I think that having an awful manager is a universal thing, as most of us have experienced it at least once in our lives, no matter where we are from. The fact that there’s even a movie about it called Horrible Bosses speaks volumes, don’t you think?
Unfortunately, even the original poster (OP) is stuck with a toxic boss, who demanded they “clock out” if they leave the register for even a second. However, OP is quite witty, so they decided to comply, but maliciously, of course, and even HR got involved in the mess! Here’s what happened…
More info: Reddit
Most probably, the best way to deal with a toxic boss is to comply maliciously to their demands
Image credits: krakenimages.com / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When the poster worked in customer service, their boss expected them to be chained to the register and demanded they clock out if they left it
Image credits: CommercialAlarming13
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
They took the boss's rule to heart and started clocking out for every little thing that they were supposed to do
Image credits: CommercialAlarming13
Image credits: Wavebreak Media / Freepik (not the actual photo)
By the end of the day, they had left work 13 times, totaling 2 hours of unpaid breaks for the work that was expected of them
Image credits: CommercialAlarming13
When payroll flagged it, HR got involved, and the poster just showed them the manager's rule, and he fell flat on his face as they removed it instantly
Today is a classic tale about a toxic boss who tried to make life difficult for a regular employee, but failed miserably. This was in retail, where the poster once worked in customer service, and their manager felt that it meant being chained to the register. He demanded that OP needed to “clock out” even if they left the place for just a second.
Sounds ridiculous, right? However, what the fellow failed to consider is that the poster had quite a few tasks that required them to leave the register. Well, our witty OP decided to comply maliciously, and clocked out for every little thing they were actually supposed to do as part of their job!
Whether to help out a customer or just get something that they needed for work, the poster never forgot to stick to their boss’s rule. At the end of the day, their timecard showed that they left work 13 times, totaling 2 hours of unpaid breaks, all for things that were part of their work. Of course, the company flagged it, and even HR got involved.
However, all the poster had to do was show them the boss’s mail, and lo and behold, he was made to take back his own rule! The micromanager got exactly what he deserved, didn’t he? But to understand things from a professional point of view, Bored Panda reached out to Apoorva Kale, an industrial and organizational psychology practitioner.
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
She mentioned that this story is a perfect example of how micromanagement can seriously backfire. “It shows that when managers don’t trust their team to use common sense, it destroys morale and makes people feel like robots. Plus, when rules are too strict, employees might start doing the bare minimum, or even follow the rules too well just to prove a point,” she added.
While conversing about the impact of limiting employee autonomy, our expert mentioned, “People want to feel trusted, not babysat. When they’re not given any freedom to make small decisions or just do what makes sense, they start to feel like machines. No one wants to work where they feel powerless. When employees feel distrusted, they stop going the extra mile.”
Ironically, she added, rules meant to increase control can actually lead to less cooperation, more frustration, and a whole lot of wasted time. She claimed that when managers trust their staff to think and act responsibly, it creates a positive, productive, and respectful workplace.
Apoorva also advised that a little trust and autonomy can go a long way in keeping people happy, engaged, and not secretly browsing job boards on their break. Well, looks like the manager should really learn these basic things, right? While netizens laughed at how OP handled the situations, they also suggested other cunning things they would’ve done.
But we want to hear from you and how you might handle such a toxic boss. So type your heart away in the comments below!
While folks applauded the poster for their witty response, many suggested cunning ways in which they would've handled the situation
