Sometimes, even if an employee has insight into a particular matter, a stubborn boss can’t be convinced.

But what do you do when your answer is the solution?

Let’s see what this Reddit post below says about it all.

Back when I scheduled a machine shop

Ok this is sort of a “back in the day” MC.

I was swing expeditor/scheduler/shop assistant. I didn’t run the machines; I just helped get done what needed to be done on our shift.

[We] had an old school machinist come in at start of shift and explain the blueprint was wrong and if he followed the attached manufacturing procedure it was gonna result in a bad part. He showed me the issue, and I agreed right away. [I] said I’d catch the engineer before shift the next day.

[I] call engineer, he says “It’s right, just do it.”

[I] call him again next day, same result.

Hm, I smell a conflict already.

[I] move it up a level, and he storms into our office pissed off on [the] third day. I try and show him the drawing and procedure, but he insists it’s correct. He tells me I have no idea what we are doing in our shop [and to] just follow the procedure as it’s written.

I had logged all of the calls etc. and asked if he would put that in writing, and he does.

We love a worker with the receipts kept.

Cue MC. I go to [the] same machinist [and] tell him the issue. It’s a 16-hour job. He sits and reads for two days and then hands [over] paperwork, no part, [to] Quality Control (They check measurements and confirm it was manufactured correctly).

They ask what’s going on [and] where is the part?

Something tells me that the “correct” blueprint has something to do with it.

I come by and explain that according to both the drawing and procedure, the machinist was to machine a 12-inch part down to just over 13 inches shorter than it started at. Thus the produced product, nothing. [The] usual ask about why did we do this, I showed them the records I had.

So, they wrote it up as a procedure issue.

AKA, a blueprint issue…

2 days later, [the] same engineer storms in, but [brings] his boss (the one I initially went to when I got no response) and starts accusing me of sabotaging his part.

I calmly show both of them everything [and] explain that we knew it was an issue and tried to fix it, but we were overridden.

Boss looks at engineer and says, “Why aren’t you listening to people that are trying to help?”

Oof, that had to hurt.

And the engineer replies, “They didn’t go to college to become an engineer! They don’t know what they are talking about” and walks out.

I look at Boss and he says, “We will get you a revised procedure and drawing. I assume you still actually have the original stock to make it from?” I laughed and told him I wasn’t stupid, of course I do.

Ok, so that’s gotta be a mic drop in the engineering world if I’ve ever seen one.

Engineer was no longer with the firm a couple weeks later.

It’s touchy to override your boss, but what does Reddit think? Should the employee have pushed for their solution, knowing it was correct all along? Let’s see what the comments say.

One user called out how the engineer couldn’t even realize what was wrong after being shown.

Another Redditor pointed out that craftsmen are ten times more valuable than a new grad with no experience.

Finally, another user countered that the craftsmen would be more valuable than just ten times!

The workplace is collaborative — and you can’t always be right!

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.