This tale of malicious compliance comes to us from Reddit.
A woman recounts the story of when her boss told her she wasn’t allowed to read on time and how that boss eventually came to eat their words! It’s an entertaining read!
A Bizarre Tale
The Original Poster (OP), a female worker, found herself in a bizarre situation at a medical placement company in the employee health department of a rack and pinion steering plant.
Despite the plant being scheduled to close down, they are still hiring new employees, and OP was brought on as a contract employee to help with drug screens and other medical tasks.
But the real challenge comes with a daunting project, ominously called “THE PROJECT.”
The Infamous Project
THE PROJECT is a chaotic collection of every medical paper in the entire plant, scattered in boxes and stacked to the ceiling with no semblance of order.
She Tried Her Hand at It but Was Quickly Ousted
The company enlisted OP to help, but her attempt to organize the mess with an Excel spreadsheet named “Apricot” ended up in a disaster, and they quickly sent her back to her post!
She Was a Great Worker
On days when they were slow and OP had finished all her jobs, she would stay at her post and read.
But on one of these days, the boss lady, who has already reprimanded OP for sweeping up during slow times (as the janitors were the only people allowed to use the brooms), took issue with her hobby.
There Was Nothing for Her to Do
“I’d really rather you not do that. I need you to do WORK. It looks bad,” scolds the boss lady. OP, eager to be helpful, asks what else she needs to do.
But after a thorough inspection of the well-stocked workplace, the boss lady admits that there is nothing else to do at the moment.
Frustrated, OP had no choice but to sit idly, which is not her forte.
Back to The Project
Fast forward, the boss lady falls sick, and a temporary boss takes over. OP is assigned THE PROJECT, and she takes it as a challenge.
She Knocked It Out of the Park
She starts by sorting the papers into folders by name, then organizes them by dates in each file, and finally alphabetizes the folders and puts them in boxes.
In just a few weeks, OP managed to complete a task that had taken the other two nurses months to finish.
Data Entry Was Her Passion
But the real feat comes with the data entry part of the project.
OP creates a new Excel spreadsheet and diligently enters the names, dates of birth, and first and last dates listed from the papers.
Productivity Was up 300%
She is a fast typist and makes incredible progress, going through 20-30 boxes a day with only brief breaks for lunch and bathroom visits.
She is determined and focused, and the results are impressive.
But Her Boss Was Not Happy
When the boss lady returns from her sick leave and sees the progress, she is shocked. She goes pale and demands an explanation from OP.
“What happened?!?” exclaims the boss lady.
“Nothing, I’ve been working super hard. Is it not done right?” responds OP innocently.
“It’s great, but it’s GONE!” the boss lady stammers.
Confused, OP asks if there is an issue with her work. But the boss lady reveals her true concern.
“Yes, ma’am, I’ve made decent progress,” OP replies.
The Kicker?
The boss lady hesitates and then mutters, “I need you to slow down.”
“Sorry?” OP is baffled.
“I need you to slow down. We told them we needed at least X amount of time to complete that project, and as fast as you’ve gone, there won’t be any work left to do,” explains the boss lady.
A Hilarious Turn of Events
OP can’t believe her ears. She has been working diligently to complete the task efficiently, but now she is being told to slow down. The boss lady suggests she bring books or take naps to kill time.
“So, what else can I do?” asks OP, trying to be compliant.
“Do a box, read a book. Do a box, and take a nap. Just. Slow. Down. Bring your book or several books. Just slow down,” instructs the boss lady.
It Had Come Full Circle
And just like that, OP is given permission to read during her downtime at work!
The turn of events amuses her, and while it may not be the most exciting malicious compliance story out there, it’s one that still makes her laugh after 15 years.
A Win-Win Situation
She showed the boss lady that she could not only complete THE PROJECT in record time but also she could do it better than the other nurses.
And in the end, she got permission to do something that she enjoyed during her downtime at work. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
She Was Doing What She Enjoyed
Reddit users enjoyed her tale. One user said, “I love that in this one, it wasn’t even malicious; you just really liked doing it and were proficient at that. Good for you.”
What do you think of her story? Have you ever had a job where you were allowed to read on work time?
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The post She Was Told Not to Read at Work, but She Was Doing Her Job So Well She Had to Slow Down. So, She Was Told to Read at Work! first appeared on Fistful of Dollars.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Roman Samborskyi. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit