September 29, 2025 • 22 mins
Welcome back to another episode of our little corner of Reddit tales, where we dive into the satisfying stories from subreddits like Malicious Compliance. In this September twenty twenty-five edition, we're unpacking top posts that deliver petty perfection—from a Spotify refund battle won by weaponizing their own terms of service, to a sarcastic supervisor's fire department quip that sparks a full store cleanup. Expect triumphs over cluttered aisles, denied holiday time-offs turned quits, dress code overkill with bow ties and vests, flat late policies exploited for chaos, PTO loopholes chaining epic road trips, and office slowdowns forcing flex hours. Raw reads, real talk, and commentary on why rules are made to be followed... to the letter. If sweet justice and sarcasm fuel your day, hit play for a full twenty to twenty-five minutes of compliance that complies back harder.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to another episode of our little corner of
Reddit Tales, where we dive into the satisfying stories from
suburditts like malicious Compliance, I'm your host, and to day,
we're switching gears from the family feuds and friend fallouts
to something a bit more triumphant, those glorious moments when
some one follows the rules to the absolute letter, turning
(00:20):
the tables on bosses, companies, or just plain unreasonable folks.
It's September twenty twenty five edition, and oh boy, the
top posts this month are chef's kiss levels of petty perfection.
We've got refund battles with streaming giants, fire department call
lins that clear the aisles, vacation hoarding that backfire's big
(00:42):
time dress code, nitpicks.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Gone wild, and more.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
If you love that sweet sweet justice served cold with
a side of sarcasm.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You're in for a treat.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
We're reading these straight from the source, tossing in a
dash of commentary, and keeping it all real for about
twenty to twenty five minutes. Settle in with your coffee
or whatever fuels your revenge fantasies, and let's comply maliciously.
Our first story is a fresh one from early this month,
racking up up votes faster than you can.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Say terms of service.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
The title Spotify Support told me to read their refund policy.
So I did and forced them to give me a
refund deleted account. But the details are gold, let's read it.
So my Spotify premium renewed to day because I forgot
to cancel. I immediately checked their refund policy online and
(01:38):
confirmed I was eligible. So I canceled the plan literally
within minutes, and hopped on support Chat to ask for
the refund. Seemed simple, right, wrong? The agent, Christina gave
me the classic run around. She said, the fourteen day
refund period only applies to your initial side nup, and
(01:59):
since I'd been a member for months, I was out
of luck. She even sent me a link to the
policy to prove her point, telling me to read it.
This is where the malicious compliance comes in. I did
exactly what she said. I read the policy and then
I went deeper and found there full, legally binding terms
of use. And what did I find? In section three
(02:21):
under withdrawal? Right, it clearly states you have fourteen days
after your purchase to withdraw for any reason. A monthly
renewal is a new purchase my own research before the
chat was correct, I went back to Christina and quoted
the terms of use directly. She put me on hold
to check backstage, then came back with the same denial.
Her team was doubling down on the incorrect script, so
(02:44):
I played my final card. I sent this message, Since
this dispute is specifically about the legal interpretation of the
withdrawal right in your terms of use, could you please
provide the contact information for Spotify legal department or the
appropriate office for handling formal contractual disputes. The change was instant.
Suddenly she had to see what she could do. Five
(03:07):
minutes later, I've managed to ask some support with our
backstage team, and we can go ahead and process a
refund for you. They folded like a cheap suit. Their
business model counts on you giving up. Don't you are
entitled to your money back?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Tildear.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Spotify support tried to deny my valid refund by misinterpreting
their own policy. I read their legal terms of use
as they suggested, cited it back to them, and when
they still refused, I asked for their legal teams contact info.
They immediately processed the refund. Don't let them push you around.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Edit.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Wow, did not expect this to blow up. A few clarifications. Yes,
it was a twelve dollar ninety nine cent charge, so
not life changing, but principle of the thing. And no,
I am not renewing any time soon.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
This was the wake up call.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Top comment from user u slash policy Ninja.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Love this.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Next time they say, read the policy, print it out
and fax it back with highlights, up votes in the thousands.
Another from you slash refund warrior. This is why I
always escalate to legal threats. Companies hate paper trails a.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Can you imagine the panic in that chat room.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Christina probably thought she had the upper hand with a script,
but nope, armed with their own words, our poster turned
it into a masterclass in escalation. It's that perfect blend
of preparation and pettiness. If you've ever battled customer service,
this one's for you. Makes me want to audit my
own subscriptions right now. All right, Aunt a story too,
(04:45):
because we've got compliance coming out our ears this month.
