Things could have been so much easier for this company if this manager just acquiesced and accepted his employee's PTO request. Here, we have a loyal employee who was hoping to use his four paid unused vacation days that had rolled over, only to have his request denied by his manager. It wasn't just a timing or scheduling issue; the days were flat-out taken away from him. The Redditor, who shared his story via this thread on Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit, gathered enough evidence and presented his case to management. Once again, his request was denied, but it's their reasoning that makes this story even more infuriating.

Apparently, management made additions to an unpublished employee handbook without notifying people at the company in advance or informing them that there would be updates to these policies. As OP suspected, this was a convenient excuse and a new rule made specifically to deny his request. Thankfully, OP had the confidence to pursue this matter further with a well-deserved lawsuit. Keep scrolling below to see how this workplace debacle was resolved. For more content like this, check out this story about a teenager whose pay kept getting docked by a ruthless manager.

It's incredible when your employer thinks they own your entire life just because they're paying you for a small amount of your time. For some reason, they seem to think that giving your time to other interests somehow takes away from your contributions to your work. Almost as if they feel threatened that you have a life outside your career. This probably stems from the fact that their work is probably their entire life, and they probably can't stand being home with their spouse and kids. As a result, they simply can't fathom the fact that someone else might want to spend their time and energy on other things.

This viral story was shared to a popular online community for workplace discussion by user u/InfinateMad, who shared their story of being told by a very forward HR manager that if they have the time to work a side hustle on their weekends, then they should just be working weekends for the company.

Nobody likes being late for work. First of all, because it is extremely stressful. The entire way to work is a race against time, you keep glancing at the clock like it might make time move slower, and once you get to work you need an extra 10 minutes to relax enough so you'll be able to properly work. Then you also have the impression you want to make on your boss, and being late is never a good look on you. 

Even so, it happens to everyone and a lot of the time it happens because of things you can't really control. For example, I was late today for work because the bus had a flat tire, and the driver had to stop and replace it. It had nothing to do with me or my time management, but still, it happened and I had to deal with it. Luckily my boss is super understanding and I didn't have to give a lot of explanations.

The person who wrote this Reddit story wasn't as lucky as me, as he had to deal with an unreasonable and strict HR manager on a daily basis. This manager came up with a rule that if an employee is even a minute late for 3 days in a month, they would be suspended. OP, who had the misfortune of being a minute late 3 times, decided he would not give up without a fight, and proved to the manager how bad it would be if she really did suspend him.

Scroll down for the full story. Once you are done, click here for a story of a shopaholic Karen at the post office.

You roll the dice when moving in with new people, and I don't say that lightly. Even if you guys are besties from the second grade, nobody is safe from a good old roommate horror story. I had my fair share of entitled roommates, and I can honestly say that paying double for my own tiny studio apartment is worth it, because after everything I went through, I'm over it. Wait till you hear what happened in this story…

'I gave you a ride, a couple of times' was OP's roommate's excuse for demanding $500 from them for car maintenance. They argued a bit back and forth, and then OP shared the entire text exchange with the backstory to r/badroommates, because this roommate was the worst. This roommate, who we'll call Chad for the sake of clarity, had offered OP and his other roommate a ride a couple of times. OP had given Chad gas money, but now, Chad was demanding a whole lot more, as he had run into a bit of car trouble… Scroll down to read how the events unfolded. Then, check out this school student who made sure their classmate got a big, fat zero on their final grade for a joint project.

Imagine you are at work. Yes, fine, I know… Sorry for dumping that unfortunate image on you just now, but just go with it for a second.

Imagine you are at work, and that coworker you despise is peeking over at you, 'making sure' you aren't doing anything your boss wouldn't appreciate. You chew a piece of gum loudly, trying to annoy them on purpose. It baffles you that they need your boss's approval so much. You couldn't care less. Karen (or Ken) slowly turn their nose around and back into their own business, and you continue doing your job, because in all honesty, you want to get paid.

