'I don't have to answer your calls, but you have to answer mine': Employee gets punished for missing a non-urgent phone call from his boss, points out the hypocrisy of the boss's policy

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Oct 28, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

Bosses tend to think that the rest of the workforce is contractually obliged to bow down at their feet. Whether it's the fancy suits or the overly dressy shoes, anyone in a position of power over their subjugates feels entitled to a certain level of respect in the workplace– even if they haven't earned it. Old school types will still argue that hard-work earns the people's respect, but a nepo-baby boss or a CEO-type expects the royal treatment entirely based on their status or title, nothing else. 

But when company policy is established by one of these arrogant types, they tend to forget to include themselves in 'mandatory' activities. And u/warrenomaha, a banker at a very busy bank, realized exactly how openly hypocritical his boss was willing to be in order to maintain his asinine expectation. Scroll down to read about the insolence of C-level bosses when it comes to hypocrisy and enjoy this employee's response to it. For more workplace beef, check out this tale of a blue-collar janitor who pwns his boss from upstairs with some solidly sassy malicious compliance. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/antiwork Posted by u/warrenomaha 7 hours ago Boss: "As your boss, I don't have to answer your calls. But you do have to answer mine."
    via u/warrenomaha
  • 02
    Font - Banker here. Today this gem of a line came my way. While I was knee-deep in the onboarding meeting with the new co- worker, my boss seemed to be trying to reach me on my work phone, but I didn't notice. Later
    via u/warrenomaha
  • 03
    Font - he told me that he just wanted to inform me about a buffet downstairs on the ground floor, so not anything even remotely serious. Then he drops the line, 'Keep your phone in sight at all times.' When I pointed out to
    via u/warrenomaha
  • 04
    Font - him that I had tried reaching him on the work phone several times in the past as well, and he never answered, he responded with the explanation that he had been in meetings during those instances. I countered by
    via u/warrenomaha
  • 05
    Font - saying that I'd been in the same situation today. Then, he delivered this exquisite comeback that he didn't have to pick up his phone, but as his subordinate, I certainly did. What a logic, dude!
    via u/warrenomaha
  • 06
    Smile - Fixerguy415 5 hr. ago "Respect is earned, not owed. Show respect, get respect.'
    via u/Fixerguy415
  • 07
    Rectangle - heyitscory 18 hr. ago With this boss: "You will respect my authoritah or I will deny you respect as a human." You get to change the definition of the word respect mid sentence to sound like a bad... er... to be an and sound bad. a
    via u/heyitscory
  • 08
    Font - Dolphin Hornet. 19 hr. ago Why do the incredibly stupid always end up in these positions? Reply Share 324 TheEvilCub 17 hr. ago People fail upwards because the people who are actually good at their jobs keep everything running, so they are too valuable to promote. Therefore, the ones who get promoted are people just good enough to not be fired for gross incompetence.
    via u/Dolphin_Hornet
  • 09
    Rectangle - DrMobius0 13 hr. ago These are often the people who are really good at kissing They don't have to be competent, they just make sure the guy in charge likes them.
    via u/DrMobius0
  • 10
    Font - Swift3469 11 hr. ago o floats. 22 Reply Share ThrowRAOverworked 13 hr. ago Sometimes even the grossly incompetent fail upwards...all you have to do is sleep with the boss's daughter.
    via u/Swift3469
  • 11
    Font - year 39 15 hr. ago I'm just going to quote Wikipedia, "The Peter principle is a concept in management developed by Laurence J. Peter which observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to "a level of respective incompetence": employees are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another."
    via u/year_39
  • 12
    Font - WhatAGoodDoggy 14 hr. ago What I'm finding interesting where I work is that several people have been promoted and then a year or so later they're going back to their previous position. Maybe they are recognising their inability to perform the job, or the addition responsibilities are just too much to juggle.
    via u/WhatAGoodDoggy
  • 13
    Font - Saltycook 15 hr. ago "Failing up" is the term I'm familiar with for this scenario Reply Share 10 mimishell_4 14 hr. ago I was JUST getting ready to refer to The Peter Principle! I am not worthy.
    via u/SaltyCook
  • 14
    Font - B-Glasses 14 hr. ago Crazy it only took getting hired for that to happen to my coworker 2 Reply Share Cannabis_CatSlave 15 hr. ago because capitalism rewards psychopaths.
    via u/B-Glasses
  • 15
    Font - mabendroth 1 hr. ago Because the dumber people are, the more confident they tend to be. Self doubt and self reflection lead to growth and learning, but unjustified confidence can make someone seem like they know a lot, especially to higher-ups that just see the person's "positive attitude" and not necessarily what they actually do every day.
    via u/mabendroth
  • 16
    Font - YOLOSwag42069Nice 33 min. ago idle They don't earn it. They have it handed to them through knowing the right people or being related to the right people.
    via u/YOLOSwag42069Nice
  • 17
    Font - ComprehensiveCow8258 20 hr. ago I'd leave for something better ASAP. Major red flag in poor leadership. Reply Share 321 thoreau_away_acct. 18 hr. ago But after hitting the buffet downstairs
    via u/ComprehensiveCow8258
  • 18
    Font - Raging_Progressive 19 hr. ago "Please take this notice as my resignation, effective immediately. I will be taking my skills, talents, and labor to an employer who respects my professionalism, and treats me as a valued colleague rather than simply a 'subordinate'. Best wishes."
    via u/Raging_Progressive
  • 19
    Human body - Badrear 18 hr. ago Even better; quit without notice, and say that you tried to call him a month before, but he didn't answer.
    via u/Badrear
  • 20
    Font - Redliono 19 hr. ago Sorry my phone was off, call my desk phone. 64 Reply Share nerdiotic-pervert 17 hr. ago Yeah, also, if the cell phone isn't a work phone, you can't tell me how to use it. Email me, call me at my desk.
    via u/Redliono
  • 21
    Rectangle - DeadBear65 19 hr. ago Why should you respect a manager that has no respect for you?? Reply Share 52 crashtestdummy666 · 18 hr. ago Management in a bank are no different then tech bros.
    via u/DreadBear65
  • 22
    Font - dlongwing 18 hr. ago "Yeah boss, sorry, but that's not a realistic expectation. I'll do my best to answer promptly, but you'll have to trust that if I miss your call there's a good reason I've missed it."
    via u/dlongwing
  • 23
    Product - "He didn't have to pick up his phone, but as his subordinate, I certainly did"
    via u/canva

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boss worker employee manager work coworkers phone working hypocrite employees supervisor workplace phone calls coworker
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