'I really need you to just do your job': Employee 'quiet quits' position after boss promotes coworkers instead of them

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 10, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

Say goodbye to free tech support and homemade office snacks…This guy has reached a breaking point with their boss, and I don't blame them for not wanting to do work they won't be recognized for. 

At many jobs, your role is laid out for you in crystal clear terms. In some office places, however, there are unspoken tasks that some people will take on in addition to their job duties. Maybe you're the one who brings in a birthday card for your coworkers and gets everyone to sign it. Or perhaps you're the person who jots down everyone's food orders when you order Mexican food for lunch. These little things can add up to make an office feel more warm and friendly.

This person had a few duties like that, as u/Sarchasm-Spelunker shared to the r/MaliciousCompliance community. They wrote that alongside their official job, they wanted to bring the morale up in their office through small bonuses, like bringing in fresh baked goods. It's great to be that person at the office, but only if your efforts are appreciated and reciprocated. 

The employee is definitely not being respected here, but they seem a bit blind to how bad their employer really is. In the comments, numerous people urged the OP to start job hunting instead of quiet quitting their position. There are plenty of companies out there who really would appreciate someone who puts in extra effort, so why reward this bad workplace by staying there?

Next up, check out a story from a boss's POV: he's very frustrated that his new hire is continually rude to higher-ups. 

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  • 01
    Font - Boss: Just do your job. Me: As. You. Wish. M OC I work at a tech company and my official job is fairly simple and I find that I have free time decently often.
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 02
    Font - My unofficial extra jobs used to be monitoring the morale level in the office and doing things to bring up said morale, tech support on the computers in the office so IT doesn't have to deal with it, mostly because I'm faster than they are at getting things going again, assuming the problem isn't hardware related, and often enough helping out other departments when I have the time.
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 03
    Font - A promotion comes up, I apply for it. The boss gives it to someone who had only been hired a few months ago. I was annoyed by this because I had been working there for much longer and my evaluations are always glowing. Another promotion comes up, I get denied again in favor of another person who has only been there for a few months. 3 more promotions come and go and my boss always gives the new people the promotions.
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 04
    Font - At this point several people who have been hired around the same time I have all quit to seek opportunity elsewhere and many of the people who got promoted ALSO quit because they used their promotion to get a better job elsewhere. Also the boss likes to send an email with a bulls| canned denial letter with some official "reason" as to why you were not selected.
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 05
    Font - I eventually decide to confront my boss about it, so I just bluntly ask, "What am I doing wrong? Why are people who have been recently hired getting promotions over me?" The boss couldn't answer. He stumbles and stutters for about two minutes, like the sniveling pencil neck he is, eventually just blurts out, "Look, you don't have much experience in dealing with people below you and I really need you to just do your job." Alright. As you wish.
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 06
    Font - Now any time someone asks me if I can get their computer/monitor/printer/etc working properly again, I tell them to ask tech support. My biweekly delivery is homemade confections has come to an end, and I no longer lift a finger to help other departments, even when I DO have the extra time. Tech Support can take a surprisingly long time to get around to our department. Something I could have done in 10 minutes, it will take them an hour or more. It's also a 3 person department in a fairly
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 07
    Font - My boss pulls me into his office a while back and asked me if I have a problem. I told him I don't have a problem. He then reminds me of all the things that I used to do that I suddenly don't do anymore, then makes the mistake of asking me why I suddenly stopped. I told him that none of those were part of my job description and that I only did those things as a courtesy, but since he told me to just do my job and strongly hinted that I am to go no further in the company, I am going to jus
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 08
    Font - He went from a having a s eating smirk on my face, ready to tear into me for my sudden change in demeanor to realizing that he can't say a ded thing because he knows that he can't order me to do anything outside of my official job description, and that he screwed himself and his entire department over by basically telling me to shut up and get back to work.
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 09
    Font - SirVatka Please say you're searching for other employment. 2.5k Reply Share Sarchasm-Spelunker OP Searching, not much luck finding something that pays better. That and I know that I can outlast this boss. He'll be gone by the end of the year. Our metrics have been going to s since he got there and I already know HIS boss is not happy about that.
    via u/SirVatka
  • 10
    Font - Filosifee Way to go OP. Bosses that don't appreciate you don't deserve any extra effort. Use all of your extra time to look for opportunities where you can be valued
    via u/Filosifee
  • 11
    Font - pd46lily When you're too good at your job to promote. Happens quite frequently, I've seen it in several of my jobs. It's a catch 22 to be good at what you do. On the one hand you get glowing evaluations, the boss loves you for what you take on extra at your job, the other staff knows they can come to you to fix things, often you know how to do/fix things even the Boss doesn't. You'd think promoting would be a no brainer.
    via u/pd46lily
  • 12
    Font - On the other hand, you're doing all the things that the Boss would have to handle if you get promoted, including the things the Boss doesn't know, so promoting you would cause more work for the Boss. It's unfortunately the current work culture. It's easier, and in some cases cheaper, for them to hire someone new for management than to train people to learn what a knowlegable/helpful employee knows, so why bother.
    via u/pd46lily
  • 13
    Font - I have seen it slowly change recently since "The great Resignation". It's become an employee's market, so they are promoting from within so they don't lose more workers. ps: OP, I would suggest finding a new job that actually values what you do.
    via u/pd46lily
  • 14
    Font - 01 GreenEggPage +4. You should also be putting out your resume. You've already seen you're not going anywhere and now boss will be looking to get rid of a disgruntled employee. 40 Reply Share Sarchasm-Spelunker OP That pencil neck couldn't get rid of me even if he wanted to. His boss has to approve terminations and his boss knows that my record is squeaky clean. If he suddenly referred me for termination, his boss would laugh him out of the office.
    via u/GreenEggPage
  • 15
    Font - Euphoric-Delirium OP, make sure you document this entire situation. If you can find all the dates you applied for promotions, the names of people whom had less experience that got promotions instead of you (if possible), to you questioning your boss as to why you weren't given a promotion and his response, all the way up to the meeting and what was said verbatim.
    via u/Euphoric-Delirium
  • 16
    Font - If your boss tries to retaliate in any way, you can go above him, to his boss with everything you've documented. If he were to set you up to get fired, it's possible you could file a lawsuit. I am no lawyer by far, but I know documentation could help you if your boss decides to get revenge.
    via u/Euphoric-Delirium
  • 17
    Font - Sarchasm-Spelunker OP He can't retaliate because he has to give me full time hours due to my position, he also can't terminate anyone personally, he has to refer them for termination to his manager and his manager loves me. His manager knows that when he asks to do something, I will do it. He even thought it would be amusing to see if I would scrub the toilets. I left them spotless.
    via u/Sarchasm-Spelunker
  • 18
    Font - Violet GlitterBlossom I hope you're looking for other jobs, otherwise this isn't quite the "own" you seem to think it is. I would have been looking for other employment elsewhere after the second time I got denied for promotion for someone that had been there for less time than me.
    via u/VioletGlitterBlossom

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Tags

boss toxic-manager toxic-workplace work horrible-management workplace Horrible Bosses toxic-work-environment tech support malicious compliance malicious-compliance-reddit Office
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