'Sorry boss, that's a managers job': Boss tells employee not to take on extra work, employee maliciously complies and boss's incompetence starts to show

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 4, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

Sometimes, bosses become so reliant on their employees' contributions that they don't even recognize how hopeless they'd be without them. This boss clearly became threatened by how much extra work her employee was taking on regularly, so the two had a meeting where the boss told the employee not to take on any manager's responsibilities. Normally, this would actually be great advice. There is no need for an employee to work that hard and not get paid extra for it. However, that's not exactly why the boss wanted to have this conversation. It's not like she had her employee's best interests at heart. Instead, she just didn't want it to seem like the employee provided more value to the company than she did because her manager was starting to notice things. 

 

Well, it turns out that this meeting was not the best way of resolving the issue. The employee, who shared their side of the story via this thread on Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit, started to follow their boss's orders. Pretty soon, their boss had to keep asking them to do a few extra tasks, to which the employee would always reply that they couldn't take on any manager's duties. Eventually, the boss's manager became more and more clued in on this woman's incompetence and started to investigate their role at the company. Meanwhile, the employee ultimately moved on to bigger and better opportunities.

 

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions in the comments section. When you're finished, feel free to check out this post about an employee who was fired for being "too expensive."

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  • 01
    Font - "Boss tells me I'm not a manager so I stopped doing her job"
    via Charles Deluvio
  • 02
    Font - r/r/MaliciousCompliance Posted by u/more-input : 2 89 711 6 310 6 Boss tells me I'm not a manager so I stopped doing her job M ос D For background: I work in mental health and substance use services I have worked in my job for a long time now. My boss is never available for help and hardly on site. Recently she has got a new manager who is not impressed with her work ethic, but then lock down happened and he had to shield, she has gone straight back to her old ways. Boss will often ask me
    via u/more-input
  • 03
    Font - I had a meeting with my boss after an incident at work where someone tried to told my boss I didn't feel supported by her after it had happened as she wasn't present and didn't manage it well afterwards. me, I In the middle of the meeting boss says perhaps you want to consider some easier work in a different department?
    via u/more-input
  • 04
    Font - Me: what, why? Boss: Well you do take on a lot of extra work that you don't need to a lot of this work is managers jobs. Maybe you need to learn to say no to taking on all this work?
    via u/more-input
  • 05
    Font - I asked if there was something wrong with my standard of work, if she had concerns etc. and she says no. 3 months down the line 4 of the team leave and they get new people in. Boss: Oh OP can you induct new starters on their first day? Me: Sorry boss, that's a managers job
    via u/more-input
  • 06
    Font - Boss: Can you complete Fire risk assessment? Me: Sorry boss that's a managers job. After a while she stops asking me things, then one day she's working from home, I'm pretty sure she has been telling her manager she's on site throughout lock down but mostly isn't Huge incident kicks off with residents, emergency services are called etc. I call boss and explain to her what happened
    via u/more-input
  • 07
    Font - Boss: OP can you please do follow up with, commissioning body, staff and residents involved and write the report send it all directly to me please? Me: Sorry boss you will need to come in to manage this, I'm not a manager, that's not my job. Boss: Just this once please? I refused to manage the incident,
    via u/more-input
  • 08
    Font - turned out she was visiting a friend who lived at the coast whilst she was meant to be on site! Someone accidentally let slip to her manager when he called in the incident and there was no one to manage, he asked me to deal with the incident.
    via u/more-input
  • 09
    Font - I explained I couldn't and that boss had reported me as taking on to much work to OH. A full investigation has been launched into her conduct and ability to do her job. Manager now talks to me directly and supervises me, he is helping me apply for a promotion Boss is on 'leave, pending investigation'
    via u/more-input
  • 10
    Font - Edited to show difference between my boss and manager for those finding it hard to read, also sorry if this is not enough for people, my grammar has always been an area I struggle in.
    via u/more-input
  • 11
    Font - Edit again to answer people who ask why I would do bosses work in the first place? The residents still deserve support and to be given the best chances, if I can make that easier for them by taking on extra work I will. There is enough going on for people who come to us they don't need things being messed up because others don't want to do their jobs.
    via u/more-input
  • 12
    Font - Edit again: Thank you everyone for the awards, I didn't expect this to gain any real attention, I just wanted a place to share.
    via u/more-input
  • 13
    Font - All the people who have worked in these services. You are all awesome people, thank you for sharing and all the work you do. I don't think you can ever hear that enough. Everyone who has used services - you guys are great too, remember take everything one day at a time, and be super proud of yourselves every day. Don't be afraid to ask for support there are lots of people who care out there for you.
    via u/more-input
  • 14
    Font - For people asking yes I now have a mangers job in a new service which I am helping to create, my ex manager went sick for several weeks and hasn't returned since.
    via u/more-input
  • 15
    Font - c0y0t3_sly What's funniest about this to me is that from a competent boss that IS good advice they don't need or want you doing their job, and they should be managing the extra tasks you take on not for their benefit primarily but limiting it so that you're doing the things that help your professional growth and interests if and where that's appropriate. 3.4k Reply Share
    via u/more-input
  • 16
    Font - more-input OP. This is very true and I am absolutely OK with someone looking out for my best interests, my issue lays in that boss has been getting stick for her work and I think there has been given feedback to her boss about how much I do from colleagues and other agencies we work with which I guess has filtered down, hence trying to put down my work. 1.0k Reply Share
    via u/more-input
  • 17
    Font - lorddodgeA03. Sweet buttery justice 1.6k Reply Share
    via u/more-input
  • 18
    Font - Vampire_Darling. Oof, that's what she gets. What was she thinking? "Oh this person is taking on my work for me, let's belittle them and tell them to take less work, because I at defending my literal life savior (mvp)! Wait why do I have to do work now? OPPPPPPPPP, HEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPPP P! I wasn't doing my job and now your not doing it, please help me not lose my job I shouldn't have because I don't work! Oh no I'm far away from my job I'm supposed to be onsite for, please fix my up?"
    via u/more-input
  • 19
    Font - Seriously, don't commit two crimes at once. Don't not do work and then go who knows how far away from your job, that YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ONSITE FOR! That's sheer stupidity at its finest.
    via u/more-input
  • 20
    Font - Edit: One FREAKING HOUR and I get the most amount of karma I've ever gotten from a comment. I'm not complaining but still! How?! Anyways thank you for the Karma it makes my profile look better, lol. 1.1k Reply Share
    via u/more-input
  • 21
    Font - InternationalRide5 Someone accidentally let slip to her boss when he called Who could that have been? 363 Reply Share
    via u/more-input

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boss workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace manager malicious compliance work i quit toxic-boss workplace reddit thread Reddit quitting toxic-work-environment
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