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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/Popular_Olive96 on 2025-06-16 20:18:54+00:00.

I’m a lab tech in a food processing plant. We test samples from production every hour, and if a batch fails, it’s a big deal. I’m usually the one who stays late to finish testing when things run behind schedule, unpaid OT but worth it to keep things smooth.

Then one day, we get a strict new directive from corporate HR:

“No overtime without prior written approval from your direct supervisor. No exceptions.”

Problem: my supervisor leaves at 4:30 PM, and I often don’t even start my last tests until 4:45. I asked, “So… if something runs late and needs testing, what should I do?”

My supervisor sighed and said, “I guess just go home if I’m not here to approve it in writing. That’s what they want.”

Alright.

So one Friday, production runs late on a huge batch of gluten-free mix that’s going out to a major client on Monday. I get the sample at 4:50 PM. I clocked out at 4:52. Left the sample on the desk with a sticky note: “No OT approved.”

Monday morning? The client refused the shipment due to no testing documentation. We had to discard over $40,000 worth of product and redo it.

Now my boss gets blanket pre-approval forms signed for every day “just in case.” Funny how rules bend after it costs them money.