Update: 'I've already started packing': School worker refuses to be substitute teacher, boss demands they comply

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jun 9, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

We all know that teachers these days are under a lot of pressure, and it turns out that pressure extends even to other school staffers. Like this person, for example. U/hhhhhhd5 is literally not even a teacher, and yet their boss keeps trying to get them to substitute teach for absent teachers! 

Although this person was hired to do marketing, they quickly found themself having zero time to actually do that job. That's a bad sign at any job: if management has to bait and switch you into doing something else entirely, that's some bad planning on their end. I imagine the boss in this story was under a lot of pressure too. After all, what else was she supposed to do with numerous classrooms of kids with no teacher around? Still, it's no excuse for the way this person was treated. At least this marketing person/unwilling substitute teacher managed to look for another gig. And as they explained in their update post, they managed to maliciously comply with their boss on their way out the door. 

After that, this contract worker was told to "Just do the important things and let the small stuff slide," but soon after, they were fired! 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    [Boss] told me specifically that Project A was the priority and I was told to do no other work until it was completed. Okay! Cue malicious compliance'
    via Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash
  • 02
    "This is the priority!!" A bit of MC against my awful boss. Some background: (without giving too many details in case one of my coworkers sees this) I've been working as the marketing director for a very small company for the past year or so. This job started out nice enough but it quickly went downhill when we had about 10
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 03
    of our 35 full time staff members quit over the span of a few months. They all left for various reasons relating to the awful boss's (Who I will call Stacy) poor management tactics and her team's attitude. The staffing issue became my issue when I was forced to pick up the slack for everyone who had left. I was being asked to do a number of miscellaneous tasks, some of which I was nowhere near qualified for, all of which
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 04
    took away from my time to do my actual job of marketing. Despite this, Stacy would consistently make a fuss over certain marketing objectives not being completed when she wanted. I would always explain to her that because she had delegated me to do specific work elsewhere, I had no time to do the marketing projects we had brainstormed. She of course never listened.
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 05
    As time went on we lost 5 more staff members, including our secretary. I was moved to cover her position at the front desk full time for 5 weeks, during which I couldn't get any of my actual job doing marketing done. All of my projects came to a standstill, and we even lost touch with one of our vendors who I had been working with. The minute I was able to return to my own office Stacy and her team were hounding me for marketing
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 06
    materials that in their minds should have been done by now, but I explained to them that as I essentially had a different job for the last 5 weeks, I wasn't allowed any time to work on them. I was beyond frustrated at this point and began looking for other jobs. About 2 weeks ago I got an offer for a much better company, and handed in my notice to Stacy. Stacy was flustered, and asked me before I leave to finish a list of
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 07
    projects that she had kept putting off. Specifically she wanted a project (Project A) that she had repeatedly pushed to the back burner since DECEMBER to be done. I was the only one who could do this project and she knew it, and she desperately wanted it done before I left since its completion meant she could put off hiring my replacement for awhile. In our meeting she told me specifically that Project A was the priority and I was to do no
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 08
    other work until it was completed. Okay! Cue malicious compliance: One of the other reasons why it would sometimes take so long to get certain marketing projects done is because they required Stacy and her team's input and approval. This was mostly for design related projects. I would make an initial design, get their input of what looked good, change the design, and then wait for them to approve it before
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 09
    sending it of to a printing or manufacturing company. All of this happened over email, and no matter how many reminders I would send Stacy would always drag her feet in responding. It could sometimes take an entire week to do what should have taken maybe 3 hours. I mentioned this problem to Stacy before, and she again never listened. Well, guess what this final project she wanted me to complete was?
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 10
    A design project. And guess who has spent the last week and a half dragging her feet to respond to my emails about it? Stacy. Now, I could have been working on the other items on the laundry list of work she wanted me to do while I waited for Project A's approval, however since she explicitly told me Project A was the priority, not a single thing on her list got done. The best part is there is not enough time for me to fully complete Project A now
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 11
    either since she took so long to respond. I will be handing off to her all the design files (most of which she can't even open since she doesn't have the right software) and then leaving on Tuesday. After that, not my problem!
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 12
    "This is the priority!!" A bit of MC against my awful boss (UPDATE) I decided to make a second post to update because oh boy. Original post here.
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 13
