Being micromanaged can be not only annoying but also demoralizing.

In this man’s case, his supervisor kept giving him vague observations to “do better,” until one day he told him to “dress better”.

So he did.

So well, in fact, his supervisor got demoted.

Let’s see how this unfolded.

I wore a suit to work and got my supervisor soft demoted

Ever since I started at my job a few months ago, my supervisor—we’ll call him Josh—has been micromanaging me.

When I’m the subject of criticism (which is often), I try to give him the benefit of the doubt and ask him to clarify.

What are your expectations?

What specifically should I have done differently?

Josh’s responses are always vague, often something to the effect of “Just do better.”

Seems like a personal bias against him. That’s a serious issue.

I even had a meeting with Josh and HR to address this, but to no avail.

Yesterday, Josh comes to my desk to tell me I need to dress better.

Now, I work at a small company, and the vibe is unusually casual.

A not-insignificant number of people come to work wearing jeans, hoodies, t-shirts, and/or baseball caps.

Josh’s observation was uncalled for.

I have never worn a hat to work, and I make a point of wearing a button-up shirt with a collar every day.

This particular day I was wearing a long-sleeve button-up flannel, chino pants, and Adidas Gazelles.

Other days I wear loafers and dress shirts that are tucked in.

So, I ask Josh to clarify.

Should I be wearing dress shoes? Dress shirt? Tucked in?

What specifically do you want me to change?

Josh tells me I just need to dress better and that I should talk to HR for clarification.

Of course. He wanted to make sure he was conforming.

So I go into HR and ask, what is the dress code? I get a standard answer: pants, close-toed shoes, no sleeveless shirts, etc.

I ask, have I ever worn anything to work that poses a problem? HR says ‘no, you’re fine’.

Because I’m mad, and because my repeated efforts to resolve this kind of problem had gone unheeded, I decided to be petty.

The next day (today), I showed up to work in a full suit.

He did not hold back.

It’s one I keep for events like weddings, so it’s fitted and I look really sharp in it. It’s also wildly and conspicuously overdressed for the office I work in.

I had several interactions with people coming to my desk to comment on my outfit and ask what the occasion was.

The occasion was ‘proving a point’.

When anyone asked (only if they asked), I told them I had been told to “dress better.”

This was always met with disbelief and incredulity.

Two people even said they like the way I dress normally.

When anyone asked me who the order came from—again, only if they asked—I told them it came from Josh.

I was expecting to pull my little stunt for a week just to prove a point, and then go back to wearing what I had been wearing before.

But then something unexpected happened.

Word got around the office fast, apparently, because the CEO (Josh’s direct boss) came to my desk later in the day to tell me I would be reporting to him now, and that he’d be having a talk with Josh about this and other issues.

It’s important to note that I was Josh’s only underling, so he effectively went from being a supervisor to just a regular employee.

I’m on a bit of a high now.

I think I’m going to come into work tomorrow wearing a different one of my flannels!

Mission accomplished and in style.

Let’s see what Reddit has to say about this.

Brilliant.

Minimum.

It might work!

Clearly.

Another reader chimes in.

Why not?

Josh was the one being actually petty – he just got counterpettied.

Now he won’t have the authority to micromanage him anymore.

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.