In a perfect world, we would all love our jobs and admire and respect our employers. We would be thrilled to head into the office each morning, and we’d never feel the urge to complain about our bosses or colleagues. They want what’s best for us, and they’re looking out for us! …Right?
Well, unfortunately, that’s just not how it works for many of the workers of the world. And especially when a boss displays gross incompetence, they deserve to be called out for it online. Below, you’ll find a story that one employee recently shared on the Antiwork subreddit detailing how their employer lost a huge sale by being petty over tiny details.
Enjoy reading the full saga, as well as some of the responses from readers who sympathize with the employee, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring the Antiwork subreddit, look no further than right here!
After their boss let a small charge from the bank ruin a $300,000 sale, this employee ranted about the experience online
Image credits: Israel Andrade (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Pressmaster (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Competitive_Humor610
I can only imagine how painful it was for this employee to have to lose this sale, but their boss should have known much better. As the employer, they are supposed to be the expert in this situation, so how could they have been so rattled by a .1% charge from the bank? That is such a small amount, compared to the total of $300,000, and it must have happened before with sales in the past. It is irresponsible and ridiculous that this boss would let something like that ruin a huge sale and a great commission check for this employee.
If you’re not used to working in a job that earns commission, it’s a pretty simple concept. Commission-based pay can be structured a few different ways, but it sounds like this employee works somewhere with a base pay plus commission. They explained that they have a small salary, but they are able to earn decent money with their commissions. And according to Wikijob, there are some advantages to working a commission dependent job such as this. If you’re a natural salesperson, there might not be any limits on how much you can earn. There’s no lack of motivation when there are always more sales to be made, but if you happen to perform poorly one month, you’re still guaranteed your base pay. And as Wikijob writes, “Receiving commission gives you the time to build up your relationships, eventually leading to high-value sales.”
As with any job, however, there are also some inherent disadvantages when it comes to working for commission. The base pay is typically low, so there might be a lot of pressure on employees to earn high commissions to make ends meet. The environment can also be competitive between colleagues. Salespeople might become less concerned about the integrity of their sales when they’re so worried about making a profit, and certain times of the year might lead to less sales for reasons out of employees’ control.
In this particular situation, it also seems unlikely that the boss would not have known what they were doing. It doesn’t make sense for them to want to sabotage a sale, but it is possible that they did that on purpose. According to Empower Work, there are a few ways employers often try to sabotage their staff, including badmouthing them to others, leaving them out and making them jump through hoops. If you notice that your boss appears to be out to get you, it might be a great first step to casually address the situation with them. Empower Work also recommends focusing on what’s actually in your control. Continue to do your work well and test the waters to see if the situation improves.
If you feel like your boss is actively sabotaging you, be sure to speak to HR and make others aware of the issue. If that seems to be going nowhere, it might be time to consider a new career path. If your health and/or happiness are being impacted by this job, it might not be wise to stay. Keep detailed records of everything you’ve experienced in case your boss is guilty of harassment or discrimination, and find someone safe to talk to without any fear of retaliation. Our employers are supposed to be on the same team as us, and if it doesn’t feel like they are, there’s something wrong.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever experienced anything similar at work? And how would you respond if your boss lost a massive sale? Let us know what you think, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring the Antiwork subreddit, we recommend reading this story next!
Readers expressed their sympathy for the employee, with many urging them to find a new job
EDIT: There's an update! And it's a mixed bag. Basically, idiot boss hated the sale because OP getting that level of commission meant less for idiot boss and the rest of the team, so it would be "bad for morale" to let OP get the full commission amount. Idiot boss got to keep his job because a poor sales admin girl got shoved under the bus and fired instead. But, idiot boss got all his commissions and bonuses going forward cancelled, which pissed him off enough to quit. OP was considered for the open position, until ex-boss let slip that the sales people were (doing something complicated with the timing of sales that I didn't fully follow) that pissed off the CEO - the only reason OP didn't get fired is because every sales person did the same thing, but it meant the promotion was off the table. Can't post links (on my phone), but it's quite the rollercoaster.
After reading the update I am only feeling bad for 20 yo admin girl. Read it, might change your mind too. Here's the link to update: https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/z35t2u/update_my_idiot_boss_just_lost_300000_dollars/
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For a $30,000 bonus I would have paid the $0.30 myself. It really sounds like the boss is trying to get the OP fired though so that may not have been an option.
Also, idk if anyone noticed, but had the Client paid again, at $300,300.30, the bank would again take 0.1%, so .03 cents? I assume they'd round down, zeroing it out. But the 0.1% is infinite although exponentially less each transaction. Idk. I'm reading the update next to see what crazy ESS these fools did that caused the poor admin chick to get canned as a scapegoat. Large corporations suck a$$.
If i were the sales guy, I'd have offered to pay the $300 out of my pocket, to get the $30K
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EDIT: There's an update! And it's a mixed bag. Basically, idiot boss hated the sale because OP getting that level of commission meant less for idiot boss and the rest of the team, so it would be "bad for morale" to let OP get the full commission amount. Idiot boss got to keep his job because a poor sales admin girl got shoved under the bus and fired instead. But, idiot boss got all his commissions and bonuses going forward cancelled, which pissed him off enough to quit. OP was considered for the open position, until ex-boss let slip that the sales people were (doing something complicated with the timing of sales that I didn't fully follow) that pissed off the CEO - the only reason OP didn't get fired is because every sales person did the same thing, but it meant the promotion was off the table. Can't post links (on my phone), but it's quite the rollercoaster.
After reading the update I am only feeling bad for 20 yo admin girl. Read it, might change your mind too. Here's the link to update: https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/z35t2u/update_my_idiot_boss_just_lost_300000_dollars/
Load More Replies... For a $30,000 bonus I would have paid the $0.30 myself. It really sounds like the boss is trying to get the OP fired though so that may not have been an option.
Also, idk if anyone noticed, but had the Client paid again, at $300,300.30, the bank would again take 0.1%, so .03 cents? I assume they'd round down, zeroing it out. But the 0.1% is infinite although exponentially less each transaction. Idk. I'm reading the update next to see what crazy ESS these fools did that caused the poor admin chick to get canned as a scapegoat. Large corporations suck a$$.
If i were the sales guy, I'd have offered to pay the $300 out of my pocket, to get the $30K
Load More Replies...
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