Next up a throwback vibe but posted mid September, and
it's climbing the charts. Supervisor told me sarcastically to call
the fire department. I did anonymous poster, but the details
screamed nineties retail nightmare.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Worked in retail in between jobs way back when, early nineties. Yes,
I'm old, get off my lawn. It was December, major
department store that is no longer around. I know that
doesn't narrow it down.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Sorry.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Anyways, they tried to cram as much product on the
floor as possible, to the point that you couldn't walk
through the aisles and had to twist and turn to
get past the fixtures set up with product. I casually
mentioned to a supervisor that if the fire department ever
came in, they would close us down for the hazards
and lack of egress. She was highly stressed and blurted
(05:39):
out to me, you know what, then call the fire department.
I held my hands up and said easy.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
She assigned me my duties and that was that. Well.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
She did tell me to call. On the way home,
I stopped by a government building that had all sorts
of agencies in it. Told the receptionist my plight and
she pointed to a phone on the wall. Tell the
operator I want the f D and they would patch
me through to the station's non emergency line. The fire
chief himself answered, I told him how crowded it was
(06:10):
and what the supervisor said. He had a good laugh
and said they'd check it out. I was off the
next day but heard about it when I got back.
Fire Chief and a station house full of fire fighters
show up to do an inspection. He tells the store
manager that egress is being blocked and he'd have to
remove a lot.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Of the fixtures in the aisles.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Store manager says he has orders from corporate fixtures stay.
Fire chief assures him that if he doesn't clear the aisles,
they'll shut the store down until it is safe. Manager caves,
and they spend the next few hours dismantling holiday displays
left and right. Supervisor she got reassigned to stockroom duty
(06:53):
for a week, muttering about how no one has a
sense of humor. The store looked way better after, and
sales actually went up because people could, you know, walk
around t ld R Stressed supervisor sarcastically tells me to
call fire department over cluttered isles. I do. They inspect,
force a clean up, and suddenly everyone has more space
(07:15):
to shop. Edit for those asking this was in a
big city in the Midwest. Stor's long gone, but the
memory priceless. Top comment U slash fire fanatic As a
retired fire fighter, this is my favorite kind of coal
petty but saves lives up votes Galore U slash retail survivor.
(07:36):
Corporate always thinks safety is optional until the badges show up.
Chef's kiss oh Man. The visual of a full fire
crew turning holiday chaos into organized bliss poetry. That supervisor's
face when the chief walks in priceless. It's a reminder
that sometimes the best revenge is just following orders. And hey,
(07:59):
safer store for everyone. If you've got a retail horror story,
drop it in the imaginary comments. Moving on to our
third tale because September's got us covered in compliance gold
Story three dropped late last month, but is surging now.
Told me I couldn't get time off to go home
for holidays. Fine, I quit and did poster you slash
(08:22):
quitting queen with thousands of up votes. Let's dive in.
I started a new job right after college and tree
level office gig in a city far from home. Love
the work, but holidays family tradition to all gather at
my parents place in another state. Think turkey, tree trimming,
the works. First year, I put in my request for
(08:44):
Thanksgiving week off way back in July, per HR policy.
Boss says, sorry, too short staffed, No can do.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I push a little.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
It's my first holiday with the company. Family stuff. He
doubles down. Everyone wants time off, deal with it.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Fine.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
I swallow it and work through, flying home for just
the weekend.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Exhausted. Second year, same drill.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Request in June, same response. This time I ask for alternatives,
maybe work remotely. Nope, swap shifts. No one's swapping. By October,
I'm fuming, but still hoping. He flat out says, you
can't get time off for holidays if it's not planned
a year in advance, and even then probably not. I
(09:28):
go home for a rushed three days, miserable. Third year, September. Now,
actually I request early. Explain it's non negotiable for my sanity.
He laughs it off, kid, this is a job, not
a vacation planner. If you can't handle it, there's the door.
Well challenge accepted. I update my resume that night, line
(09:51):
up interviews, and by mid October I've got offers. I
march into his office the day before Thanksgiving, request deadline,
and say, per your policy, since I can't get the
time off, consider this my two weeks notice, effective immediately
for holidays. He stammers, Wait, you can't just quit. I smile.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
You said, there's the door.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
I walked out, spent a full week with family, stress free,
landed a better job in November with actual PTO respect.
