'My employers want everything without having to pay for it': Karen coworker shames employee for quiet quitting, employee claps back

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 3, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

There's always that coworker who throws shade at everyone else for having boundaries at work. Let's be real: they are often from coworkers who are jealous of your ability to separate work and life. Perhaps they are envious of your generation or your ability to get work done without letting it consume you. Regardless of what the reason is, these terrible coworkers have absolutely no right to talk smack about you and to shame you for your approach to the workplace.

 

That's what happened to this Redditor when their Karen coworker, who was in her sixties but who wasn't their boss or manager in any capacity, decided to come for them. First, she shamed them for going to the bathroom too frequently; little did she know, OP has a condition that requires lots of hydration (and therefore, frequent bathroom trips) and HR is already fully aware. Secondly, Karen shamed OP for taking breaks in the morning and afternoon; these are breaks that are explicitly allowed to be taken in OP's contract. It is not OP's fault that Karen chooses to work through those breaks. Finally, there was the comment about OP never goes "above and beyond." Give me a break! Unless OP is getting paid to go above and beyond, they are by no means required to do so.

 

Keep scrolling below to see what OP said in response and to see the reactions from folks in the comments section. When you're finished, check out this story about a guy who got himself kicked out of a mass group interview.

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  • 01
    Sleeve - "Karen recently told me [...] she does not like me because I am not a "particularly hard worker." spher
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  • 02
    Font - Was recently told by Karen that I am not a "particularly hard worker"... Karen recently told me in a verbal confrontation that she does not like me because I am not a "particularly hard worker." When I asked her why she felt this way, she told me that it was because I was "never at my desk" and "took a break in the morning and afternoon" on top of lunch.
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  • 03
    Font - For the record, the "never being at my desk" is referring to the several times a day I get up to go to the bathroom. I have IBS and a medical condition that requires I drink more than a gallon of water per day. HR has paperwork that tells them this and I have an ADA accommodation for it. Apparently it's acceptable for people to take multiple smoke breaks a day, but if you have to use the bathroom....someone call the FBI because that's a felony apparently.
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  • 04
    Font - I also pointed out that the morning and afternoon 15 minute break I take at my desk or to get up and walk around are allowed in company policy. She then told me that the other people in the office never take those breaks. I asked her if they even knew they had the option? I also told her that if they choose to not use them, that's on them and me not working through the break time I'm given is also my choice. That doesn't make me a bad employee...I'm using the time I'm allowed to take.
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  • 05
    Font - She told me I also don't go "above and beyond" my role and it makes me look lazy. What she means is that when we have the option to do work for another department and I often opt not to do that work...because I am not paid any more for it. If I am told I don't have a choice and it's an "order" from management, I'll begrudgingly do it. If the choice is there...the answer is no. Going out of my way at this company to do extra for free never gets me anything but asked to do more extra work f
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  • 06
    Font - Also got called out by her because I don't ever come in early to set up, and I am already packed up and ready to walk out the door at the exact second the clock hits end of day. I told her I don't get paid to come in early and read emails and get logged in. If I am not paid to be there, I am not going to do it.
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  • 07
    Font - For the record, this lady is in her 60s and not a manager to me or anyone in my department....she told me "your generation wants everything without having to work for it." I told her no...my employers want everything without having to pay for it.... It's wild to me that someone can shun a person for using the legal regulations allotted them.
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  • 08
    Font - vpblackheart 12 hr. ago I worked with someone like that. After her commenting on how I would slide in my desk chair without a second to spare, I decided to eff with her.
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  • 09
    Font - We needed to be at work at 7:45am. The next day, I was there 30 minutes early. I slowly began coming in later and later until I discovered the sweet spot. It was 7 minutes.
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  • 10
    Font - The rest of the time I worked with her, I arrived 2 minutes ahead of her. I started saying things like, "oh, I wondered if you were sick today", "I thought maybe you had the day off". The look on her face!
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  • 11
    Font - It was worth arriving 9 minutes early to work. I just put on my headphones before she walked into our area. "OH, I didn't see you. When did you get here?" Still makes me laugh. 3.3k Reply Share
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  • 12
    Font - ambientsubversion. 13 hr. ago So what I take away from this conversation is that she harassed you about your medical condition... 1.3k Reply Share
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  • 13
    Font - According-Sugar-520 OP 13 hr. ago There was more said on these issues but I do not want to risk giving details that may cause someone to see this and know where it is/who I am....coworkers are vicious sometimes. Maybe I'll make a different post about it later XD 504 Reply Share
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  • 14
    Font - hobo122 11 hr. ago "Im sorry that you are unable to complete your work within the hours that you are paid. Maybe if you spent less time watching other employees, then you would be able to stay focused on your work and complete it within a timely manner." 334 Reply Share
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  • 15
    Font - Quind1 12 hr. ago If she's working, then why is she playing hall monitor? Shouldn't she have other things to do? Having health issues like that sucks, so you have my sympathy. 205 д Reply Share
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  • 16
    Font - DragonflyWide5234 13 hr. ago I had a similar problem with IBS, HR lady used to follow me into the bathroom and wait, I assume to make sure I was and not texting (I was doing both) I helped the company land a >1 mill contract but I supposedly wasn't productive because I went into the bathroom too many times per day lol. 187 Reply Share
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  • 17
    Font - PercentageLess6648. 12 hr. ago Harassing about a medical condition aside, she's also hardcore projecting on you what she think is working hard which seems to be.. suffering? She just wants you to suffer more because she feels she chooses to. 145 Reply Share
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  • 18
    Font - DodGamnBunofaSitch. 13 hr. ago her generation fought for protections for labor, and she's single- handedly trying to turn back the clock. 48⁹ Reply Share
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  • 19
    Font - EchoOffTheSky. 10 hr. ago "My employers want everything without having to pay for it". Best saying I have seen this year 77 ↓ Reply Share
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terrible coworkers ok boomer karens workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job work coworkers karens in the wild reddit thread Reddit karen toxic-work-environment
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