It's unfortunate that you resent your workplace, but you imagine you wouldn't hate it so much if management cared one iota about you and your coworkers. So, in order to procrastinate a little, you scroll through some memes. Oops, you let out a laugh… Now Karen thinks you're making fun of her and is marching up to HR.

Good luck.

Working in customer service is, as we often say, both a blessing and a curse. However, I don't believe I've covered the subject of tourists mixed with the pleasure of providing top-notch customer service.

The story below is an account of a chef who worked at a popular seafood restaurant for tourists. By then, OP claimed, he had been employed in the food business for around eight years. As a result, he has grown accustomed to dealing with demanding clients. Therefore, when the ultimate Karen showed up at the restaurant with the intention of intimidating his servers, OP decided to take matters into his own hands. To put it gently, OP made sure to give a once-in-a-lifetime performance… There wasn't a single dry eye in the crowd. 

That being said, if you're interested in learning what happened between OP and Karen—or, as OP refers to her, vacationing mega Karen (VMK)—then read the story below! And once you're done, check out the story about the mother who steals $500 from her son here!

Sometimes you get back at someone in such a beautifully righteous way that you never forget it. Maybe you think of the perfect retort to someone's jab at you, and it gets a huge laugh. Or maybe, like these people, you come up with an utterly perfect solution to your problems. 

U/trexradar87 was curious what people's "best/funniest personal example of petty revenge" was, and the answers are inspiring. Several people had to deal with lunchtime bullies who ate their food or stole it, and had some genius methods to get back at them.

 There's a great story (see #5) about a dude who acted totally useless in the workplace, yet his coworker managed to get him back in the best possible way. It just goes to show that cheating your way to the top rarely works, even when you think you've gotten away with it. I bet the coworker also learned that people will always remember how you made them feel. The desire to get back at someone can last for years. None of that guy's coworkers will ever forget how he used their talents while doing almost none of his own work. 

After you've read those tales, check out what happened when a store greeter was caught on camera bossing his coworkers around. 

Bad hair days come and go, but the experience of receiving a bad haircut lives forever. The shock of looking in the mirror and seeing something so far beyond what you asked for is seared in the memories of countless disgruntled customers. That being said, with this story, we're going to shift the focus from the customer to the barber. 

Everyone makes mistakes on the job, and sometimes, forgiveness is the best you can ask for after you mess up on the job. For these hairdressers, the experiences of giving bad haircuts were probably just as scarring as the experiences were for their customers. Cutting someone's hair is not like most reversible job mistakes. When hair is gone, it's gone, and the best you can do is even it out. 

Keep scrolling below for this collection of r/AskReddit responses. When you're done, here are some hilarious adult temper tantrums. 

When this newlywed told the internet they "could use some judgment" about their wedding, the internet did not hold back. They told the OP exactly what they thought about some pretty strange wedding plans. 

It's no secret that weddings are expensive. It's basically the first thing you learn when you start researching: the prices are outrageous for everything from the venue to the food to the DJ. Unless you're planning to throw on a tee shirt and elope from the local courthouse, you're probably going to have to figure out how to plan within your budget. You can still have a beautiful and memorable ceremony even on a tight budget. So long as you, your friends and family have a great time, that's all that matters in the end. 

They say that guests remember if your wedding was fun, and if it had good food. Many people choose to have their weddings catered, so while they're planning the reception, they have to consider how many people will be dining with them. If it costs $75 per plate, maybe you'll invite no more than 50 people. It's a good idea to plan your wedding by starting with the basics, and adding fancy extras later on. Everyone has to eat, right?

This newly married person had an absolutely unbelievable wedding tale to share. There was a lot of discussion in the comments, as well as two comments from the OP u/Logical_Cake_2549 that added some more information. After that, check out what happened when this boss told his employees that snow removal wasn't a priority. 

