Working a part time job to put yourself through college can be a bit of a chore, so you definitely don’t need a toxic boss making it even more unpleasant. Still, some managers love nothing more than to push employees around and go on endless power trips.
One guy who had a gig working at a pet store while he was studying was unlucky enough to have a manager who treated him and the other employees like jerks. Little did she know, though, that her bad behavior wouldn’t go unpunished.
More info: Reddit
A toxic boss can make any job hell, but this guy bided his time and found a way to get rid of his for good
Image credits: pongmoji / Freepik (not the actual photo)
His department manager at a pet store gig treated everyone like dirt, but had a particular problem with him
Image credits: Diana ✨ / Pexels (not the actual photo)
She’d constantly pick on him and even went so far as to call him the “weak link” on her team, making his life as miserable as possible
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Then the guy found out she’d been breaking store policy by selling mice to snake owners under the counter, and breeding pets for store customers
Image credits: wavebreakmedia_micro / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Her side hustle was horrific, but the guy picked up that she’d been committing fraud too, so he kept an eye on her and started building a paper trail
Image credits: Artem Podrez / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Her crimes went even further than imagined, and, while she was usually lazy, she had no problem cashing out her preferred customers
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Armed with all the proof, the guy finally went to the pet store manager and revealed the department manager’s shady dealings to him
Image credits: mcnew
After watching her for a few weeks, the pet store manager had enough evidence to have her fired and arrested, and the guy got his revenge for months of torment
Starting a new job after high school can be daunting, but OP’s time at a pet store quickly turned into a tale of petty revenge and corporate justice. While the store manager, Kurt, was fair and hardworking, OP’s department manager, Stephanie, wasn’t just difficult; she was downright hostile, bitter, and secretly involved in some dodgy dealings.
Stephanie singled out OP, constantly belittling him and sticking him with the worst tasks. Despite his reptile expertise, she undermined his role, even calling him the “weak link” in front of others. To make matters worse, everyone’s hours were cut while Stephanie cozied up to “special customers” with suspiciously sweet treatment.
It didn’t take long for the truth to unravel. Stephanie was running her own side hustle: breeding animals and secretly selling them privately to customers she’d met through the store. On top of that, she was under-scanning expensive items and writing off perfectly good merchandise as “broken.”
OP tracked her trickery, passing the proof to Kurt. Corporate caught on, confirmed over $3,500 in theft, and set a trap. When Stephanie walked in expecting another lucrative shift, she was instead greeted by Kurt, a regional manager, and the cops. As she was escorted out of the store in shame, OP caught her eye and just... winked. Chef’s kiss.
Image credits: yanalya / Freepik (not the actual photo)
From what OP tells us, who knows how long her shady shenanigans might have gone on if he hadn't been paying attention. So, what do you do if you spot something suspicious going on at work? We went looking for answers.
In his article for IntegrityLine, Mortiz Homann writes that many whistleblowers are motivated by wanting to do the right thing, but sometimes financial rewards are even available for speaking up. Things to consider before blowing the whistle include checking company procedure and reporting channels, considering remaining anonymous, and contemplating escalation of your claim carefully.
Laws vary according to country and even state, but according to the Whistleblowers website, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Whistleblower Protection Program provides protections for employees who suffer retaliation for engaging in protected activities under more than 20 federal laws.
Fortunately, Stephanie has no clue that OP was the one responsible for her ultimate downfall. That’s one for conscientious employees, zero for malevolent managers.
What do you think of the way OP dealt with his devious department manager? Would you blow the whistle if you saw something sketchy going down at work? Let us know in the comments!
In the comments, one reader said a paper trail is a powerful thing, while another joked that the original poster had excellent reptile handling skills
