CEO asks IT intern to use their own car to move company property against policy, intern has him brush up on the company handbook: ‘If anything gets damaged I am toast’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Nov 15, 2025 6:00 PM EST

You know what they say: Separate business and pleasure.

It's essential to keep your personal life and material belongings separate from your work sphere for many reasons. Some coworkers might try to snag a ride with you under the guise of a collective carpool, and others might see your car as an opportunity to do things illegal and against work policy. At the end of the day, it's your vehicle on the line when you put it in someone else's hands, and the last thing you want is for a higher-up to pull a fast one on you because you didn't stand up for yourself.

CEOs and other C-suite executives rely on their subordinates' fear so that they can continue acting out of turn without repercussions. The CEO in the next story attempts to take advantage of an IT intern, who is at the lowest level of the corporate ladder. This speaks to the desperate lengths that many higher-ups will go to just to exert as much power over someone as humanly possible.

Company policy states that personal vehicles cannot be used for work-related excursions, and that includes the transfer of company property (which is what the CEO requested). So, the intern decides to show them how the rules actually work, and the CEO gets his. Scroll to read.

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  • 01
    man in the driver's seat of a vehicle with his hand on the steering wheel
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    "CEO told me to use my personal car to move company servers. I asked for insurance. He said common sense"

    I intern in IT at a midsize company. Pay is fine, resume stuff is good, I like the team.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 03
    Friday at 3 pm our CEO pops into the helpdesk room and says he needs the two tower servers moved to a new offsite cabinet today.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 04
    Truck rental is "a waste". He points at my old hatchback in the lot and says that will do.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 05
    They are heavy but not insane, we can strap them in, right I say I can help coordinate and lift, but policy says no personal vehicles for company equipment.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 06
    Also my car is paid off and basic liability only. If anything gets damaged I am toast.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 07
    He smiles and tells me to stop thinking like school and start thinking like business. Then he adds that he will "personally approve" my overtime if I just get it done.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 08
    So I print the section of the handbook and email Facilities and HR asking how to proceed.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 09
    Facilities replies in five minutes with the vendor they always use. HR replies and says use a company insured vehicle or a bonded courier, do not use personal cars.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 10
    I show the CEO both emails. He rolls his eyes and says fine, he will drive his own SUV and we can load up.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 11
    We get to the loading zone. Security asks for the bill of lading. He does not have one.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 12
    They ask for proof of insurance covering commercial transport. He does not have that either. While he argues, Facilities pulls up with the vendor box truck, pallet jack, straps, the works.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 13
    human hand signing a car insurance policy
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 14
    They load the servers in six minutes. CEO tries to pull out of the fire lane and gets a ticket from building security.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 15
    He tells me to forget the whole thing. I still got the overtime. My hatchback went home with a smug little check engine light that did not have to meet two rack units today.
    via FeliXXunderwood
  • 16
    NativTexan better start looking for another job. he isn't going to forget this.
    via NativTexan
  • 17
    Jessica_Strawberry Yeah, but at least OP has HR and Facilities on their side, CEO's just embarrassed
    via Jessica_Strawberry
  • 18
    nuboots But who else will come to the ceo's house to reset his router?
    via nuboots
  • 19
    Mobile_Process_4204 That's a classic example of a CEO who doesn't understand IT
    via Mobile_Process_4204
  • 20
    TheBigBearded Geek Less IT, more law, insurance, and liability Or rather, doesn't care about those things
    via TheBigBeardedGeek
  • 21
    Stonehill76 lol you literally thought of liability and responsibly approached the situation and you are told not to think like school but think like business. You handled it perfectly. You are smart. You are leveraging your school and what you learn on the job (you literally read the documentation. Holy shit.) You kick ass. Today please note Reddit told you that you kick ass. I wish you were on my team.
    via Stonehill76

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