ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Company’s Strict 9-5 Policy Backfires as Employee Maliciously Complies; Netizens Relate

This story is about a worker who got fed up with his company's strict 9-to-5 rule and decided to fight back cleverly.
PUBLISHED APR 3, 2024
Cover Image Source: Company's strict 9-5 policy backfires (representative image) | Unsplash | Photo by Charles Deluvio
Cover Image Source: Company's strict 9-5 policy backfires (representative image) | Unsplash | Photo by Charles Deluvio

In the big world of companies, there's often a clash between rules and letting employees do their thing. Rules are supposed to make things easier but sometimes they end up making things harder for everyone. This story is about a worker who got fed up with his company's strict 9-to-5 rule and decided to fight back cleverly.

Image Source: Reddit | r/MaliciousCompliance
Image Source: Reddit | r/MaliciousCompliance

So, this story takes place in a busy brokerage firm where this worker, whose name we don't know, worked in the mutual funds division. He was really good at his job and always went above and beyond what was expected. He didn't just work from 9 to 5, he often started at 7 in the morning and stayed until 7 at night because he loved what he did and wanted to do it well. "I loved my job, and I was real good at it," he shared on Reddit. But then, his boss got mad at him for being just a few minutes late coming back from lunch. Even though he put in extra hours and did great work, his boss said the only thing that mattered was what happened between 9 and 5.

Image Source: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels
Employees should be given the flexibility to do their best work (representative image) | Photo by Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels

Feeling frustrated and misunderstood, the worker decided to show his boss just how ridiculous this rule was. He started following the 9-to-5 rule to the letter. He stopped coming in early and left right on the dot at 5. He used to be super productive outside those hours, but now everything had to fit into this narrow window. And guess what? His productivity took a nosedive. The company had lost one of its best workers because of a rule that didn't make sense.

Image Source: Getty Images
9 to 5 work hours can be restrictive (representative image) | Getty Images

When he shared his story on Reddit, many people related to his frustration. One user said, "I used to work second shift and I’d get home around 3 am. One night a warehouse manager came and asked if I could stay late and help another department. I told him I’d have to check with my husband because he’d stay up until I got home in case my car broke down or something. He harassed me and said I should be more loyal to the company. They fired me for missing a single day of work when my father-in-law was in critical condition in the hospital, several hours away from home."

Image Source: Reddit | Arghianna
Image Source: Reddit | Arghianna

As the worker left his job, the company had to deal with the consequences of their inflexible policies. They lost a talented worker, and it wasn't easy finding someone to replace him. So, what's the lesson here? Sometimes, companies get so caught up in their rules that they forget about the people who make their business run smoothly. It's important to have guidelines but they should be flexible enough to allow employees to do their best work.

Employees are not just machines; they're human beings with lives outside of work. When companies show understanding and support for their employees, it creates a better working environment for everyone. Otherwise, they might end up losing valuable talent like the worker in this story. In the end, it's about finding a balance between rules and flexibility, so everyone can thrive in the workplace.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The "Pawn Stars" were aleft impressed by the only basketball signed by the OGs Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Kobe.
7 hours ago
Turns out that Mr. Wonderful was ordained by the state of California to do the job.
8 hours ago
Fans did not expect to see a person with such a striking resemblance to the former Vice President.
11 hours ago
Rick Harrison wasn't trying to this item for a low price as it was historically significant.
13 hours ago
Despite offering $1.5 million, Harrison was unable to make a deal for the historic item.
1 day ago
Kevin O'Leary hailed their salesmanship after coming to a $600,000 valuation.
1 day ago
The star also followed it up with a second shoutout seeking another chance for her on the show.
1 day ago
The clock was a piece of art and its mechanism was as intriguing as it gets.
1 day ago
The company wasn't profitable and this alone had turned away most sharks in the first place.
1 day ago
All three contestants were unable to make the right guess, and fans pointed out what was wrong online.
2 days ago
The guest was enthusiastic about the painting and the expert was marvelled by its story.
2 days ago
Even the contestant lost his balance as he laughed at his answer immediately.
2 days ago
The Duke of Wellington gifted them the table and a set of willow-patterned tea sets to go with it.
2 days ago
Her product could help a lot of people protect their homes and loved ones from deadly fires.
3 days ago
A lot of the sharks were unsure about the product due to unfortunate incidents in the past.
3 days ago
“He seems like a lot of fun as a dad,” Seacrest admired Tony and Mike Nunes' relationship.
3 days ago
The painting was made by Francois Gilot, the ex-lover of the famous Pablo Picasso.
3 days ago
However, few fans loved their coordinated moves, "Steve Harvey be sharp all the time!"
3 days ago
The founder of Chirp scored a creative deal with Lori Greiner after much deliberation.
4 days ago
“Read the room, Ken, not the time to joke when his dream just got crushed,” a viewer slammed.
4 days ago