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'[I] stormed out of the office': Worker told that they won't be getting their annual raise despite overachieving performance

There's a reason why businesses only offer services once an ironclad contract has been signed and reviewed. It's because they know “good” business is conducted on what you can legally get away with—maximizing your own cash flow by separating someone else from theirs—and that it's not conducted on verbal agreements, vague promises, goodwill, or moral quandary. Yet, they expect their workers to accept doing more work, working more hours with the vague expectation that it might one day lead to a r…
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'I didn’t check my emails for seven weeks': Boss pressures employee to 'stay on top of things' during his paternity leave, employee puts his foot down

'I didn’t check my emails for seven weeks': Boss pressures employee to 'stay on top of things' during his paternity leave, employee puts his foot down

Anyone who thinks being a good employee means always checking your email when you're on paternity leave has to check their priorities. Sure, bosses tend to put a ton of unnecessary pressure on their employees, as if to say that checking their emails is more important than tending to their newborn child. In fact, this is almost the most obvious example of employers prioritizing work over life and livelihood. It really doesn't get more obvious than that. However, these are the moments in one's ca…
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'I never offered any solutions to that company again': Egotistical boss overrules software developer's plan with their own, leading to their quiet quitting

Sometimes, getting too good of results will only prove to your boss that you're a threat to them and will earn you the honor of being the target of their ire and infantile rage as, rather than up their own game, they try to politically hamstring you in order to prove their superiority. After all, whenever their ego is involved, you can trust someone to make an irrational decision.
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'I was just accused of stealing water': 20+ Managers who leveled accusations against their employees

'I was just accused of stealing water': 20+ Mindless managers who leveled wild accusations against their employees

From pilfering water to stealing company time, these managers were sure they had the perfect punishments for these “thieving” employees.
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'No OT without manager approval': Retail worker uses OT policy to his advantage, leaves mid-shift once he hits 40 hours to go to the movies

'No OT without manager approval': Worker uses OT policy to his advantage, leaves mid-shift once he hits 40 hours to go to the movies

There's absolutely nothing wrong with finding a loophole within your company's various policies. Make no mistake: your employers are finding loopholes all the time, especially when it comes to finding ways to pay you less. So for the sake of reciprocity, what's wrong with using your work's flawed and unspecific policies to your own advantage when it's appropriate? This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/notarobotnorealy , who worked at a popular chain and was rec…
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'What time does the internet close?': 40+ Customers who had ridiculous questions to ask their local retail workers

'What time does the internet close?': 40+ Clueless customers who had ridiculous questions to ask their local retail workers

Have strength retail workers , you will need it when these customers show up. As a cashier, you'll ring up hundreds of customers each shift, and you'll probably forget all of them, except those who are exceptional. Maybe they're especially kind in a job where many customers are impolite. Or maybe they're really funny and manage to make you laugh. Or, if you're these people, you've remembered the customer because they've asked some of the most absurd questions ever. Several people who worked in…
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'No one is above the rules': 'Rags to riches' CEO fires VP who broke the single rule that every employee must follow

'No one is above the rules': 'Rags to riches' CEO fires VP who broke the single rule that every employee must follow

This CEO takes his business super seriously---and what he says, goes. CEOs like this guy are one in a million. At many companies, the CEO is just some random dude who has his photo on the wall, and you'll never actually see him in person. At other places, the CEO comes in once a month or so to make themself known, chats only with other higher-ups, and leaves the office again by 3PM. None of this seems good for morale: it lets employees know that there's a job at their that pays 7 figures and in…
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'I parked in their space... somebody else got jealous and tattled to HR': IT worker conspires with their boss to snag a good parking spot through malicious compliance

This company's HR department has nothing better to do than make up creative punishments for their employees. Human Resources is supposed to be there for employees, or so they say. But, repeat after me: HR is there to protect the company , not the individual employees. They're there to protect the company from legal issues that could arise from things employees do, which is why HR is able to hire and fire people as they wish. No matter how great the HR is at your company, in the long run, they w…
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'I will not be staying to paint [...] Because I don't want to': Boss thought he could force employees to work OT to paint the office, they refuse

'I will not be staying to paint [...] Because I don't want to': Boss thought he could force employees to work OT to paint the office, they refuse

