'I will take any little win': Micromanaging boss orders employee to scrutinize and reduce freelancer's billable hours, accidentally gets them more money

Freelancing is one of those jobs that sounds glamorous on the outside. You get to work from anywhere, be your own boss, and set your own schedule. But anyone who's actually done it knows the reality. You're basically in a never-ending job interview. Every project is a test, every new client a gamble, and the pay almost always feels like it's on the low end of what you deserve. Add in tracking invoices, dealing with scope creep, and the constant fear of being replaced by someone cheaper, and it's no wonder freelancers are meticulous about logging their hours. If you're not keeping track, you're probably losing money.

That's why this story feels like such a small but powerful win. An employee was asked by their micromanaging boss to comb through a freelancer's hours, fully expecting to catch "padding" or "waste." Instead, the opposite happened, and they discovered the freelancer had actually undercharged. Rather than staying quiet, the employee spoke up and made sure the freelancer got the extra pay they deserved.

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salary micromanager job malicious compliance invoice work freelance Horrible Bosses unpaid money
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