It's remarkable what some bosses think they can get away with in this day and age. There are numerous ways in which employers have tried to cover their real reasons for firing someone. They might say it's budget cuts or some sort of company restructuring. Sometimes, that may actually be the case. However, there are times when someone higher up simply does not enjoy working with you or having to deal with you in some capacity. These coworkers, bosses, HR representatives, etc. will grasp at straws until they can find a so-called legitimate reason to get rid of you. Those are the relatively smart evil bosses. The other kind of evil boss fully breaks ethical and potentially legal standards and doesn't seem to care at all.

That's what unfortunately happened to this Redditor, who was going through treatment and needed to schedule a last-minute emergency visit to their oncologist because they had a rough night. Their employer showed no signs of sympathy or compassion. In fact, they simply accused OP of a trend of shirking their work responsibilities. Keep scrolling below for the full story. When you're done, check out this post about a teenager who sabotaged his boss's business on a particularly important day.

Isn't it just a kick in the teeth when you really go out of your way to help someone and they aren't even grateful? Or worse, they totally take advantage of your kindness? That knife in your back feels even worse when it's from your own family. But, family drama is no mystery to the world and happens often. 

Take this woman, for example, who recently cut her own sister out of her life. Her sister was a struggling mother of three, so she went out of her way to help her as best as she could. She drove her anywhere she needed to go, gave her money when she needed it, and took care of their kids. She even welcomed them into her own family. However, her sister never seemed to be grateful. And the final straw that broke the camel's back was when her sister quit the job she got her after only working there for two days… TWO DAYS. That not only was a blow to her sister's generosity but also made her look bad as an employee. What's a sister to do after that? Is there any coming back from it? OP thinks not. What do you think? 

Here's another story of a woman who was pushed to her limit and had enough. 

Working in customer service is quite a colorful experience, as you get to meet a whole bunch of people, some of whom are polite, others, not so much.

I remember the days when I was a waitress… Actually, I fetched people coffee well into my late twenties until I managed to get a gig elsewhere that was far from the public eye. I was relieved that I didn't have to deal with customers anymore…These tipping stories really capture a couple of moments that I think everyone comes across after working at a place where tipping is the norm. One person began the thread on r/talesfromyourserver, relaying a funny experience with a customer who had a little bit too much to drink, and ended up tipping them $100, thinking it was a one-dollar bill.

Scroll down to sift through these funny stories that perfectly capture working in customer service. Next, check out this young worker who used a forklift to get back at a very entitled sales representative who thought he could park wherever he wanted.

As a manager, you occasionally have to let someone go. A workplace never stays the same forever—people are hired, people quit, and people get fired. 

Most companies obviously don't plan on firing workers when they first join the business. But according to these stories below, bosses can often tell quickly which employees will make it, and which are just totally wrong for the role. Whether people can't manage to show up on time, or keep calling out with bogus excuses, their company catches on pretty quickly. 

Still, a lot of these bosses gave their employees second and third chances. But if you keep getting into altercations with the customers or continually answer the phone incorrectly, you're going to get shown the door. Some of the bosses who answered the prompt are awfully forgiving, though… they shared the "funniest/weirdest reason" they've ever had to let someone go. 

The funniest types of employees in my opinion are the ones who call out of work sick, then come into their own workplace. Like if you're playing hooky from school, you wouldn't stop by your homeroom teachers' classroom to say hi. So why would you stop at your workplace to brag to your coworkers, knowing there's a good chance you'll get caught?

Check out the very funny tales below. Then, this catalog designer let their boss sign off on a faulty magazine print, and then watched the company burn hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix it. 

This Karen story takes an unexpectedly wholesome turn while still having a satisfying dose of malicious compliance. In this office, there's a classic work Karen—a woman who takes joy in being condescending, takes credit for others' achievements, and eagerly throws colleagues under the bus. If you've been fortunate enough to avoid the experience of working alongside such a coworker, count yourself lucky.

