'I [...] thought it would be more fun to comply': Supervisor insists on making employees submit requests for mandatory training programs, employee maliciously complies

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Oct 10, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

When your bosses change policies in such a way that results in them being overwhelmed with more and more paperwork, you can't help but think that they brought it on themselves. Furthermore, you should not necessarily feel bad if you decide to follow their rules, knowing it will make their lives more difficult. After all, they were the ones who insisted on the policy change. They were the ones who didn't have the intellect to foresee how this would only make things worse. 

This employee and their team were asked to submit requests for permission to take state-mandated training programs because their overbearing supervisor wanted to limit their time away from work despite the fact that she had absolutely no power to stop them. Again, these were state-mandated courses. Most of the Redditor's coworkers ignored the demands, but OP decided to comply in such a way that would prove to their boss that this was a horrible idea. Let's just say that the plot worked.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions in the comments section. For more, check out this post about a guy who rage quit during the interview process.

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  • 01
    Hood - "You want to be in control? Fine!"
    via Bernd Klutsch
  • 02
    Font - You want to be in control? Fine! SOC Years ago, I worked for a public institution, where the supervisor was a total control freak. She was hardly able to delegate the most mundane tasks - and even when she did, she would monitor what her n°2 was doing and give him O if he dared to call a shot himself.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 03
    Font - Now, in my field, BY LAW everybody needs to follow 48 hours of mandatory continued training per 3 year span. The state offers a wide selection of different trainings you're free to pick from. If you need to get your training from any other agency and/or private company, you need a permission from your supervisor.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 04
    Font - Now my former supervisor thought that some of these trainings were frivolous - like yoga classes (meant to prevent burn- out) or first aids trainings (which according to her, you should/could do on your own time), so she decided that ALL trainings needed to be green-lighted by herself (which was obviously against the law). Most colleagues decided to ignore that order, since it was illegal - and we can't be written up or otherwise disciplined for not following an illegal order.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 05
    Font - I on the other hand thought it would be more fun to comply. So I designed a permission form, where I could copy-paste all information from the online curriculum within seconds and checked the training offer. I picked quite a number of 2-hours- trainings and introduced a form for each one of them - plus I sent my form out to all the colleagues (around 175 of them), to make asking for permission easier for them. Quite many picked up on the idea and introduced my form for their trainings as
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 06
    Font - We were quite quickly back to being allowed to follow any of the state's trainings freely.... ===Disclaimer: Not a native speaker!
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 07
    Font - Plinted 1991-076 · 3 hr. ago Wow, that sounds like a genius way to tackle a control-freak supervisor! The power of collaboration and uniting against unfair restrictions is truly impressive.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 08
    Font - camelslikesand 2 hr. ago It's almost like collective action could create better working conditions. Crazy talk
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 09
    Font - wotmate 3 hr. ago It's a pity that you didn't deliberately pick training that you knew she would deny, just so you could go over her head and report her for breaking the law.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 10
    Hat - CLAGE929 OP · 2 hr. ago I had indeed planned on exactly that - but unfortunately at that precise point, there wasn't a yoga course scheduled!
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 11
    Font - blackav3nger 2 hr. ago While I think that this was definitely malicious, I was indeed thinking that was going to be the very delicious outcome, I find myself a bit disappointed that your supervisor didn't break the law and get removed from the situation.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 12
    Font - CLAGE929 OP. 30 min. ago Even if I could have reported her to her superiors for violating said law, she probably wouldn't have been removed, since she was known for rubbing shoulders with those in the highest positions. She even got away with only a hearing after harassing a disabled colleague whom she didn't like.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 13
    Font - lapsteelguitar. 2 hr. ago You complied with both the law and your idiot boss. All at once. That's pretty much genius level.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 14
    Font - quemvidistis 1 hr. ago Excellent! Throwing the natural consequences of her own bad rules back in her face! And, assuming that this was an online form, no trees would have been harmed in the production of this MC, although a few electrons may have been inconvenienced.
    via u/CLAGE929
  • 15
    Human body - Dear-Ad9314 - 3 min. ago Good call - nicely executed
    via u/CLAGE929

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workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job malicious compliance work malicious-compliance-reddit reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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