Bookshop worker does their best to follow orders after supervisor demands they remain in a single section: 'Sorry, I'm busy'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
May 25, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

Oftentimes in our lives, a weary, exasperated manager with sagging eyes will give us an order, desperate for us to follow it without asking questions. Depending on the dynamic of our relationship with that manager and the nature of the request, we might be more than happy to follow their direction—or we may, instead, choose to follow the literal meaning of that direction but not necessarily the intended purpose of the direction. This "malicious compliance" to their request will help balance the scales and hopefully show them the error of their ways.

It goes without saying that retail managers don't have easy jobs, being asked to accomplish a lot with very little and constantly being squeezed by the pressure of increasingly oppressive policy that is intended to be passed on to their staff. Still, there are two types of retail managers from this point: Those who pass on each directive unquestionably, making the lives of their workers miserable; and those who refuse to pass the directive on, taking the brunt of the wrath from their managers for not unquestionably doing what they were told. 

This manager was the former, and their worker predictably chose to follow their direction to the letter, even when other areas of the operation desperately needed their help.

Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 9927422976
    via Samantha Hentosh
  • 02
    I'm working my section like you said. MOC About a decade ago, I worked at a well known bookstore as a seller of books. For anyone not aware, there were sections/duties that people were assigned to during shifts and it changed frequently. It wasn't uncommon for shifts or duties to be swapped (relevant later in the story).
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 03
    There had been a recent change in management, and a fresh employee (let's call her Lexa) received a promotion to be an assistant manager despite having limited experience and quite the undeserved chip on her shoulder. (Pretty sure she got the job because of her friendship with the departing AM whose position opened up.) She was very much a delegator who spent a lot of time. hanging out in the back office.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 04
    I knew Lexa wasn't liked by a few of the veteran employees for the seemingly undeserved promotion. I was a part-timer going to school, so I wasn't invested in moving up or challenging the store leadership. Didn't make much of a difference to me. She and I got along just fine overall and usually exchanged pleasantries with bits of conversation.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 05
    Until one day. I showed up to work, clocked in, and saw my department was Kids. I hated working in Kids as it was a Saturday (super packed), and the person who I relieved was terrible at cleaning up whatever section she was assigned to.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 06
    I called up Lexa and asked her if I could switch with another bookseller (who liked working in Kids) that also just clocked in. Before waiting for an answer (yes, partially my fault), I asked the bookseller if she would be cool switching with me. Lexa, hearing me ask this question, yells over the phone, "NO! YOU WERE ASSIGNED TO KIDS, SO GO TO YOUR SECTION!"
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 07
    I replied with a simple, "Okay." I go to my section, and as expected, it's a disaster. Books on the floor, kids running around, toys strewn about - it was exactly what I anticipated.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 08
    I got right to work on recovering messed up shelves, making stacks of the books to return to their proper locations, and picked up toys/trash. I was a man on a mission. Wouldn't you know it, but apparently there were some shelves and furniture that needed to be moved around.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 09
    I get a call on my store phone. It's Lexa, and she needs my help with said task. Mind you, there were enough people on the book floor to help if she also left the back office to get it done. Her tone was much different, and she sweetly asked if I can leave Kids to go help with the project.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 10
    Well, Kids is a mess. I was diligently working just to keep up with the unrelenting entropy due to the Saturday afternoon crowd. Could I have helped? Sure. Did I have an excuse not to? Sure did. I firmly replied, "Sorry, I'm busy in Kids." Nothing more, nothing less.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 11
    The shift ended, and we went go to the break room post shift. Lexa talks to all of us and mentions how we need to remember to work as a team. Her demeanor was mildly sheepish, and she avoided making eye contact with me. I sat there, staring right at her with a dumb look on my face, pretending I don't know she's indirectly talking about me. I did find out from a couple of friends she did help out which required her actually doing some work instead of hiding out.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 12
    We never had any run-ins after that and she moved a couple of months later. In any case, I worked my assigned section like she told me to. On the bright side, I cleaned up Kids and organized it so well that the Kids lead thanked me the next time we worked together.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 13
    Archangel4500000 - 5 hr. ago Ferengi rule of Acquisition #8 "Small print leads to large risk." mirandabrokedown OP 5 hr. ago Ha! Well said.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 14
    TechnOght 5 hr. ago • "Yes, I heard the team really appreciated you coming out of the office to help for the first time"
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 15
    erichwanh 5 hr. ago • I worked janitorial at a B&N ('10), and this is giving me. strong memories.
    via u/mirandabrokedown
  • 16
    dreamerlilly 55 min. ago I used to work the kids section of Barnes and Noble. Call me crazy, but it was my favorite part of the store to work. Would have been a great job overall if it wasn't minimum wage, 8 hour shifts with a 15 minute break but otherwise no sitting, and people leaving. trash everywhere.
    via u/mirandabrokedown

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

workplace discussion workplace-stories toxic-manager jobs manager job malicious compliance work workplace workplace malicious compliance employment in the workplace
Scroll Down For The Next Article