'What do I do if they aren't home?': Landlord gives handyman unclear instructions when tenants won't answer the door, cue malicious compliance!

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Feb 20, 2023 8:00 AM EST

When the instructions are unclear, horrible bosses and managers have no one to blame but themselves. That's one of the main takeaways from this situation (the other one being that landlords are still the absolute worst!). 

 

This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/fluid_reference, a friend of the handyman at the center of the story. He had just started working for this landlord and was receiving a tutorial on doing heat readings in apartments. When he asked his boss what to do if the tenant doesn't answer or open the door, the landlord laughed and shrugged off the question. Well, what does one do after receiving unclear instructions? This guy figured it was worth it to wait and get paid overtime during that period. The best part of the story is that when the landlord tried to fire the handyman as a result of his "clever shenanigans," the union sided with the handyman. Turns out this malicious compliance paid off (literally)!

 

Keep scrolling for the best comments. When you're finished, here's another post about a Karen who stole a rental car. 

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  • 01
    Window - "Boss got mad, and even more mad when he got informed that my friend was going to clock overtime"
    via Ethan Hoover
  • 02
    Font - "They will open" sure, boss! SOC This story is retold from a friend. He was working with a landlord company as a "handyman" of sorts. He hated his job. Anyways, he got assigned to visit some tenants to do heat readings in their apartments, and the tenants had gotten the info beforehand.
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 03
    Font - "What do I do if they aren't home or won't open?" he asked, only to be met by a snarky "they will" by his boss. Fast forward a few days, now he's out knocking doors and doing heat readings. A little over halfway through, one tenant doesn't open the door. He checks his notes, nobody had been written up as away for that time. So my friend promptly continues with the other apartments, goes back to the door and knocks again. No response. So he sat down on the stairs and waited until his shift
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 04
    Font - Boss called and asked where he (and the company car) was, and he explained the situation. The tenant hasn't yet opened the door. Boss got mad, and even more mad when he got informed that my friend was going to clock overtime for today. He informed the boss that he was refused instructions for cases such as tenant doesn't open the door, so he was waiting for the tenant to do so. Boss tried to fire him but the union actually backed my buddy so he got to keep the job.
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 05
    Organism - fatnissjuverdeen 2 days ago Stories like this are why this is my fave sub lol 641 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 06
    Font - ZumboPrime 2 days ago +2. There was no way to win here. "Why did you leave without visiting that tenant!?" "Why did you stay late!?" 427 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 07
    Font - Jiggarelli 2 days ago The handyman union? 00 372 Reply Share GMEvolved +1. 2 days ago No, the thermostat readers union 211 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 08
    Font - DerpageOnline 2 days ago Poor wording. He wasn't given instructions explicitly, but the Bosses snarky response clearly implied that the door was going to open in some undefined time and to wait until it does. Of course the union should have had his back - just following instructions 168 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 09
    Font - AstronautWombat. 2 days ago Did your friend not have a way to contact the boss at the time about the situation? 88 Reply Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 10
    Font - grumblyoldman +1. 2 days ago "Call me if they don't open" might have been a good alternative instruction for the boss to consider. 222 Reply
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 11
    Font - seashmore +2. 2 days ago The maliciousness is clear but the compliance is not, as the boss never gave any instructions to comply with. 30 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 12
    Font - Coding-Kitten 2 days ago I read it as "they will open the door", so if you knock, you just need to wait for them to open it, which is exactly what OP's friend did. 95 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 13
    Font - WNTR12345 2 days ago I suppose in the absence of instructions await them. I'v dealt with some serious micro managers that have this mentality.
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 14
    Font - Zoreb1 +2. 2 days ago The compliance is to knock on the door to read the meter. He'll knock on the door if it takes till midnight.
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 15
    Font - CoderJoe1 +3. 2 days ago He was normally good at decision making, but had no way to read the room first.
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 16
    Font - Hellman9615- 2 days ago They should have had a back up plan but your friend should have called his boss. Both are wrong in this situation. -6 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 17
    Font - adjlyunncssry 2 days ago If this is in the US, the friend just started a paper trail that the union won't be able to fight. State entry laws are generally pretty clear about an apt. manager's right to enter with notice. The people in the apartment didn't need to open the door, he's maintenance and they were told. The union might actually got sued if the management company can make a case for repeated wage theft -14 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 18
    Font - big_sugi +3. 2 days ago The question was asked about what to do if they aren't home or don't open. "Open it yourself" was not the response from the boss. 46 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference
  • 19
    Rectangle - MistressLiliana 2 days ago If he wasn't provided a key he couldn't do that. 4 29 Reply Share
    via u/fluid_reference

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landlord antiwork malicious compliance tenant Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit apartment
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