Let's have some talk about bosses today! Why not - after all, in an ideal world, where everyone is friends with everyone, and pink ponies happily jump across lawns with flowers, the boss is a wise and experienced person who reached their position through hard work and thanks to a variety of masterful skills.
However, even if we take such a higher-up from an ideal world, something can still happen that in the good old comedic tradition that can be described with the words: “Well, nobody's perfect!” For example, what happened with the immediate supervisor of the user u/UnconfirmedRooster, whose story we’ll tell you today.
More info: Reddit
The author of the post works in a funeral home and has to deal with various straps for the lowering machine
Image credits: Gervyn Louis (not the actual photo)
One day their boss ordered new straps - and some time later demanded the author got rid of the old ones
Image credits: UnconfirmedRooster
The employee tried to explain that the new straps were already in action - but the manager was relentless
Image credits: GovernmentZA (not the actual photo)
Image credits: UnconfirmedRooster
The author simply hid the new straps and it literally saved the company from work stoppage - as a month later the boss demanded these straps back
So the Original Poster (OP) explains that they work in a funeral home, and the most important piece of equipment they had to deal with were the special straps that are used to lower the coffin gradually into the ground. So, the company had several sets of these straps, but at one point the boss ordered new ones.
Coming to work one day, the author of the post was faced with the boss’s urgent demand to collect all available sets of straps and throw them away - because new ones were coming in. The employee tried to object that the new equipment had already been received several days ago and was already being used at work - but when did the word of a subordinate mean anything to a boss who had entered a managerial frenzy?
In general, the OP received a direct order to collect everything and throw it away. However, they had the patience to take the new straps and still hide them at home. This went on, according to the author, for about a month, when all funeral cases were cremations only... and then, one fine day, a client appeared who required a standard burial - and the same manager suddenly asked how many straps they had for work.
Having received a reasonable answer that not a single one remained, the boss completely lost it, and guess who they accused of incompetence and negligence? That's right, the original poster! Fortunately, the OP’s foresight saved the situation - because they calmly stated that they would now go and bring the brand new straps, which the boss had so persistently ordered them to throw away. "Certainly bruised that manager's ego a bit and made him think about what he says next time though," the author muses.
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
People in the comments, of course, praised the original poster for their resourcefulness and restraint, but suggested that the boss, even if their ego had gotten bruised, was unlikely to have learned the life lesson they had faced. At least, the personal experience of many commenters suggests rather the opposite...
Some folks joked that the author of the post should have demanded money for delivery of the rescued straps. No, not even a bonus or reward, but simply sell their own ‘discarded’ equipment to the hapless boss. "I know a guy who can get some in by tomorrow for only $500," one of the commenters exposes their wit. “You’re much nicer than I am lol,” another one adds.
And, of course, the main advice not only to the original poster, but to all employees who are faced with an unreasonable or borderline stupid order from their immediate superiors, is to always demand written confirmation of the order from the higher-ups so that you can always confront your superiors with an indisputable fact.
That is, by the way, a truly great piece of advice. For example, in this post of ours you can read how this rule literally saved one employee not only from inevitable dismissal, but even from legal trouble. So, if you have also encountered similar examples of reckless orders from your higher-ups, please feel free to share your stories in the comments below this post.
People in the comments cracked up at the hapless manager, and also advised the author to always ask for a written confirmation for such orders, just in case...
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
