‘You need to return your lab coat’: Employee brings manager a bag full of muddy ashes after he quit following manager's demands he return work clothes

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Jan 17, 2024 10:00 AM EST

Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get what you request…

Work clothes can be super practical, or they can be an utter nuisance. One employee relayed the time his car caught fire on the way to work, with all his work clothes inside it. Luckily, he was unharmed, but his clothes… Well, that was another story. Unfortunately, all that he had left was a pile of ashes. He had already given his notice to his boss and was told to return all work clothes before leaving. As this was his last day, his boss demanded he bring the work clothes he promised. But how could he? They were gone, at the salvage yard. Still, even after he explained the bizarre predicament, she insisted, telling him that if he didn't, his wages would be garnished.

Okay, then, he thought… So bring them in, he did. Scroll down to read what happened, and then check out this employee who got her coworker a parting gift that was quite memorable.

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  • 01
    "But these ARE my work clothes, boss"
    via Canva
  • 02
    Job wanted work shirts back when I quit...they received a pile of muddy ashes
    via u/BILLERGIRLB****
  • 03
    Back on February 23, 2014 (Sunday) I was driving home from going clothes shopping for my new job I was starting in a week when my car literally caught on fire with me and my then 4 year old son in it. I had just bought $200 worth of clothes AND my laundry was in my car from the laundromat (including my work shirt and white lab coat)
    via u/BILLERGIRLB****
  • 04
    I had already given my notice to my boss that I was leaving and the next day (Monday) I called in to tell her what had happened and that I would not be in due to smoke inhalation issues and needing to go buy a new car. This was supposed to be my last day. She decides to tell me then that I needed to return my 3 work shirts and both lab coats or I would have the costs garnished from my last check. I told her
    via u/BILLERGIRLB****
  • 05
    that they were a pile of ash at the salvage yard. She tells me I have to bring them in. Ok. Will do. (Insert eye roll and a certain finger flashing from my side of the phone) Tuesday I walked in with a picture of my laundry basket melted in my car and a Ziplock filled with ashes and
    via u/BILLERGIRLB****
  • 06
    mud. I recorded myself giving them to her and telling her again what happened. I got a side-eye and a .:?!" I walked out with a smirk.
    via u/BILLERGIRLB****
  • 07
    *Edited to add that I've been at the new job now for 10 years in March. Best move I ever made. Also, my wages never were garnished. I don't think they legally could but who knows.
    via u/BILLERGIRLB****
  • 08
    zombiegirl_me. 11 hr. ago Once upon a time, a lady crashed her car in my Mom's front yard. Car was on fire, lady was stuck, and thick black clouds of smoke were billowing. We had no idea if the car would blow up or not, but lady wasn't moving. Family stood around looking, and I finally decided to go for it,
    via u/zombiegirl_me
  • 09
    open the back up, dragged lady out (and hoped to god I didn't injure her more) while my Mom was on the phone with 911. They got there about 10 minutes later (good response time for where we lived). I was 8 months pregnant at the time, and coughed up sooo much black mucus. Never got taken to the hospital or anything, but I had to go to work that
    via u/zombiegirl_me
  • 10
    day so I went. Because of the accident, and waiting for emergency services, I was late to work. I had called to the let them know but they didn't care. I was written up for being late, put on notice, and lost my bonus that month. But then they had a party to congratulate me for saving the lady. Like ? note: this was almost 20 years ago
    via u/zombiegirl_me
  • 11
    edit to say: glad you guys were alright as well. Cars being on fire is pretty scary and not so fun! Vote Reply Share BILLERGIRLBA OP . 11 hr. ago About 26 years ago my mother was demoted after her boss found out she bought clothes for a homeless guy while she was on her lunch break. He
    via u/BILLERGIRLB****
  • 12
    found out from an article in the paper. According to her boss "We are the Police Department. This is bad publicity!" Vote Reply Share
    via u/BILLERGIRLB****
  • 13
    Coolbeanschilly · 10 hr. ago They said you had to return the work clothes. They never said what condition it had to be in. Vote Reply Share
    via u/Coolbeanschilly
  • 14
    JaBevi5055 10 hr. ago · edited 10 hr. ago I road my bicycle to and junior college. One day I was in an accident, head on collision with a car. thrown over handle bars into the windshield. I was more worried about getting to work than the accident.
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 15
    I exchanged info with girl drivers friend, cause she was freaked out. Told her needed to get to work. I had a bystander drive me and my busted up bike home. I called into work, told my head store manager what happened and said I needed to shower and collect myself, that I'll be late. He was concerned and suggested I take the day off, but
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 16
    I told I'll be in. I was 2 hours late, worked rest of my shift. I wasn't really injured. I had a few scraps on my shoulders from the glass. Nothing broken, but my bike. Now the duel S. 7. Show started after that day...
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 17
    I worked at a 4 store grocery store, they had a small corporate office next door to my store for all of them. About two weeks after my accident, I got called into manager's office. There was corporate HR lady and shift manager that I hated to work with. They told me that I was being written up for my late shift 2 weeks earlier. I WAS LIKE, " YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT?!?" No we're not, being late is
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 18
    serious! I was fully p sed off and let it show. I asked, "Do you even know why I was late? And Head Manager knows why, and approved me being late." She said didn't matter that it was corporate policy, no excuses. I then told them exactly why I was late, and how I should've taken the day off after that, but needed the money. So
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 19
    I came in and worked. Their response was like "Oh, well its corporate policy! You can write your reasons on the write up." So I wrote up a scathing reason! How writing me up this, after I called in to my manager, and even showed up to work after the accident was total F- ING B.U. ..T... I filled up the entire space they provided and a full
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 20
    back of the page. Then signed it. Seeing the HR lady read it was priceless. She just said ok you can go back to work. I let everyone know what happened, my response, and how I felt. Big manager told me not to worry about it. He will deal with corporate.
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 21
    The second part was the drivers mother threatening to sue me for damages to her car. Repeated ha¨¯¯ment, gave a statement to their lawyer and said go ahead and sue. car vs bike at speed down a residential neighborhood 25mph zone. Don't think she was driving that slow, cause I flew on to the Windshield and threw it. I was laying on the dashboard.
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 22
    Her mothers point was that I fled the seen of an accident. I was the victim. They wanted over $1000 for damages. B.S. a grand for damages. Hell my bike was couple hundred. New front tire (full rim and rubber), front forks, odometer, handle bars, panders (top and lower racks).
    via u/JaBevi5055
  • 23
    I fill told them take care of your own damages, and I'll worry about my physical damage. That seemed to shut them up. Vote Reply Share
    via u/JaBevi5055

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lab coat salary costs catch fire micromanager manager malicious compliance 2 week notice workplace stories reddit fire new job work clothes cars wages ashes quitting
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