Employees refuse to run office errands on their way to lunch, leading manager to revoke the work hours flexibility they allowed so far: ‘Rules are there for a reason'

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 8, 2025 7:00 AM EDT

In the office, more than anywhere else, it is highly important to know how, when, and where to pick your battles. 

We know there are going to be battles; there is not a single workplace without them. It could be battles regarding the work hours, an annoying coworker, or an extreme amount of workload. Whatever it may be, every employee must choose if a workplace problem is worth the time and effort they might put in to try and fix it. Sometimes, after careful consideration, an employee will come to the conclusion that they have much more to lose than gain if they fight to fix a certain problem, so they eventually decide to sweep said problem under the rug and deal with it as quietly as possible.

Other times, employees will still decide that a workplace issue is worth the trouble, so they will do something about it. Whether they regret that decision or not depends on what they gained and what they lost at the finish line. 

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  • In the case of the employees below, they lost a lot more than they were prepared for, which made them take their complaints back.

    Did that work? Keep scrolling to read the full story and find out.

  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10526392576
    via Ziga Plahutar

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    Rules are rules, unless you don't like them. Office edition.

    Worked in a pretty low key chill office of about five. Mostly younger women with younger children (that's kinda relevant). I asked if they would drop mail at the post office or
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 03
    make a bank deposit on the way to or from lunch (they always went out). Both were on the way to/from lunch. I told them to take an extra 15 min or so as needed so to not have
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 04
    them rush their lunch time. So, new woman starts and her and another person come to me and tell me that under Fair Labor Act, and various other
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 05
    rules/requirements they are to be additionally compensated, get mileage for vehicle use and so forth.... and Rules are Rules and they are there for a
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 06
    reason. Yeah, they probably were correct on that point. I removed the ask that they go to the bank and such. Now, some days later one of the
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 07
    staff come to me to say they will be in about half hour late on such and such day as their kid has to be dropped for something. No problem I tell
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 08
    her, but she might as well just come in at noon. Why she asks? Well Rules are Rules and the policy manual (same one they quoted to me) states that
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 09
    if they are more than 15 min late, PTO must be taken. A second policy, same manual, requires PTO be taken in blocks of four hours. This was
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 10
    not a well received announcement. OK, some of you are already probably responding with this being a d k move on my part.
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 11
    I gotta point out that these folks often had kid stuff to do (school events, Dr. Appt, kids missing the bus and so forth). They would need to come in
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 12
    late, leave early, and so forth. Usually an hour or two here and there. My attitude about this was always "do what you gotta do with your kiddo's, let
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 13
    someone know if you'll be gone and just make it up whenever." It was a complete honor system. Didn't write it down, didn't really pay much
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 14
    attention as I they were adults, honest, knew what was expected of them and I trusted them to do the right thing. Needless to say that PTO thing was my making a point. They
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 15
    quickly decided they didn't need all those demands formally made and we went back to them going to the
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  • 16
    post office and such when convenient for them and coming in late without penalty when needed.
    via Big-Try-2735
  • 17
    POST OFFICE
    via cnicbc

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 18
    Grumpy_Old_One Malicious Compliance goes both ways.
    via Grumpy_Old_One
  • 19
    feuwbar I tell people that on everybody's desk sits an invisible thing called "the piggy bank of goodwill." Being flexible and reasonable makes deposits and asking for
    via feuwbar
  • 20
    schedule and other flexibility makes withdrawals. Piggy bank has deposits? Sure, do what you need to do. Piggy completely empty? Sorry, no. Life is a two way street.
    via feuwbar
  • 21
    kewlness There is always that one person who ruins the nice things for everybody else. Management gets so much grief in this sub (and for good reason) but it is awesome to see it go the other way as well.
    via kewlness
  • 22
    Informal_Bullfrog_30 I am usually the first to say manager is the AH but not here. Also, this isnt corporate but a small office. FAFO
    via Informal_Bullfrog_30
  • 23
    GrandmasShaved Beaver Did it take her long to climb down off of that particularly high horse?
    via GrandmasShavedBeaver

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boss workplace-stories employee manager job malicious compliance tales-from-the-workplace work reddit story workplace Reddit funny entitled people
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