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43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
CuriositiesSEP 18, 2025

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs

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If you’ve ever searched “hack for…”, you know the internet is stuffed with shortcuts,  some sketchy, some genius. The real gold, though, comes from people who actually do the job every day. Those are the tips that save time, stop stress, and make you look inexplicably competent.
Today we’ve rounded up the best answers to Reddit’s “What’s a cheat code at your job that only employees would know?” — think little life-hacks, and smart shortcuts that feel like real-life game glitches. Keep scrolling to steal a few and up your work game.

#1

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
I work at a casino, the cheat code is: don't gamble.
47points

#2

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
If you wanna do your job correctly, forget everything a trainer tells you and ask for advice from a coworker who’s been there the longest

-An Amazon employee.
33points

#3

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
I worked in a customer-service-type position with a recorded telephone line.

"You should do what you think is best" is code for "you should do that, but on a recorded line, I can't tell you to do that.".
32points

Let’s be honest, finding a good hack feels amazing, right? It makes life easier, work smoother, and sometimes even saves the day when you least expect it. And it’s not just about productivity; sometimes these clever little “cheat codes” are what keep people sane in the chaos of running a business. Employees, freelancers, and entrepreneurs all have their own tricks they swear by. These are the lessons you don’t often find in books but pick up through experience, trial, and error. 

To get a deeper look into this world of insider wisdom, we sat down with Ankita Chopra from Ankita’s Fashion Hub. With years of experience running her own business, she’s learned what works, what doesn’t, and the small things that actually make a big difference.

#4

Retail: It should go without saying, but you're way more likely to get what you want when you're friendly or at least respectful toward the person working.
Report
29points

#5

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
As a journalist, here's a cheat code: When interviewing someone important, always ask your most important question twice - once at the beginning when they're prepared, and once at the end when they're relaxed. The second answer is usually more honest and revealing. Also, if someone says 'no comment' to a question, try rephrasing it as a statement instead of a question - people often feel compelled to correct you, giving you the information anyway.

ImSamIam: Also utilize silence. In general people don't like to be the last to speak so if you don't respond and let it get quiet for a moment, they'll usually keep talking.
28points

#6

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
I worked at the library. The librarian in charge of the Teen Center had a policy that every rank and file employee underneath her was empowered to waive up to $50 in fines without asking permission or giving a reason. This was mostly intended to help teenagers who had lost track of some Arthur book when they were 6 and now couldn't get what they needed for high school projects. But we were at liberty to use it for whoever we wished.

So, if they say "no" to waiving your fines at the circulation desk or any other desk, you may just get a yes in the Teen Center, if you're nice.

I changed some adult man's whole life by doing it for him once. He didn't even ask me to. He would always come in to get graphic novels from the teen section but could only read them at the library because he owed $20 in late fees, and that was a lot of money to him. When he asked me if there was any way to get a comic sent over from another branch without placing a hold (which he couldn't do because of his fees), I just took his card and waived the fees. I saw his face change as I gave it back to him and told him what I'd done. Suddenly he was able to read at home at whatever time he wanted. I think about him a lot.

EmotionalFollowing72: Our library stopped all late fees and wiped accounts clean. It’s been a year and there’s been a 30% increase in books checked out and a huge reduction in lost books because people returned them knowing they weren’t going to be fined.
27points

“One of the first things I always recommend is staying organized,” Ankita said with a smile. “It sounds like such a simple thing, but the truth is that it changes everything about how you work.” When you’re juggling suppliers, customers, and daily operations, a lack of organization can create chaos faster than anything else. She explained that something as basic as keeping proper lists or maintaining a structured calendar can reduce unnecessary stress.

#7

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
I used to work in IT support and if you are good enough at it, computers and other technology will magically start working when you get close to it. People will try to recreate the problems they have been dealing with for hours and will be unable to do it.
26points

#8

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
We have to clock in on our phones with GPS on. I found our if I'm late I can just change the system time setting on my phone and it'll register the clock in at that time, then you can immediately change it back to 'automatic network time' and if you gonback you'll see the timesheet app be updated instantly. So if I'm 10 mins late I'll change the system time to 6am, clock in, then put automatic time back on and the app will say I've been clocked in for those 10 mins. I haven't told any of my coworkers in fear of these jackasses messing it up for me.

