‘Dude made his bed’: Egotistical colleague ruins his career, whose promotion leads to a mass resignation and his eventual firing

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Oct 5, 2024 7:00 AM EDT

Not every coworker can be your best friend. However, a certain level of decorum should be required when working in an office with others. Sure, the hands we're dealt aren't really up to us (as the workforce is a machine churning folks in and out to their liking), but having to deal with egomaniacs and arrogant colleagues should not be the norm. These types of people make going to work difficult—it's the reason why many employees prefer to work remotely. As long as there's a screen separating you from the maniacal powers that be, that should suffice until you find a company that actually makes you feel appreciated and trusted.

The original poster (OP) of this story did a trial period at a company some years ago and was applauded by many colleagues during his time there. One colleague in particular, who practiced misogyny and incivility on the regular, refused to give him his flowers. The OP didn't care, but after seeing how this colleague treated others around him, specifically women, he decided he wouldn't be staying at the company. After the OP moved on to bigger and better career endeavors, many former employees from this company began applying to the OP's current workplace. Word got around that this arrogant colleague couldn't handle criticism (as arrogance prevents this), and once he got promoted, many employees resigned. The colleague was eventually let go. The best part: this colleague applied to work for the OP's mother's company—you can guess how that turned out.

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    Cheezburger Image 10411901696
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    I torpedoed a dude's entire career because he was a bully
    via Tahnkoman
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    So to preface, I know I'm something of a nepo baby, but it is what it is. My mom is incredibly successful in a very niche, but very lucrative field of business. This allowed my dad to be a SAHD & for me & my siblings to get a good education.
    via Tahnkoman
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    When I graduated from college I decided to go into the same field as my mom. While I love her & our relationship is good, I very much did not want to only be viewed as her kid, or receive special treatment due to how well regarded she is, so I use my dad's surname, and generally keep who my mom is to myself. I also avoided coming to work for her.
    via Tahnkoman
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    In my field & country it's generally accepted that people are hired for a trial period, at the end of which either the employee or employer can cut ties with no fines or compensation required. So anyway I went to work at one company (again I'll remind you. very niche market, very few -
    via Tahnkoman
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    employment opportunities). I went in for my trial period and everyone seemed pretty happy with me. I put out some fires & one superior describes me as "a workhorse" because I'm first to the office, last out the door. It goes pretty well. Except for one colleague in my team.
    via Tahnkoman
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    This dude is a HUGE j rk. I'm a bit of a people pleaser and try to be on good terms with everyone, but J rk will have NONE of it. Dude is incredibly He keeps being very confrontational. Like if a colleague (not just me) was getting any sort of acknowledgment, J rk would belittle them and their
    via Tahnkoman
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    accomplishment. If someone was saying they had a rough time with something, J rk would pop up going "oh yeah I did that a while back it was SUPER EASY." Whenever someone tried talking about future plans with me, J rk would go "oh yeah we'll see about that". He also apparently says some very unkind things about my appearance and
    via Tahnkoman
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    masculinity, but those at least he had the decency to say behind my back, I suppose, and I only learned about them later. Like dude was incredibly mean, for apparently no reason except trying to make himself look better by making everyone else look worse. This one thing wasn't true to me specifically because I'm
    via Tahnkoman
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    male, but his meanness seemed to apply especially to women. A few comments were about how working in this field isn't for moms and they should be raising kids or whatever, and some other very bad stuff. But management seemed pretty content keeping him around because apparently he was a pretty good worker and they liked that he was ambitious. Fine.
    via Tahnkoman
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    My trial period ends. I am offered a permanent position, but decide this is not the place for me, as I don't love being anybody's workhorse, and have very little interest in sticking around in J rk's vicinity. I respectfully inform them I will not be sticking around and go find work
    via Tahnkoman
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    elsewhere. On my last day I come to say goodbye. Management says they're sorry to see me go. Colleagues wish me well & say they're gonna miss me. J rk goes "HA! Told you OP wasn't gonna stick around! Good riddance! Maybe this field isn't for you either!" Very loudly. I leave. I'm not very confrontational & I don't have to deal with him anymore anyway, so I just go.
    via Tahnkoman
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    Some time goes by, I am now employed elsewhere. I'm happy & doing well. I love my work & my colleagues. I've been promoted, and I don't really think about J rk anymore, except... Apparently there's a relative influx of applicants from J rk's company? (relative because
    via Tahnkoman
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    again very niche market). - Whatever. My boss knows I did a trial period over there, so whenever an applicant comes up - - he asks me about my experience with them. There are very few people I dislike, so when asked, I usually give my honest opinion, which is usually very positive. But guess
    via Tahnkoman
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    who's application we suddenly receive? It's J rk! My boss asks for my opinion, and I say "look, I have personal feelings about this person, and I can't be objective". Boss, knowing just how positive I usually am about basically everyone, asks me what's up, and eventually I tell him. I tell him everything. J rk, obviously, doesn't get hired. I assume that's the end of that.
    via Tahnkoman
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    Few days later we have family dinner. My mom goes "wait, you had a trial period at that company, right? Do you know J rk?" Well my mom knew there was a person I really didn't get along with at that company and things they did. I tell the her it was him. Obviously - she ain't gonna hire him either, especially given his views on women.
    via Tahnkoman
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    So my company ends up hiring one of J rk's company's former workers. Me & her are on great terms and this is how I discover what happened there - J rk got promoted and that made a bunch of people wanna leave. This caused management to look into why, and why strong applicants were leaving after their trial
    via Tahnkoman
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    period was over. Turned out it was J rk. Someone had a talk with him and from what I gather he was not receptive to criticism. He was let go. This is when he applied to the company I work for & to my mom's. From what I understand he no longer works in our field (there
    via Tahnkoman
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    are, as I mentioned, not many employers around), but unfortunately I have no idea what he does do. Will update if I find out.
    via Tahnkoman
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    God1101 · 6h ago This isn't really petty revenge. He kinda torpedoed himself with his attitude
    via God1101
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    mochicoco • 3h ago Exactly, OP protected he work from a toxic employee. He was doing his duty. suffered from natural consequences. I bet it still felt good.
    via mochicoco
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    Mapilean ⚫5h ago That was satisfactory. Dude made his bed and now has to sleep in it. Pity Management enabled him for so long.
    via Mapilean
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    HappyIntrovert... .5h ago Love the story even though I am not sure it qualifies as petty revenge. It is more like just karma finally caught up with him. Sadly, these kinds of people never learn and never admit that they could be the problem.
    via HappyIntrovertDev

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terrible coworkers instant karma workplace-stories malicious toxic-workplace malicious compliance work coworkers malicious-compliance-reddit askreddit reddit story horrible-management petty revenge entitled people karma workplace Horrible Bosses reddit thread malicious compliance reddit karma entitled people compliance toxic-work-environment
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