‘They begged me to come back’: After getting suspended for being a minute late for work, employee drops all major projects and causes office chaos

Advertisement
  • 01
    ""They begged me to come back"
  • 02
    Suspended for Being a Minute Late? Fine, Enjoy Handling the Biggest Project Without Me
  • 03
    Hey there, Reddit. I've been a long- time lurker on this subreddit, and after what happened at my job recently, I just knew I had to share my story. It's a bit of a long one, but trust me, it's worth it.
  • 04
    So, I'm Mark, and for the past five years, I've been working at this mid-sized tech company. It's been great, or at least it was, until six months ago when we got a new HR manager, Susan. Now, Susan is
  • 05
    the kind of person who loves rules a bit too much. She came in with this idea to 'revolutionize' the workplace, but all she did was implement a bunch of unnecessary and strict policies.
  • 06
    The one that really got under everyone's skin was her new attendance policy. It stated that if anyone was even a minute late more than three times in a month, they'd face immediate suspension
  • 07
    without pay. No excuses, no exceptions. This was crazy, considering we're all seasoned professionals, not school kids. But Susan was adamant, and the policy was enforced to the letter.
  • 08
    Now, I'm usually very punctual, but life happens, right? Just my luck, I ended up being late three times in one month. The first was because of a massive traffic jam, the second was due to a power outage that
  • 09
    koled my alarm, and the third, well, I overslept. Each time, I was barely five minutes late, but Susan didn't care. She slapped me with a suspension notice.
  • 10
    I was fuming, but then I remembered something important - our employee handbook. I'd read that thing cover to cover when I first started, and something about the suspension policy stood out to
  • 11
    me. I dug up my copy and found the section I was looking for. The policy stated that suspended employees must leave company premises immediately and are not allowed to engage in any work- related activities during their suspension. A plan started to form in my head.
  • 12
    You see, at that time, I was in the middle of a critical project for a major client. It was a huge deal for the company, and I was the lead developer. Without me, the project would grind to a halt. So, I decided to follow Susan's policy to the letter.
  • 13
    The next day, I walked into Susan's office and handed her the suspension notice, along with a printed copy of the employee handbook's suspension policy. I told her, 'As per the company policy, I will be leaving the
  • 14
    premises immediately and will not partake in any work-related activities during my suspension, including the Johnson project.' The color drained from her face. 'You can't just leave the Johnson project!' she exclaimed. But I just
  • 15
    shrugged and said, 'Company policy, Susan. I'm sure you wouldn't want me to break the rules.' I gathered my things and left the office. The fallout was immediate. The project team was in disarray
  • 16
    without me, and the client was getting antsy about the missed deadlines. The CEO himself called me two days into my suspension, begging me to come back. I explained that I was merely following company policy, as enforced by Susan.
  • 17
    Long story short, the CEO had to intervene. My suspension was lifted, and I was back at work the next day. The best part? Susan's ridiculous policies were all reviewed and mostly scrapped.
  • 18
    She's still with the company, but let's just say her enthusiasm for rule-making has significantly diminished.
  • 19
    So, there you have it, folks. Sometimes, following the rules a little too closely can be the best form of rebellion. And always, always know your employee handbook
  • 20
    quats555 5 hr. ago What did she think a "suspension" was?
  • 21
    gbroon 4 hr. ago It's the without pay part she likely thought would get her brownie points.
  • 22
    CountMordrek. 55 min. ago A wild guess? She probably read a HR book, found a set of actions she can take, and went on a power trip which lasted until it no longer did. Kinda like how a dictatorship is known to be very stable, until it suddenly is not.
  • 23
    the_greek_italian · 5 hr. ago You did the right thing. I would have walked out of there immediately as well, with or without checking the handbook. A suspension means not coming in, so why would you work?
  • 24
    Profreadsalot. 5 hr. ago Some managers are far too rigid. No exceptions? What was OP supposed to do, fly over the traffic jam? Become the power company? A suspension for five minutes? Ridiculous!
  • 25
    AssassinStoryTeller - 4 hr. ago I know some people who legitimately believe you should leave anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour earlier "just in case".
  • 26
    Dave_DBA 5 hr. ago Well I hope she learnt. But what sort of tech company puts all their eggs in one basket and introduces such risk to a project that one person's absence stops it? There's several reasons why OP may not be there over and above Stupid Susan.
  • 27
    D DarthKiwiChris. 5 hr. ago I hope you got back paid and an apology!!
  • 28
    Shad0wX72 hr. ago Bruh....imagine the CEO themselves having to intervene in petty :like this. Honestly kind of surprised she didn't get fired over implementing such asinine policies.
  • 29
    010 ForTheHordeKT. 4 hr. ago I have a policy of my own that I follow to the letter anymore, that definitely falls in line with this whole sub. Sometimes the absolute worst thing I can ever do, is give you exactly what you want. Definitely applies to your anecdote lol.
  • 30
    robl54 4 hr. ago Some people try to justify their job....no matter what the cost. Really wish her punishment would of been a suspension

Tags

Scroll Down For The Next Article