'Work tried to punish me. It backfired': Tax associate blamed for not coming in on day off, maliciously complies and ruins boss's reputation

Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor

Dec 30, 2023 8:00 AM EST

If your boss fails to find someone to cover for you on your day off, do not take the blame. No matter how much your employer tries to make it seem like this is all your fault, you are entitled to that day off, especially if you gave them as much notice as this employee did.

This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/TheVaneja, who worked as a tax associate and wound up practically running the show at a small office in a Walmart despite not technically being promoted to a managerial position. That duality in and of itself says a whole lot about their employer's lack of care for OP's situation, but of course, it gets worse. The day that OP began this new role, they told their manager about this upcoming PTO day. When they were gone, they were off the grid and did not check their messages. Their boss tried to contact OP in a panic because the replacement's car broke down, but after OP didn't respond, the boss considered that justification to punish OP when they returned to work.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions in the comments section. For more stories like this, check out this post about a student's malicious compliance in the face of the principal.