that it isn't exactly easy to schedule a doctor's appointment after work hours or on the weekends. Sometimes, you have to take what you can get. Furthermore, most employees understand that if they do have to leave the office early for an appointment, they will make up for lost time before or after. In short, it really should not be an issue wha…
View List
'I'll make sure it's $30 Every. Single. Time': Employee gets in trouble for expensing $1.02 above the limit, maliciously complies and costs the company 3x her normal spending

'I'll make sure it's $30 Every. Single. Time': Employee gets in trouble for expensing $1.02 above the limit, maliciously complies and costs the company 3x her normal spending

Sometimes, being a stickler can backfire majorly. This manager learned that the hard way after calling out an employee for expensing a mere $1.02 more than the usual limit. She was given a stern “talking to” despite the fact that she rarely spends anywhere close to the $30/day amount when she travels for work. Well, that all changed quickly when the Redditor decided to maliciously comply following her manager's unnecessary tirade. She shared her story via this thread on Reddit's r/MaliciousComp…
View List
Advertisement
Overworked IT worker is denied overtime pay, he collects data to file a lawsuit against the company demanding compensation for all employees: 'Never mess with the IT guy’

Overworked IT worker is denied overtime pay, he collects data to file a lawsuit against the company demanding compensation for all employees: 'Never mess with the IT guy’

It is unbelievable how companies treat IT employees, even though they know these employees pretty much carry the entire company on their shoulders. They have access to almost every important detail, and you would be surprised at how easy it would be for them to cause chaos for the entire company. The only thing they are asking in return for their hard work is to be appreciated and compensated. And still, you constantly hear of IT employees who are overworked and underpaid. Much like the employe…
View List
‘You brought this on yourself…’: Server puts lying patron in her place after fabricating a food allergy in an attempt to force the restaurant to accommodate her food preferences

‘You brought this on yourself…’: Server puts lying patron in her place after fabricating a food allergy in an attempt to force the restaurant to accommodate her food preferences

A career in the service industry is never easy. However, it gets ten times more challenging when someone tells the chef they have dietary sensitivities in order to ensure that they take their dislike of a specific ingredient seriously. The story that follows is relayed by an unhappy server. The Original Poster (OP) is in charge of asking customers if they have any special dietary needs that the chef should be aware of. That's why OP investigated the matter properly when a disgruntled customer c…
View List
'I was left speechless for the first time': Bank customer demands employees help him avoid "pressing 1 for English"

'I was left speechless for the first time': Bank customer demands employees help him avoid "pressing 1 for English"

There's no stopping customers from being their own worst enemies. They'll do that all on their own, with no help necessary, even from people who actually want to help them. Customer service representatives are no strangers to weird questions. People in the tech world are constantly having to remind people to plug in their electronics before getting upset that they're not working. Or for those working in food service, people love to ask questions like, “Is the chicken pot pie vegetarian?" It alm…
View List
Advertisement
workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employment-discussion job work mildly infuriating workplace Horrible Bosses employment in the workplace - 25340165

Worker reprimanded by manager for not arriving 15 minutes before their scheduled shift: 'I argued with him'

Typically, when working a shift job that relies on a schedule, you'd expect your obligations simply to be present when that shift starts until when that shift ends—nothing more and nothing less. Yet, it's common in many industries that rely on the “almighty” schedule for managers to expect you to be present and ready to work (sometimes even actually working) before your shift starts. Usually, this expectation will be somewhere around five minutes before the start of the shift but occasionally w…
View List
'I marked this as remote for increased outreach': Company acknowledges lying about remote status on job posting, gets roasted online

'I marked this as remote for increased outreach': Company acknowledges lying about remote status on job posting, gets roasted online

It's remarkable how frequent these shady job postings are… Look, if job candidates are expected to be transparent and honest in every aspect of their resumes and applications, then we should at the very least expect the same transparency and honesty from the folks for whom we might be working. It should not be novel to be asking for this. In this case, we don't even have a company being intentionally vague in its outlining of job expectations and responsibilities, which is certainly another fre…
View List
'That’s millions of pounds of [our] order you’ve lost us!': Spare parts estimator plays the long game after company refuses to pay up

'That’s millions of pounds of [our] order you’ve lost us!': Spare parts estimator plays the long game after company refuses to pay up

This worker sure has a lot of patience. Imagine if you were promised a huge, well-paying order by a client … only for them to never complete the order! That's exactly what happened to this person, u/Jamespg614, who works as a spare parts estimator. The employee shared their malicious compliance story that comes with a few words of caution. Just because your boss or a client asks you to do something illegal, that doesn't make that action legal. In situations like that, the only thing you can do…
View List
Advertisement
terrible coworkers workplace discussion workplace-stories jobs hr job malicious compliance revenge work coworkers petty revenge workplace workplace malicious compliance employment in the workplace - 25185285

Coworker keeps pushing their work onto employee, they take leave and watch the project come to a standstill: 'I went to HR'

There's nothing that will make someone miss you more than your absence, and sometimes, you need to make yourself out of the situation in order for them to fully appreciate you… Especially when that someone is your coworker who has been making you do all their work for them. If you're not around, who's going to do their work? This employee wasn't about to put up with being pushed around for too long, and after putting up with their coworker pushing their workload onto them for the first two mont…
View List
'I told the head of HR that no one cares about his survey': Employee ruins his chance at a promotion by accidentally badmouthing company survey to HR's face

'I told the head of HR that no one cares about his survey': Employee ruins his chance at a promotion by accidentally badmouthing company survey to HR's face

We all know that company surveys rarely result in any meaningful change, but perhaps it's a good idea not to say that directly to the head of HR. In fairness, this employee did not realize that the strange man in the suit whom he had never seen before was technically the head of the Human Resources department. This alone is a tell-tale sign that this company was a toxic work environment. It's not the employee's fault if the head of HR is so mysterious and unknowable that no one recognizes his p…
View List
'You never have your wallet when I need it': Mooching coworker gets called out and fired, blocks her work wife on social media

'You never have your wallet when I need it': Mooching coworker gets called out and fired, blocks her work wife on social media

If you're the mooching coworker in your office, don't expect other employees to have your back when the pressure is on. This lady had a ton of audacity when she told her coworker, with whom she frequently gets breakfast and/or lunch: “you never have your wallet when I need it!"
View List
Advertisement
'Interviewer... quit right in the middle of the job interview': 20 Interviews that went so badly it turned away the job candidates

'Interviewer... quit right in the middle of the job interview': 20 Interviews that went so badly it turned away the job candidates

Imagine getting the jitters as you show up to a job interview , only for the interviewer to barely ask you any questions about yourself. Or imagine if you arrived ready to explain your qualifications, but then the hiring manager decided to blabber on about his wife's career, and how you'd be better at her job instead! It sounds crazy, but a lot of people have had incredibly bad job interviews that let them know almost immediately that these roles weren't right for them. Some of them walked out,…
View List
workplace discussion workplace-stories jobs job malicious compliance work workplace workplace malicious compliance employment in the workplace - 25096197

Boss forces worker to stay and work late despite having nothing to do, gets paid to read: 'My boss was speechless'

"People who work hard work more hours…" This is probably something you've heard before and probably from your boss who wants everyone to know how many hours a week they work, wearing their overworkedness like a badge of honor—a testament to their dedication. The thing is… Is this even true? Where did this idea that sitting at your desk for more hours mean you're working harder even come from? It's not as if the simple amount of hours you work actually has any bearing on how much work you've don…
View List
Advertisement
Advertisement