Update: 'You all took it up a notch': Sarcastic development team realizes they're 'actually able to do nothing' following boss's new directions

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 13, 2024 11:00 AM EST

This development team got away with something that would probably get most people fired in an instant. Not only that, but they were able to update the r/MaliciousCompliance community on how everything went down the next day. 

Bosses are always trying to optimize their workers' outputs. They want to seem like their team is strong and is working harder than ever. But how should a manager prove to their own bosses what their team is up to? They could just talk to their employees and be involved in their day-to-day activities, putting them front and center of where all the work is being completed. They could work up some KPIs so the employees know what goals they're working towards. But no, that's way too much work for some higher-ups. Instead, they could take the easiest route possible---instating mandatory daily logs. 

There's no boss in the world who will read through every employee's tedious accounts of what they do each day. That seems way harder than just checking in with your people. I imagine these bosses learned a lesson about putting their faith in their employees… but only after the development team had finished their dramatic stunt. 

After you check out this tale, take a look at these mildly infuriating moments, like one person who apparently got the world's most hazardous milkshake. 

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  • 01
    Document EVERYTHING, now in a loop and actually able to do nothing S This could get interesting. We just got handed a new rule today at work that ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING we do has to be documented in the time tracking software. It was much wordier than this, but it was very explicitly laid out that every. Single. Thing. Must. Be. Documented. Down to
    via u/GandalfsPass
  • 02
    copying the text of emails, content of phone calls, etc. They basically said that we couldn't be trusted to do our jobs without giving them the most minute detail of our daily work existence. So, I sat down at my desk, logged in, then entered in the system that I logged in at 8:00 AM. Then I entered that I logged my login time. Then I entered that I logged my time log entry. I spent all day entering into the tracking site "Entered time log for entering time log" My whole team has
    via u/GandalfsPass
  • 03
    done nothing today but log time entries for logging time entries. Can't wait to see how this turns out tomorrow. ***Update: So on our morning call, our department head (boss) said that we were going to be joined by our president today (Internal "mwahahahahahahaha"). He got on, and here is a transcript of what he said (Yes, we use all sorts of colorful language on our calls):
    via u/GandalfsPass
  • 04
    "OK guys, we get the point. We | up. We thought a little more detail would be helpful in your time tracking entries, but Jesus Christ, you all took it up a notch. We should have worded that better, and we probably shouldn't have sounded like when we sent that directive. Let's just pretend yesterday never happened, we'll roll that back, and please just make sure your time entries have enough detail so we know the gist of what you were working on."
    via u/GandalfsPass
  • 05
    After he left the call, boss says "You glorious . I told them this was a idea, and that they should expect something like this from you sarcastic ¡."
    via u/GandalfsPass
  • 06
    Moral of the story: Never put smartass developers in a loop they can't escape. We'll keep going as long as we have to.
    via u/GandalfsPass
  • 07
    CameraMan15 yr. ago 9:01 AM sat down at desk 9:02 AM Opened chrome.exe 9:02 AM searched for new job
    via u/CameraMan15
  • 08
    Newbosterone When we started clogging the time log with entries for logging, we were told to use the category "Administrative" for staff meetings, paperwork, etc. Then they realized many people spent 8-12 hours a week on Administrative time. So they ruled that "brief interruptions" of less
    via u/Newbosterone
  • 09
    than 0.1 hours (6 minutes) did not have to be logged. Then people started logging 7 minute bathroom breaks. "Brief Interruptions" became 0.3 hours.
    via u/Newbosterone
  • 10
    Finally, they realized they had too much data - no one used it. So we only had to report summary time - either a project, BAU (business as usual, i.e., break/fix), and Administrative.
    via u/Newbosterone
  • 11
    mysteresc We had a system like that once. My department was exempted from it when we requested codes for the 50+ unique activities we had, plus one for "logging our time in SYSTEM".
    via u/mysteresc
  • 12
    KesselZero Your whole team seriously spent eight hours just logging over and over again? I'm not really doubting you, just... I don't think I could commit that much no matter how much I hate the system.
    via u/KesselZero
  • 13
    GandalfsPass OP When faced with abject stupidity, we can be pretty committed.
    via u/GandalfsPass
  • 14
    Horst665 great team spirit :D
    via u/Horst665
  • 15
    teknoanimal you could spend all day typing you logged about logging in. Logged in at 8 logged logging in at 8 logged logging logging in at 8 logged logging logging logging in at 8....
    via u/teknoanimal

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boss workplace-stories jobs nothing to do here job malicious compliance bosses work coworkers not working malicious-compliance-reddit policy workplace developers malicious compliance reddit
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