It can be tough working at an office where it can see like “nice things” are only for the higher ups.

Sometimes, things can change if you point out how rules affect those in charge – but even if they don’t, it can still be fun to try.

This employee liked being able to offer coffee or cold drinks during interviews.

In my last place of work, when I was looking to hire someone for my department, I would offer cold drinks and coffee at the interview in order to make them feel welcome.

We could take the cold drinks out of the storage, but we had to order coffee from the kitchen and someone from the kitchen team would bring it out.

It annoyed her when she was told coffee was only for “all day” events only.

One day, they called me back and said they couldn’t bring me coffee since the CEO had decided coffee would only be provided for whole-day events.

Grr, that cheapskate.

Since then, I provided my own coffee for interviewees because to me, the welcoming impression was more important than the, like, 30 cents a cup of coffee costs.

So, when she scheduled a half day event with her CEO in attendance, she pulled a very satisfying stunt.

But I plotted my little revenge since I had been asked to do a workshop for the other department heads and the CEO also wanted to participate.

He for some reason loved workshops, well why not.

So the day of the workshop came, I prepped the room, the participants trickled in and got settled, including the CEO.

I greeted the group and laid out the plan for the next few hours, asked if there were any questions.

The CEO asked: Can we maybe call the kitchen and ask where the coffee is? They seem to be running late.

I made a point of taking a sip from my travel mug and then answered that there would be no coffee, because this was a half-day workshop and our new rules said that coffee would only be provided for whole day events.

I still cherish the surly look he gave me in response. He did not say anything and instead opened a bottle of water.

This is exactly the sort of thing people come to the petty revenge sub for.

The top comment loved picturing the whole thing in their mind.

And yes, they found the read delightful.

Now that sounds too good to be true.

Everyone knows coffee is worth the cost.

You can pry the free coffee out of our cold, unhoused hands.

I approve of her power move.

I’m sure the CEO didn’t love it, though.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.