Last I heard, my old boss scrambled to cover my
spot through the season, offering overtime to every one tiel
dr boss repeatedly denies holiday time off requests when he says,
(10:34):
if I can't handle it, there's the door. I quit
on the spot and enjoy my holidays while he panics
edit new job's amazing, unlimited PTO even don't stay where
they don't value you. Top comment, you slash hr hero.
This is why turnover costs companies more than fair scheduling.
Smart move, you slash family first. Quitter's ginna quit, but
(10:57):
winner's ginna thrive.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yes, that door slam moment iconic. It's like the universe
handed her the exit sign on a silver platter. Bosses
like that deserve the scramble. Our posters living her best
life now proof that boundaries aren't just for show. What's
your quit story? We'd love to hear onward to number four,
(11:20):
a classic school Yard edition that's timeless but posted fresh
this September title nitpick the dress code. I can do
that too, from you slash dress code Rebel early September
post that's got every one reminiscing.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Read ahead.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Our junior high dress code was a pain. Most teachers
didn't care, so long as kids weren't distracting. Jean's teas
sneakers done. But we had this one vice principal, mister Strict,
who patrolled like a hawk. He lived for right ups.
Socks must match shoes, collars buttoned, no logos bigger than
(11:57):
a fist. I was a good kid, straight a pase.
But one day I wore cargo pants with pockets technically allowed.
But he said they were too baggy, distracting. Gave me detention.
I argued, the codes said nothing about fit.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
He smirked.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Read the code, kid, it's about neat appearance.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Fine.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I thought, two can play next week. I comb the
handbook cover to cover. It says students must wear clean,
appropriate clothing that.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Does not disrupt learning.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
No specifics on bags or logos beyond size. But get this,
shirts must be tucked in at all times. For boys,
belts required if pants have loops, shoes closed toe, no sandals,
hair neat, no extremes. I go full compliance mode. Monday,
ironed khakis, tucked, polo belt, shining hair, gelled, military style,
(12:50):
black lace ups, polished, but I add a bow tie.
Code says ties optional, but if worn neat. Check Tuesday
same but vest over shirt code allows layers. If neat Wednesday,
suspenders instead of belt loops covered neat as can be.
By Thursday, half the school is staring. Teacher's chuckling. Mister
(13:11):
Strict pulls me aside.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
This is ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
I smile, but its neat appearance per the code you told.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Me to read.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
He fumes, sends me to his office. I hand him
the printed handbook, pages highlighted. He reads, sighs and says, fine,
but no more costumes. I untuck on Friday just a bit,
and he doesn't say a word. Word spread, and suddenly
dress code enforcement dropped. Kids started sighting sections left and right.
(13:39):
Mister Strict got reassigned to admin. By year's end, we
all dressed normal After that t ld r VP nitpicks
my pants as distracting. I follow dress code to absurd
extremes with bow ties and vests. He backs off, enforcement eases.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Edit.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
This was twenty years ago, but I still have the
bow tie. Sent it to my kid for Spirit Week.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Top comment.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
U slash school's survivor, weaponized rules, Kid's greatest power. You
slash neat freak. The vest era lives in infamy. Hilarious
kids versus the Man Round one to the bow tie Brigade.
It's that clever twist whereover kill exposes the absurdity. Mister
strict probably dreams in polka dots. Now love how one
(14:28):
post can spark a compliance revolution. All write story five
because we're half way and the pettiness is peaking. This
one's from mid month. Same penalty for being six minutes
late as for being three hours late. Watch me, you
slash late, legend up votes pouring in. Let's go company
(14:48):
policy clock in by nine a m sharp five minutes
or more late. Verbal warning first offense, right cup, second suspension,
third doesn't matter if it's five minutes, thirty seconds.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Or two hours.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
The punishment's the same. No nuance, no mercy, I was
solid for years, but new managers starts docking for traffic
unavoidable in this city. One morning, epic jam, I'm six
minutes late. He hits me with the warning like I
robbed a bank. I nod, but inside game on next week,
(15:24):
I forget my badge twice. Policy says if you can't
clock in, report to HR for manual entry. But that's
a ten minute detour. Bam late by twelve, same warning level.
He grumbles, but it's the rule. Then I start timing it.
Mondays seven minutes sighting bus delay tuesdays eleven. Forgot keys
(15:45):
locked out by month too. I'm averaging fifteen minutes late daily,
always with a valid excuse per policy, no proof required,
warning stack, but since it's all first level, nothing escalates.
