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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/Scenarioing on 2025-09-06 18:57:53+00:00.

I’ve been thinking of posting about a MC experience except that I was the foil. The day has come.

Four decades ago I got a F%*& up, move up type promotion to be a field supervisor for a security guard company. In the end I did pretty well, but I was young, sometimes stupid and inexperienced.

One day at one of our larger sites I checked in on the guards working there. It was a sweltering hot day and one guard position was outdoors in a booth where trucks would get checked in and out. The management of the company that contracted our company fussed a lot about appearances including wearing a tie. I told the guard he had a wear his tie. He said no, so I said I would send him home for the day (without pay) if he didn’t comply.

He called my bluff. I had to cover his shift. I could have instructed another guard to take up the position while I got to sit inside, but thought better of it and also realized the additional repercussions it might also cause that day and down the road. Plus the embarrassment. There still was some because I’m sure the other guards got a chuckle over my consequences.

Anyway, within a half hour, my tie was off as it was absolutely miserable and I was just dealing with a few truck drivers on a weekend. My productivity that day tanked and had to make up for it later. Lesson learned.

After, I realized that there are rules and there is reality. To pick the right battles and to support the staff and earn their trust and gather info before making decisions. Which produced dividends later when I needed help filling positions or making other asks. I was also warned a few times if something might cause problems.

I always carried that experience with me and am a business owner now. Employees come and go, but they don’t go because ‘they didn’t wear a tie’ or such that was not needed. It was a small thing way back when and not a ruinous event, but is was still a life lesson.