Abrahms_4: This is one of those keep your damn mouth shut situations. We had a guy would do this, leave his phone in the building on one of the housekeepers carts and leave. So it looked like he was just moving around the whole shift. He got caught when the manager used that cart one night and found his phone. Guy had been doing it for like 2 years.
25points

#9

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
Maybe not just my job but if you get emailed something by someone you know is busy and you feel the urgency they convey is not warranted, just bounce it back to them asking a simple question in the guise of clarifying something.

Buys you anything from a few hours to a few days.
23points

Of course, staying organized is only part of the picture. “Delegation was something I struggled with at first,” Ankita admitted honestly. Like many entrepreneurs, she started off doing everything herself. At the time, she didn’t fully trust anyone else to handle her growing business the way she wanted. But eventually, the workload became too overwhelming to manage alone, and she realized she had no choice but to let go of control.

The turning point came when she started hiring people for specific tasks and giving them real responsibility. “Learning to delegate properly changed everything,” she said. Not only did her stress decrease, but the business also grew faster because multiple hands were working towards the same goal.

#10

Not a job cheat code, but a neighborhood cheat code. My parents used to have a lot of parties at their house. They only paid for one garbage can. After the party there would be 2-3 full cans at the curb waiting for the garbage collector. All of the cans always were emptied. The neighbor across the street did the same, but when he had extra cans they were NEVER emptied. He would ask my dad if he got his extras emptied and my dad would say “yeah, always”. What he failed to tell the neighbor (who was also his friend), was that he always left a six pack or a bottle or two of wine behind the cans for the trash collectors. Whenever one of the trash collectors saw my dad they would give him a little salute.
21points

#11

My sheep will follow me anywhere if I'm carrying a bucket. Doesn't even have to have anything in it.
18points

#12

I used to let nice people at my GameStop store in the early 2000s basically use us as a free game rental service.

There was a 7 day return policy on all used games.
Play it for a week, return it for a different game.

There was a very sweet grandma and her grandson that would come in every week to do this - she loved how happy gaming made her grandkid. It was super wholesome.
17points

Another lesson Ankita feels strongly about is staying technically up to date. In today’s fast-paced digital world, relying on outdated systems can hold a business back. “Automate tasks where you can, use tools like WhatsApp for business communication, and make sure your website is fully functional,” she explained. This isn’t just about convenience, it’s about keeping pace with how customers want to interact with businesses today.

She shared how using even small automation tools saved her hours every week. Customers could easily place orders, track their purchases, and ask questions without waiting. This gave her more time to focus on the creative side of her work, while also building trust with her audience.

#13

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
When booking a flight through our travel system, only the cheapest flight is marked as to “green“, if it’s within a certain range of that flight it’s „yellow“ it requires and explanation on why you need the more expensive flight and your higher up needs to approve manually, all other flights are „red“ and need to be approved by even higher up management and usually get declined because you should get the green or yellow flights.

If you want to book one of these red flights (because it’s a better connection, better airline, more convenient time) without approval you can just set the search parameters for the departure time to exactly the what the preferred flight is departing at. The system then sees it as the cheapest flight for those parameters and you can book without any further approval.

gsfgf: Employers that make you take s****y flights are the worst. Like, I get wanting people to take the cheapest flight all else being equal but making someone layover in ORD on a flight from CLT to ATL because it’s cheaper should be illegal.
16points

#14

I get to book hotels for some of our employees. As long as we use the company AMEX card for points, we’re good. But there’s no policy about hotel rewards. Long story short, I’ve got a s**t ton of Hilton points for hotel stays that weren’t my own.
15points

#15

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
Found a vending machine at work that had an odd cheat code, if you put in a five dollar bill then selected your choice of beverage. The vending machine would then give you four quarter, dispense your drink and then return your five bucks automatically. The entire time I work at that job I kept a five dollar bill in my wallet. Never mentioned it to my coworkers.
15points

Ankita also emphasized something many entrepreneurs overlook: customer support. “It’s underrated, but having good support builds trust and keeps customers coming back,” she said. A great product alone won’t keep people loyal; what matters is how they’re treated when they have questions or issues.

