'I knew I was getting fired': Retail manager creates the world's hardest passwords just before getting fired

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Feb 29, 2024 11:00 AM EST

One retail worker inspired us all with the way they got back at the company that was going to fire them. 

There's a reason most companies fire people in the most private way possible. Usually, the person will be called into a meeting with HR at a time when few employees are around. After HR breaks the news, the person might have to sign a few papers, but their desk will be cleared out for them and they'll be escorted out the door. I mean, that's the professional and careful way to do things, but not every business operates so seamlessly. 

This person got to live out the scorned workers' dream. As a manager, they were unfairly blamed for the actions of an employee working under them. But of course, as a manager, they were responsible. Realizing they were about to be let go, this manager decided to leave a lasting mark on the company by being as petty as they could be. In the comments section, people were divided about the original poster's approach. Some said that the manager deserved to get the boot, while others encouraged them to find even pettier ways to get back at the next employer to mess with them. 

Next up, these oversharers on social media really need to be unfriended ASAP. 

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  • 01
    You're fired....now give us all the passwords S I already posted this story to r/pettyrevenge and someone said I should post it here.... To cut a long story short, I got fired from a managerial position in retail because I
    via u/[deleted]
  • 02
    was technically ranked person on duty when a minor security the highest breach occured, despite the person who carried out the breach fully confessing, absolving me of blame and I was doing admin stuff at the time.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 03
    Before my disciplinary I knew I was getting fired. I had put everything the company did on Google Drive and I also had the social media passwords etc. So just before the disciplinary hearing I used Lastpass to change the passwords to as long as
    via u/[deleted]
  • 04
    possible (Google allows 100 characters) and made them random letters, numbers, symbols with interspersed capitals. In my disciplinary I was told I was being fired with 4 week's pay as is standard as long as I followed procedure, including handing over the passwords. So I did.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    I copied the passwords into a Google Doc on my phone, changed the font to lobster bold italic, and took screenshots of them (so they couldn't copy and paste), then emailed them to the owners.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 06
    Not all of them were 100 characters, but I had to give the passwords for PayPal, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They didn't ask me for the WiFi password as that was still set to the same as when I started, but I did change it along with the router password, and inside the shop is a 4g blackspot.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 07
    Edit: to those asking if they could have just reset the passwords....the Google password was linked to what I think was the owner's old number. The social media accounts were recoverable via the a Google email. And they have since updated their social media about 10 days after this happened so they must have got it eventually.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 08
    To those asking if I was an who deserves to get fired....well I never said I wasn't. But I didn't want to get onto the details of why the owners and I hated each other. But in my eyes, I was in the right, and in theirs they were.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 09
    [deleted] for the lazy/curious, this is what bold italic lobster looks like in google docs
    via u/[deleted]
  • 10

    It sure is impossible to read!

    1 already posted this story to r/pettyrevenge and someone said I should post it here..... To cut a long story short, I got fired from a managerial position in retall because I was technically the highest ranked person on duty when a minor security breach occured, despite the person who carried out the breach fully confessing, absolving me of blame and I was doing admin stuff at the time. Before my disciplinary 1 knew 1 was getting fired. I had put everything the company did on Google Drive and I
    via u/[deleted]
  • 11
    Joped My favorite part of this was the use of lobster bold italic font. I had to look up to see how truly ridiculously evil it is. Hilarious name for a font as well :P
    via u/Joped
  • 12
    KrashKrunal. What did they say when you gave them the passwords? You had any issues with them since (ie trying to withhold your final pay) etc...?
    via u/KrashKrunal
  • 13
    stoneberry Nah, probably they just got some poor intern soul to type them.
    via u/stoneberry
  • 14
    im-from-canada-eh As a software developer I can say I approve of what you did. The format and length of the passwords are sufficient for password security. And you
    via u/im--canada-eh
  • 15
    should never store/transmit passwords in pain text... so he encrypted them before transmitting.
    via u/im--canada-eh
  • 16
    flavius29663. why not |||||||IIII|||||||||IIIIII||| ||||IIII||||||||||IIIIII|||||| ||IIII|||||||IIIIII|||||||II II||||||||IIIIII in arial ?
    via u/flavius29663
  • 17
    Ajreil I would have used Wingdings. They'd need to make a cypher and decode it by hand.
    via u/Ajreil
  • 18
    [deleted] I hope you realize you made life for people who had zero to do with your firing, all the while kind of making me think you were fired for a very good reason.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 19
    Obadijah Yeah, maybe I'm just in the wrong subreddit, but this just makes me assume the firing was likely justified.
    via u/Obadijah
  • 20
    LawnShipper As a Security Awareness professional...I not only approve of, but heartily endorse your actions.
    via u/LawnShipper

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management boss workplace-stories jobs manager job malicious compliance retail bosses retail worker work malicious-compliance-reddit managers workplace malicious compliance reddit
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