'Childish? Yes. Regrets? Not one': Coworker keeps making employee do his work, employee lashes out, ruins coworker's office plant, sabotages his notes

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Nov 16, 2023 2:00 PM EST

In every office, there is one person who finds an excuse to be absent and to shirk their responsibilities as much as possible. As much as we often praise the folks who find ways to work smart and not hard, in this instance, someone else at the office is often left picking up all that slack. If you're the first kind of person, the key is to find a way to do the bare minimum without affecting anyone else's workload. If you're the other kind of person and you're the people please who has to take on all this extra work, the key for you is to stand your ground and communicate that you are not willing to take on more than what you signed up for. 

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  • 01
    was over it"
    via Samantha Gades

  • This thread was posted to Reddit's r/pettyrevenge subreddit by u/dead_PROcrastinator, who unfortunately was the person who had to pick up all the slack. Finally, OP had a breaking point after their coworker delegated more tasks onto them following two full weeks out of the office. OP not only refused to take on that extra work, but they also got some much-needed petty revenge. Some folks in the comments section were frustrated at OP's decision to ruin their coworker's office plant; others, however, praised OP"s other forms of sabotage. 

    Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the split reactions. For more, take a look at this post about an employee who got back at a former boss for stealing his ideas.

  • 02
    Decided to skip out on your team for weeks? Woops, guess your flower didn't make it. I have a new coworker that I simply can't get along with. He has had one personal issue after another and has a new excuse every day for shoveling his work onto others.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 03
    Normally I would help a team member lighten their workload without hesitating for a second. I was supportive and helpful from day 1. But I soon realised that he was delegating more and more of his work. Not just to me, but to other people as well.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 04
    The kicker is, this man's salary is thousands more than mine. When I found out, I refused to take on any more of his tasks and delegated everything right back to him.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 05
    We had an event recently that is usually a 50/50 effort between his department and mine. He I off for two weeks leaving me to arrange everything. The best part is that the software and intellectual property we use is all on his private laptop that he takes home. Our toxic manager can't see why that's a problem.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 06
    He's been working here since January and has taken more than 30 days paid leave. The rest of us peasants have 15 days a year. After weeks and weeks of 12 hour shifts Monday to Saturday, I was over it.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 07
    While he was gone for what ever the reason, someone left him a potted plant on his desk as a gift. Very cute with yellow lilies. He is a very list-orientated person and has a big file with they year's events planned out in advance - each week on an A4 page with tons of hand written notes, highlighted dates, colourful sticky notes and flags.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 08
    I was working until 22:15 on Saturday and needed some things from his office. He sent me a message right then trying to delegate another task to me because he "didn't know what his plans were for next week". This is after two straight weeks of being absent already.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 09
    I snapped the stalk of every single lily right near the bottom, then bent them straight again and floofed the leaves to make sure you can't see it. I also poured some hand sanitizer on it for good measure.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 10
    I chose two random pages in his planner that seemed to have the most notes, including minutes from an important meeting with a client. I very carefully tore them out making sure to remove any bits of paper left behind - it's impossible to tell that any pages were removed. I put them in my handbag and threw them out when I got home.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 11
    I also took his reed diffuser and poured a generous amount of oil onto his office chair. I'm pretty sure he's going to have quite the headache after sitting on it for a while. Childish? Yes. Regrets? Not one.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 12
    edit* Feel like I have to add; I stopped doing his work for him quite a while back already, so I'm not letting him walk over me (not anymore, anyway...) My default setting is kindness, unless/until you me off. The revenge was really just lashing out because he had the audacity to send that message. There is no more free work or picking up slack from me, ever again.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 13
    Gadgetman_1. 1 day ago I would have moved the sticky notes around from one week to another... 333 Reply Share
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 14
    dead_PROcrastinator OP. 1 day ago You know, I considered that. But then I thought about how dumbfounded he will be when there is suddenly just a whole week missing. Would he think that his planner was misprinted? But then, where did he make his notes? I can see gim paging back and forth, trying to find that one page. And then, just as he recovers, there's a random page missing again. I don't know, I just went with what I thought would mess with me the most. 353 Reply Share
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 15
    MaxWebxperience. 1 day ago I never in all my life accepted work delegated to me unless I heard it from my own boss 326 Reply Share
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 16
    dead_PROcrastinator OP • 1 day ago That's just the type of person I am. I'll go above and beyond for my team. Most of the time they do the same for me. That's why I'm so 1. This saw my help and just took advantage of it. 165 Reply Share
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 17
    predtech 1 day ago . It doesn't feel like enough IMHO. Could you not find a way to really life? Sounds like he needs it. 115 this guys Reply Share
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 18
    DramaticConfusion 1 day ago This guy is a your owners are to blame for a toxic work , but environment. You should look into organizing and standing up for your rights.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 19
    dead_PROcrastinator OP - 1 day ago . I work in a academia. It's a whole other brand of crazy...
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 20
    melnificent 1 day ago 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week... America right? I hope you were paid for each hour you worked.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator
  • 21
    dead_PROcrastinator OP - 1 day ago . Funny enough, no. Not US. And it's not normal to work like this at all.
    via u/dead_PROcrastinator

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terrible coworkers workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace petty-revenge-reddit job work coworkers petty revenge reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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