Let this story serve as a friendly reminder to never let your managers think you'll take on responsibilities outside of your job description with little to no reward. This kind of behavior often starts in small, subtle ways. Perhaps your supervisor asks you to fetch them a coffee despite not being their executive assistant, or perhaps they ask you to stay after work for a short period of time for a delivery. The key is that when this happens, you draw a line in the sand from the very beginning.…
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'We're just following his procedure, right?': New manager does away with his team's system, employees maliciously comply knowing productivity will decline

'We're just following his procedure, right?': New manager does away with his team's system, employees maliciously comply knowing productivity will decline

The first big no-no of managing an already well-run team is to ignore the voices of your employees. Sadly, people swoop in out of nowhere all the time and claim that their goal is to make things easier for everyone to do their work effectively and productively. However, all of that is easier said than done, and more often than not, new managers already have their own ways of doing things regardless of whether or not that works for the team they are managing. Now, you would think if the manager…
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workplace discussion employment issues return to office antiwork corporate workplace-stories remote work jobs employment-discussion job work Office wfh workplace Horrible Bosses employment in the workplace - 22993157

'My 100% WFH job turned into a 100% office job': Worker hired in remote role finds themself forced to come into an office

Some have been calling this a “bait and switch” and while it is arguable that something along those lines is happening, there seems to be more of an erosion of expectations happening. It stands to reason that
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'She started piling on more work on me... I was happy to comply': Manager tries to get her employee to quit, instead the company pays their worker more

'She started piling on more work on me... I was happy to comply': Passive-aggressive manager tries to get her employee to quit, instead the company pays their worker more

This person's friend approached them with an interesting job offer, and they agreed to take the gig. But for some reason, their friend now feels entitled to holding this “favor” over their head for the foreseeable future. What kind of friend does that?
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'I told [them] a 15k salary increase': Employee and boss get into heated salary negotiation after boss demands five days a week in the office

'I told [them] a 15k salary increase': Employee and boss get into heated salary negotiation after boss demands five days a week in the office

No one ever said that new office policies wouldn't be met with a little pushback, especially when it comes to in-person work. We all know that return-to-work policies should be delicately handled in a way that, at the very least, feels like a suitable compromise between the employer and the employee. Unfortunately, that compromise rarely happens; instead, we as employees often are expected to take these new strict policies in stride. Thankfully, every so often, someone finds an opportunity to t…
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customer service workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employment-discussion job server waiter work customers waiting i quit quit customer talesfromyourserver food service service workplace Horrible Bosses tales from your server quitting employment service industry in the workplace - 22976773

'I won't be in today and I won't be back': Restaurant worker quits 20 mins after the start of their shift with explosive text message to boss

When this restaurant worker was running late for their shift, their manager reached out to ask if they were coming in, probably not realizing that the simmering heat of anger that had been bubbling below the surface was about to boil over. After a series of unmet promises, unrealistic expectations, and even being cheated out of pay, this restaurant worker was more than happy to call it quits. The reason they were late to their shift in the first place was that they had actually been interviewin…
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'Professional dog show people': Top 20 Professions with the Messiest People

'Professional dog show people': Top 20 Professions with the Messiest People

Everyone thinks their profession has the craziest people, but that's simply because they haven't considered working in some of these spaces. Whether it's a kitchen crew or in the fashion industry, the following professions are the go-to industries if you are looking to find some weirdos, narcissists, or just straight-up insane coworkers. Now, if we're being honest, there are those among us who thrive in these kinds of environments. Personally speaking, I prefer not to go to work and actively lo…
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workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employment-discussion job work i quit askreddit quit workplace Horrible Bosses quitting employment in the workplace - 22977029

'[I] and the entire waiting staff walked out': 20+ Workers share stories of quitting their job mid shift

Surely most, if not all of us, have fantasized at one point or another about quitting our jobs on the spot, getting up and just walking out, either silently slipping out an exit door never to be seen again or adding a little fanfare to the occasion and going out with a touch of bravado by telling your boss and coworkers what you really think of them. Yet, for most of us, these fantasies will remain exactly that. When it comes to employment, there's too much at stake, and when you burn bridges,…
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