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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/ytys45 on 2024-01-24 04:12:29.

Hey there, Reddit. I’ve been a long-time lurker on this subreddit, and after what happened at my job recently, I just knew I had to share my story. It’s a bit of a long one, but trust me, it’s worth it.

So, I’m Mark, and for the past five years, I’ve been working at this mid-sized tech company. It’s been great, or at least it was, until six months ago when we got a new HR manager, Susan. Now, Susan is the kind of person who loves rules a bit too much. She came in with this idea to ‘revolutionize’ the workplace, but all she did was implement a bunch of unnecessary and strict policies.

The one that really got under everyone’s skin was her new attendance policy. It stated that if anyone was even a minute late more than three times in a month, they’d face immediate suspension without pay. No excuses, no exceptions. This was crazy, considering we’re all seasoned professionals, not school kids. But Susan was adamant, and the policy was enforced to the letter.

Now, I’m usually very punctual, but life happens, right? Just my luck, I ended up being late three times in one month. The first was because of a massive traffic jam, the second was due to a power outage that killed my alarm, and the third, well, I overslept. Each time, I was barely five minutes late, but Susan didn’t care. She slapped me with a suspension notice.

I was fuming, but then I remembered something important – our employee handbook. I’d read that thing cover to cover when I first started, and something about the suspension policy stood out to me. I dug up my copy and found the section I was looking for. The policy stated that suspended employees must leave company premises immediately and are not allowed to engage in any work-related activities during their suspension. A plan started to form in my head.

You see, at that time, I was in the middle of a critical project for a major client. It was a huge deal for the company, and I was the lead developer. Without me, the project would grind to a halt. So, I decided to follow Susan’s policy to the letter.

The next day, I walked into Susan’s office and handed her the suspension notice, along with a printed copy of the employee handbook’s suspension policy. I told her, ‘As per the company policy, I will be leaving the premises immediately and will not partake in any work-related activities during my suspension, including the Johnson project.’

The color drained from her face. ‘You can’t just leave the Johnson project!’ she exclaimed. But I just shrugged and said, ‘Company policy, Susan. I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to break the rules.’ I gathered my things and left the office.

The fallout was immediate. The project team was in disarray without me, and the client was getting antsy about the missed deadlines. The CEO himself called me two days into my suspension, begging me to come back. I explained that I was merely following company policy, as enforced by Susan.

Long story short, the CEO had to intervene. My suspension was lifted, and I was back at work the next day. The best part? Susan’s ridiculous policies were all reviewed and mostly scrapped. She’s still with the company, but let’s just say her enthusiasm for rule-making has significantly diminished.

So, there you have it, folks. Sometimes, following the rules a little too closely can be the best form of rebellion. And always, always know your employee handbook