This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/Starr12 on 2025-10-12 16:32:32+00:00.
tl;dr manager says non-negotiable policy, demonstrates that when they won't work with me after a family member dies and then tries to negotiate when I decided I couldn't handle the job.
I started a job at a local answering service a couple years ago. Decent place with fun coworkers and patient clients. I told management at the interview that I couldn't handle early shifts at 8am because I had been working late shifts for almost fifteen years and couldn't get up that early any more. They insisted on a month's training on the early shift and I told them I would try my best because I wanted the job.
They also made me sign a "late policy point system" paper. It was usual management BS. points per minute-late, lose time off and other benefits based on points per month, too many points and you're terminated. Typical "managers dealing with some one else who can't manage their time and every one's getting punished for it." type of non-sense. The "big rule" in bold at the bottom of the paper relevant to the story was that a no-call no show to a shift would result in an instant termination. Fine, what ever, I don't have problems showing up on-time.
At least, usually I don't. I told them I took issue with it because super strict policies like this usually backfire on everyone, and the employees get the worst of it. I asked them if this would be in affect while I was training and they said yes, it's "non-negotiable" and that if I didn't sign, I wouldn't get the job.
Fast forward two weeks, and my room mate is freaking out, driving my anxiety insane, and I'm dealing with a death in my family. I was seriously depressed, and getting no compassion from the new job on the issue, but they loved my work effort and kept telling me so. I'm answering calls and handling issues as effectively and quickly as some of their experienced employees. I even provided much needed insight into one of their clients, as I had worked directly for them previously, and knew what was going on at the other end of the phones.
Eventually the stress caused me to crash. I went to bed one night and slept through my alarm until 5 in the afternoon the next day, all the way through a shift. effectively a "no call no show". So I just started looking for a new job, didn't call them up or try to show up the next day, nothing. What was the point? I was terminated. and that was non-negotiable.
Eventually they called me and told me to come pick up my paycheck, and when I did the manager who made me sign the late-policy paper came out, holding on to my check like she was implying she wanted answers before I got paid. She started grilling me on what happened and why I didn't call to apologize or work with them on keeping my job. She was genuinely confused on why I didn't try to negotiate against a non-negotiable policy.
I took my check directly out of her hands and told her "You made it clear in the paperwork that I was fired, and that was non-negotiable."
I still think about her response, as she tried to reach for my check. "But you were so good at this!"
edit: I don't have troubles with being late, I had hoped I had made that clear in the story. At my current job of 8 years, I've been late less than 5 times. and it is a 4am job that gave me time to adjust. I disagreed with the rigidity of the policy, not the with practice of being on time.