'CEO [told] me to help them with my old accounts or he'll sue me': CEO ignores former employee's warnings about outdated system, leads to decade-spanning malicious compliance

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 7, 2023 2:00 PM EST

Some employers refuse to hear the truth, and if you're lucky, they will have to experience the consequences of ignoring your constant warnings. We all know what it's like to be a disregarded employee. Sure, most bosses say that constructive feedback is welcome no matter what your position in the company is, but in reality, you are likely to be ignored if you are at the bottom of the food chain. When this happens repeatedly, it soon becomes exponentially clear that the problems you are noticing are unlikely to be solved in a timely manner and that you are personally better off moving onto a better work environment while the clock keeps ticking before your boss finally realizes that you were right all along. This happened to a former employee ten years after he left the company. The worst part of the story, though, is that when the boss finally did reach out to OP for his help, he refused to admit that he was wrong and instead threatened to sue OP if he didn't assist. Not exactly the kind of "you were right" message OP should have gotten.

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  • This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch, who was able to circumnavigate his former employer's threats by giving him a little ten-year-old malicious compliance he saved from his last days at the company. Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. When you're finished, feel free to take a look at this post about a boss who kept cutting an employee's hours.

  • 01
    Forget everything about this place? A malicious compliance over a decade in the making. M OC TLDR: CEO of old company cheaped out on client solutions and employee compensation, tells me to forget everything when I leave. Over 10 years later, tells me to help him with the same clients, but I forgot everything since then...
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 02
    Many years ago, I worked for a little company. CEO was a miser of the first order. We needed image hosting for a large client account, and CEO was unwilling to pay for maybe $2-3k in annual, image-hosting fees at the time (even though the company made millions off of the deal). Me being an enterprising individual, I figured out a way to host the images on flickr. I saved the login information in a physical notebook and kept informing them that this is a "house of cards" and we really need o swit
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 03
    Several months later, I was promoted and asked for a raise to go with my promotion. CEO said no (all promotions and raises required CEO signoff). I tried negotiating, but CEO said no, and to leave if I didn't like it. So I left.
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 04
    CEO told me to "forget everything related to the job" here and he'd sue me if I did anything with the client accounts afterwards (i.e. sabotage or steal clients). I told him I'm leaving all my knowledge behind in the notebook in my final email to him, my manager( and bcc'ed my personal email). In this email, a full inventory of what I left behind (invoices, contracts, etc.) including this entry:
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 05
    "personal notebook - account notes and reference materiel (including image hosting logins) for accounts - KEEP FOR REFERENCE"
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 06
    Recently, I received a "professional networking site" message from CEO, telling me to help them with my old accounts or he'll sue me...
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 07
    Apparently, Flickr changed their terms of service and the images were deleted. In over 10 years, nobody updated any documentation, or the image hosting... nobody bothered checking the email account either (that was used to log into flickr account).
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 08
    I told him that I cannot help. Per his request, I forgot everything I knew about his company and anything I knew was in that notebook I left him over 10 years ago.
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 09
    Seriously though, I don't remember what I had for breakfast, technical details from that long ago...I just laugh.
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 10
    Edited to Add: Thank you all for the awards, and messages. I can't possibly respond to all of them, but I hope you all enjoyed the absurdity of it.
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 11
    snozzberry22. That was very nice. I love the constant "I'll sue you" threats. 5.9k Reply Share
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 12
    KoopaKommander "Promoted"=More Work, No Further Compensation I need more than a title if I'm gonna accept more responsibility. 1.5k Reply Share
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 13
    night-otter , I've had that happen while employed at the same company. Hey Otter, you used to do this, help us!
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 14
    That was 2 years ago, I fully documented it all before I transfered to my current position. I know I documented that particular process. We lost your documentation. I emailed it 10 different folks, NONE of you still have it? Errrrr
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 15
    Another one, I was on vacation. And my pager (yes I'm old get over it) starts going off, with a number from NYC, I'm from California. I ignore it. It finally shifts to 911- number.
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 16
    I find a phone call the number, get hung up on the first time. Start the 2nd call "911 page to this number. I'm Otter, what's the emergency?
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 17
    Turns out one of our sales droids is at a conference and the demo machine is messed up and I need to fix it.
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 18
    I can't "fix" it remotely is has no internet connection. Have you tried the documented steps in the book that should be with the computer?
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 19
    What book? {sigh). Did you read the note in sharpy on the top of the computer. What note? The one you see when you open the cabinet.
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 20
    OHHH, and there's a book here too. {facepalm}. What does the note on the computer say? When in doubt, turn the computer off and back on. Wait 5 minutes. Then run the demo again.
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 21
    For interupting my vacation, you owe me lunch at {fancy restaurant near our office}. On both of us returning to the office, sales droid denied owing me lunch. 653 Reply Share
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch
  • 22
    MorpheusZzzzzz. Oh "lawsuit lawsuit" would make me dig my heels in. Well done and that cheapskate , the bogus 441 Reply Share
    via u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch

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boss workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace malicious compliance work malicious-compliance-reddit ceo Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit malicious compliance reddit quitting toxic-work-environment
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