'Let me remind you of the advice you gave me': Top-selling employee throws boss's cold-hearted advice back in his face

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jun 21, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

I bet this boss really regrets how he treated his employees now that they have some power over him. It doesn't take much to lose someone's faith in you, which this guy realized way too late. 

During the dark times of 2020, there was possibly no field worse to be in than the travel field. If you're a travel agent, planning and booking vacations for people is your whole career, so when travel suddenly came to a screeching halt, the industry was sunk. If you were in the travel industry at that point, you know that places were letting people go from their jobs left and right, because if there are no flights, hotels, parks, etc. open for business, you don't really have a business model anymore. 

Well, this travel agent works in France, where labor laws are a lot stronger than they are in the USA. Instead of being let go, the company the OP worked at worked out an arrangement with the government to cover a portion of the employee's salaries. But it still wasn't enough for the OP, u/scrapped85, who then made a simple request from their boss. They just asked if they could have their month's salary in advance, which they were allowed to do. For some reason, their boss turned them down, and did so in a rather harsh manner. 

Scroll down to read the whole story. Then, check out another workplace story — this guy was so fed up with his coworker that he left him stranded in the rain. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/pettyrevenge. Posted by u/scrapped85 Boss didn't help me when I needed it, so I did the same when he asked me for help. Reposting this as it was removed from r/prorevenge which is understandable. So this happened in my old job during the pandemic. I worked as a travel advisor in a Luxury travel agency in France.
    via u/scrapped85
  • 02
    Font - During this period, no business was coming in and the French government stepped in to cover our salaries while staying at home. This government aid covers 70% of our salary and the remaining 30% has to be covered by our employer. This means that we are only allowed to work 30% of our original hours with our company, and that equates to less than 10 hours of work per week.
    via u/scrapped85
  • 03
    Font - Since there was no business coming in, and since the bulk of my income was commission from sale of travel packages which was not coming in, I had run into a small financial dilemma and needed a bit of funds to cover my rent for a month. So I reached out to my boss to ask for a salary advance which is to be deducted from my paycheck at the end of the month. By the way, for context, it is an employees legal right in France to have a salary advance if needed for as long as the amount of the
    via u/scrapped85
  • 04
    Font - My boss told me that it is not possible and messaged me the following text "If you have personal financial problems, you should check with your banker."
    via u/scrapped85
  • 05
    Font - I was flabbergasted by his response especially because I was his top seller and brought in 1.4 million euros in revenue the year before the pandemic. Even though I knew he was a d, I never imagined he would refuse my access to this right of mine as an employee. I could have sent him a formal letter of demand by mail to force him to give me an advance as provided by the labor laws, but I decided not to as I was able to borrow money from a friend.
    via u/scrapped85
  • 06
    Font - Weeks gone by after the incident and business hasn't improved. The company's funds are dwindling since no income was coming in. To help French companies, the government decided to give them an option to decrease the vacation leaves of their employees by somehow allowing them to 'impose' vacation times even when the employees are not working anyway on those days. If I could remember correctly, it was 3 days that they can fully impose without objection from the employee and 4 days extra wit
    via u/scrapped85
  • 07
    Font - Since we still haven't given our consent, and the end of this government is nearing, he messaged me and the other employee stating that we are the only people who haven't agreed. He is saying that we should help the company as it is going through financial problems due to the pandemic and that it would be really nice of us to give him our consent.
    via u/scrapped85
  • 08
    Font - Upon receipt of the message, I promptly responded with the following text 'I am really sorry to hear that the company is going through some financial problems, but let me remind you of the advice you gave me when I asked for your help a couple weeks back- if you have financial problems, I suggest you talk to your banker.' and that means I am not going to give you my vacation leave. (I had to guts to be upfront because I know that he can never fire me due to my performance and very strong
    via u/scrapped85
  • 09
    Font - I wished I was in front of him when I told him that. Knowing him, I'm pretty sure he went all red and mad when he read that message. And his forehead veins should be visibly throbbing like whenever he is mad at someone. He was too shook that the only response he gave me was 'ok'.
    via u/scrapped85
  • 10
    Font - I was extremely satisfied with my comeback that I had a smile on my face the entire week. Revenge can really be satisfying.
    via u/scrapped85
  • 11
    Font - TurkFan-69 European legal protections for labor are so common sense. It's infuriating that even the most pro labor US states would never consider protections like these.
    via u/TurkFan-69
  • 12
    Font - asian_princess What was his response when you said that? Have you seen him in person since to see if he's treating you differently?
    via u/asian_princess
  • 13
    Font - scrapped85 OP. All he said was 'ok'. And yes, we did meet multiple times via zoom and his treatment wasn't any different. Of all my colleagues, I am the person who knows a lot about labor law.
    via u/scrapped85
  • 14
    Font - Any change in his attitude can be considered as moral harrasment which will allow me to easily sue him. And we did meet In person when he signed my 'rupture conventionnelle' which is like a resignation but we have a mutual agreement of the separation and a mutual understanding whereby he compensates me with separation pay and I can apply for unemployment while
    via u/scrapped85
  • 15
    Font - I can no longer attack him for any violation against labor laws during my employment. (usually you don't get separation pay and unemployment benefits on volontary resignation)
    via u/scrapped85
  • 16
    Font - 69vuman +2 Glad you were able to "stick it to the man."
    via u/69vuman
  • 17
    Font - + [deleted] I get away with smarting off to my boss all the time cuz he always thinks I'm just joking but I'm actually not
    via u/[deleted]
  • 18
    Product - AsianPorkBelly Your government sounds amazing.
    via u/AsianPorkBelly
  • 19
    Font - scrapped85 OP. The strong labor laws are all thanks to the strong labor unions and workers who have fought and protested for these rights. This is why most French people don't complain about inconveniences during protests, because the people know that these protests are for them and their benefit. The government is not amazing, it's just doing what it is paid to do, represent the people.
    via u/scrapped85
  • 20
    Gesture - Nervous-Story5899. Good for you! You had an ahh haa moment
    via u/Nervous-Story5899
  • 21
    Facial expression - goshidontknow1395 +2. I wanna see the look on his face when you leave.
    via u/goshidontknow1395

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Tags

boss bosses horrible-management petty revenge petty toxic-boss Travel Horrible Bosses france
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