Imagine working at a company where there are multiple locations. If you were told not to make special trips to the other locations and just to stay at the location you work at, would you follow that order exactly, or would you assume that there must be exceptions to the rule?

In this story, one IT employee decides to follow the orders exactly, and it backfires.

Let’s read the whole story.

I followed orders…. my boss didn’t like that

I was on the IT staff for a manufacturing company based in the area. They have 5 locations within driving distance of me. My job required suporting the five locations.

My boss told me a few weeks into the job NOT to make any special trips to any of the other locations (I was based at the main plant.)

He decided to follow his supervisor’s orders.

When we got new employees, one of the other IT guys in another state sets up the new machines and sends it to me to hand out to the new employee.

One day I get some new laptops for employees in one of the remote locations I support.

Following my supervisor’s explicit instructions, I decide I will make my normal trip to the remote site the next day.

She should’ve told him that there were exceptions.

My supervisor comes in and asks why I didn’t take the new laptops to the remote office.

I told her I was following HER instructions and was planning to take the machines to the next day.

She gets upset with me and tells me I should have known that this was the exception.

I offered to make a special trip up to deliver the laptops, but she told me she would have the nw full-time IT guy take them up.

That job didn’t last long.

They still didn’t get delivered until the next day, as the new guy didn’t make the trip until then.

Guess it wasn’t that important that the new employee get their laptops the same day.

Suffice it to say my contract job ended the next Friday.

Employees aren’t mind readers. Supervisors shouldn’t just give a command and expect employees to know what the exceptions are.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

It was seriously a lose lose situation.

This is probably the case.

It was her fault, but he is the one who was let go.

It is pretty ridiculous to expect an employee to read your mind.

She was really unreasonable.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.