Yet team noice starts slacking two. Why rush if penalty's
flat manager flips, this is chaos, I shrug, same penalty right.
(16:08):
He calls a meeting, tries to add tears minor late
versus major. HR says no policy's policy unless rewritten. Takes
weeks of complaints. Meanwhile, productivity dips because everyone's rolling in late.
Finally they revise grace period to ten minutes. Escalations for
(16:29):
over thirty I back to on time, but with a smile.
Manager glares but can't touch me. T LDR flat late
policy punishes minor delays same as major. I exploit by
being consistently just late enough to annoy without escalating.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
They fix the rule, Edit new policies, FARER.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
No more write ups for traffic top comment U slash
policy poke. Flat rules invite flat out abuse, brilliant U
slash time thief, the slow bleed of lateness corporates nightmare
flat rules meet flatter compliance genius. It's like poking the
bear with its own claw. Our posters turned a grievance
(17:08):
into a policy overhaul without breaking a sweat. If work's
got you grinding, this is your PEP talk one more
brighter then story six, number six end.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Of September heat.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Not allowed to take vacation days from overtime all at
once or on short notice. Fine you slash vacation Vanguard
blowing up now At my warehouse job, we rack up
overtime like badges. Peak season means fifty plus hours weekly
policy o T hours convert to PTO at one point
five times value, but you can't cash more than two
(17:43):
days at once or within thirty days of earning.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Boss and forces hard spread it out. No binging vacae.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
I bank twenty days over summer, eyeing a.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Full road trip.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Request five days off in October per policy, denied because
it's over two. I ask to split two now three later. Nope,
too close to earning period. Frustrated, I read the fine print.
You may use PTO in increments no larger than two
consecutive days unless approved, but it doesn't ban using multiple
(18:15):
two day blocks back to back with week ends.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Light bulb. I request two.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Days Monday, Tuesday, then Thursday, Friday, Wednesday off anyway for holiday.
That's four days legal. Boss, okay's thinking I'm dumb. Repeat
next week, same pattern. By trip time, I've chained three
such blocks into a ten day stretch. All policy perfect, warehouse,
short staffed, chaos. Boss scrambling for tempts at double rate.
(18:40):
He calls, this is.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Abusing the system.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I reply, per policy, approved requests HR backs me nothing violated.
I rode trip blissfully come back to apologies and a
quiet policy tweak allowing three day max t ld R
pt O rule limits two days at once. I chain
two day blocks around whis weekends for long vacate Boss
pays for coverage rule changes. Edit road trip was epic,
(19:06):
grand canyon all the way. Top comment you slash ot
overlord weekend loophole for the win, sneaky smart you slash
road warrior. Nothing says compliance like a canyon view chaining
days like a pro that's next level calendar jiu jitsu.
Boss learned the hard way rules are for using, not
just sighting. Our posters got the travel bug scratched and
(19:30):
a win in the bank, inspiring write one final story
to cap this malicious masterpiece. Last one fresh off the press.
No one leaves till five p m. But no overtime
bet you slash clock watcher. September twenty ninth post already
top of the heap here. It is office culture. We
stay till five, no matter what. Early finishers busy work
(19:54):
or chat, but clock out at four fifty nine. Dirty
look No OT, pay salaried exempt new policy email effective immediately,
no paying OT, but expect full commitment to end of day.
I finish corps work by three most days efficient me used.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
To linger, but now nah.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Day one done at two thirty, I pull out a book.
Policy says no leaving early, but doesn't say work.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Co workers sigh die.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Day two spread chet audit, but on my phone personal time.
Boss passes everything okay, me totally just reviewing notes. Day three,
full spread, laptop, shut, feed up, meditating, hr ping.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Is this productive?
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Reply? Policy says stay till five. I'm here, know what
he means? Off clock after tasks. By week two teams
half checked out, surfing, napping, gossip, productivity non existent. Post
three boss calls all hands, this isn't working. We need output.
Someone pipe then pay, ot or let us go when done.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Crickets.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Policy flips next day flexible hours, leave when work's complete,
no dirty looks TLDR force stay till five, no OD pay,
I stop working early, do personal stuff on site. Office
grinds to halt. They revert to flex time. Edit now
I leave at three, guild free win win top comment.
(21:23):
You slash flex fan the great slow down Capitalism's kryptonite.
You slash boss baan, stay and pay or flex and fly.
