Employee gets back at demanding colleague by submitting tasks at the last minute and causing her to almost miss deadlines: ‘I'm watching her spin out’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jun 28, 2026 7:15 PM EDT

Have you ever had a colleague who acted as if they were your boss, without any reason to?

It's enough that we all have to deal with our actual bosses and their (often unreasonable) demands, who wants to deal with a colleague that, for some reason, decided they have anything about what you do at work?

These kinds of coworkers could become real tiring, real fast. They walk around the office thinking they have any kind of authority over other workers, while in reality, they have no leg to stand on. The issue is, you have to deal with them somehow… And that is no easy feat.

That is what happened to the employee who shared this story below on Reddit's r/pettyrevenge subreddit. As you might guess, when the colleague first started to get pushy and demanding, the employee knew they would have to put her in her spot as soon as possible. She had no reason to make demands or go to the coworker's actual boss and complain about things that had nothing to do with her. When the boss was involved, the employee decided to finally fight back, and they decided it had to be petty.

You see, this colleague is in charge of admin work, like employees submitting their time cards. The employee knew that she liked to submit the time cards with time to spare, so she always asked them to finish it as soon as possible so she would be ahead of her deadline. However, if she is going to be pushy about it, you bet that this employee would do their best to make her job as difficult as possible. While still doing everything by the book, the employee got their sweet revenge and made sure their colleague would never get in their business ever again.

Keep scrolling to read exactly how they did it.

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  • 01

    The Colleague Who Wishes She Was Boss

    This woman annoys the pi out of me on an average day but thankfully I don't have to deal with her much. She is NOT my supervisor but she completes a lot of the ridiculously little admin tasks that our office
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 02
    requires to take stress off our boss - for example making sure our training is up to date, submitting time cards, etc. She has her own team as well that she does supervise, but she is not my boss- as my boss is her boss.
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 03
    Stressed employee sitting at her work desk, filled with documents, presented by model.
    via Getty Images

    Stressed employee sitting at her work desk, filled with documents, presented by model.

  • 04
    We have two ways we can submit any additional time worked - Flex Time or Tracked Time. We all had to work on a Sunday afternoon. Our boss told us we could use either flex or tracked time to make up for it. I chose flex.
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 05
    Which really is just I worked this # hours on Sunday, I leave those many hours early on Friday. Tracked means I claim it on my time card for Sunday and claim it on Friday. We're talking 4 hours. Colleague decides that our
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 06
    boss is wrong and that I must follow the instructions she gave to her team to only use tracked time. No, I don't, is what I told her. She pushes back, I say whatever, rolled my eyes but planned to just shut her up as it is
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 07
    usually not worth trying to reason with her brick wall head but I got busy and didn't go back into change it immediately. Truly, she is so annoying that I usually just give in so I don't have to talk to her ever.
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 08
    UNTIL... my boss calls me into a meeting that afternoon to understand "why I am causing her stress". I tell him and ask him to address his role in this (nicely, of course). We're good. I then send her
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 09
    a message telling her if she has a problem, she can save us all time and just come to me. She replies - "I did and you didn't do it. I have to get these things signed. It stresses me out." Oh??? Say more.
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 10
    Two women working while sitting in front of each other with a computer and a laptop, depicted by models.
    via Getty Images

    Two women working while sitting in front of each other with a computer and a laptop, depicted by models.

  • 11
    Per policy, our timecards do not have to be submitted until close of business on Wednesday. Meaning I have to submit. She doesn't have to sign them until Thursday close of business. But I also learned that she
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 12
    uses the metric of having all the timecards signed by Wednesday to show that she goes above and beyond for the time cards and always beats the suspense. Welp, not anymore. I leave at 5. She leaves at
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 13
    4:30. I submit my timecard at 4:55. And it is stressing her out. She has tried to get me in trouble with my boss by telling him I'm late. I just send back the policy on when timecards are due. Rinse and repeat.
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 14
    She had a friend reach out this morning to "see if I have completed my timecard yet?" My reply, "No, super busy, but I'll get it done before close of business today." Eating my lunch, watching her spin out about "being late with the timecards again." Petty, but feels good!
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 15
    Strayresearch Sounds like your boss needs to step up and do their job instead of making you deal with it.
    via Strayresearch
  • 16
    onetalldrinkofwater OP I think the odds of me winning the Power Ball would be higher than that happening.
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 17
    Scorp128 Send her an email stating that your timecard will be submitted as per company policy (not her "policy") and you will have it turned in by X date and time. Attach a copy of the company policy. CC your boss. Then leave it. You have communicated clearly when your timecard is to be expected.
    via Scorp128
  • 18
    Her manufacturing her own stress over what she thinks the policy should be, and trying to have her say be policy as opposed to what it actually is per company policy is a her problem. If she can't handle the "stress" maybe she should look into other work and not have such responsibilities.
    via Scorp128
  • 19
    onetalldrinkofwater OP What's the fun in that?
    via onetalldrinkofwater
  • 20
    Catchandrelease5999 It's the only way to deal with people like that!
    via Catchandrelease5999

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boss time workplace-stories employee manager job tales-from-the-workplace coworkers colleague workplace company
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