Some managers believe loyalty means saying yes, no matter the hour, no matter the task.

So when a courtesy clerk kept absorbing extra work and early hours, only to be told by his manager that he was easily replaceable, he decided to show the manager just how wrong he was.

Keep reading for the full story!

Deal with it or find a new job? Easier than you think, bub.

As a young adult, I decided to move several hundred miles away on a whim without a new job lined up. Fortunately, the relatives I was living with knew a ton of people in the small town and were able to get me a job within a week at the local grocery store.

I was to be a “courtesy clerk” bagging groceries and stocking shelves.

The job wasn’t all bad.

Immediately, I made friends with coworkers, and some of the customers weren’t too bad, either.

However, management was a different deal.

These were people you’d never want to work with.

Like the HR manager who would waste a customer’s time telling them recipes for the items they have and holding up the line.

She would also call me from the back of the store to bag 2 items and help the man barely older than me to his car, despite him protesting.

Then there was the general manager.

There was also “John,” the General Manager. John would be nice in groups, but if he got you alone, his true colors would show.

He once berated me for having a 5 o’clock shadow even though I shaved right before work. My hair is dark and grows quickly… Sorry, dude. Can’t help nature.

Soon, John began pummeling him with all kinds of extra work.

After a few months, the night janitor (technically early morning) quit. John decided it would now be my job to polish the floors every morning.

My previous job was at a movie theater, so working from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. was normal. Mornings? Not my jam.

The “reward” he got for taking on all this extra work was just plain insulting.

This would require me to be at work by 4 a.m. But I was told this would be for 1–2 months TOPS.

I was even thrown a sweet $0.05 raise for my troubles. How could I decline?!

After a month, I ask John how the search for a replacement is going. He says probably 2 weeks and everything will be settled.

But it soon becomes clear John isn’t actually taking the search seriously.

After month 2, I ask again. John says the first person fell through and suggests that maybe I know someone who might be looking for a job.

I assure him that is not the case. After the third month, I was completely over it.

So when he warns John about his burnout, he just doesn’t care.

Again, I approached John and explained that I cannot keep doing this much longer. He replies, “Not my problem. Find someone else or a new job.”

This ticked me off, but I wasn’t in the position to walk out right then. I figured I’d start applying anywhere I could.

Luckily, fate was on the employee’s side.

A couple of days later (possibly even the same day), my relative drags me with them to go look at new cars.

While discussing prices and waiting for the sales manager to respond, my relative and the salesperson were just joshing around, and I mentioned what John had told me about the job.

The salesperson raised an eyebrow and walked away. Moments later, the sales manager approached and said they were looking for a detailer and asked if I was interested.

This was a much better gig.

It would be a regular schedule, no evenings, and higher than even my previous theater job (as a manager). While my relative was signing financing paperwork, I was filling out a new hire packet.

I was to begin work on Tuesday of the next week.

He had some very choice words for his old job.

When I got home, I packed a bag and began driving to my hometown to visit friends. I knew I wouldn’t have to work for about a week, because at midnight I called the grocery store and told them I would not be returning to work.

“If you have any questions, please ask John.”

Take that, John!

What did Reddit make of all this?

Workplace practices have changed — and not for the better.

Sometimes employees end up calling their terrible management’s bluff.

Workers often have a lot more leverage than they think.

You never know when you’ll run into an old boss in the wild.

Turns out, counting on your employee’s desperation isn’t a good retention strategy!

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.