‘I checked the HR manual; I realized quickly Karen was lying’: Karen manager served malicious compliance on a plate by hungry employee

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Mar 28, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

Managerial roles are not meant for everyone, yet somehow the most unfit people seem to land them anyway. It quickly becomes apparent when somebody is not a good fit to manage people, and in this case, it was more than apparent. In this instance, u/According-Air5665 explained there was a woman at her previous job that became a total Karen after she got promoted. Prior to her promotion, she'd gotten along with the team. But afterward, it was a whole different story. She made it her mission to cut costs in the team and go 'under budget'.

Then she brought a new technical system she wanted everyone to use, of which the training would be crammed into one day. The kicker? No lunch break. After some complaints, Karen quickly blamed it on 'HR', and told OP to 'check the manual' if she had a problem with it. OP definitely had a problem with it, and she went right ahead to check the manual, which clearly stated that they were absolutely allowed a lunch break.

Cue malicious compliance. Scroll down to read the full story. For more, here are some LinkedIn lunatics who need to stay off social media.

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  • 01
    Font - Can't take lunch because of training? I don't think so!! LOC She said it's 'policy' that we would be expected to change our work day around to fit training and there is no 'policy' that requires her to allow me to go out. If I had an issue - I should check the HR manual. I think until now, this statement usually worked for her as no one really ever checked.
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/According-Air5665 2 days ago Can't take lunch because of training? I don't think so!! L OC In my mid 20s I worked for a multinational accounting firm. I (F) have always had a real firm policy for standing up when something doesn't sound right, irrelevant if it puts me in an awkward position. This story is how I maliciously complied and in turn made my director learn a lesson I hope she won't forget. We'll call her Karen- not her real name.
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 03
    Font - Background on Karen: when she joined the team we all liked her, she made great changes and we got on well with her. But the moment she was promoted to director and had direct reporting to the partner, she flipped. Became a complete different person and made our life hell. Previously she spent her career heading up call centres (which was really evident in her management style), and for some reason made it her mission to cut costs in the team and go under 'budget'. This affected everything
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 04
    Font - Her cost cutting also extended to things like no overtime approvals unless way in advance (that didn't last long as we were understaffed so quickly emergencies weren't dealt with) and hiring school leavers instead of graduates as they were cheaper, despite the work needing more experience. Her favourite saying to everything was 'its policy' or blaming HR or higher ups saying whatever new thing- even if a new irrelevant spreadsheet - would 'come from HR'. Honestly the amount of time HR spe
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 05
    Font - Then came the day she booked an all day training session from some external company to show us how to use a new system. She went on about it for weeks. Was super excited that she had brought in this new system. The training was intense, so freaking technical, mind numbing and most of all- expensive. So what would normally be covered over a few days was crammed into 1 full day. They were paid hourly - shock. She sent an email advising how we're expected to attend, it will go through the wh
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 06
    Font - Needless to say, the thought of sitting in a stuffy room for 8 hours without a lunch break wasn't appealing. I asked for an exception as I really relied on going outside for the hour at lunch for a break. I was in the midst of high anxiety at the time and my breaks got me through. She said it's 'policy' that we would be expected to change our work day around to fit training and there is no 'policy' that requires her to allow me to go out. If I had an issue - I should check the HR manual.
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 07
    Font - Using the affective wording of 'for my mental health and well-being' HR replied, and of course disagreed as UK law mandates training as 'work' and an 8 hour day requires at least 1hr break... which I am allowed to choose what I do with. They CC'd Karen. Karen backed down but verbally told me it was an exception for me and to not share with the rest of the team. Ofcourse I didn't comply- she was breaking the law!! So I showed the email chain to everyone as they were complaining about the s
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 08
    Font - So me and the rest of the team came up with a lil plan Sandwiches were delivered...budget sandwiches of course, from the supermarket down the road. Instead of our slightly more expensive internal catering team who caters for this exact type of thing for our 10 floor building.
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 09
