Going against your employers usually doesn’t end well, even if you’re in the right. But as today’s story proves, defying a company’s values can sometimes lead to favorable outcomes.
Reddit user Apojacks1984 worked as a credit union employee who always had the customers’ best interests at heart. His two bosses, however, mostly cared about making money and didn’t mind crossing ethical boundaries.
Their clash came to a head when the employee gave his managers a little taste of their own medicine before filing for his resignation. The two supervisors eventually left the company, which our original poster (OP) celebrates as a “win for the little guys.”
Crooked company practices should never be tolerated
Image credits: Tiger Lily (not the actual photo)
A former credit union employee chose to do honest work, which didn’t sit well with his unethical bosses
Image credits: Yan Krukau (not the actual photo)
His managers imposed a two-week break on him to deter his efforts, and he took this time to get back at them
Image credits: Alena Darmel (not the actual photo)
The two supervisors eventually left the company, which the OP considered a huge win
Image source: Apojacks1984
Companies purposely hire bad bosses for their own gain
Image credits: Sora Shimazaki (not the actual photo)
The two managers worked in an industry that involved collecting money from debtors. And according to research, companies deliberately hire people with “dark” personality traits for such jobs.
Here’s an explanation by University of Maryland professor Nick Seybert.
“Dark personality traits are often framed as an accidental byproduct of selecting managers who fit the stereotype of a strong leader,” Seybert said in an interview with the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Ultimately, Seybert advises jobseekers to know what they’re getting into.
“The best takeaway is to avoid companies that might have use for managers with dark personalities and not to expect support from higher-ups when this is the case. The company might have picked a bad boss on purpose.”
It’s important to immediately sever ties with a company and its dishonorable managers
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo)
According to experts, it is vital to have an exit strategy and immediately distance yourself from a company with unprincipled managers.
As author and executive coach Brandon Smith explained, the stench of their reputation could follow you for a long time, even after you’ve left the company.
“The odds of making an unethical person change their stripes are virtually non-existent,” Smith wrote in an article for his website, The Workplace Therapist. “You may be wonderful in your own right, but if you think you can help your boss ‘see the light,’ you may be just as delusional as they are.
“Just be sure to take the necessary steps to ensure that you have some distance and adequate cover from their eventual implosion. Trust me, it won’t be pretty.”
The OP’s brilliant exit strategy got rid of the two managers and left him with some extra cash from his paid time off. All’s well that ends well.
Most of the commenters lauded the OP for his actions
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