Bank employee turns her bosses impolite comments back on her: 'I'm not taking an hour off. I'm leaving. For good'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 8, 2024 11:00 AM EST

If your boss was constantly mentioning new jobs to you, you'd probably take the hint and start looking for opportunities elsewhere. The first time your boss says that, alarm bells should start ringing in your head. For this person, it was causing a lot of distress! Their boss was continually holding this over their head.

It was pretty impolite of the boss to keep reminding an employee of something so obvious. This woman kept telling her employee that she was an "at will" worker, which in many US states means that she can be fired at any time for basically any reason. But here's the thing… workers already know that! Worker protections in the US aren't exactly in the employee's favor. You really can just wake up one morning and head into the office, only to be told you're going to have a chat with HR. You then leave with all your belongings in a cardboard box, leaving you scrambling to pay your bills and find a new job. It's a nightmare scenario for many people, which makes it extra satisfying that this person got to turn their boss's taunt into a teachable moment.  

Next, read about this person who has "decided I will no longer host any more of his family holiday dinners" after their husband's family finally pushed them over the edge. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10438299136
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 02
    "At will" employment cuts both ways, sister! M OC A few years ago, my husband was laid off at the start of summer. I had a part-time gig as a teacher, but it didn't come with benefits. I had to take a job, any job, to provide health insurance (Murka!) while hubby looked for a new gig. I got a job as a teller at a bank.
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 03
    I tried, but was new to keeping a till, so a few times a week, my register wouldn't balance. Never very much money - under a few dollars. But the whole staff had to stay late until we straightened it out. I felt horrible for the rest of the staff. As if that shame wasn't
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 04
    bad enough, my supervisor, "Mel," would remind me that I worked "at will" and they could fire me at any time. Our family's health insurance going up in smoke was terrifying to me. Sometimes it was hard to hold back tears.
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 05
    I got better as the summer went on, but every few weeks, if I would make a mistake, Mel would smile as she warned me that "You can be fired for no cause and you'd have to leave immediately." It was so
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 06
    fantastically over-the-top. At one point, I pointed out that constant threats didn't create a healthy environment. Her smile only broadened. "It goes both ways. You can quit at any time, you know."
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 07
    When the school year started in the fall, I needed to take my daughter to tour her new school for her first day. I asked to take my lunch in the afternoon, so I could help my daughter. Though they approved it, when it came time for
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 08
    my lunch, they insisted I work through my lunch because they were being slammed.. By then, hubs had found a job with insurance and, even. better, I'd been offered more hours teaching, tho still not full-time. It was enough.
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 09
    The next day I practically floated into the bank. I waited until 10 am, then told Mel I needed to talk with her. She replied that she was very busy and it would have to wait until after we closed. "Oh, I won't
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 10
    be here then," I said. She looked like I'd smacked her with a brick. "Wut?" I smiled. "Remember that I needed to bring my daughter to her new school yesterday? You wouldn't let me do that, so I'm doing it this afternoon." She didn't
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 11
    get it at all. "You can't just take an hour off when you-" I had to interrupt. "I'm not taking an hour off. I'm leaving. For good. At noon. You kept reminding me that I work "at will." Thanks for those reminders. I'm leaving for good in two hours."
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 12
    While Mel fumed, I waited on customers. I practically sang my greetings to them and was so f cheerful, customers kept asking me why I was so happy. :). I
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 13
    was delighted to tell them, "Because I'm leaving forever at noon!" After a half hour of that, Mel thought I should just go right away. And I did. I f skipped right out the door, then gave Mel a very elaborate curtsey at the door. :)
    via u/Public_Pressure_4516
  • 14
    Proud_Positive_2998. I wish corporate and HR would look into why so many employees are leaving. But we had the same thing where I worked and both hid their heads in the sand.
    via u/Proud_Positive_2998
  • 15
    TheRealFedral Love it. I once quit a job on the spot, and had the manager say "It is customary to give two weeks notice." I said "If you decided to let me go, would you have given me two weeks warning?" He didn't have an answer, so I walked right out.
    via u/TheRealFedral
  • 16
    series-hybrid I read a quote somewhere about how "you only truly get to know someone's character once they think they have enough power over you that they can do anything they want with no consequences" Mel did not fear being fired, and she took someone who was vulnerable and kept her in a constant state of fear. Why would someone do that?
    via u/series-hybrid
  • 17
    Baileythenerd Had a manager at AT&T start every conversation with me with the thinly veiled threat "Now I know you need this job..." because I wouldn't lie to customers or commit fraud to keep her numbers up. (She couldn't threaten my job outright because it was union) After 3 months of it I had decided it was enough and started job hunting. Found a government IT internship (that has since evolved into a full blown career) about two months into my search.
    via u/Baileythenerd
  • 18
    As soon as I had confirmation that I got that paid internship, I waited- The next time Crystal said the magic words "Now, Bailey, I know you need this job..." And I piped up "You know what? I don't need this job. Consider this my two-weeks" Felt like a couple tons of bricks were lifted from my very soul.
    via u/Baileythenerd
  • 19
    LordGalen Mel is not only a d but clearly doesn't understand her own job. Multiple monetary discrepensies is cause for firing someone. She could have legit fired you for a valid reason, but instead wanted to be a piece of s to you. The fact that you could have been fired makes this even worse, imo, because it means Mel kept you around just so she'd have someone to buy. She didn't actually want you gone; you were her favorite punching bag.
    via u/LordGalen

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