'Guess who got in trouble? Not me': Micromanaging boss makes employee sign form to only complete specific tasks, plan backfires

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 2, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

It turns out that when you have a boss who is constantly looking over your shoulder, it can go badly for everyone involved. We all know what that feeling is like: you feel like you're being watched all the time, like your boss is just waiting for the moment you slip up so they can fire you. In short, it's not a great feeling, and just as you'd expect, it's not a good use of time for your boss or for your company.

 

That's what this supervisor learned the hard way. Their employee, who shared this thread via Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit, wad forced to sign a form stating that they would only complete tasks deliberately given by their supervisor. Clearly, the supervisor had it out for the employee and somehow thought that OP was after her job. Well, when the supervisor went off the grid for a two-week vacation, OP wasn't given consent to complete certain tasks, and well, you can guess what happened next…

 

The company suffered for it, and just when it looked like OP was going to take the fall for it all, OP produced that document drafted by the supervisor proving that they had done (or not done) exactly what was asked of them. Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions.

 

For more, check out this post about a nepo-hire Karen boss!

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  • 01
    Font - "Okay, if you say so!" The W AB wed
    via Arisa Chattasa
  • 02
    Font - Okay, if you say so S OC Back in the olden days I had a supervisor who spent her time trying to get me in trouble. For some reason she got it in her head that I was after her job.
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 03
    Font - I come in one day and am told that from now on I am to do ONLY the tasks she tells me to do. Then she has me sign a form stating that I understand that I am NOT to do specific daily task until she tells me otherwise. I know she did it only to see how I would act/react. Up until then, there were absolutely no issues with the way/when tasks were being completed. Okay...no problem. While this work could be skipped for a day or two, if it wasn't done by day 3 it would start to affect everythi
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 04
    Font - At the end of the day she leaves for a 2 week vacation, without telling me to complete the work. So guess what I did (actually what I didn't do)? That's right... That daily task sat and sat and sat. Because I was the only one trained on how to do it and it wasn't being done, many other tasks couldn't be completed either and we fell further and further behind. This was way before cell phones so no one could reach her while she was gone.
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 05
    Font - When she finally came back, the poop hit the fan. She tried to go to the higher ups to get me fired, so I pulled out my copy of the form I signed. Guess who got in trouble? Not me. In fact, that form got torn up and removed from my file. After that, I went back to doing things the way they had been done before.
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 06
    Font - The rest of the time I worked there she would spend her days watching me through the crack in the door and trying to catch me doing something wrong. As far as I know she's probably still on the hunt 30+ years later. lol
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 07
    Rectangle - EnvironmentalNet3560 18 hr. ago What a f dork supervisor you had. Glad it turned out okay for ya
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 08
    Human body - swervencrash 18 hr. ago Ur telling me she didn't get fired??????
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 09
    Font - Vigilante-Nerd 16 hr. ago How delightful it mustve been having no mobiles for your employer to reach and harass you at anytime.
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 10
    Font - Danielwols 17 hr. ago There probably will be a self-fulfilling prophecy being completed in a few years because she is being petty to you and probably others as well
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 11
    Font - StinkyFeet205 OP. 17 hr. ago Karma has already hit her a few times that I know of.
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 12
    Font - john1888888 16 hr. ago If she's still there and a supervisor, karma didn't do anything.
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 13
    Font - llama_fresh 16 hr. ago As far as I know she's probably still on the hunt 30+ years later. I sure am, you'll slip up one of these days! shakes fist
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 14
    Font - Owain-X 14 hr. ago In fact, that form got torn up and removed from my file. FYI - The EEOC requires employers maintain personnel records for a term of no less than one year. Tearing this up wasn't a win, it was your employer destroying evidence so if they wanted to they could still go back and fire you for following this directive and there would be no evidence that you were following direct instruction.
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 15
    Rectangle - StinkyFeet205 OP. 14 hr. ago They took it out of my employee file, but I kept my copy.
    via u/StinkyFeet205
  • 16
    Font - +2.15 hr. ago Zoreb1 She checks for you under her bed and in her closet before going to sleep.
    via u/StinkyFeet205

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job fired manager Reddit work supervisor work stories petty revenge malicious compliance reddit thread toxic-workplace toxic-boss toxic-work-environment workplace-stories
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