Sometimes it can be hard for employees to do their job when their boss is micromanaging them.

In today’s story, one boss wants an employee to stay at her desk until it’s time for the after care program she runs, but that’s easier said than done.

Let’s see how the story plays out…

Stay in my own lane? You got it.

The backstory: I worked in a middle management position that coordinated an after hours care program for adults.

I had a micromanaging dinosaur for a boss, let’s call her Hettie. Hettie oversaw the day operation as well, and I shared an office with the direct manager of that program.

Given they operated at different times we often shared clients, but as I did my admin work during business hours.

I often briefly visited the clients in their day activities to ask them about their preferred activities for my program.

I had no real opportunity to consult them at any other time, particularly as Hettie decreased my allotted admin time further and further.

She describes more things she didn’t like about Hettie.

She just loved tightening the noose, and took particular delight in nobody ever being able to get comfortable in their role, firmly believing that if she kept us all on our toes she would get more work out of us.

It was stressful and incredibly draining.

Another strict rule of Hettie’s was that despite female staff being allowed to provide personal care (showers, changing etc) to male clients, she did not allow male staff to provide intimate care to female clients.

This will be important to the story (and yes, I’m fully aware this was gender discrimination and I argued the point multiple times but was overruled).

Hettie’s rules were hard to follow.

The only thing Hettie loved more than setting arbitrary rules was catching us out ‘breaking’ them.

It was near impossible to work the position without breaking ANY of her rules, one of which was that I was not allowed to involve myself in the day service.

‘Involvement’ basically constituted me being anywhere out of my office and near clients during the day.

She would sneak quietly around the building, listening around corners and then leap out suddenly to catch the ‘offender’.

Hettie reprimanded her.

One day, one of the clients would be transitioning from the day activities straight into my program for the evening.

The entire premise of the program was ‘client choice’, and as such I needed to know what my client would like to cook for dinner so I could purchase groceries before I clocked off.

I was discussing it with the client when Hettie zoomed in around the door and asked to see me in her office.

She dressed me down for ‘interfering’ in the other program and told me in no uncertain terms that I was to stay completely away from it and ‘in my own lane’, or I’d be facing disciplinary action.

Fine. I knew it would come back to bite her.

Now we get to the day of the malicious compliance…

Mere days later, the day program was winding up for the day, with only a few late staying clients remaining along with one male worker.

One of the female clients had a need for a change of clothing.

The male worker came and knocked on the door of my office to let me know the client needed changing.

She tells the worker to talk to Hettie.

Cue the malicious compliance: Worker: Jane* needs a change of clothes.

Me: loudly, knowing Hettie was next door in her office with the door wide open “Oh, I’m sorry! I’d love to help, but unfortunately you’re currently working with the day program and I’ve been expressly instructed I’m not allowed to interfere. Maybe Hettie can help? I’m sure she’s in her office.”

Worker: knowing all too well the crap we put up with from Hettie, gives me a sly grin and moves on to Hettie’s office to interrupt a phone call she was having because hey, the client comes first!

Hettie ended up having to help.

I dutifully stay at my desk listening to her ask the worker to seek my assistance, knowing full well that she heard every word of the previous conversation.

Worker repeats my refusal to her and she goes off after much grumbling to assist the client.

Of course, Hettie ripped me a new one for ‘not being a team player’ later on.

I simply pointed out her insistence earlier in the week that I not involve myself in any way with the other service.

Eventually, Hettie was left unable to argue.

She scoffed and told me I was being deliberately obtuse and of course if there was a need I was duty bound to meet it.

I reiterated that it was impossible for me to know which tasks would be deemed dutiful and therefore innocently followed her instructions to the letter.

She had nothing to come back with on this occasion. It did, unfortunately escalate her bullying with me, but it was on that trajectory regardless.

I ultimately burned out a couple of years later and had to leave, but that one act of malicious compliance remains a bright spot in what was otherwise almost a decade of appalling treatment.

I’ve been in a new role for over two years where I have incredibly supportive management and colleagues. But I still see Hettie around and every time, I flip her the bird.

I’m surprised Hettie didn’t walk over to her desk and tell her to help the female client.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story…

This story made this reader happy.

Another reader would’ve gotten a different job sooner.

This reader has a wish for Hettie…

Another reader would’ve gotten the request in writing.

It sounds like the boss didn’t learn her lesson, but at least it was a win for that day.

Sometimes that’s all you can hope for.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.