'We can't let our dog outside if we're not on break': Boss demands work-from-home employees text him every time they leave their desks, inspires malicious compliance solutions

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    r/antiwork u/Quiet-Honey4347 • 21h Mass email saying we have to text the boss every time we leave our desk (WFH)
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    This guy is already a control freak and is now taking it to a new level. He watches our screens for idle mouse movement because teams status isnt enough. We have daily productivity goals that are published openly so we all know who is and isn't meeting quotas, not to mention he posts the amount of money we make for the company (always exceeding quota) but that's just not enough. He's
  • 03
    previously made comments about how we can't do things like let our dog outside or run to the car to get something if we're not on break but now he's sent out a mass email that says we have to text him every time we leave our computer for any amount of time if we're not on break. This guy is a psycho control freak. Obviously, I'm not going to comply.
  • 04
    SomeHSomeE • 21h Honestly this something that requires a mass approach. You either go down the malicious compliance route, making sure everyone is texting him non stop. "Hi just going for a wee". "Hi just filling up my water". "Hi just picking up my pen off the floor" etc. Basically make it so he's getting a text every 2 minutes or so. Alternatively, everyone en masse refuses to comply. Or third option, everyone en masses threatens to quit over this. These all only work if everyone clubs in and
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    Quiet-Honey4347 OP.20h I WISH but our communication with each other is closely monitored. I once sent a nice private message to a colleague about a very minor mistake they made so they could fix it before getting in trouble and my boss immediately told me I'm not allowed to do that and have to report mistakes directly to him only. Lol. By minor, I'm talking typo that in no way impacted anything. 319
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    StolenWishes • 19h Just start messaging him and the entire group every time you get up to visit the printer or the bathroom, or refill your water, etc.; the team will catch on. 243
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    MikeTalonNYC • 21h I'd try to get everyone on-board with malicious compliance. That doesn't require they risk quitting or getting fired for not giving him what he wants, but definitely still sends a message that he's a moron for demanding it. 1.2k
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    NeeaLM 21h Yeah I feel like it after a few dozen of texts every hours he would back up veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery quick ... 449
  • 09
    spiked_macaroon • 20h It's called professional courtesy. If I'm doing my job, and everything is getting done and taken care of appropriately, my boss doesn't need to babysit me. We're all adults here. Let's act like it. Reply 410
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    Quiet-Honey4347 OP. 19h Fully agree. We are clearly doing our jobs and making you money. The need to be controlling is a psychological issue of his. Not my problem ... 131
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    Tranquil_Pure ⚫ 20h Setup a bot to text him every 10-30 minutes with fake "stepping away" texts to confuse him and try to figure out which staff member is away so long. Reply 406
  • 12
    DangerousAd1731 • 21h That's way strict. They are treating you like a call center, assuming this isn't a call center. Wait this isn't Elon Musk right Imao! Reply ◇ 60
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    Quiet-Honey4347 OP. 20h Lol not a call center or Elon musk 24
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    Thatguywritethere45 • 19h I had a call center job where they started sending everyone a daily email with each of our average call times and sales for the day with our names attached. It wasn't long after I quit - I feel like that's wrong and fosters a toxic kind of competitiveness Reply 43
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    Quiet-Honey4347 OP. 19h That's what my boss does and he's open about it being a competition. ← 19
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    Thatguywritethere45 • 19h I truly feel that's a toxic environment. Competition to some extent isn't bad, but when you're making people feel inferior or superior to others it's not healthy. 13
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    Quiet-Honey4347 OP. 19h And our ability to get a raise each year is based not on objective metric but how well we do in comparison to our coworkers. Legitimately. ... 10
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    Barbarake 18h This happened years ago. I was a programmer/ analyst and management got the bright idea that everyone needed to update an online 'progress sheet' on what they were working on/had accomplished every six minutes!! (No, I'm not kidding every six minutes!) We had a couple of days forewarning so everyone was ready the day it started. It was rescinded by lunchtime. Idiots! Reply ↑ 8 3
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