This Karen consistently stirs up trouble, and the boss is well aware of it. Now, here's how the OP cleverly sought revenge. Instead of plotting an elaborate prank or adopting a passive-aggressive stance, she chose a different path…she decided to be genuinely nice. In fact, overly nice. Instead of retaliating, she showered Karen with kindness, making sure the boss overheard her heartfelt words of endearment, even if they were all insincere. Keep reading to discover how the rest of the story unfolded.

Being injured stinks... and that's something that doesn't even need to be said. There's nothing like being injured to make you appreciate all those times you weren't before. And that's just in your personal life… Chances are your employer isn't going to be particularly understanding, even if you have all your bases covered and have whatever doctor's note your employer requires and covered; legal protections are provided in your area. Yeah, depending on the duration and severity of the accommodation you require, you're going to catch that much more flak and that many more passive-aggressive comments from your boss.

Your boss's reaction aside, at least society and the general public seem to be pleasantly understanding about the whole thing. I say this as I've recently been hobbling around with a broken foot, and I'm happy to say that people have never been nicer. I've had more random conversations with strangers than I ever had in my life over people's curiosity about what I did, how it happened, and how it all was going. That being said, I'm well aware that you can get the occasional random Karen accosting you for no reason—especially when you have a non-visible injury or disability.

Surviving the experience of living with an awful roommate is not the character-building experience people say it is. Some experiences are just awful ones, and sometimes, there is not much to learn from a roommate's ridiculous, uncalled-for behavior. Sometimes, the goal is just to get out in one piece and the takeaway is, "well that was a bad chapter in my life." 

This college student sparred with their roommate from the very beginning. They would leave passive-aggressive notes to one another about dirty dishes and using one another's things, but things escalated when it was revealed that the Redditor's roommate was trying to switch apartments without having to pay a $500 fee. So how did the roommate avoid that fee? Well, she accused OP of intimidation, and the two were both threatened with having to pay more fees if they touched one another's items. 

That's when it dawned on OP that most of their shared items did not belong to their roommate, so OP went and removed all of those items from common spaces. Keep scrolling below to see how the roommate reacted and to see whatever happened to that $500 fee in the end. For more stories like this, check out this post about a customer's tantrum over a gymnastics suit.

Applying to endless jobs is demoralizing, especially when you take the time to write custom cover letters only to never even receive a rejection notice from hiring managers. Still, anything is better than receiving a response like the one this applicant received after submitting their CV to a position opening. 

The business world is cruel. They take great pride in their well-known motto, which emphasizes the value of family and how they treat their staff as one large, happy family. But when the chips are down, who gets pushed aside first? Yes, exactly. Think about that for a moment.

The story that follows is from a dissatisfied hotel employee. At the time of the incident, OP had been managing multiple duties. He drove the shuttle for one of the airline crews and was responsible for loading and unloading the crew's belongings. Everything was going well until OP started to feel as though his wrist injury prevented him from performing manual tasks. As the responsible and accountable employee that he was, OP discussed the matter with his manager and kindly asked to be informed when an administrative post should open up. Matters deteriorated, though, when OP did not receive information once a role was made available. As a result, OP devised a devious plan to exact revenge on upper management for their alleged 'oversight'.

So, if you're interested in learning how OP got even with upper management, read the story below! And when you're done, be sure to check out the story about the tenant who settles the score with his entitled landlord here!

Living in the middle of nowhere can be scary sometimes. With law enforcement miles and miles away, when something goes amok on your property, you're on your own. So while you're out there living in the boonies and you hear a calamitous kerfuffle outside, you should grab whatever weapon you can reach and go check it out yourself. 

If you're lucky, it'll be a coyote, a raccoon, or a skittish young bear venturing too close to your garage, but if you're like the guy in our next story, it's a little more 'small town' than that. 

Get your Tarot cards out and crystals ready cause we're out here trying to manifest the failure of every terrible boss we've ever had. Like, can you imagine getting called into a meeting with HR just because your "vibes" were off? Like, heck, Erin, so what if I was in the water closet building a voodoo doll out of the CEO's socks and toenail clippings… Just leave me be.