Joe's wisely the ultimate slow down strike brilliant, its compliance
at its laziest best, forcing the hand without a fist.
Our Poster's office sounds weigh chiller now few what a
(21:46):
month on malicious compliance from Spotify surrenders to office oases.
These stories prove rules cut both ways.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Thanks for joining.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
If this sparked your own tale, imagine sharing it below.
Until next time, comply with the wink friends.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
This is your host signing off. Stay petty,
Welcome back to another episode of our little corner of
Reddit Tales, where we dive into the satisfying stories from
suburditts like malicious Compliance, I'm your host, and to day,
we're switching gears from the family feuds and friend fallouts
to something a bit more triumphant, those glorious moments when
some one follows the rules to the absolute letter, turning
(00:20):
the tables on bosses, companies, or just plain unreasonable folks.
It's September twenty twenty five edition, and oh boy, the
top posts this month are chef's kiss levels of petty perfection.
We've got refund battles with streaming giants, fire department call
lins that clear the aisles, vacation hoarding that backfire's big
(00:42):
time dress code, nitpicks.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Gone wild, and more.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
If you love that sweet sweet justice served cold with
a side of sarcasm.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You're in for a treat.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
We're reading these straight from the source, tossing in a
dash of commentary, and keeping it all real for about
twenty to twenty five minutes. Settle in with your coffee
or whatever fuels your revenge fantasies, and let's comply maliciously.
Our first story is a fresh one from early this month,
racking up up votes faster than you can.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Say terms of service.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
The title Spotify Support told me to read their refund policy.
So I did and forced them to give me a
refund deleted account. But the details are gold, let's read it.
So my Spotify premium renewed to day because I forgot
to cancel. I immediately checked their refund policy online and
(01:38):
confirmed I was eligible. So I canceled the plan literally
within minutes, and hopped on support Chat to ask for
the refund. Seemed simple, right, wrong? The agent, Christina gave
me the classic run around. She said, the fourteen day
refund period only applies to your initial side nup, and
(01:59):
since I'd been a member for months, I was out
of luck. She even sent me a link to the
policy to prove her point, telling me to read it.
This is where the malicious compliance comes in. I did
exactly what she said. I read the policy and then
I went deeper and found there full, legally binding terms
of use. And what did I find? In section three
(02:21):
under withdrawal? Right, it clearly states you have fourteen days
after your purchase to withdraw for any reason. A monthly
renewal is a new purchase my own research before the
chat was correct, I went back to Christina and quoted
the terms of use directly. She put me on hold
to check backstage, then came back with the same denial.
Her team was doubling down on the incorrect script, so
(02:44):
I played my final card. I sent this message, Since
this dispute is specifically about the legal interpretation of the
withdrawal right in your terms of use, could you please
provide the contact information for Spotify legal department or the
appropriate office for handling formal contractual disputes. The change was instant.
Suddenly she had to see what she could do. Five
(03:07):
minutes later, I've managed to ask some support with our
backstage team, and we can go ahead and process a
refund for you. They folded like a cheap suit. Their
business model counts on you giving up. Don't you are
entitled to your money back?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Tildear.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Spotify support tried to deny my valid refund by misinterpreting
their own policy. I read their legal terms of use
as they suggested, cited it back to them, and when
they still refused, I asked for their legal teams contact info.
They immediately processed the refund. Don't let them push you around.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Edit.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Wow, did not expect this to blow up. A few clarifications. Yes,
it was a twelve dollar ninety nine cent charge, so
not life changing, but principle of the thing. And no,
I am not renewing any time soon.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
This was the wake up call.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Top comment from user u slash policy Ninja.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Love this.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Next time they say, read the policy, print it out
and fax it back with highlights, up votes in the thousands.
Another from you slash refund warrior. This is why I
always escalate to legal threats. Companies hate paper trails a.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Can you imagine the panic in that chat room.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Christina probably thought she had the upper hand with a script,
but nope, armed with their own words, our poster turned
it into a masterclass in escalation. It's that perfect blend
of preparation and pettiness. If you've ever battled customer service,
this one's for you. Makes me want to audit my
own subscriptions right now. All right, Aunt a story too,
(04:45):
because we've got compliance coming out our ears this month.
