'Why wasn't I at my desk? I'll tell you why': Karen Boss asks where employee went after berating her, employee CC's all of HR in her response

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jul 15, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

Here's a great reminder to be careful what you say out loud at work. It shouldn't matter if you are the lowest-level employee at your company or the CEO, but regrettable words will undoubtedly be held against you, especially if you are already widely disliked by your department. 

 

That's exactly what happened to this Karen boss, who frequently berated her employees, one of whom shared this post on Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit. She would always complete what her Karen boss asked of her, albeit with a little sass that she attributes to being in her twenties at the time. When the employee was five months pregnant, Karen asked her to do something and OP said she was on it but added a slightly sassy "whatever." This prompted Karen to mutter something under her breath that OP and a fellow coworker heard.

 

We'll let you scroll below to see exactly what was uttered, but let's just say that OP was understandably upset. She cooled off at employee healthcare (they worked at a hospital). Once she returned to her desk, she saw a number of emails from Karen asking why she hadn't been at her desk. That's when OP decided to reveal that she heard exactly what Karen said about her… but not just to Karen. She also let all of HR and Karen's bosses know as well.

 

Keep scrolling below to learn what happened next. For more stories like this, check out this post about a coworker's parking fiasco. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Computer - "I made sure I BCC'd her buddy in HR and ALL of HR, her boss, and his boss to make sure everyone saw it." NCING
    via Austin Distel
  • 02
    Font - Why wasn't I at my desk? I'll tell you why... M OC About 15 years ago I worked in a large hospital for kids in the maintenance department. Our manager, let's call her Karen, was a major . No one on our team liked her and we outwardly showed no respect for her after her constant harassment towards us in the 2 years she worked there.
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 03
    Font - She would call us on the maintenence radios and be rude or tell the guys they were being incompetent. It was beyond micromanagement but also rude on top of it. She expected the maintenance guys to come do work at her house for free. Or would tell some of the hospital vendors she would guarantee the hospital contract if they did work at her house for cheap. She used to brag about this to me. Karen and I were the only women in our department of about 25 people.
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 04
    Font - I was a mouthy 20 something year old and didn't care for her attitude and regularly would say "yeah, sure, whatever" when she asked me to do things. I would do what she asked because it was my job but I would have made a noncommittal remark like that.
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 05
    Font - One time she asked me to come to her house and help her pull down dead trees in her backyard since she was having a pool installed. I said no, mainly cause I wouldnt do it for someone I liked let alone her and pretty soon after she started treating me even worse than she did before. She had been trying to get me in trouble since then. Such as CCing her buddy in HR on emails to me asking for status on projects that I was working on and wanted my replies in writing.
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 06
    Font - Fast forward 6 months later. Me and one of the maintenance guys were chatting in the office and I was 5 months pregnant with my first baby. She asked me to do something, I don't remember what, and I said "Yeah. Whatever, sure. I'll do that in a few mins." And I turn back around to talk to my coworker. She is standing behind me and I hear her whisper "I wish I could slap the out of you." I can see my coworker saw her say it too and I made no comment but I was shocked. I acted like I didn't
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 07
    Font - I get up and walk down the hall to employee health dept cause I am fuming and my heart was racing. Pissed. Also 5 months pregnant. The EH nurse has me lay down for a bit, take my vitals, write up a formal report. And hour later send me back to my desk as ok to continue working.
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 08
    Font - When I log back in I see an email from Karen, with HR cc'd asking where I had been for the last hour as she called the office phone a bunch of times and had abandoned my desk.
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 09
    Font - So I emailed her back.."I apologize for being away from my desk. When you said you'd like to slap the out of me' I was so upset I had to be calmed down and have mine and my baby's vitals checked at Employee healthand they were concerned about my hostile working environment and wanted me to stay there for the full hour." I made sure I BCC'd her buddy in HR and ALL of HR, her boss and his boss to make sure everyone saw it.
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 10
    Font - I was summoned to HR about 30 mins later. I knew Karen hadn't seen my reply yet, this was early 2000s and her computer was down in the office near me. They had me go home for the day and put me on admin leave for 3 extra days. I came back to the office to see her desk had been emptied out and we never saw her again. Those guys in maintenance threw me the best baby shower ever 3 months later.
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 11
    Font - Annonymouse211 Magnificent; well done! I'm glad they canned her without you there. I bet she was not a happy camper. 3.0k Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 12
    Font - SeanBZA +3. Bet they asked around, and all told them about incidents that her friend at HR had hidden. 쇼 1.4k Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 13
    Font - Jumpy- Conclusion4633 OP. A lot came out at that HR meeting. And I sure did tell them all the things she bragged about. Every single coworker backed me up too. 1.8k Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 14
    Rectangle - Extreme-Breakfast885 Moral of the story: People shouldn't say things they don't want heard 1.0k B Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 15
    Font - SirDianthus. now if only i could get my mouth to slow down long enough for my brain to intercept things that i really shouldnt say 305 Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 16
    Rectangle - LordValcron. This was fun to read, well played! 406 Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 17
    Rectangle - Cloud9 Forest. Baby shower thrown by the boys??? YEAHHH!!!! 325 Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 18
    Font - Jumpy-Conclusion4633 ОР. It was amazing and a total surprise. They invited all the admin and support services from all around the hospital to celebrate. They had balloons and chairs set up at the front of the room and I was flanked by all those lovely men. They all oohed and ahhed at every gift I received. Golf clapped. And had a lovely little table of baby goodies. They were very sweet and very appreciative that the witch was gone. 500 Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 19
    Font - Dr-Emmett_L_Brown. I really admire the ability to stay cool and collected in situations like this. It's so difficult but highly admirable. It is the only power we have to maintain control. Brava OP. 81 Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633
  • 20
    Font - ▸ [deleted] Kudos on teaching her a (hopefully) valuable lesson. 4 75 Reply Share
    via u/Jumpy-Conclusion4633

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

karens baby employee malicious compliance hospital Office human resources karens in the wild entitled pregnant reddit thread Reddit karen entitled people
Scroll Down For The Next Article