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Miguel Ordoñez

Employee Does The Job Of 4 Until Boss Says To Do His Own Duties Only And He Maliciously Complies

Some people aren’t meant to be employers. They cannot maintain a harmonious working environment, make good decisions, and manage employees.

Workshop employee Eqsoge shared his story on the r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit. According to his account, he volunteered to do a task outside his job description. However, his boss declined, telling him to stick to his contractual obligations. 

It ultimately led to a worse situation for the company and deep regret from the supervisor, but the original poster stuck to his guns and got the last laugh.

Employers are usually appreciative of a worker who goes beyond what’s written on their job description

Image credits: Spencer Davis / unsplash (not the actual photo)

A man shared his experience as a workshop employee and being the last one standing after everyone left

Image credits: suntorn somtong / pexels (not the actual photo)

One day, he encountered a problem with his boss

Image credits:  Anna Tarazevich / pexels (not the actual photo)

The situation worsened, but he chose to stick to his guns

Image credits: eqsoge

Indecisive managers can heavily impact company culture

In the story above, the boss’ seemingly poor choices complicated their existing working dynamic. As BEEAH Group CEO Zouheir Sabra pointed out, this can lead to a chaotic situation among the entire workforce. 

“When managers are unable to make decisions, employees may start to question their competence and leadership abilities,” Sabra wrote in a LinkedIn post. “This can lead to a lack of trust in management, which can make it difficult for managers to effectively lead their teams.” 

Sabra went deeper, discussing how such misjudgments could hurt the company’s overall status. 

“Indecision can negatively impact relationships with customers and partners,” he explains. “It can create delays in projects, missed deadlines, and decreased customer satisfaction. This can ultimately harm the company’s reputation and relationships with customers and partners.”

Taking charge is a recommended course of action for an employee

Image credits:  Jon Tyson / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Because an indecisive boss pulls literally everyone down, experts advise employees to take matters into their own hands. 

Wharton School management professor Nancy Rothbard recommends making it easier for your boss to decide by making a suggestion. 

“Giving your boss more data to pore over will not necessarily help him move forward,” Rothbard told Harvard Business Review. “In these cases, you need to help your boss sort through the information and then offer a clear rationale for your recommendation.” 

Dartmouth College director Sydney Finkelstein explained this principle as allowing your employer to “delegate to you without formality.” 

“The goal is to ease your manager into empowering you,” he said. 

The employee tried to take charge, but he was met with disapproval instead. He did his part and does not deserve any blame for how the situation turned out. 

The original poster provided more information through his responses in the comments section

But most reactions showed support for him

Some commenters even shared similar anecdotes

Employee Does The Job Of 4 Until Boss Says To Do His Own Duties Only And He Maliciously Complies Bored Panda
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