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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/louisiannamc on 2025-06-26 02:57:39+00:00.

A couple years ago, I was working for a corporation as an analyst. Company culture was that working insane overtime was bragged about and praised - when in reality, these people are working overtime because they do so much meaningless work that could be automated in a dozen different ways. I’ve always been very flexible with my time, because my management has been flexible with me - if I needed to take a long lunch, leave early for an appointment, etc. And I’ve always been very forthcoming about this. However, if I don’t have to work late, I’m not… I finish all of my responsibilities during normal work hours and wrap things up neatly at the end of the day to have a smooth start the next day.

I had been in this position for a little over a year and went into it knowing I was being severely underpaid, and I’m very confident in the output of my work - always got great marks on performance reviews and constant praise for what I was doing. So I felt deserving of a raise, and I requested it. (20% which is large, I understand, and I debated that for awhile because I knew I wouldn’t get the full amount. But this is how severely I was underpaid, and I knew 20% was the cap by our company’s policies.) I was immediately rejected any raise because I come into the office at 8 and leave right at 5 while everyone else works late and I never offer to help others out when they are overloaded (meaning they work late and I leave on time). The first part of this “feedback” actually came from someone else who worked on our floor, never worked with this guy in my life. My manager was all about perception > reality. Which I understand is general corporate culture, but that doesn’t mean it’s not bullsh*t.

Ok. I can change that. Around 4:30 everyday, I would ping my manager asking if there was anything she needed help with to finish out the day. I documented all of this in a word doc. Day in and day out, there wasn’t a single thing she ever asked me to do in addition to the work I was already doing. I would test things out and stay until 5:15/5:30 some days to see who all is working late. Very seldomly was anyone ever in the office past 5:05.

Eventually, my manager said I don’t need to be checking in with her at the end of everyday. I said ok no problem, but I just want you to know that you can always reach out if you need help with something, because I can’t be expected to know your workload if you don’t communicate.

Our relationship stayed very strained after that. I was desperate to leave the company, especially once the raise was fully rejected after receiving above average performance review for being in the job for only a year. Finally got another offer about 5 months later that was a 60% raise. My prior company offered me the same 60% raise and a promotion. Took the new company’s offer and have never been happier in a job.