‘Be careful what you wish for…’: New manager cuts employee's deal with old boss, rearranging their work hours, only to find out former deal benefited company

Author image for Sienna Varady
Sienna Varady
Feb 25, 2024 6:00 PM EST

Hierarchy is the cornerstone of corporate business. Because of this, it is very likely that when the time comes and a new management enters the picture, she or he will want to completely revamp the scene in an attempt to assert their authority.

The story that follows recounts the story of a clever employee. The Original Poster (OP) and his former manager had an unspoken understanding that allowed OP to arrive early and depart early. Basically, as long as he completes his work and puts in the necessary number of hours, it is of no significance when he leaves. However, with the arrival of the new manager, she felt obliged to reprimand OP for his supposed 'tardiness', to which OP replied that had simply been following the previous instructions.

Having said that, be sure to read the story below if you're interested in learning how OP maliciously complies with his manager's demands! When you're done, don't forget to read the story of the underappreciated retail worker who was written up for attempting to prevent a robbery! 

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  • 01
    lern OOOO OOO 01100 txd Exden xtin xtout reset 10 "Loose lips sink ships..." 0100 01 01 10111000 001101TO 8:062 MF-36 DFAARCE65 3J C645 11 10 0100 10100001110100011 275 O 10000 10 896 19100 01 01 10 6116 0101 01
    via Canva
  • 02
    New manager doesn't understand flexible working
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 03
    Hey all, So I am in the fortunate position of having a fairly cushy job. Generally, I get on well with my colleagues, work remotely 3 days a week and in the office for 2. My partner works in a field that requires her to start early. Because of this, I tend to wake up and start work early.
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 04
    So while normal office hours are 9-5:30 with an hour for lunch, I typically work 8-4:30pm. This has worked well for months. I typically have work done for when my manager enters the office so she isn't waiting for me to begin her work.
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 05
    Recently we got a new office manager who seemed fine but took issue when she realised me leaving early was a regular thing. She started off just being snide, saying things like “sneaking off early are we in a half jokey way" Recently though it's gotten worse and changed to things
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 06
    like "I hope other people won't have to cover your work" and "we're you out drinking last night?" Which is wildly in appropriate. Anyway, eventually she called me into a meeting and informed me that it was no longer acceptable that I leave at half
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 07
    four as it would confuse the new hires... if we hired new staff. I argued that I shouldn't have to adjust my schedule based on hypothetical people, and that seeing that people were being rewarded for consistent good work and not forced into meaningless
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 08
    presenteeism would be more appealing to new hires than anything else. She said it wasn't a good look for me professionally and could hold back my career. I was calm but asked her what part of my work had not been acceptable and mentioned that all my
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 09
    previous performance reviews had been great. She just kept talking in circles until I just said okay, I'll work normal hours. Skip to three days later when she calls me in again and tries to explain that our boss is cross and confused about
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 10
    why my work isn't ready for her when she arrives. I reminded her that she had told me I was no longer allowed to come in early or leave early. She laughed and said that I was of course allowed to come in early, I just had to stay until half 5.
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 11
    I asked why I would do that if I wouldn't be paid for it or have anything to do in the last few hours... She was speechless for awhile. She didn't tel me I could go back to leaving early so I kept coming in at 9. It took another full week before she let me know she had managed to
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 12
    get me special permission to arrive and leave early. I politely declined and thanked her for giving me my mornings back. I told her I had learned to enjoy my morning walk.
    via u/thowaway543826292
  • 13
    Leeoid · 15 hr. ago You can't fix stupid.
    via u/Leeoid
  • 14
    bookisgoat 15 hr. ago Last three sentences are just chef's kiss
    via u/bookisgoat
  • 15
