'Our generation has become extremely lazy': Bully boomer complains about 'lazy' work from home-rs, coworker ends him with perfect comeback

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
May 8, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

Working from home has been one of the greatest inventions of the last half-century. It allows employees so much more flexibility than ever before and keeps people happier at their jobs. But it can be hard for the older generations to swallow. Sure, if you had to wake up at 6 am, put on an uncomfortable suit, and be at the office every day for 40 years, you might be a little salty that kids these days get to roll out of bed at 9 and stay in their pajamas. But you can either stay mad or get with the times. 

It's a centuries-old tale: older generations complain that younger ones have it easier, instead of marveling at how far we've come. That's exactly what happened in this recent Reddit story, where a boomer had some such complaint, but his coworker had the perfect response. The kind of response you think of in the shower later. Read on for the details. 

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  • 01
    r/pettyrevenge u/Warm Age9940 • 11h Boomer threw a tantrum about people working from home so I embarrassed in front of the team
    via u/WarmAge9940
  • 02
    I work for real estate development company that's about 25-30 employees in total. The ages of the people I work with range from 23-68. We are expected to be in the office twice week on days of our choosing. Most of the employees love this system, even the senior level people. Some of the older crowd pefer to be in the office. I have no issues with this as everyone is free to do whatever works best for them.
    via u/WarmAge9940
  • 03
    We have this one employee who is quite old and always has something bitter to say on our morning meetings. He isn't a senior level employee but most of us answer to him out of respect for his age. He's made some of us run personal errands for him and do additional admin work he doesn't want to do. He's just an old bully and always has something negative to say about our generation. One day he was tasked to do some admin work for our manager and he asked for help on it. (I had back to back meetin
    via u/WarmAge9940
  • 04
    The next morning we had a full team meeting and the topic of working from home came up and obviously he had a few words about that. He said that his generation were harder working, that our generation has become extremely lazy. That working from home is just an excuse for people not to work. That our generation has it so easy and how people worked harder back in the day and didn't slouch at home pretending to be doing their job. It was a very clear jab at my team and I. I was honestly so fed up,
    via u/WarmAge9940
  • 05
    started laughing and some looked shocked. Immediately others started chiming in. My coworker added that most people could afford to rent a place on their own for less than triple what it costs now. I then said that "Most of us are almost 30 and can't even afford a car so time/money wasted on transportation makes a huge difference to some of our lives". For the first time ever, he didn't know what to say. He just stayed dead quiet and tried to nervously laugh it off. (The way me and my coworker w
    via u/WarmAge9940
  • 06
    AdWorking2848 · 10h He probably prefer working at office so he can physically offload his work or seek help easily.
    via u/AdWorking2848
  • 07
    heysheffie 4h Absolutely, few of the remaining older workers in my org have slowly been exposed by WFH for how little they actually do. They were always pushing for people back into the office and as time went on it became clearer it's because they do very little so was easier to fill their day looking and feeling important walking around talking all day and calling unnecessary meetings. They can't seem to manage online meetings well so we seem to have less of them which is great.
    via u/heysheffie
  • 08
    Treason4 Trump • 10h how people worked harder back in the day and didn't slouch at home pretending to be doing their job. Ah he around and all this... out of respect for his age. He's made some of us ran personal errands for him and do additional admin work he doesn't want to do. ...should stop right now, as his finding out. Decrepit old fossil can do his own stuff and learn the "new ways or become the dust."
    via u/Treason4Trump
  • 09
    Grape Soda223 .7h Exactly, he says he works harder but is asking others to do his work? I was fully expecting OP to mention that instead
    via u/GrapeSoda223
  • 10
    AssPennies • 10h slouch at home pretending to be doing their job I've learned from observing many of my older bosses that this is what they would do if left to their own devices. Likewise with a ton of the other rules they instituted. They themselves seek and need to be babysat. They assume that since they would do it if they could get away with it, that everyone else would too. No sense of integrity. And for the record I'm no spring chicken (gen-x/ millennial border), but most I've seen espouse
    via u/AssPennies
  • 11
    bamacpl4442 • 9h Am I the only one who sees the screaming irony in asking other people to do your job, yet complaining how other people are too lazy to work?
    via u/bamacpl4442
  • 12
    Working-Alps9019 • 8h Yeah, I thought they would mention THAT bit in the meeting, I know I would.. "Oh, you say we are lazy and don't want to work? How come we are not that lazy when you need help with work and PERSONAL errands?"
    via u/Working-Alps9019
  • 13
    LambCo64.6h So this guy asks for help finishing work ASSIGNED TO HIM and then has the audacity to complain that the younger generation doesn't want to work anymore? This guy got off lightly...
    via u/LambCo64
  • 14
    AbbreviationsWide235 5h Hate this generational its straight out of the divide and rule playbook. Us older generation have kids and grandkids so we are on the same side and want what is best for them. An ignorant is just that. He was likely the same as a young person.
    via u/AbbreviationsWide235
  • 15
    Beck2010 4h • You missed one: "If people were so dedicated and such hard workers back in the day, then why am I and others having to do so much of your work for you?"
    via u/Beck2010
  • 16
    Crucified ginger ⚫ 10h • Some old people are so entitled, I'm glad you taught him a lesson, I'd love to of seen his face when everyone took your side
    via u/Crucified_ginger
  • 17
    NO_FIX_AUTOCORRECT • 4h If someone accuses you of doing nothing working fron home and slacking off, just throw it back at them: When you work from hone do you slack off? Is that why you think everyone else does that?
    via u/NO_FIX_AUTOCORRECT
  • 18
    Straight-Extreme-966. 9h From now on, counter every thing that has to say. Eventually he'll stop talking and keep his ☐ opinions to himself, where they're respected.
    via u/Straight-Extreme-966
  • 19
    n-oyed-i-am • 6h "It felt so good to watch managers nod along and agree with us." It would have felt better to be paid enough to be able to afford a car and housing on your wages. saying Just
    via u/n-oyed-i-am
  • 20
    "This guy got off lightly..."
    via Priscilla Du Preez

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Tags

complaining work from home boomer petty-revenge-reddit witty comebacks revenge work revenge-stories askreddit reddit story petty revenge petty wfh baby boomers boomers reddit thread Reddit
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