'Not allowed to go home early? Ok!': Manager defies boss by adjusting schedule so employees can still leave at a decent hour

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 6, 2024 8:00 AM EST

Shoutout to all the good managers out there! It's far too common these days to hear about toxic management and the enforcement of bogus new policies that actively hurt employees while benefiting companies at large. So when we do come across a story where a decent manager defies these types of unnecessary rules and regulations in the name of protecting their more or less powerless employees, we have to be grateful for the few nice authority figures that are still out there.

Here, we have a manager who often allowed employees to leave early if all their work was complete… that is, until upper management insisted that this was no longer doable. So that's when the Redditor's direct supervisor decided to enact some malicious compliance so that they were still following the rules while allowing employees to benefit at the same time. Essentially, the manager would adjust their team members' scheduled hours in real-time based on their need for hands, switching eight-hour shifts to five-hour ones in order to let some overworked employees off the hook. Upper management may not have been happy with this, but there was no way for them to complain.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more, check out this post about coworkers who got fired almost immediately.

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10437432576
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Not allowed to go home early? Ok! S OC First of all, I love my manager. I know that's pretty rare, but she works with our schedules and makes an effort to give us what we want to make things easier for us.
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 03
    Now, that isn't always possible, but one thing they had always been pushing for was trying to cut payroll. I'm part time, working less than full time hours is better for my schedule than not, it's cheaper to work less than pay for a babysitter. So she'd send us home early if she could.
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 04
    But we got a new staff level manager, and all of a sudden we needed to help the other departments instead of cutting payroll, and the last time she let us go home early she got in major trouble and they made us clock back in to finish helping for the rest of our scheduled shift.
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 05
    We can't go home early anymore? Sure! Not a problem. Now she schedules us full hours and then changes it in the system during the shift. Sorry, I'm not scheduled 8 hours today, I'm actually 5!
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 06
    ChiTownBob 11 hr. ago The MC was done by OP's manager. OP's manager got in trouble for sending them home early. But now she just changes the schedule on the fly and now the OP is not leaving "early" :)
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 07
    HinaLuvLuvChan OP 11 hr. ago I saw this as my managers win tbh, she's not letting us go home early like they said. If it's not then sorry, I thought it was.
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 08
    biold 8 hr. ago Congratulations with a great manager who knows 2 important things:
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 09
    1. flexible manager gets flexible employees who will work their ....... off if things are on fire
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 10
    2. how to work with the system to get what she wants I have a similar manager
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 11
    nocturn99x 7 hr. ago I have one like that too. Super chill, clearly has worked in my job before cuz he knows a bit how it goes, always approves all my leave
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 12
    requests immediately and lets me change my schedule around my college classes.
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 13
    Once there was a problem with a project and I worked a bunch of OT (even though I initially said I wouldn't be able to when I got hired) just
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 14
    because I like this company quite a bit and my colleague was in a bit of a pickle. Treat your employees well and they will do the same!
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 15
    SailingSpark 11 hr. ago exactly, the staff manager is not letting them leave early, so her manager is changing the schedule instead.
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 16
    Scheduled to work 7-3, but need to leave at noon? A couple of clicks later your scheduled to work 7 till noon.
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 17
    HinaLuvLuvChan OP 11 hr. ago Yup! That's exactly what happens now!
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 18
    Marcultist . 11 hr. ago So still going home early even though you're not allowed to? Not exactly compliance.
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 19
    algy888 9 hr. ago "They are working their full "scheduled" time. Look right there on the screen 5 hours. I just edited... umm checked it so I know it's right.”
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 20
    Lay-ZFair 11 hr. ago But it is malicious and 1 out of 2 ain't bad! ;) Also it really is complying with the mandate and not leaving early!
    via HinaLuvLuvChan
  • 21
    Over-Debt2951 - 8 hr. ago You can cross post to r/sweetcompliance just in case it gets deleted here for not meeting all requirements. That sub is still trying to build up, so probably won't get deleted at all over there
    via HinaLuvLuvChan

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workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace manager job malicious compliance work reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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