She shared how a simple gesture, like responding quickly or resolving a problem without hassle, can turn a one-time buyer into a lifelong customer. In fact, some of her most loyal clients today started out with small issues that were handled with care. “Prioritize customer support,” she advised firmly. “It makes all the difference between a brand people forget and a brand people love.”

#16

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
I worked for a large international company that would pay for meals on the road. Sometimes, when I was arriving home late at night, rather than stopping off a restaurant for dinner and wasting an hour, I would just buy a gift card for the restaurant with the corporate credit card and expense it as my meal. I used to ask for the cards in irregular amounts, I.e. $45.27 rather than round numbers to keep it seemingly legit. We were allowed to spend up to $65 for dinner, so it didn’t raise flags. Then, I could enjoy a meal with my spouse at a later time.

waterloograd: When I worked for the government as a student, they gave us per diems. So instead of showing receipts they just gave us something like $75 per day to cover food. What we would do is get pizza for dinner, split it and save the leftovers for lunch. Probably made about $50/day doing things like that.

HogGunner1983: They don’t ask for a receipt? When we travel all meals at restaurants must have both the itemized and the signed receipts.
Edit: TIL my company is stricter than I realized on travel expenses 🫠
14points

#17

43 Cheat Codes People Use At Their Jobs
If you are experiencing homelessness do not tell an intake coordinator/social worker that you had a roof over your head the night before. It can negate your access to services/shelter. You didnt couch surf - you didnt stay with family. You slept in a park/in your car etc…

Edit: adding as an update for my SECOND biggest piece of advice if youre facing becoming unhoused. Find ANYWAY to maintain a gym membership. You will have access to showers, charging your devices, and a third space. Planet fitness could save your life.

BigBennP: That sounds very much like the "show up h**h to d**g rehab rule."
Medicaid pays for 28 days of inpatient d**g treatment. However, medicaid also pays for up to 3 days of inpatient stay for "detoxification." So if someone shows up at a rehab under the influence they can bill for up to 31 days.
This led to certain social workers advising individuals that they needed to use before showing up at rehab so they'd fail a d**g test.
14points

#18

I worked at a ridiculously popular coffee chain. Everyone knows the secret menu is made up, but the real cheat code is for the employees.

When someone orders a brewed coffee and says **"Yeah, that's for here,"** we charge them for a small coffee... but we're supposed to give them a *large mug*. The system doesn't care; it's a legacy rule from when the mugs were all one size.

They get a massive coffee for the price of a small just by using two specific words. We'd only do it for people who were nice and said the phrase. The angry customers just got the small cup.
13points

She also touched on the importance of generosity in business. “Don’t shy away from giving discounts when you can,” Ankita continued. In her experience, small price cuts or offers aren’t just about making a sale—they’re about showing appreciation. Customers notice when brands value them, and they’re more likely to return the favor by sticking around. She added that these little gestures create goodwill and word-of-mouth recommendations, which are priceless.

#19

Here's a double for you...

As the IT guy, when employees needed a tech task done fast(er) or wanted special treatment, they'd bring me a bottle of Mtn Dew or a Payday (candy bar).

I used my personal rewards account to earn points when ordering office equipment.
With 200 employees and an owner who liked the latest and greatest tech for himself and company, I'd rack up a truly significant amount of points quickly. I quickly figured out the employees with kids and those less fortunate, so I'd often use points to buy employees home computers and simple computer parts.
12points

#20

You know how 90% of the time, restarting a Windows computer fixes whatever issue you're having?

Nearly all our employees will say they've restarted their computer before calling for help. We have a script we can run that shows (without them knowing) the last time they rebooted. It's almost always over a week or so.

So the first thing we'll do is run another script to reboot their computer. We'll say we're "running an update/fix". But we aren't. We're just rebooting it.

And nearly always, that fixes their issue. They think we're wizards, but in reality, we just did what they claimed to have done.
12points
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