It’s hard to do your job when the work environment is too hot or too cold.

In today’s story, two employees argue about a fan they both use to cool off.

Let’s see how the story progresses…

My fan? Your fan? Who knows?!

A few years ago, the auto parts store I work at got a heat pump in the lobby area, replacing the 10,000BTU air conditioner that died.

Heat pumps, at least this one, self-regulate the temperature.

I set it on the lowest setting, 64*F, but it will not cool off the room (which is roughly 32feet square) to that temperature.

What happens is the area around the pump cools off well, and the pump will start to reduce its output because it senses that the room is cool.

We had a small pedestal fan that I put in front of the pump to blow the cold air further out into the room, cooling it much better.

All was well.

A coworker put the fan away in the fall.

Fall comes, we don’t use the pump for heat (because its quite inefficient) so the fan is not in use either.

Coworker (We’ll call him Jay) that does some of the back room stuff here, like checking in freight, puts the fan away for the winter.

No issue there.

Issues with the fan started in the spring.

The next spring comes.

It’s getting warmer.

I notice the same fan is on the loading dock now. Well, it doesn’t go there, so I put it in front of the heat pump for efficient cooling.

The next morning its back on the loading dock.

He understands why Jay moves the fan.

“Jay” comes in very early to check in freight. I don’t mind that he puts the fan on the dock to cool him off.

By the time I come in, his tasks are taking him all over the place, so the fan still on the dock is benefitting essentially no one.

I move it back in front of the pump.

I’m expecting (and fine with) the fan to be back on the dock the next morning, and I’ll just move it when I get here.

He confronted Jay about the fan.

When I come in, no fan. Not on the dock, not in front of the pump, no where.

Me: “Hey Jay, have you seen that pedestal fan?”

Jay: “Yep.”

M: “……. ok so where is it?”

J: “I found that fan a week ago. If I can’t use it, no one can.” And he walks off.

He was furious.

I was about to go nuclear.

I’ve been at this place 23 years, and I’m vitally important to things running smoothly.

Jay has been here a few years, and his role is important, but I have absolutely no doubt that if a conflict arises, the boss is siding with BroncoCharlie.

He decided to get revenge on Jay.

Revenge

I decide to be more petty than nuclear.

I searched around for a cheap pedestal fan and found one. Put my name on it and put it in front of the heat pump. Now the lobby area is nice n cool.

I looked around often and finally found where Jay had stashed the other fan. I moved it to a spot where there is no way in hell he would look.

Jay never found the fan.

I brought Jay out front to see my fan.

M: “See this fan, Jay?”

J: “Yeah, so?”

M: “This is my fan. DO NOT TOUCH IT.”

J: “Whatever, where is the other one?’

M: “You said if you can’t have it, no one can. I agree. If I can’t have it, no one can.”

It’s been 2 years, that little fan is still where I hid it!

I’m surprised Jay didn’t just go buy another fan.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story…

This reader was satisfied with the story.

Another reader liked the revenge.

This reader called him his “hero.”

Another person couldn’t resist using puns.

This person shared a mental image of Jay.

Don’t mess with your coworkers or they might mess with you.

That’s what happened here!

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.