If you ask someone what the most important thing in their life is, odds are that they’ll say it’s their family. It’s something you’re supposed to say, but it’s also how many people genuinely feel. At the end of the day, family is all we’ve got. And no amount of free coffee and other company perks is going to change that.

However, some holier-than-thou managers get incredibly angry when someone prioritizes their family over their job. Case in point, here’s what happened to redditor u/taecody, a home improvement store veteran with nearly a decade of experience. An assistant manager went on a massive power trip and harassed him and a few other employees, trying to make their life hell. Nasty rumors were spread about u/taecody, injustice abound!

Fortunately, everything had a happy ending. Definitely not for the gossiping, power-tripping manager, though! Whoops, spoilers. You’ll find the full story below, dear Pandas. Be sure to let us know what you thought of the whole ordeal after you’ve read everything. We’d really love to hear your opinion. It’s a long read, but the payoff is worth it. Grab yourself a mug of tea or a cup of coffee, and let’s go.

Redditor u/taecody was kind enough to answer Bored Panda’s questions about the entire situation. He told us that he’s very relieved that he’s moved on from his former job. “I have a lot more free time, and more time to sleep. My health has improved dramatically. I never realized how important rest can be. My new job has been a bit turbulent, but it’s finally settling down, and my new manager has been extremely gracious and willing to work with me,” they shared. Scroll down for the rest of our interview with the redditor and what they would have done differently.

They say that people quit because of their managers, not their jobs

Image credits: Oxana Melis (not the actual photo)

Well, one manager, in particular, was making an employee’s life a living hell. Scroll down for the full riveting story

Image credits: taecody

Image credits: Magda Ehlers (not the actual photo)

The employee realized that he finally had enough. It was the last straw

The fallout was massive after the worker quit

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Image credits: taecody

Bored Panda was interested to hear if u/taecody had any advice for other employees who find themselves in similar situations as he was in. According to him, you have to have other options available so you don’t feel trapped.

“The best thing I would suggest is to be ready to find new work whenever you feel the need to. Do not just put up with abuse. It’s hard, absolutely. But the emotional damage of management abuse at a job is nothing to sneeze at. But also, do not do what I did: a good bit of my reaction was emotional and a snap reaction. If I could change anything, I would have continued to work for a bit longer so that my finances were more stable,” the author of the story gave some spot-on advice. In short, keep your emotions in check, think strategically before making the decision to quit.

They believe that managers who do the right thing, not just the popular thing, earn the loyalty of their employees. “Especially in retail, doing the moral thing for your employees and customers might not always net you the most money, but it’ll gain you loyalty. Unfortunately, modern American retail has been hyper-specialized for efficiency and to make as much money as possible. Unfit managers know how to game that system,” they explained to Bored Panda.

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“America needs to remember that there is no right way to family. Found family, blood relations, either way is fine, but they all deserve respect. No job is worth your relationship with your family. Cherish them,” they added.

Previously, Eddy Ng, the Smith Professor of Equity & Inclusion in Business at Queen’s University (formerly the James and Elizabeth Freeman Professor of Management at Bucknell University), spoke to Bored Panda about strong and weak leaders in the workplace.

According to the expert, strong leaders are those who are moral, principled, and do “the right thing.” Meanwhile, weak leaders only do the things that make them popular. What’s more, they’re prone to dithering.

“The notion of servant leadership is gaining attention in the workplace. Although it is associated with many of the strong leadership traits such as empathy, selflessness, and humility, the focus is on the leader’s propensity to serve (or support) their followers. Servant leaders empower and lift up followers (employees) to motivate and fuel their passion,” the professor said.

“Employees can manage that relationship to have work satisfaction. In this instance, employees need to communicate what they need (tools) or work conditions (autonomy) in order for them to perform optimally when working with a controlling boss. Employees need to convey what they can and are able to perform,” he said.

Even the store manager got in trouble

Here’s how some Reddit users reacted to the work story

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Some people called out the weird dynamics between the author of the post and his friends

However, the OP didn’t see what was weird about it. Others backed him up

The assistant manager spread some rumors that u/taecody’s goddaughter, who he visits often and helps babysit, was secretly his lovechild. What’s more, the employee’s requests for time off were canceled.

But the last straw was when management kept harassing the employee to get back to work during a family emergency that was completely out of their control. The redditor had enough and quit. However, the manager mocked the employee, texting them, “We will see how long you can take care of your lovechild without us.”

It’s no surprise that the redditor got angry. Heck, the vast majority of us would probably blow our tops if this happened to us. The employee went on the warpath and began compiling evidence against the manager. What’s more, entire departments began quitting. And the manager lost her job. The last anyone saw of her was her sprinting towards her car to avoid the district staff.

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