Workplace safety rules exist for a reason, but some leaders seem determined to treat them like optional suggestions.

So when one warehouse worker was ordered by his boss to keep using a broken forklift he had already reported, he decided to follow those instructions exactly.

And that decision rolled straight into a meeting with HR and the union.

Keep reading for the full story.

Broken Forklift? Sure I’ll make sure to show HR n Union.

So my brother works in industry and warehouse logistics and drives a forklift loading trucks with goods and similar products.

The way he explains it, these forklifts use some kind of standing switch that allows them to be turned on and shut down depending on whether you stand on it or not.

Soon, this machine began to break down.

Anyhow, previously he had driven one that was apparently broken. When you stepped off the forklift, it didn’t turn off as it should.

As such, it had gone over his foot when he stepped off.

So this employee flagged this issue to the proper channels.

He had notified British Meringue and the Department Head.

From what I gather, they have a manager for the forklifts, one for production, and then a department manager above that.

He was told by British Meringue it would be taken care of and repaired.

Cue recent event.

He had a ton of work to get done as more product was coming in to be shipped out at a higher rate.

So the employee soon realizes leadership hasn’t followed through with their promises.

So Brother gets to work and is ready to start, but all forklifts are already taken except the broken one, because well… duh, it’s not working safely.

So Brother goes to British Meringue and notifies her that he has no forklift and can’t start packing the trucks.

The British Meringue is unfazed by this.

British Meringue tells him to use the broken one.

Brother disagrees, saying it’s unsafe.

But British Meringue insists.

This wasn’t just a one-off incident though.

Now this isn’t the first time Brother had complained about British Meringue’s unsafe work ethics—setting insane quotas, rushing forklift drivers, etc.

And he wasn’t alone in doing it either.

So he begins to contemplate what to do next.

Now Brother knew he had a meeting with the Union and HR later that day concerning his employment.

Unions are very integrated into Swedish workplaces.

So he figured he’d comply for fun.

He sets the scene.

So he does as he’s told and takes the broken forklift and starts loading trucks as safely as he can.

Eventually the Union representative and HR arrive to bring him in for the meeting.

He parks the forklift and gets off.

The broken machine operates exactly as planned.

Now, as I stated earlier, from what I understand they’re supposed to power down when you step off them.

This one didn’t.

Which immediately catches attention.

So the Union representative raises an eyebrow and asks him why he’s driving an unsafe forklift and how long it’s been like that.

Brother says he reported it not working about three weeks ago and was told it would be taken care of.

The union is obviously not impressed.

The Union then reiterates and asks who told him to drive an unsafe forklift if it had been reported as broken.

Brother explains to them that British Meringue had told him to take it or leave it.

This was strike two.

According to Brother, you could see the color drain from the HR representative while the Union representative was starting to glow red.

They told him to follow and wait outside as they confronted British Meringue.

The Union representative had also asked the Department Head to come in to confirm, as Brother said he reported the issue to both of them.

They had gone barking up the wrong tree.

The Department Head is a stickler for safety, as it could cost them a lot if the Union decided to fine them for unsafe workplace ethics.

From what little my brother heard, the Union representative ripped British Meringue a new one before sending her out and calling Brother back in.

In the end, things worked out for the better — at least for the employee.

In the end, my brother’s contract ran out as the Union refused to support renewing it due to the unsafe work ethics of British Meringue.

Now he works at a better company doing the same thing, with a better manager over him.

And as for the British Meringue…

My brother explained that not too long after, he heard from a previous coworker there that British Meringue had been fired due to overwhelming complaints about safety.

Which is why he’d been laughing as he came home.

Figured it fit here, as my only comment when it was explained was the following:

“Well… that’s one way of giving someone a new AH… doing what you’re told.”

The boss finally got what she deserved!

What did Reddit think?

Operating broken equipment like this can lead to some very serious consequences.

The more you know…

Forklifts are nothing to mess around with.

The broken forklift finally did its job — just not the one the boss expected.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.