Employee gets caught running a program that automates their entire job, leading to an unexpected conversation with IT: ‘I was hoping they would offer me a job’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 30, 2024 7:00 AM EDT

Some people are worried about the prospects of AI taking over their jobs, fearing the day that their skills would become useless. Then there are people who actively try to find a way a computer would be able to do their entire job so that they would not actually have to work. But if you do manage to find a way to get an automatic program to do all your work, you better keep that information a secret, because if someone at your workplace were to find out, it might not look good for your future there.

The employee in this Reddit story tried time and time again to write a script that would automate their job, and they actually succeded. The main problem arose when their account kept getting suspended, probably because it was doing things it was not meant to do, but the employee kept on trying. Eventually, the employee gets a call from IT to check what is going on, and both are surprised by the outcome…

Scroll down to read the full story and the helpful tips from other Redditors. After you are done with this story, click here for a story of a server who refused to let restaurant guests order after closing time.

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10381473536
    via Canva
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    got caught running scripts again
    via u/STILLloveTHEoldWORLD
  • 03
    about a month ago or so I posted here about how I wrote a program in python which automated a huge part of my job. IT found it and deleted it and I thought I was going
    via u/STILLloveTHEoldWORLD
  • 04
    to be in trouble, but nothing ever happened. Then I learned I could use powershell to automate the same task. But then I found out my user account was barred from
    via u/STILLloveTHEoldWORLD
  • 05
    running scripts. So I wrote a batch script which copied powershell commands from a text file and executed them with powershell.
    via u/STILLloveTHEoldWORLD
  • 06
    I was happy, again my job would be automated and I wouldn't have to work. A day later IT actually calls me directly and asks me how I was able
    via u/STILLloveTHEoldWORLD
  • 07
    to run scripts when the policy for my user group doesn't allow scripts. I told them hoping they'd move me into IT, but he just found it interesting. He told me he called
    via u/STILLloveTHEoldWORLD
  • 08
    because he thought my computer was compromised. Anyway, thats my story. I should get a new job
    via u/STILLloveTHEoldWORLD
  • 09
    Nethermorph - 23 hr. ago Lol that's wild. Can I ask what your current role is?
    via u/Nethermorph
  • 10
    STILLloveTHEoldWORLD OP. 23 hr. ago data entry
    via u/STILLloveTHEoldWORLD
  • 11
    kerbe42 21 hr. ago You should be working in a data integration role.
    via u/kerbe42
  • 12
    DenverITGuy .22 hr. ago Windows Admin A lot of people in these comments assume that IT is all-knowing or aware of every way to circumvent policies...
    via u/DenverITGuy
  • 13
    My recommendation to OP is answer their questions and ask what is the approved method to automate what you're trying to do. If it's nothing malicious, you have a business justification that should be backed up by your
    via u/DenverITGuy
  • 14
    should be backed up by your supervisor/manager. If no one backs you up and IT continues to shoot you down, that's a larger problem with your company culture and you may not be able to change it yourself.
    via u/DenverITGuy
  • 15
    ReptilianLaserbeam · 22 hr. ago Jr. Sysadmin Dude you work in a company, that's not high school. You don't need to hide behind the building to smoke your cigarettes. Instead of trying to find loopholes raise a ticket with a business case
    via u/ReptilianLaserbeam
  • 16
    explaining why do you need to use scripts or a scripting language. Get an approval and added to the exception. If you keep playing bad boy you'll end up in HR.
    via u/ReptilianLaserbeam
  • 17
    TrippTrappTrinn · 22 hr. ago As a sysadmin I have given scripts to users to help them eliminating silly manual tasks. Luckiky our organization encourage automation and efficiency.
    via u/TrippTrappTrinn
  • 18
    jefe_toro 23 hr. ago I mean it sounds like you could be good at IT, but you also are demonstrating that you are basically a cowboy who plays by his own set of rules.
    via u/jefe_toro
  • 19
    You could have avoided all this if you maybe just reached out to someone and said "hey I have some ideas about how I can automate a lot of my tasks, what do you think?" People like that collaborative attitude, instead you
    via u/jefe_toro
  • 20
    put your fingers in someone else's chilli and when they smacked your hand away you found away to dip your toe in it.
    via u/jefe_toro
  • 21
    hankhillnsfw · 21 hr. ago I would raise a ticket with a business example as well as explain to your manager that IT is actively inhibiting your role without trying to understand why you need to script.
    via u/hankhillnsfw
  • 22
    wiseleo · 15 hr. ago • That's a nice story to tell at your next interview. You're in the correct place but in the wrong role. They don't understand how to use your talent.
    via u/wiseleo
  • 23
    Want the ultimate hack? Write your script as a QR code in VBA and use a QR code scanner to execute your code in Excel VBA. Good luck blocking that. ;)
    via u/wiseleo
  • 24
    Large_Yams · 5 hr. ago You have an impressive level of knowledge, but you're every IT department's worst nightmare. You're the exact person with enough skill to break everything while thinking you won't do anything wrong.
    via u/Large_Yams

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workplace-stories employee automatic job tales-from-the-workplace work technology it reddit story overworked-employees workplace Tech script Reddit funny
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