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'Okay, but don't blame me if I get stuck in traffic': Boss demands reluctant worker commute to office for virtual presentation, gets stuck in traffic and misses entire thing

As a manager, it's a pretty good rule of thumb that you should listen when veteran workers warn you about a likely consequence of the order you've just given. Sure, you might be a fresh-faced officer who recently graduated from the academy, but when the grizzled Sergeant who has been to battle a hundred times tells you something is a bad idea—it's probably a bad idea. If you don't heed their warning, it's pretty much a guarantee this will provoke the consequence into becoming a reality, especially if you double down and set an ultimatum on the order.

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Posted by Brad Dickson
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  • This is pretty much what happened when this boss commanded that this worker come into an office for an "all-important presentation." As the name indicates, the presentation was all-important, so it was imperative that the worker come into the office to present it. Circumstances in the city made it incredibly likely that traffic was going to be awful for the worker getting into the office, presenting a risk that the worker might get stuck and miss the presentation altogether. The worker warned his boss that this might be the case, telling his boss that he'd prefer the certainty of giving the presentation from home. 

    When the worker went to drive into the office, the foreseen consequence materialized, and the worker got stuck in standstill traffic, completely missing the presentation altogether… See their story, as shared with Reddit, below. 

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  • 1
    "Boss insisted I work in the office today."
    Via Nabeel Syed
  • 2
    r/MaliciousCompliance 5 hr. ago ● r/ Boss insisted I work in the office today bobber18 S My boss and I had a disagreement about working from home this week. The office is in San Francisco. I live in the east bay and need to cross the Bay Bridge to get to work.
    Via u/bobber18
  • 3
    We had an important presentation scheduled today. I wanted to do it "virtual" because the APEC meeting is in SF this week and everything seems disrupted. President Biden and Chinese President Xi are here. It's a 2 hour commute on a typical day and I told my boss it might not be feasible to come in this week. He insisted I come in, so I said OK but don't blame me if I get stuck in traffic. We had a pretty heated discussion about it.
    Via u/bobber18
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  • 4
    So today there's a huge backup on every freeway toward the Bay Bridge because protesters have chained themselves across all 5 lanes. The bridge is completely closed. Now the boss wants me to do the presentation "virtual" but I told him I can't, I'm stuck in traffic. I can't operate my vehicle and do the presentation. You will have to do it without me (but he isn't really qualified).
    Via u/bobber18
  • 5
    Alternative-Arm-3253 5 hr. ago Your boss isn't very forward thinking is he? 1 ↓ Reply grumblyoldman 5 hr. ago ● ↑ Share 1 He certainly doesn't seem very receptive to people pointing out the blatantly obvious problems and then suggesting a reasonable solution. ... Reply ↑ Share
    Via u/bobber18
  • 6
    evilzombiefan I hope you have all this documented because you know he's going to throw you under the bus no doubt. Somehow this mess will be your fault. He got you stuck in traffic and now has to fend for himself good hope he Burys himself with his incompetence. 41 ↓ Reply ● 5 hr. ago ↑ Share :
    Via u/bobber18
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  • 7
    DiegesisThesis 3 hr. ago Obviously it's the employee's responsibility to account for traffic. If he already anticipated Biden/Xi being in town, he should have left for work the day before, or rented a property close to the office for the week./s 4 1 1 Reply ↑ Share
    Via u/bobber18
  • 8
    Android_slag 4 hr. ago ● Old boss was always saying you should have left earlier and docking pay. Once when during the early morning run out with all the phones and radios going, I get her calling up saying she's stuck in traffic and I got to hit her with the line then hung up before she could respond! Made my week. 41 ↓ Reply ↑ Share :
    Via u/bobber18
  • 9
    jimgkline 5 hr. ago He FAFO himself. 41 ↓ ● Reply ↑ Share
    Via u/bobber18
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  • 10
    bone420 Remember when I told you this would be a problem, And then it became a problem, And since I told you, It's your problem now 413 Reply ● 4 hr. ago ↑ Share :
    Via u/bobber18
  • 11
    not_so_chi_couple 5 hr. ago don't blame me if I get stuck in traffic I had a boss that absolutely would have blamed me for getting stuck in traffic "Well, you should have left 7 hours earlier then. No, I won't pay you extra for getting here hours early" 41 Reply ↑ Share ...
    Via u/bobber18
  • 12
    kgb4187 4 hr. ago The signs have been saying to take transit into SF for at least a week, he's probably going to question why you drove instead of taking the ferry or BART. 41↓ bobber18 The bus system isn't a good option when the bridge is completely Reply ↑, Share ● 41 4 hr. ago closed and, as previously noted, BART could easily be shut down by protestors. Reply ... ↑ Share ...
    Via u/bobber18
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  • 13
    chrisedgeworth 1 hr. ago ● Living in the Bay Area, this is amazing Imao Anyone with a functioning brainstem knew exactly what you are saying is true about the traffic to SF, especially when there are big events going on. The protestors are just the icing lol. 41↓ Reply ↑ Share
    Via u/bobber18
  • 14
    DrunkenOctopuswfu. 2 hr. ago Bossed himself into a corner. 41 ↓ Reply ↑ Share : ...
    Via u/bobber18

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