Next up a throwback vibe but posted mid September, and
it's climbing the charts. Supervisor told me sarcastically to call
the fire department. I did anonymous poster, but the details
screamed nineties retail nightmare.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Worked in retail in between jobs way back when, early nineties. Yes,
I'm old, get off my lawn. It was December, major
department store that is no longer around. I know that
doesn't narrow it down.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Sorry.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Anyways, they tried to cram as much product on the
floor as possible, to the point that you couldn't walk
through the aisles and had to twist and turn to
get past the fixtures set up with product. I casually
mentioned to a supervisor that if the fire department ever
came in, they would close us down for the hazards
and lack of egress. She was highly stressed and blurted
(05:39):
out to me, you know what, then call the fire department.
I held my hands up and said easy.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
She assigned me my duties and that was that. Well.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
She did tell me to call. On the way home,
I stopped by a government building that had all sorts
of agencies in it. Told the receptionist my plight and
she pointed to a phone on the wall. Tell the
operator I want the f D and they would patch
me through to the station's non emergency line. The fire
chief himself answered, I told him how crowded it was
(06:10):
and what the supervisor said. He had a good laugh
and said they'd check it out. I was off the
next day but heard about it when I got back.
Fire Chief and a station house full of fire fighters
show up to do an inspection. He tells the store
manager that egress is being blocked and he'd have to
remove a lot.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Of the fixtures in the aisles.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Store manager says he has orders from corporate fixtures stay.
Fire chief assures him that if he doesn't clear the aisles,
they'll shut the store down until it is safe. Manager caves,
and they spend the next few hours dismantling holiday displays
left and right. Supervisor she got reassigned to stockroom duty
(06:53):
for a week, muttering about how no one has a
sense of humor. The store looked way better after, and
sales actually went up because people could, you know, walk
around t ld R Stressed supervisor sarcastically tells me to
call fire department over cluttered isles. I do. They inspect,
force a clean up, and suddenly everyone has more space
(07:15):
to shop. Edit for those asking this was in a
big city in the Midwest. Stor's long gone, but the
memory priceless. Top comment U slash fire fanatic As a
retired fire fighter, this is my favorite kind of coal
petty but saves lives up votes Galore U slash retail survivor.
(07:36):
Corporate always thinks safety is optional until the badges show up.
Chef's kiss oh Man. The visual of a full fire
crew turning holiday chaos into organized bliss poetry. That supervisor's
face when the chief walks in priceless. It's a reminder
that sometimes the best revenge is just following orders. And hey,
(07:59):
safer store for everyone. If you've got a retail horror story,
drop it in the imaginary comments. Moving on to our
third tale because September's got us covered in compliance gold
Story three dropped late last month, but is surging now.
Told me I couldn't get time off to go home
for holidays. Fine, I quit and did poster you slash
(08:22):
quitting queen with thousands of up votes. Let's dive in.
I started a new job right after college and tree
level office gig in a city far from home. Love
the work, but holidays family tradition to all gather at
my parents place in another state. Think turkey, tree trimming,
the works. First year, I put in my request for
(08:44):
Thanksgiving week off way back in July, per HR policy.
Boss says, sorry, too short staffed, No can do.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
I push a little.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
It's my first holiday with the company. Family stuff. He
doubles down. Everyone wants time off, deal with it.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Fine.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
I swallow it and work through, flying home for just
the weekend.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Exhausted. Second year, same drill.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Request in June, same response. This time I ask for alternatives,
maybe work remotely. Nope, swap shifts. No one's swapping. By October,
I'm fuming, but still hoping. He flat out says, you
can't get time off for holidays if it's not planned
a year in advance, and even then probably not. I
(09:28):
go home for a rushed three days, miserable. Third year, September. Now,
actually I request early. Explain it's non negotiable for my sanity.
He laughs it off, kid, this is a job, not
a vacation planner. If you can't handle it, there's the door.
Well challenge accepted. I update my resume that night, line
(09:51):
up interviews, and by mid October I've got offers. I
march into his office the day before Thanksgiving, request deadline,
and say, per your policy, since I can't get the
time off, consider this my two weeks notice, effective immediately
for holidays. He stammers, Wait, you can't just quit. I smile.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
You said, there's the door.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
I walked out, spent a full week with family, stress free,
landed a better job in November with actual PTO respect.
Last I heard, my old boss scrambled to cover my
spot through the season, offering overtime to every one tiel
dr boss repeatedly denies holiday time off requests when he says,
(10:34):
if I can't handle it, there's the door. I quit
on the spot and enjoy my holidays while he panics
edit new job's amazing, unlimited PTO even don't stay where
they don't value you. Top comment, you slash hr hero.
This is why turnover costs companies more than fair scheduling.
