'The CEO was immediately fuming': COO shows up to work in a prom dress after CEO mocks her fashion choices

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 12, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

Petty doesn't even begin to describe this CEO. She seems like the kind of boss who sucks the air out of a room when she walks in; everyone walks on eggshells around her, and she refuses to give credit where it's due. That kind of boss is hard to work for — even if you're also in the c-suite. 

Some bosses really dislike giving any kind of positive feedback or encouragement. Instead, they can only point out the negative. In the story that u/aikdxz shared to r/MaliciousCompliance, they write that this "insane CEO" of a health nonprofit was a gossip who was constantly wielding her power over employees. The OP shared the call that started this three-part malicious compliance saga. It all started on a group call, where the CEO thought it was appropriate to go on a tirade about the way the COO, Louise, decided to dress for work. Instead of letting the boss's harsh words get to her, Louise thought of a clever and hilarious outfit to wear the next day.

Maybe some higher-ups think they will only be respected if they're feared, but in reality, that's almost never the case. Instead, it just results in employees who aren't loyal, and who can't wait to find a job they like more. 

Up next, check out another workplace malicious compliance story. 

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  • 01
    Nature - '...The CEO calls another meeting. We all join and Louise turns on her camera. I immediately had to turn off mine because I did not want to be caught laughing'
    via Kevin Yang on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - r/r/MaliciousCompliance Posted by u/aikdxz 27 S 30 Malicious work (three for one special!) L OC 21 30 compliance at 3 Back at the beginning of 2021, I worked at a small community health non profit with an insane CEO. She would constantly call team meetings to put down and belittle employees in front of the entire staff. Often, she would throw around some variation of "do I have to do everything around here?!" and call everyone on staff incompetent. When we did do something right, she neve
    via u/aikdxz
  • 03
    Font - other, pitting staff against each other. One day, the CEO called a team meeting. In a group text chat between some of the more chill employees, we immediately begin sending snake and eye roll emojis. Sure enough, we get on the call and she begins by bringing to our attention how "Louise" does not dress appropriately for work. Louise, who is also upper management (the COO), looks about ready to smack the CEO. The CEO viciously tears into Louise, commenting on everything from her hair style
    via u/aikdxz
  • 04
    Font - The next day, the CEO calls another meeting. We all join and Louise turns on her camera. I immediately had to turn off mine because I did not want to be caught laughing my a off. Louise was dressed from head to toe in what looked like something someone would wear to prom. Her hair was immaculately styled into an elaborate updo, her makeup was professionally done with lash extensions and everything. She was dripping with (what I assume were) fake diamonds... tiara, earrings, necklace, brac
    via u/aikdxz
  • 05
    Font - "You told us to dress more formally. This is formal wear. Is something wrong?" "That's not professional for work!" "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have been confused! You said we needed us to dress formally, but I think what you meant to say was professionally." The CEO was livid, but Louise continued to rock the prom outfit all day, meeting with patients and clients and everything.
    via u/aikdxz
  • 06
    Font - Later that week, "Tina" texts our group chat and says the CEO is requiring her to submit and detailed time sheet with what she was doing and working on down to the minute for her entire day. She was going to bcc us on the email. Sure enough, it pops into our inboxes a few minutes later.
    via u/aikdxz
  • 07
    Font - Tina had literally detailed her entire past 24 hour day down to the minute. 6:45 AM, awoken by husband's flatulence. 7:00 AM, peed and changed menstrual pad. 7:02 AM, began bowel movement. 7:10 AM, completed bowel movement. 7:12 AM, turned on shower. 7:13 AM, tested water temperature with hand. You get the idea. Apparently the CEO called her on her cell phone and berated her for sending such a detailed timesheet. Tina reminded her that she had requested her entire day down to the minute,
    via u/aikdxz
  • 08
    Font - Finally, my turn. My job was in IT and most of my work was as a database administrator, but I often helped with other tech problems. One morning, the CEO called me repeatedly at 2 AM. My phone settings have it so that if I miss five calls in a row from the same person, the do not disturb mode is turned off and the phone rings. I see who it is, silence my phone, and refuse to answer. At 6 AM, she calls again. Again, I refuse to answer. 7 AM, refuse to answer. 8 AM, refuse to answer. Finall
    via u/aikdxz
  • 09
    Font - "Loud sigh Can I help with you something?" I asked, not even trying to hide my irritation. I literally rubbed my temples and slurped on my coffee loudly. "You didn't answer my question" "And I'm not going to. I was off the clock at the time you called" "You're salaried, right? That means it doesn't matter if you work 100 hours or 1 hour, you get paid the same. So I expect you to be available when I need you" "What do you need?" "I need you to reset all of our company usernames and passwor
    via u/aikdxz
  • 10