    Font - I stood up and announced I was going on lunch and would be back in an hr. Queue the rest of the team (all 12) standing up after me. Karen goes 'where are you all going'. To which someone replied 'I understand that HR said we were allowed to leave the room for the hour for lunch.'. THE LOOK ON HER FACE!!! She knew she was stuck. She couldn't say anything. We left her in there alone with the two trainers who seemed to guess something was up. I've never felt more satisfied in my life. We all
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 10
    Font - I felt like I was walking on air all day. After this, there was much less blaming of HR, and generally she was a little skittish around me because she knew I didn't take her c p and would call her out. A second training session had to be booked since the training would never have worked in one day. There were lots of moans and groans about how expensive the extra training session costs of course.
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 11
    Font - I left a couple of months afterwards and so did pretty much the rest of my team, replaced by school leavers of course. But I'm very glad I complied I believe Karen still works there but for a much smaller team.
    via u/According-Air5665
  • 12
    Font - Ⓡ comedyER +2. 2 days ago She was managing a team at a multinational accounting firm and thought her job was primarily to reduce costs? To the point where people had to steal pens from other teams?? I think she missed the forest for the stationary budget. How could she even..."Previously she spent her career heading up call centres" -ah, got it. Reply Share 1.1k
    via u/comedyER
  • 13
    Font - StumbleNOLA +1 2 days ago edited 2 days ago . It's amazing how some people can't see the forest for the trees. I made close to $200k. It cost my company about $1.60 a minute for me to run around checking various supply cabinets for pens. They started a policy that all office supplies were in a locked closet.
    via u/StumbleNOLA
  • 14
    Font - This ended when I started billing the company my time while waiting. "30 minutes: Admin - waiting for Karen to return from lunch for batteries" k s metric reporting. 4 360 Reply Share
    via u/StumbleNOLA
  • 15
    Font - re_nonsequiturs The other thing about inexperienced workers: they don't know their rights 142 +1 · 2 days ago . Reply Share rodney_jerkins +1. 2 days ago 62 And even if they do, they're too worried about losing their job to stand up for them. Reply Share
    via u/re_nonsequiturs, u/rodney_jerkins
  • 16
    Font - +2 - 2 days ago I bet that was the most delicious lunch ever. SkwrlTail 65 Reply Share Moxhoney411- 2 days ago I bet the people doing the training enjoyed it too. WTF were they doing working 8 hours without a break? Their bosses were screwing them too. 16 Reply Share
    via u/SkwrlTail, u/Moxhoney411
  • 17
    Font - OneZenMF 2 days ago Nothing worse than a manager who thinks it's their job to penny pinch for a company that views them as disposable just like every other employee. Good on you for standing up for yourself and in turn helping your entire team out. At work you should never worry about upsetting someone by voicing your very valid concerns. If they want to throw a fit over it let them, we don't get paid enough to care. 59 Reply Share
    via u/OneZenMF
  • 18
    Font - - 2 days ago Long ago, I worked for a contract firm whose only client was the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Center (SPAWAR). SailboatAB My boss asked me to order a 3-hole punch, and "get a good one." So I dug up a nice solid one that would go through up to 50 sheets of paper at a time. I forget the exact cost, but it was around $100. My contract boss approved. The Navy program manager signed off on the purchase order as an appropriate use of funds under the contract.
    via u/SailboatAB
  • 19
    Font - And two weeks later, the purchase order was returned, canceled by our contract firm's president and CEO. The president and CEO, not some middle manager. He didn't want us to spend the money despite Navy approval. Within a year, Congress moved SPAWAR to the district of a congresscritter on the other coast. This was before remote work was common, so our firm, now without any client, closed down. The president and CEO complained bitterly about losing the contract, but couldn't save the compa
    via u/SailboatAB
  • 20
    Font - Even though I was young and inexperienced, I saw that perhaps bringing in new business might have been a better use of a CEO's time than scrutinizing and denying minor purchase orders. 38 Reply Share
    via u/SailboatAB
  • 21
    Font - cbelt3 +3.2 days ago I don't understand how ANY outside training team would accept a no lunch break. People get tired and need a break or they don't absorb information. I bet they suggested and Karen said no. Reply Share 28
    via u/cbelt3
  • 22
    Font - ElBodster +3. 2 days ago When I used to do formal training I planned on a maximum of 6 hours instruction per day. • 90 minutes start of day • 15 minutes or so break • 60-90 minutes training • lunch • 60-90 minutes training after lunch • 15 minutes or so break • 60-90 minutes to finish the day
    via u/ElBodster
  • 23
    Font - If the session were much longer than that, people would stop taking in new information. With a relatively small group (<12 people or so) you soon learn to see when people are starting to flag and adjust timings accordingly. 21 Reply Share
    via u/ElBodster

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Tags

FAILS tech-manual workplace-stories karen-manager hr toxic-workplace malicious compliance toxic-workplace-environment company policy wild-karen petty revenge Horrible Bosses
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