Smart move, you slash family first. Quitter's ginna quit, but
(10:57):
winner's ginna thrive.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yes, that door slam moment iconic. It's like the universe
handed her the exit sign on a silver platter. Bosses
like that deserve the scramble. Our posters living her best
life now proof that boundaries aren't just for show. What's
your quit story? We'd love to hear onward to number four,
(11:20):
a classic school Yard edition that's timeless but posted fresh
this September title nitpick the dress code. I can do
that too, from you slash dress code Rebel early September
post that's got every one reminiscing.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Read ahead.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Our junior high dress code was a pain. Most teachers
didn't care, so long as kids weren't distracting. Jean's teas
sneakers done. But we had this one vice principal, mister Strict,
who patrolled like a hawk. He lived for right ups.
Socks must match shoes, collars buttoned, no logos bigger than
(11:57):
a fist. I was a good kid, straight a pase.
But one day I wore cargo pants with pockets technically allowed.
But he said they were too baggy, distracting. Gave me detention.
I argued, the codes said nothing about fit.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
He smirked.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Read the code, kid, it's about neat appearance.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Fine.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I thought, two can play next week. I comb the
handbook cover to cover. It says students must wear clean,
appropriate clothing that.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Does not disrupt learning.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
No specifics on bags or logos beyond size. But get this,
shirts must be tucked in at all times. For boys,
belts required if pants have loops, shoes closed toe, no sandals,
hair neat, no extremes. I go full compliance mode. Monday,
ironed khakis, tucked, polo belt, shining hair, gelled, military style,
(12:50):
black lace ups, polished, but I add a bow tie.
Code says ties optional, but if worn neat. Check Tuesday
same but vest over shirt code allows layers. If neat Wednesday,
suspenders instead of belt loops covered neat as can be.
By Thursday, half the school is staring. Teacher's chuckling. Mister
(13:11):
Strict pulls me aside.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
This is ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
I smile, but its neat appearance per the code you told.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Me to read.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
He fumes, sends me to his office. I hand him
the printed handbook, pages highlighted. He reads, sighs and says, fine,
but no more costumes. I untuck on Friday just a bit,
and he doesn't say a word. Word spread, and suddenly
dress code enforcement dropped. Kids started sighting sections left and right.
(13:39):
Mister Strict got reassigned to admin. By year's end, we
all dressed normal After that t ld r VP nitpicks
my pants as distracting. I follow dress code to absurd
extremes with bow ties and vests. He backs off, enforcement eases.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Edit.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
This was twenty years ago, but I still have the
bow tie. Sent it to my kid for Spirit Week.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Top comment.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
U slash school's survivor, weaponized rules, Kid's greatest power. You
slash neat freak. The vest era lives in infamy. Hilarious
kids versus the Man Round one to the bow tie Brigade.
It's that clever twist whereover kill exposes the absurdity. Mister
strict probably dreams in polka dots. Now love how one
(14:28):
post can spark a compliance revolution. All write story five
because we're half way and the pettiness is peaking. This
one's from mid month. Same penalty for being six minutes
late as for being three hours late. Watch me, you
slash late, legend up votes pouring in. Let's go company
(14:48):
policy clock in by nine a m sharp five minutes
or more late. Verbal warning first offense, right cup, second suspension,
third doesn't matter if it's five minutes, thirty seconds.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Or two hours.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
The punishment's the same. No nuance, no mercy, I was
solid for years, but new managers starts docking for traffic
unavoidable in this city. One morning, epic jam, I'm six
minutes late. He hits me with the warning like I
robbed a bank. I nod, but inside game on next week,
(15:24):
I forget my badge twice. Policy says if you can't
clock in, report to HR for manual entry. But that's
a ten minute detour. Bam late by twelve, same warning level.
He grumbles, but it's the rule. Then I start timing it.
Mondays seven minutes sighting bus delay tuesdays eleven. Forgot keys
(15:45):
locked out by month too. I'm averaging fifteen minutes late daily,
always with a valid excuse per policy, no proof required,
warning stack, but since it's all first level, nothing escalates.
Yet team noice starts slacking two. Why rush if penalty's
flat manager flips, this is chaos, I shrug, same penalty right.
(16:08):
He calls a meeting, tries to add tears minor late
versus major. HR says no policy's policy unless rewritten. Takes
weeks of complaints. Meanwhile, productivity dips because everyone's rolling in late.
