'Guess what happens when you write up your best employee [...] on his day off?': Small business tells its hardest worker to 'quit messing around'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Apr 26, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

People don't usually quit because their job is bad — it's because their management is bad. 

Bad managers can make even the best job in the world into a nightmare. No matter how fun your workplace might seem, if you have a boss who's managing your every moment and breathing down your neck, you know its time to find new employment elsewhere. 

This small business made a critical mistake by not trusting their hardest working employee, "Steve," in this story posted to r/pettyrevenge. Then he also decided to look elsewhere for employment! All it would have taken to keep him there was some appreciation, but instead, this place made a major mistake. 

Next up is another bad boss story. This person's ex-boss told her she'd be welcomed back at her job at any time… but when she asked for her job back, he humiliated her by refusing to rehire her. 

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  • 01
    Outerwear - "What's this?" manager asks. "My two weeks notice." Cue the backpeddling.
    via Marten Bjork on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - r/pettyrevenge Posted by u/Go-daddio 35 2 S6 Guess what happens when you write up your best employee after he came in to help on his day off Not my story but recently happened to a friend of mine. Personal details omitted obviously.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 03
    Font - My buddy Steve has worked at a small business for over 10 years. Most of his time there has been pretty alright but recently it has become a remarkably worse place to work. Steve is the most senior employee outside of management and by far the most productive. He's always training new hires, working extra hours, helping other departments, you name it.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 04
    Font - Pretty often, Steve will come in for a couple hours on his day off to take care of backed up paperwork and general housekeeping of his department. This does wonders for keeping the department running smoothly, especially when they are busy. Management knows about this and approves.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 05
    Font - Going into the holidays this year, they are absolutely slammed, as usual. Orders are backing up and it's all hands on deck, extra hours, full tilt. After another 60 hour work week, Steve has a couple days off. On his 2nd day off, he decides to go into work for a few hours. He knows his coworkers are likely too busy to be taking care of the side stuff, so he's being a team player and helping out.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 06
    Font - While he's finishing up and about to leave, Steve's manager comes up to him and they have the following conversation. "Hey Steve, quit messing around, get back out there and do your job"
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 07
    Font - Steve replies "Hey Manager, sorry, its my day off, I'm not scheduled to work this shift. I'm just helping out, leaving in like 5 min." Manager replies "The h you are, get your a out there." Steve says, "Nope, not happening. I'm going home."
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 08
    Font - The next day, Steve is predictably brought into the office, dressed down, and written up for insubordination. But there's a few things about Steve that you should know, that his employers knew but either forgot or didn't care about.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 09
    Font - 1. Steve has been getting fed up with his employer for a while now. 2. Steve is quite financially stable, as he works in a high-demand industry, and his wife also has a fantastic well paying job. 3. Steve is about to become a dad. In fact, he is very very close to becoming a dad, right after the holidays most likely.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 10
    Font - So, Steve is in the manager's office, just finished getting talked down to, and handed his write up to sign. Steve signs his write up, and hands it back, along with an envelope with a short letter inside.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 11
    Font - "What's this?" manager asks. "My two weeks notice." Cue the backpeddling. Manager is apologetic, asks for Steve to at least finish the holiday rush, big boss comes in and offers a raise if he stays, the whole shebang. Steve turns it all down.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 12
    Font - Now Steve's former employer has to get through the holidays without their most reliable worker, which will take at least 2 or 3 new hires to cover.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 13
    Font - Meanwhile, Steve can enjoy the holidays without stress, help prepare for the arrival of their baby, and start looking for work again when they're good and ready. EDIT: Obligatory "Wow this post blew up" reaction.
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 14
    Font - Some clarification: Steve's position is hourly, and he got overtime pay for the extra hours. The stuff he worked on during these extra hours would collectively save his department alot of time and headaches, that's why he did it. There used to be a good team vibe in the company from top to bottom, coworkers who were genuinely friends and good teammates, so going the extra mile made a good thing even better. Not so much towards the end. Also, giving his two weeks instead of quitting on the
    via u/Go-daddio
  • 15
    Font - a_Speck_o_Dust This makes me so happy. Good for Steve!
    via u/a_Speck_o_Dust
  • 16
    Font - they_are_out_there Hire competent people, trust and respect them to do the job right, give them pay raises and bonuses to keep them happy and productive, and offer profit sharing as a partner when they hit 10 years. You are insane if you mistreat hard workers. You want to keep them and not lose them to your competition. You want to reward them so everyone can profit, which will keep your business shining and growing. Too many idiots will never figure this out and go out of business as a r
    via u/they_are_out_there
  • 17
    Font - PRMan99 I only got written up twice (2 different jobs), but the second time they were absolutely shocked when I quit a couple weeks later. +4 I said, out loud in front of everyone, "Well, you made it really clear that my performance wasn't to your expectations when you wrote me up, so I'm just doing us both a favor." In the followup meeting where they asked what they could do to keep me, I said, "Nothing. Now that you have written me up, there's a mark on my record and that's just too uns
    via u/PRMan99
  • 18
    Font - 2muchtequila Yep a lot of employers have this idea that your employment is something you can't replace. They're shocked when it turns out that there are other options out there and the thing that is holding most people back is they're comfortable enough at their current position not to change. Take away that comfort, or someone else offers something good to justify starting over and they're out the door.
    via u/2muchtequila
  • 19
    Human body - Claydameyer Yet another example that people don't quit jobs, they quit managers.
    via u/Claydameyer

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day off employee coworkers work stories toxic-workplace work toxic-boss workplace
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