Imagine working for the same company for a long time and everything is running smoothly, but then a new manager steps in and decides to make some big changes. If you knew these changes would backfire, would you follow the new rules anyway, or would you defy the rules to prevent any problems?

In today’s story, one employee is faced with this choice, and he decides to follow the rules. It definitely backfires!

Let’s see what happens.

Yes sir, only as you say.

My manager was new to the company, and I’ve been here over 18 years and pretty well run my area solo.

We are a high end production facility, and I’m part of the incoming quality/test engineering team.

I always stay well ahead of production, along with performing my other task.

Working with other teams required planning and flexibility.

I consult with the production and inventory supervisors daily to ensure I know what’s on the horizon and have anything they will need ready well ahead of time.

I also get request from the development engineering group to test new products during development.

All this requires strategic planning and the ability to shift direction at any time to keep a flow going.

The manager decided to make a big change.

In steps this new manager. We had issue from the first meeting.

Seems he doesn’t like being in a room where he isn’t the smartest one there.

So, after a few weeks of getting to know the place, he send an email, “No one can alter Oxxavier’s schedule without going through me first. I will set his priorities and work hours going forward.”

I knew exactly what this would do to my balanced flow.

The manager wasn’t available when they needed him.

Sure enough, the next week we had two produce design qualifications, and a customer surprise arrival to watch the testing.

My manager left strict instructions that I was to remain on production material only.

No one could get in contact with him. He had signed out as a “work from home” day, but he wasn’t answering any of the numbers he had given.

Turns out, they did eventually track him down at the local park, with his kids. But not before the customer had left, mad and frustrated.

Now, because he followed the manager’s rule, OP is still in trouble!

The next week he called me into his office, and he had the gall to try to write me up for not testing the product when the client arrived.

I handed him a printed copy of his email, and insisted that the “write up” be witnessed by a member of the HR team.

He reset the meeting for three days later, giving him time to prep the HR rep to his side of the story.

First question she asked was why I didn’t test the products when asked, and I handed her the email. “I was told if I violated this new policy he created I would be written up. So I followed it and still I’m being written up. I would like to file a harassment complaint against this manager.”

HR was on OP’s side.

His voice cracked as he stammered out, ” Now, let’s just slow this down a bit.”

The HR rep knew she could ignore my charges, even if she didn’t agree the company requires all harassment claims to be investigated.

The meeting ended there.

The harassment claim was documented as a verbal warning. And for the last two years he won’t engage with me at all, he won’t even let me know when we are having a staff meeting, I hear about it the next day from the others. Suits me, the less I see of him, the better.

New managers really need to understand that changing processes that work for the employees will only create problems.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person shares a recommendation.

Document everything!

Here’s another vote for documenting everything.

Being left out of meetings could really backfire.

All too often, a new manager makes a good work environment toxic.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.