Finally they revise grace period to ten minutes. Escalations for
(16:29):
over thirty I back to on time, but with a smile.
Manager glares but can't touch me. T LDR flat late
policy punishes minor delays same as major. I exploit by
being consistently just late enough to annoy without escalating.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
They fix the rule, Edit new policies, FARER.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
No more write ups for traffic top comment U slash
policy poke. Flat rules invite flat out abuse, brilliant U
slash time thief, the slow bleed of lateness corporates nightmare
flat rules meet flatter compliance genius. It's like poking the
bear with its own claw. Our posters turned a grievance
(17:08):
into a policy overhaul without breaking a sweat. If work's
got you grinding, this is your PEP talk one more
brighter then story six, number six end.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Of September heat.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Not allowed to take vacation days from overtime all at
once or on short notice. Fine you slash vacation Vanguard
blowing up now At my warehouse job, we rack up
overtime like badges. Peak season means fifty plus hours weekly
policy o T hours convert to PTO at one point
five times value, but you can't cash more than two
(17:43):
days at once or within thirty days of earning.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Boss and forces hard spread it out. No binging vacae.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
I bank twenty days over summer, eyeing a.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Full road trip.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Request five days off in October per policy, denied because
it's over two. I ask to split two now three later. Nope,
too close to earning period. Frustrated, I read the fine print.
You may use PTO in increments no larger than two
consecutive days unless approved, but it doesn't ban using multiple
(18:15):
two day blocks back to back with week ends.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Light bulb. I request two.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Days Monday, Tuesday, then Thursday, Friday, Wednesday off anyway for holiday.
That's four days legal. Boss, okay's thinking I'm dumb. Repeat
next week, same pattern. By trip time, I've chained three
such blocks into a ten day stretch. All policy perfect, warehouse,
short staffed, chaos. Boss scrambling for tempts at double rate.
(18:40):
He calls, this is.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Abusing the system.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I reply, per policy, approved requests HR backs me nothing violated.
I rode trip blissfully come back to apologies and a
quiet policy tweak allowing three day max t ld R
pt O rule limits two days at once. I chain
two day blocks around whis weekends for long vacate Boss
pays for coverage rule changes. Edit road trip was epic,
(19:06):
grand canyon all the way. Top comment you slash ot
overlord weekend loophole for the win, sneaky smart you slash
road warrior. Nothing says compliance like a canyon view chaining
days like a pro that's next level calendar jiu jitsu.
Boss learned the hard way rules are for using, not
just sighting. Our posters got the travel bug scratched and
(19:30):
a win in the bank, inspiring write one final story
to cap this malicious masterpiece. Last one fresh off the press.
No one leaves till five p m. But no overtime
bet you slash clock watcher. September twenty ninth post already
top of the heap here. It is office culture. We
stay till five, no matter what. Early finishers busy work
(19:54):
or chat, but clock out at four fifty nine. Dirty
look No OT, pay salaried exempt new policy email effective immediately,
no paying OT, but expect full commitment to end of day.
I finish corps work by three most days efficient me used.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
To linger, but now nah.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Day one done at two thirty, I pull out a book.
Policy says no leaving early, but doesn't say work.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Co workers sigh die.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Day two spread chet audit, but on my phone personal time.
Boss passes everything okay, me totally just reviewing notes. Day three,
full spread, laptop, shut, feed up, meditating, hr ping.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Is this productive?
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Reply? Policy says stay till five. I'm here, know what
he means? Off clock after tasks. By week two teams
half checked out, surfing, napping, gossip, productivity non existent. Post
three boss calls all hands, this isn't working. We need output.
Someone pipe then pay, ot or let us go when done.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Crickets.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Policy flips next day flexible hours, leave when work's complete,
no dirty looks TLDR force stay till five, no OD pay,
I stop working early, do personal stuff on site. Office
grinds to halt. They revert to flex time. Edit now
I leave at three, guild free win win top comment.
(21:23):
You slash flex fan the great slow down Capitalism's kryptonite.
You slash boss baan, stay and pay or flex and fly.
Joe's wisely the ultimate slow down strike brilliant, its compliance
at its laziest best, forcing the hand without a fist.
Our Poster's office sounds weigh chiller now few what a
(21:46):
month on malicious compliance from Spotify surrenders to office oases.
These stories prove rules cut both ways.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Thanks for joining.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
If this sparked your own tale, imagine sharing it below.
Until next time, comply with the wink friends.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
This is your host signing off. Stay petty,
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