Compliance With Company Timesheets Results In Employee's 40% Pay Increase

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mattstaff
Aug 21, 2021 5:00 PM EDT

Sometimes having to follow rules and processes at work to a T can be frustrating, particularly when you're used to doing something one way and suddenly people request that you change the entire way you complete something. Redditor u/icydee took to r/MaliciousCompliance to detail a story in which following a process by the guidelines actually worked out well for them. When they started including more detailed timesheets in freelance work for a client, the client started paying the OP more to reflect that they were completing some daily work almost every day of the week.

Honestly, it's just impressive that someone took the time out of their day to read the dang contract and then approve the rate that was agreed upon. It also sounds like this boss might just actually be a great person — or at least too busy with other work to bother nickel and diming this freelance employee. If you enjoyed this tale of malicious compliance, check out this recent post about a profoundly salty old man who pitched a full-on fit over some salted licorice.

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  • 01
    Font - r/MaliciousCompliance + Join u/icydee · 8h 1 3 Compliance with company timesheet requirements resulted in 40% pay increase. M (reposted with my correct account) The background. I have been a freelance contractor for over 30 years (UK) and worked for many companies, usually on an hourly or daily rate. About 10 years ago I had the opportunity to work for a client on a six month contract on a daily rate, and also to work from home except for some site visits for meetings.
    via u/icydee
  • 02
    Font - Since I was working from home I was able to work my own hours, I was judged basically on my output not the 'bum hours on seat'. I would work whenever I wanted, an hour here or there, multiple breaks during the work day, and also some times at weekends whenever I felt like it. However, I ensured that I at least complied with the '40 hours a week' minimum even though I was on a daily rate. The way that it worked on this contract was that I would submit my timesheet for my 'boss' to sign, th
    via u/icydee
  • 03
    Font - Now, because of the hassle of trying to record all the start times, times for breaks etc. it was a pain to fill in the clients timesheet (which only allowed for one start time, one lunch break, one end time) so (because I was on a daily rate) I would just record a standard 09:00 - 17:30 start/stop and 30 minute lunch for every week- day knowing I was putting in the hours and not cheating the client. This was all well for a couple of months, my 'boss' would sign the timesheet, the agency c
    via u/icydee
  • 04
    Font - At some point by 'boss' balked at how I was filling in my timesheet and asked for it to be more detailed. This was where the malicious compliance took over. I would carefully record all the periods I was working (which I did anyway) and then create a timesheet for the week. This resulted in several pages of timesheets rather than the previous five lines, now showing all periods I worked, all breaks I took, total hours for each day, total hours for the week, my 'boss' would need to check a
    via u/icydee
  • 05
    Font - Now you may think this was only a small malicious compliance, it took me extra effort to comply, my 'boss' got the detailed timesheet he required and nothing changed. However there was an unexpected consequence of this compliance which was rooted in the contract I had signed, and the contract that the client had signed with the intermediate agency. It came down to the definition of a 'working day'. Remember I was on a daily rate not an hourly rate even though the client insisted on a brea
    via u/icydee
  • 06
    Font - Since I was now giving a timesheet that also detailed the few hours I might work on Saturday and Sunday (as well as the five work weeks) even though I was still only working a total of 40 hours, I was getting paid for seven days rather than five days! I decided not to bring it to the notice of my 'boss' since I doubt he had visibility of the invoices, he was just signing off my timesheet every week. This resulted in an unexpected pay rise for the final couple of months of my contract. I j
    via u/icydee

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