Boss Demands Updates When Leaving Desk, Gets 9 Messages D…
The Original Post
We had a team meeting where my boss said people are just getting up and disappearing without telling anyone and its unprofessional. So now I message him on Teams every single time. “Stepping away for restroom.” “Going to grab coffee.” “Printer run.” I dont wait for a response I just let him know. Last week I sent him 9 messages in one day. On Friday he replied “you dont need to tell me every time you move” and I said “just wanted to make sure Im being professional like you asked.” He hasnt brought it up since.
What Reddit Said
Redditors absolutely loved this perfectly executed malicious compliance. Most commenters praised OP for following the boss’s instructions to the letter. However, many also shared their own horror stories about micromanaging supervisors.
The consensus was clear: this boss got exactly what he deserved. Moreover, several users pointed out that tracking bathroom breaks borders on workplace harassment. In fact, many suggested OP should have included timestamps to make it even more ridiculous.
The Verdict
Reddit’s verdict was unanimous: brilliant malicious compliance that perfectly highlighted the absurdity of micromanaging bathroom breaks. This classic case of malicious compliance shows how following unreasonable rules to the letter can quickly expose their flaws. Therefore, the boss learned his lesson without OP having to argue or push back directly.
Original post from r/MaliciousCompliance (14,554 upvotes, 639 comments)