'His old workplace suddenly had a lot of vacancies': Construction CEO replaces company leader for his work performance, leader poaches CEO's employees for his own new business

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Sep 30, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

Never assume, always make certain. Otherwise you might find yourself in the same situation that this boss did. 

There's a pernicious assumption that people who speak English as a second language aren't as smart as everyone else. There have been studies showing that people think this way about ESL folks. But in reality, speaking multiple languages shows that you're really bright. After all, if you aren't speaking in your first language, you kind of have to translate everything people are saying to you in real time. Then you also have to translate your own response. This can be completely exhausting to do all the time. And then people also want to think you're not smart because of the way you speak? It's frustrating to say the least. 

This guy's dad had a great story about his own malicious compliance. The OP, u/semiTnuP, writes that their dad was a hard worker who spoke English and almost no Italian, but his boss spoke only Italian and couldn't speak much English. You can already see where the issues arise, right? Scroll down to read about the way this story played out---and see who you think is in the right here. 

Next, this customer had a few choice words for the blanket maker they tried to commission. 

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  • 01
    Plant - 'He didn't always understand boss wanted him to do, he just focused on the reason he was hired' what the
    via Mark Potterton on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - That Time A Boss Killed His Own Company M OC This is my dad's story, but he's not into Reddit.
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 03
    Font - My dad is a hard worker. This happened about 15 years ago. Worked for a company that fixed and rented heavy equipment (backhoes, scissor lifts, steamrollers, forklifts, etc.) His boss (the CEO of the company, whom he reported to directly) was a middle aged Italian guy whose grasp of English was tenuous at best. He understood what people were saying, but had trouble communicating his own intentions back clearly. On the other hand,
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 04
    Font - my dad had zero grasp of Italian but spoke perfect English. However, he was a solid mechanic who would go on to make the machine bay of this company something approaching a Sherman production line a la 1943. St. Got. Done. And, even though he didn't always understand what the boss wanted him to do, he just focused on the reason he was hired: manage the repair bay, hire new mechanics, train new hires and off-site 'on-call' repairs.
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 05
    Font - Well, boss guy gets it in his head that my dad is going to 'replace' him as the leader of the company (because he's much better liked, speaks perfect English in an English speaking country and has basically all the department heads coming to him for help, even though he's technically only in charge of the repair bay.) And so,
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 06
    Font - he calls my dad in, chews him out (we think, it was mostly Italian so my dad wasn't picking up on it, but the tone indicated as much) and manages to communicate that he's being fired for 'poor work performance.'
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 07
    Font - And my dad just smiles, shakes the guy's hand and leaves. And, thanks to his less than firm grasp on both the English language and business law, the boss guy just sent him on his way with his last paycheck and nothing else. So my dad started his own business. In the heavy equipment mechanic market. And,
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 08
    Font - after telling all his old work buddies about the situation, suddenly got a bunch of new hires. And his old workplace suddenly had a lot of vacancies that the Boss had no idea how to fill (because the guy he'd hired to do that had just been fired.) He went under about 6 months later.
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 09
    Plant - Sometimes, my dad drives past where the old shop was (on his way to a call.) When he does, he just laughs and laughs.
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 10
    Font - TLDR: A paranoid boss fired my dad because he was afraid my dad was muscling him out. My dad left and went on to create a successful rival business as a heavy mechanic repairman (and heavy equipment instructor.) His old job was shut down 6 months later.
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 11
    Font - Edit: For everyone who's been saying 'this isn't malicious compliance,' here's why I think it is: When my dad was brought into the office, he knew right away that he was getting fired and he knew right away what the h he was being fired for. Of course, the boss didn't say that the reason he was
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 12
    Font - firing my dad was because he was feeling threatened by my dad's popularity and work ethic. Instead he just blustered through my dad's 'poor work performance' and fed him a line of bulls about how 'he'd put up with it for a long time but enough was enough.'
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 13
    Font - And my dad thought about taking him to court. But then, as he tells it, a bolt of lightning came down from on high and he just reached out and shook his boss' hand. He knew that if he took the as court, he might get money out of him (almost certainly would have) but his boss would have had time to think about things and try to force a non compete contract to
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 14
    Font - down his throat. By just resigning immediately, he knew his ex-boss would never even think of it until it was too late. And he double-timed it putting in paperwork to get his new company off the ground before ex-boss COULD think of it.
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 15
    Font - So maybe I didn't explain details and motivations clearly enough but, based on how my dad told the story, I think it definitely fits into Malicious Compliance.
    via u/semiTnuP
  • 16
    Font - Desert_Fairy The most humbling truth of business is that you will create your own destruction. A toxic workplace will spawn your competition, and poor services will drive your customers to the other guy.
    via u/Desert_Fairy
  • 17
    Font - [deleted] Dad, what do you do whenever you're feeling down? Dad: well, there's this place i drive by...
    via u/deleted
  • 18
    Font - changerchange Lesson learned: Treat your staff with respect. Don't let your insecurity ruin your life.
    via u/changerchange

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boss workplace-stories jobs job malicious compliance bosses work coworkers malicious-compliance-reddit construction workplace bad bosses
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