Sometimes, managers don’t really think things through before making a decision.

If only they listened to the employees.

In this case, a man shares how phones were banned from the huge factory where he works, and how his managers didn’t see the consequences of the ban coming.

Let’s read the story.

No phones during work? Sure, try to find me then

This happened some months ago.

So, I’m a forklift driver in a factory that produces chemical products for building and construction, adhesives, sealants, cement, etc…

My job basically consists of providing the workers with everything they need to continue production.

My department produces adhesives and my shift has circa 20 people, so I’m constantly moving back and forth between the warehouse, the department and everywhere else we stock the materials.

This means a phone would make communication easier.

In the time this happened, our managers started to pressure us on the use of phones, which many people did use a lot, and some were really exaggerating with it.

I used it in the slow moments, or while I was waiting for something, obviously not while driving, and I had to keep it near me because the bosses needed to reach for me while I was away from the department for various tasks.

Everyone was penalized because of a few people.

They really became very strict on the use of phones, and a guy got even a formal complaint for it (3 complaints in a single year gets you fired).

Malicious compliance: I simply shut off the phone at the start of the shift and only turned it on while on break.

They asked for it.

Now, I didn’t specify how BIG my workplace is, it’s 1,4 million square feet.

Sometimes it took me even 10 minutes to go where I needed to go and come back and I received like 30 calls a day that were simply left unanswered.

My managers were going mad but they couldn’t do anything because they imposed the rule.

Be careful what you ask for and who you ask.

Let’s see what Reddit has to say about this well executed malicious compliance.

Easy solution.

A reader shares their thoughts.

Yup.

This person sounds baffled.

Another commenter chimes in.

Get them brainstorming.

The employees need to be reachable and to communicate.

Instead of making a blanket ban on phones, they should provide an actual solution to the issue.

If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.