Cheap Manager Demands IT Ask For Approval On Purchases, So IT Floods Him With Approvals For Absolutely Everything

For managers, the only thing that often ends up mattering is the bottom line.

And when expenses start looking high, suddenly they want to be involved in every step of the process, just to make sure everything is being done as cost-effectively as possible.

But oftentimes, this type of micromanaging only ends up costing them that much more money in wasted time and effort!

This story is a prime example of that, because when his boss demanded he approve every little purchase in an effort to save money, he ended up making everything take twice as long as it should!

Check it out!

So I’m in IT, and where I work, my team is awesome.

We are usually left to our own devices about everything related to the network and purchasing equipment related to keeping everything running.

Our manager usually just wanted reasons for everything, and if it made sense, it was cleared same day.

But in this new corporate year, management wanted things to work a bit differently…

Anyways, the present day: around the beginning of the year our higher managers decided they’re going to keep a tighter leash on spending and such.

So they looked to the IT department because we do at times need $6k+ of hardware for replacements.

These replacements are for normal wear and tear over the year, and we recently did a $75k+ network rebuild because of corporate decisions but we’ve kept to the assigned budget.

In order to keep IT under their thumb, they’ve switched to requiring submitting approvals before submitting the official Purchase Order.

And when OP heard that management wanted to approve everything IT bought, a lightbulb went off in his head.

So the malicious compliance: The notice said essentially if IT needs to order it, we want to approve it first. So everything gets an approval form.

IT needs $75 for more Post-Its? Approval form.

Critical stuff for an immediate response? Approval form.

Basically it’s gotten to the point where something that took us 1-2 weeks for delivery now takes 4-5 weeks for the same thing, which has caused strains on everything we usually work on.

And the company’s normally smooth operations quickly felt the repercussions of the managers’ decision!

Parts that need replaced are still on order, so stations and computers are offline until replacements are approved.

It’s satisfying watching the management scramble to mass-approve things once it’s brought up as impacting the site’s work.

Well, that is exactly what management wanted in the first place right? To have control over every purchase IT made?

It’s not like they can complain now!

Reddit absolutely loved his pettiness, and this user was reminded of a time he did the exact same thing to his own boss.

This user said there was no better feeling than telling the managers that they were the ones holding up progress, not the other way around.

Many were only more appreciative of the leniency they were granted after reading this story.

This user recalled how their old boss tried to work around the manager approval, and only managed to his make job that much more difficult.

And finally, this deviously creative user even suggested OP take his malicious compliance a step further!

Just let the people who know what they’re doing alone!

Trying to save money only ended up costing you that much more in wasted time!

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.