Management Suspended Them From Their Job, So They Maliciously Complied And Never Went Back To Work For Them

Don’t you love a good backfire story?

I know I do!

And this is a good one, friends…

Check out this story from Reddit’s “Malicious Compliance” page, we think you’ll love it!

“I was a tax associate at the most well known tax service in North America.

I did very well in the class you take, which determines your eligibility to be hired as well as teaching you how to do taxes, and was hired. I bounced from office to office as newbies do, and I was doing well enough that I was always the first to be called if a shift needed covered.

After my first season with them went so well I was invited back for the next year and the class was free because of the invitation back. In case you wonder why the class is every year, it’s because tax rules change every year and we have to keep up.

They got a new job opportunity.

Shortly after the class was over, which I aced, I was approached by the lady who ran the district. She wanted to open a seasonal office in a Walmart 50 km outside the city I worked in.

She wanted me as a primary associate there: in part because I’d done so well in the previous year, in part because I’d aced the class, in part because of my background in security, and in part because I lived 20km closer to this Wal-Mart than anyone else on staff. I wasn’t to be a manager, but i was going to be the only full time associate.

I’d open & close almost every day, and often be the only associate on site. It was basically my baby to take care of. There were hints it might lead to advancement in the company as well. I was pretty excited at the opportunity.

Things were going great.

At first everything was great. The Wal-Mart staff liked me, the customers liked me, my boss liked me. I was blasting through customers. Only maybe 5 people walked away due to having to wait, out of the few hundred who approached my little ‘office’ beside the produce section.

Two months in, right before the tax season really heated up, I had a weekend I’d booked off the same day they’d hired me. I was going out of the Province to see family.

Trip had been set long before they hired me and I’d made it quite clear I wasn’t going to be around. The schedule accurately reflected that. So weekend arrives and I go. Had a good time, came home Monday evening so I could be back Tuesday morning.

They were in for a surprise…

When I got home I checked my answering machine for messages (even if smartphones were starting to be a thing I didn’t have one, and I’m pleased to say I still don’t). There was 3 messages. Two from my boss the district lady, and one from the scheduler. I don’t remember everything word for word so I’ll paraphrase

Message 1, Saturday morning approximately 7am: Hi Vaneja, sorry to do this to you but we need you in today. Employee X who we scheduled to replace you’s car broke down.

Message 2, Saturday afternoon approximately 2pm: I’m very disappointed in you for not responding to me and not showing up. I’ll be making some changes.

Message 3: Monday morning approximately 9am: Hi Vaneja this is *scheduler*, your hours have changed this week call me when you get this.

They were NOT cool with this.

Now at this point in my life I’m not a kid out of high school and I’ve had enough experience with screw jobs that I’m absolutely not going to crawl on my hands and knees apologizing and begging for my job. If you’re going to be petty and mean just because you messed up then we’re going to have problems. And so we did.

I called the scheduler, and was told i was suspended for a week and to call my boss after a week to get back on the schedule. She said the boss was trying to put me in my place and teach me how to be a good manager. I’d get back on the schedule after the week was over.

I brought up my pre planned and scheduled time off, and also that I wasn’t a manager I was a regular employee. The scheduler was very uncomfortable but she was only doing what she was told. They did need me, she said, just call the boss in a week.

They made a decision.

I said sure, and then didn’t. I was furious and I wasn’t the one who was going to be put in her place. I called a few of the customers who I’d been working with and explained I was no longer working there and they chose to keep my as their tax gal regardless.

It really wasn’t intended as revenge even though it sounds that way, the company wasn’t going to make more than it cost to have someone do their taxes anyway. This was purely a customer relationship thing. I like to finish what I start.

The real revenge was accepting my suspension. The entire week I was suspended I made sure to stop in at the Wal-Mart to see if I knew who they scheduled for my shift and if we were friendly then help them out with the quirks of this location.

This place went downhill in a hurry without them.

But there was never anyone there. I confirmed with the Wal-Mart staff, all week they had no one working there. Paying Walmart to rent space and getting nothing but a bad reputation for it because the heavily advertised new location had 0 employees. It remained that way for the rest of the season. 2 months.

The boss never called me and I never called her. Pride. I have no idea how it impacted her professionally, I stayed far away from taxes ever since. I got another job before my suspension was over and never looked back.”

Check out what people had to say on Reddit.

One individual said it best…

Another Reddit user talked about getting suspended from work.

This reader talked about idiots in management.

Another Reddit user said this company wasn’t worth working for.

And one individual thought this commute was a rough one.

They did the right thing.

Way to go!

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were travelling for business.