    Font - At the same time, Louise texts me that she is being let go. So I read the company handbook and make a copy of the page that says the IT person must update the usernames and passwords and give the information to the COO. I changed all of the usernames and passwords to everything, from social media accounts to bank accounts to QuickBooks and emails. I send the usernames and passwords in an encrypted email to Louise and then send the CEO my two week notice. Two weeks go by. It's the last hou
    via u/aikdxz
  • 11
    Font - The very next day, on Saturday, the CEO calls me repeatedly. Finally, she leaves me a long and howling voicemail to say what I did was unprofessional and she would make sure my reputation suffered and I would never work in that industry again. I wait until Monday to call her back. "Hey, CEO, I saw you called?" "I need the usernames and passwords to everything!" "I'm sorry, but I don't work there anymore. You will have to contact your IT person to help with that" "You are the IT person!"
    via u/aikdxz
  • 12
    Font - "No, I was the IT person. Now I'm a private consultant and I would be happy to provide my services at a rate of $100 an hour" "You changed all the usernames and passwords and didn't provide them to me!" "Correct. Per company policy, when an employee leaves the organization, the IT person is supposed to update everything and send the new info to the COO. I was leaving, so I updated everything. I provided all the usernames and passwords to Louise" "You knew she was quitting too! Why would y
    via u/aikdxz
  • 13
    Font - "Because the company policy says to transfer the new username and passwords to the COO, not the CEO. Louise was the COO when I left" Caught in her own bureaucracy, she then had to spend weeks trying to gain access to all of the company accounts.
    via u/aikdxz
  • 14
    Font - On Louise's and my last day, Tina and another employee quit. Another person announced her retirement. Once the five of us were gone, we were followed by several other employees. In total, 11 people on the 14 person staff quit within a few weeks. The best part? I got a new job making the same amount I did at the sty non profit, but part time in a government position and with full time benefits. So much for my reputation suffering! I stayed in touch with one of the employees who stayed behi
    via u/aikdxz
  • 15
    Font - Anyway, I'm bored in the hospital and started going through old texts. Stumbled on our old group chat and had a good chuckle. Thought you all might find it humorous too. Names obviously changed.
    via u/aikdxz
  • 16
    Font - b3_yourself I've been reading these all day, and I've found one common denominator: never pi off IT people lol
    via u/b3_yourself
  • 17
    Font - [deleted] How does the non profits board not see the CEO as a problem. Fun mc tho! 305 Reply Share aikdxz OP It was a small community health organization that served a specific population. The board was primarily people with the health condition or had a family member with the condition.
    via u/deleted
  • 18
    Font - Varnigma I had a boss call me like that once at night. I'm a DBA as well. I didn't answer. She had the nerve to ask me on a team conf call the next day why I didn't answer. I said it was none of her business. She never called again outside business hours.
    via u/Varnigma
  • 19
    Font - babyfootbandit This is legendary pettiness.
    via u/babyfootbandit
  • 20
    Font - MillennialPolytropos. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear prom dresses. ↑ 109 aikdxz OP Reply Share Lol! I totally took a screenshot of this and sent it to her. I also sent her this post and she's cracking up. She doesn't have Reddit, so she can't comment, but she's reading everything on her computer.
    via u/MillennialPolytropos
  • 21
    Font - BodaciousVermin +2. Keep in contact with the old COO. She'll give you a good reference from that office, if you need one in the future.
    via u/BodaciousVermin
  • 22
    Font - aikdxz OP Yes! We were each other's references for the jobs we have now. She's doing great, she got a director position at largest hospital system in our area. I absolutely adored her as a coworker. We're too different politically to be friends outside of the office, but I truly respect her professionalism and leadership. She is the one who inspired me to do the username and password thing, so she was definitely a MC trendsetter!
    via u/aikdxz
  • 23
    Font - CoderJoe1 +3 Does CEO stand for Chief Evil Officer at that company? 97 aikdxz OP Reply Share In all honesty, I wish her the best. Hurt people hurt people. She must be in a lot of pain because she projects a lot of pain onto others. I tried not to take her attacks personally, because they were never about me. They were a reflection of what she felt about herself, and if I've learned anything in my short time on earth, it's that the
    via u/CoderJoe1
  • 24
    Font - things we say to and about ourselves are often untrue. Underneath all that nastiness is someone who just wants to be loved. I hope one day she is able to get the help she needs and embrace her authentic self. 246 Reply Share
    via u/CoderJoe1
  • 25
    Rectangle - BoredBSEE +1 Wonderful. You had my upvote at the blue formal dress already. The rest is delightful overkill.
    via u/BoredBSEE
  • 26
    Font - aikdxz OP It was Louise and Tina who inspired me to do the username and password thing. Louise and I still stay in contact, she is a total bad After quitting, she got a director level position at one of the largest hospitals in our area, so she's doing just fine. Tina and I lost touch, but last I heard, she was going back to grad school for her master's in behavioral psychology. Both of them are some of the fiercest women I know.
    via u/aikdxz

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Tags

boss professional toxic-workplace coworkers ceo formal toxic-boss Office workplace Horrible Bosses prom team toxic-work-environment
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