    I'm writing this on my lunch break, where I thought for sure I wouldn't have anything to report to you guys until the end of the day, but this morning was interesting to say the least.
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 14
    First of all, I'll reveal a bit more information about where I work because the context is needed to fully explain: I do the marketing and communications for a small school. "Stacy", my boss, is the principal. The work I mentioned in my previous post where I was asked to do things I was nowhere near qualified for was to teach.
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 15
    Very often I would be asked to substitute teach, despite not having the proper qualifications such as licenses or a degree in the subject matter. At one point I had to cover teaching a class of elementary schoolers with no lesson plan for an entire week because their teacher quit on the spot.
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 16
    Well, today, my last day, I woke up to a number of texts sent at 5am from my boss asking me to cover again and substitute teach. Absolutely not. Not on my last day will I be doing something completely out lines with my work and that quite frankly makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I said no, she said do it anyways.
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 17
    No. I refuse to sub today, so I decided to explain a few things to Stacy. Project A still isn't finished. It wasn't going to be finished by the time I left regardless of what I did today because it was so far behind. Again, all because she took a week and a half to respond to an email approving the design. My original plan today was to do as much work on Project A as possible, but if I was being asked to substitute teach instead it
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 18
    looks like that wouldn't be happening. So now instead of being mostly done, Project A would only be little more than halfway complete when I left. Stacy was not happy hearing all this, but somehow now she was miraculously able to find an actual substitute teacher. Now for a little additional MC. Now that Stacy knew Project A wasn't complete, she reiterated to me that it was the top priority, and she wanted me to do ONLY
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 19
    work for Project A today, nothing else. So, I will be doing absolutely nothing else. I was going to create a file in google drive with all of my photographs, designs, and other media and give them access. I was going to show one of my coworkers how to log in to do basic edits to our website. I was going to create an excel sheet with all of the passwords for our various social media accounts, softwares, and other 3rd party apps. I
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 20
    considered these all basic things to do when leaving a workplace, but now it looks like I'm not allowed to do those. None of these items would have taken me more than 10 minutes, but will wind up taking the school hours if not days to reconcile. At 3:15pm exactly I will be out of here, and then I'm done with them. I'm so excited to leave I've already started packing up my belongings, and I'm being
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 21
    incredibly meticulous and petty about it. All of the pens, staples, and binder clips I bought are going home with me, even if they're in use. I'm taking my plug-in air freshener out of the bathroom. Even the temporary wallpaper I put up is coming down! I can't wait until a few weeks from now when they call looking for access to the pictures I took. Once my last paycheck clears, all those files are going in the trash. I won't even offer them
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 22
    a chance to get them back by paying me a ridiculous consulting fee. As far as I'm concerned, that's their problem, not mine. Edit: I'm out. Good riddance.
    via u/hhhhhhd5
  • 23
    ShadowSync Heh. Regarding the temporary wallpaper OP is taking with them. At an old job we had a vendor in the lobby who was contracted to run a little cafe cart. She sold smoothies, bagels, and other quick food items for staff on breaks. The company decided to cut her contract short and give someone else the spot.
    via u/ShadowSync
  • 24
    When she left she took the sink in one of the back break rooms that she had installed with her. It was glorious! Take EVERYTHING with you when you leave a job. You know your job wants the same from you.
    via u/ShadowSync
  • 25
    GovernorSan If I were you (and a lot braver than I actually am), any time they asked me to sub, despite not having a teaching degree or any training, I would greet the class the same way;
    via u/GovernorSan
  • 26
    "Good morning class, my name is Mr. San. Your teacher couldn't be here today, so they asked me to fill in. I am not qualified in any way to be your teacher, so I don't really know what I am doing here. So, what are we learning today?"
    via u/GovernorSan
  • 27
    lemoinem Just a note: Beware of deleting stuff you created in the context of your job. It might legally belong to them. I'm all for turning the page and running, I just don't want you to get more grief and a harder time to get rid of them. Good luck moving forward!
    via u/lemoinem
  • 28
    Krazy_Karl_666 report them to whatever oversight board your state has you subbing with no qualifications is a massive red flag. How many of the other "Subs" are not qualified or maybe not even passed a background check?
    via u/Krazy_Karl_666
  • 29
    GreenEggPage When they call you to do stuff after you leave, be sure to quote them an hourly rate of $100 or more with a minimum billing time.
    via u/GreenEggPage
  • 30
    Stabbmaster I'd keep them anyways, since if they're yours you may as well keep your potential portfolio items. Also make sure your "goodbye" email details everything she for some reason did not allow you to do to make everyone elses. lives easier. That way everyone knows why they're so deep into creek.
    via u/Stabbmaster

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

Tags

boss class school classes teaching learning teachers teacher substitute marketing malicious compliance malicious-compliance-reddit malicious compliance reddit
Scroll Down For The Next Article