‘We Worked Together for Five Years, but I Haven’t Seen Her Work Once’ : HR Calls Old Coworker of Interviewee for Job Reference, He Throws Her Under Bus, Enacting the Petty Revenge She Always Deserved

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Feb 22, 2023 1:00 PM EST

Some people's claim to fame end when they get promoted, and from then on they simply sit at their desk, playing Candy crush on their phone, overlooking a bunch of other employees, not doing any more actual work. Either they aren't very self-aware when they expect to get glowing references from former coworkers, or they're downright delusional. Either way, if you're not gonna work, don't expect the people you effed over to vouch for you when you begin looking for another job.

This is the case here — a woman who was part of a programming team in a company did some work on a suite of software tools that (everyone in the company was then forced to use) got promoted, and decided that her work was done. After that, she sat on her throne (office chair), and read paperback novels all day. Maybe she felt she was entitled to her 'break', but the fact of the matter was, she wasn't actually doing any work from then on.

The company eventually came crashing down, and many years later, an old coworker of hers received a comical phone call — apparently, this lady had listed him as a job reference. He found this to be the perfect opportunity to get her back and enacted some petty revenge. Scroll down to read the detailed account below.

You're also welcome to click here for some good old malicious compliance, involving a boss, an employee, and the dreaded attendance system.

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/BuddhaMcDonald 13 hours ago Coworker did no work, then wanted a job reference from me. Not happening.
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 02
    Font - Years ago, I was part of a programming team. One of the senior team members had been promoted beyond her abilities, due to work she'd done some years before on a suite of software tools that everyone in the company was forced to use, despite them being much clumsier to use than most equivalent 3rd party applications.
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 03
    Font - But that was her claim to fame: getting promoted for her contribution to mediocrity. She somehow felt that this entitled her to sit in her office with her feet on her desk, reading paperback novels all day, while the rest of us engaged in various programming projects.
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 04
    Font - The company eventually went into a tailspin, and there were multiple rounds of layoffs. Our whole division got wiped out, eventually. Some years later, I'm happily employed elsewhere... *Ring-Ring* goes the telephone.
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 05
    Font - Me: Hello, this is Mr. McDonald. Human Resources Guy: Good afternoon, Mr. McDonald. I'm HR Guy, with XYZ Company. One of your former coworkers, Ms. Novelreader, has applied for a programming position with XYZ Co., and said you could give her a reference.
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 06
    Font - Me: Oh, did she now? Fascinating. What would you like to know? Guy: How long were you and she in the same department? Me: About five years.
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 07
    Font - Guy: Great! What can you tell me about Ms. Novelreader's work during that time? Me: Well, nothing, I'm afraid; I never actually saw any. Guy: You were in the same department for five years, and never saw any of her work?
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 08
    Font - Me: In five years, I never saw any work from her. Long pause... Guy: Does that mean what it sounded like? Me: Absolutely.
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 09
    Font - Guy: Thank your for your time. Me: Don't mention it.
    via u/BuddhaMcDonald
  • 10
    Font - Sooner70 Heh. +3 - 7 hr. ago There's a guy I used to work with... Or rather, work around. "With" implies that he was working too. But that was a long time ago and in the meantime I've done reasonably well for myself. At the risk of sounding like a arrogant bastard my current job title is
    via u/Sooner70
  • 11
    Font - "Chief Engineer" and as people with that title tend to make "good references" its fair to say that those in my past who've worked with me have come out of the proverbial woodwork and asked if I would be a reference for them. And I will! If you worked with me, I'll do everything in my power to do right by you.
    via u/Sooner70
  • 12
    Font - But somehow this twat thought that applied to him as well. The idiot asked me if I could use him as a reference. I told him, "Yes." I'm waiting for that call... 172 Reply Share Helen Magnus_ . 2 hr. ago. edited 40 min. ago Is that you Miles O'Brien?? #startrekhumour 11 Reply Share
    via u/Sooner70, u/Helen_Magnus_
  • 13
    Font - +1. +1 - 11 hr. ago Lay-ZFair At a computer place I once worked there was a guy who was employed there but wasn't much of a worker. When the boss decided to let him go, he asked for a letter of reference. Since my boss was actually a personal friend of mine, he asked me to write a
    via u/Lay-ZFair
  • 14
    Font - letter for the guy since he had no idea how to phrase it without saying anything derogatory. So I did a generic letter with dates of employment and an ending line that said "You'll be lucky if you can get (name) to work for you." The guy loved the letter! 4 286 Reply Share
    via u/Lay-ZFair
  • 15
    Font - goldensavage1 - 6 hr. ago Had an "employee" who I hired that never showed up. I called her a couple of times just to see if she was ok, but she never answered or replied. Fine, no problem. About 2 months later I received a call saying she had listed me as a reference. Not sure she thought any of that through. 47 Reply Share
    via u/goldensavage1
  • 16
    Font - Sussler 9 hr. ago I've used the line "I'm absolutely shocked that they would use me as a reference." 171 Reply Share whiskeylady 5 hr. ago I'm totally saving this!! 8 Reply Share
    via u/Sussler, u/whiskeylady
  • 17
    Font - Longshot1969 +1.6 hr. ago A couple of my favorites that sound good on the surface, but are actually an insult. I would urge you to waste no time considering the hiring of the person. We are glad to say, said person is a former colleague of ours. 428 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/Longshot1969
  • 18
    Font - BAT123456789 - 5 hr. ago I've made a few of those calls. When their reference goes to every effort not to talk to you, it's not a good sign. When you word questions in a way that gets you just enough info from what they won't say to know what to expect, it is sadly gratifying. 10 Reply Share
    via u/BAT123456789
  • 19
    Font - She Who Loves To Draw 8 hr. ago +2. Somewhere out there are two former coworkers of mine who quit without notice, one was a no-call no-show, who frequently ask if they can have their old jobs back.
    via u/SheWhoLovesToDraw
  • 20
    Font - Nope. Not only did they get themselves blacklisted from the company for their unprofessional resignations, but they got themselves blacklisted for being HORRIBLE at their jobs! Like, not ever working, constantly trying to get people switch
    via u/SheWhoLovesToDraw
  • 21
    Font - shifts so they could have Friday/Saturday off and when no one traded they "conveniently" got sick or had an emergency, were late to arrive, early to leave and took damn long on their breaks.
    via u/SheWhoLovesToDraw
  • 22
    Font - We were not sad when they screwed themselves out of their jobs so our boss didn't have to deal with all the paperwork required in getting them fired without having to deal with them trying to file for wrongful termination. 17 Reply Share
    via u/SheWhoLovesToDraw

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Tags

terrible coworkers humor programming-team toxic-workplace petty revenge job reference high tech understaffed-teams-of-employees job interview
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