Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it—a phrase dating back to hundreds of years BCE (Aesop’s Fables is believed to be the source of this gem) that is still as relevant today.

The redditor 00964567886543334 described a case of wishful thinking to the “Malicious Compliance” community when they spoke about their Karen-like retail store manager. She wanted the OP to “do their job”—a request that came back to bite her, as the employee shook off the additional duties covered until then. Things at work started falling apart soon after.

Bored Panda reached out to the author of the post, redditor 00964567886543334, and they answered a few of our questions.

Retail store employee stopped taking care of additional tasks after the manager asked them to “do their job”

Image credits: seventyfourimages (not the actual photo)

The person started encountering problems when the old management was replaced by less competent people

The employee wasn’t able to develop a good relationship with the new person in charge

Image credits: DC_Studio (not the actual photo)

Things at work took a turn for the worse pretty quickly

Image credits:  imagesourcecurated (not the actual photo)

Image credits: u/00964567886543334

The story proves that not all managers are worth the position—some are simply improperly appointed for such duties. According to Gallup, over 80% of companies choose the wrong person for vacancies at the management level. They might be great employees and show exemplary achievements at their position, but being a manager requires more than just good stats.

The person in charge has to be prepared to deal with stressful situations and think on their feet. Despite some people being able to swim instead of sinking in unexpected situations, it is always better to be prepared and that’s what training is for. When it comes to managing a team, it helps to put out fires and ensure a smooth workflow. Sadly, more than one in four managers say they weren’t ready for the position when they got it and as much as 58% state they didn’t receive proper training.

Image credits: Socialroby (not the actual photo)

In addition to their know-how, they are also expected to boast good people and leadership skills. Whether it’s something they’re born with or developed throughout time, these soft skills are vital in order to lead the team to its full potential. Around 50% of employees agree that being a good leader is essential for any manager. Other important assets include good communication and problem-solving skills, empathy, and teamwork.

The OP discussed the qualities a suitable supervisor should have with Bored Panda: “Good management needs to be understanding, competent and genuinely appreciative of the work employees do. They need to value and respect employees as well as defend them and fight for their rights in the workplace. A good manager in my opinion needs to be on their team’s side, not actively working against them. The adversarial relationship between employers and workers needs to change desperately.”

Some executives find it difficult to view themselves as part of the team, though. In certain cases, they might be taken over by the feeling of superiority and mistreat their subordinates. Sadly, it’s not a rare occurrence, as nearly 80% of people have had a toxic boss at some point in their careers. “Work relationships require most importantly mutual respect and appreciation. Bosses in retail have a tendency to view employees as machines rather than people and never give thanks to those who run the business. Morale and respect keep a workforce motivated,” the OP added.

Image credits: DC_Studio (not the actual photo)

Choosing such a person to be in charge can change the entire dynamics of the team or even the company. The Society for Human Resource Management revealed that 84% of workers in the US believe an inadequately trained manager causes additional stress in the workplace. Unsurprisingly, they can make people want to leave the place all together. Statistics show that half of people quit because of the boss, not the job itself (way to go, Karen).

“Essentially, retail and min wage workers are severely underappreciated and treated like trash by their employers, and people aren’t putting up with it anymore. I encourage ‘quiet quitting’ for everyone, not just abused workers. Normalize the idea of just doing your job and no more,” said the retail store employee.

The OP must have had nerves of steel, considering that they didn’t leave when the obnoxious woman became captain. Not only that, the employee took the manager’s wish as a command, and did exactly what was expected of them—their job. And oh, how the tables have turned.

The story received an abundance of reactions and opinions on the matter

Community members shared their stories of similar experiences

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