    Cannabis_CatSlave · 14 hr. ago Lovely! A lesson in be careful what you wish for. May this new manager be brief in tenure and that the office celebrates when they leave.
    via u/Cannabis_CatSlave
  • 16
    BlueMikeStu 11 hr. ago The greatest revenge you can give an incompetent supervisor is to let them live with the consequences of their own actions. I was working at Wells Fargo on a schedule of 8:00-
    via u/BlueMikeStu
  • 17
    4:00pm. Nine times out of ten I'd get there at 7:40 due to the bus schedule and just start work. One time out of ten I'd be there for 8:05. I got told that I was expected to be at my desk to start for 8:00 exactly and it was unacceptable to sign in afterwards.
    via u/BlueMikeStu
  • 18
    So I started getting breakfast at the cafe downstairs or outright just reading a magazine at my desk until 7:59 before starting and my manager was shocked that I wasn't getting started as soon as I got to work.
    via u/BlueMikeStu
  • 19
    He also once threatened to cut my hours down if I kept showing up late and asked me to sign a letter to that effect, and I slapped the letter towards him and told him to just do it. Like, I was eager to be cut down from
    via u/BlueMikeStu
  • 20
    five shifts to three, and watching him backpedal was hilarious, because at the time Wells Fargo ran on a system framework called RUMBA, and I was literally the only person in the building who knew how to program with it using the macros.
    via u/BlueMikeStu
  • 21
    At least once a week, I'd get loaned out to other departments beyond my scope to give them a solution to unique problems which would otherwise take them many times the amount of man hours to solve.
    via u/BlueMikeStu
  • 22
    After that meeting, and because I got a $500/year "increase" that year, I stopped offering my programming services with RUMBA and stuck to the job I was paid to do, and you'd have thought I lit half the
    via u/BlueMikeStu
  • 23
    f king head office on fire with how many managers came after mine asking "what the f k" and "what do you mean he won't solve this problem with his coding sorcery".
    via u/BlueMikeStu
  • 24
    Sufficient-Meet6127 14 hr. ago She's an office manager, not your manager. An office manager ensures the office is in order and people have what they need to do their job. They don't manage people. Where does she get off telling you what to do?
    via u/Sufficient-Meet6127
  • 25
    She's basically, a gofer. Or did she not get the memo? Is your manager angry at the situation?
    via u/Sufficient-Meet6127
  • 26
    garaks_tailor 14 hr. ago. Nice work. I might have let the boss know about the new manager's orders on my schedule and how it would affect what they expected ready for them in the morning. The first person to complain sets the narrative.
    via u/garaks_tailor
  • 27
    Short-While3325 - 10 hr. ago Had something similar happened to me. Old boss understood I lived about 45 minutes away and as long as I worked 8 hours, they didn't care. I'd come in between 7:30-8 and leave respectfully between 4-4:30. This was to avoid the company-wide no
    via u/Short-While3325
  • 28
    overtime rule. New boss said people need to know when I'm available and to choose between leaving at 4 or 4:30 so I said 4:30. I kept coming in at the same time and began getting overtime because of it. I later got an email from her (she worked from home 3-4
    via u/Short-While3325
  • 29
    weeks/month) because of the overtime accrued saying to only work 8 hours. I told her I'd leave my home at precisely 7:15 but I needed confirmation I wouldn't get a write-up if I was late due to traffic or we need to go discuss with the GM and HR why the sudden change. She clarified she meant go back
    via u/Short-While3325
  • 30
    to the old way I was doing it. She was probably top worst manager I ever had. Nepo hire with no experience so she compromised by micro- managing.
    via u/Short-While3325
  • 31
    masterofasgard 13 hr. ago So good I had to read it twice.
    via u/masterofasgard
  • 32
    Miyuki22 14 hr. ago If she approaches you again, tell her to apologize for all the inappropriate comments and initially stopping you and you will consider going back to how it was. Then, if she apologizes, continue the 9 am start.
    via u/Miyuki22
  • 33
    evemeatay 9 hr. ago Nah, apologies are nice but that's something you won't get. What you can perhaps get is a raise and all this documented for next time someone gets the bright idea to mess with something that works.
    via u/evemeatay
  • 34
    Cassiopia23 14 hr. ago I'm so proud of you!
    via u/Cassiopia23

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Like a Boss antiwork workplace-stories malicious compliance reddit story petty revenge overworked-employees Horrible Bosses bad bosses Reddit karma karen entitled people oddly satisfying
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