Entire Office Shuts Down For A Day After Worker Maliciously Complies With Boss’s Absurd Order

Let’s be real: most jobs are enough of a grind without having to put up with backstabbing colleagues, toxic bosses, shifty HR managers, and that weird guy in accounting who always forces pics of his pet iguana on you in the break room.

One person turned to an online community to share their story of one panicky supervisor’s absurd order gone horribly wrong and the department-wide fallout that ensued. Tuck into this tasty tale of malicious compliance at its finest.   

More info: Reddit

Most people will agree that their jobs are less than ideal, and uptight bosses can make them even worse

Scientist in lab coat and mask using microscope in a busy laboratory illustrating strict office rules by the book.

Image credits: pixaflow / Freepik (not the actual photo)

A lab technician at a hospital described how their supervisor issued a department-wide order that staff do everything “by the book” after a visit from state inspectors

Text on screen showing a story about a boss wanting everything done by the book causing the office to shut down for a day.

Office boss insists on strict protocols by the book, causing the entire office to shut down for a day.

Email screenshot with a department-wide message enforcing strict by the book rules, no shortcuts, and zero tolerance for skipping steps.

Person flipping through a yellow book carefully, symbolizing strict adherence to rules by the book in an office setting.

Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The problem with his demand was that, if everyone followed the strict protocols, no matter how long it took, it would slash the lab’s capacity

Text excerpt about equipment sterilization protocol requiring 8 hours of UV exposure, relating to strict office procedures.

Text screenshot showing a statement about running 40 tests daily on six pieces of equipment highlighting a workplace problem.

Text explaining starting a UV cycle by the book, following protocol limits testing to three per day in the office.

Two lab workers in protective gear operating equipment, illustrating office shutdown due to strict by the book policies.

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

When the supervisor walked by the lab technician later and asked them why they weren’t running samples, they pulled out the protocol, his email, and explained the math

Text showing a conversation about a boss insisting on doing everything by the book, causing office shutdown regrets.

Text excerpt about updated protocol ignored causing the entire office to shut down for a day by the book compliance issue.

Office shutdown due to boss demanding everything be done by the book during emergency protocol update.

Text on a plain white background stating a coworker bought coffee this morning.

Image credits: Any_Effective8727

Red-faced, the supervisor had to call the department head and get compliance involved, which ended up shutting down the lab for an entire day

The original poster (OP), a hospital lab tech in Milwaukee, shared how their supervisor, “Derek”, is the human embodiment of a caffeine overload. When state inspectors visited, he panicked and suddenly decided the entire department had to start following every dusty, outdated rule from their 1997 safety manual to the letter.

Derek blasted an email in all caps demanding zero shortcuts. If the manual said to do it, everyone had to do it, no excuses, and at risk of punishment for non-compliance. Except the manual required each machine to undergo eight full hours of UV sterilization between uses. The lab only has six machines and processes around 40 tests a day.

So, OP calmly followed the rules. They started the UV cycle and waited. When Derek swung by demanding to know why no samples were running, the tech simply pointed to his email and the manual. Reality hit Derek like a ton of bricks: by following the rules exactly, the lab could run three tests. Total. For the whole day.

Cue frantic calls to leadership, compliance, and probably Derek’s therapist. The entire department had to shut down non-urgent testing until a new protocol was rushed through. Apparently, Derek hasn’t made eye contact with OP since, but at least one coworker honored the master of malicious compliance with a free coffee.

Serious senior man in lab coat with colleagues working in the background, representing boss who insists on strict by the book rules.

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Honestly? It’s probably part of Derek’s job to make sure the lab is running according to the right protocols, so the whole shutdown is kinda on him. Stress, however, makes managers do strange things, and sometimes employees end up just doing what they’re told, even if it makes no sense. Welcome to malicious compliance.

According to the pros over at Indeed, it can be tricky to pinpoint motivations for malicious compliance, especially if an employee denies any accusations of it. Sometimes they might act out because they want to make it clear that some workplace policies are inefficient, or they want changes to be made.

Whatever the intention, malicious compliance can be a complex issue for employers to tackle and usually demonstrates a lack of communication between an employee and their management. It also creates frustrations for a business and can have expensive consequences, such as friction within teams and missed targets.

So, how do managers avoid this silent threat to the bottom line? The experts at BambooHR say one of the best things you can do is listen to your employees. Ensure you regularly touch base with your teams, collect individual feedback, and use those insights to create a positive culture. This continuous feedback loop lets your employees know you value their time and respect their experience on the frontlines.   

If following the rules shows how broken they are, well, that’s just workplace justice doing its thing, right? OP’s quiet rebellion should be a warning to any managers out there – doubling down on the rules before checking in with your people can backfire. Fast.

What do you think? Was Derek just trying to stick to the rules, or did his incompetence catch up to him? Share your thoughts in the comments!  

In the comments, readers agreed that Derek wasn’t the issue, and blasted the Milwaukee hospital for the safety risks of not keeping their protocols regularly updated

Office worker frustrated as boss insists everything done by the book causing entire office shutdown for a day

Screenshot of an online comment discussing how strict following of procedures can impact office workflow and cause shutdowns.

Reddit comment discussing office cleaning, UV process overkill, and delays caused by strict by the book policies.

Screenshot of a text post discussing risks of outdated safety protocols and manuals in workplace compliance issues.

Screenshot of a forum comment emphasizing the importance of keeping documented processes updated and industry compliant in the office.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a CAP inspector’s concerns about lab testing location affecting office shutdown.

Screenshot of a forum post discussing documentation updates and following procedures by the book in a workplace setting.

Text message conversation about boss enforcing strict rules by the book causing office shutdown and compliance issues.

Text post showing a conversation about a boss wanting everything done by the book causing delays and office shutdown.

Comment highlighting a broken equipment sterilization department causing safety risks and office shutdown by the book policy.

Text comment about strict protocols and company delays, emphasizing following rules and accepting limitations in office settings.

Screenshot of a comment discussing strict work instructions and processes causing office shutdown by the book regrets.

Comment about lab scientist protocols and office standards, highlighting strict rules done by the book causing office shutdown.

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