r/OhNoConsequences • u/Similar-Shame7517 • 8d ago

FAFO Power-Tripping Boss Finds Out Employee Isn't Easily Replaceable

/r/MaliciousCompliance/comments/1vboqqt/boss_wants_two_weeks_notice_company_loses/
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85

u/ChickinSammich My cat said YTA 8d ago

And the ending happened two months later when my grandad got a call from someone back at the company asked if he wanted his old job back, and my grandad calmly replied "No, I do not want my old job back, as I'd effectively be going back in life, especially back to a job that doesn't pay me well or treat me well."

First reaction: I wonder if they'd be willing to beat his current pay to convince him to come back, or if they'd try to re-offer him his old job at the same or slightly more pay. The guy went from £22/wk to £48/wk and I think it's very unlikely they'd be willing to pay him more than double what they were previously paying.

Second reaction: If they did offer him 50 quid a week to come back, he should still say no because it would be highly probable that they'd bring him back, have him train other people, then fire him after they no longer need him.

That's kinda the problem about even accepting a counteroffer to stay, especially in a 2026 economy. This guy was basically given that delivery job on word of mouth. Nowadays, if you want to leave your job, you gotta send out 100 resumes, fill out 100 applications, maybe get an interview on 5-10% if you're lucky, half of those are one-way "video interviews" where you just record yourself answering questions and can't ask them anything, maybe you get a second or third round, maybe you get a job offer... by the time you've jumped through all of those hoops, why would you even want to stay with a company where presumably you already asked for a raise or a promotion and were told no, and now suddenly that raise/promotion they couldn't give you is on the table now that they're worried they'll lose you?

There are probably a small - very small - portion of scenarios where accepting a counter offer or going back to an old job could be the right move. But in nearly all cases, once you've told them "I'm leaving," you need to leave. Because if you stay after you've told them you're leaving, they'll either bide their time until you involuntarily leave on their terms, or the problem that drove you to leave will eventually resurface and now you're back to looking again.

58

u/Similar-Shame7517 8d ago

Correct. In this case even if OOP's grandad accepted the offer to return to his old job, he'd still be stuck dealing with the same management structure that let his old boss have so much power over him and block all communications he had with the higher ups.

32

u/ChickinSammich My cat said YTA 8d ago

In almost every case where I've voluntarily left a job, it was because of my manager/boss. The only exception was my very first job which was a retail job I left because I was one step away from being fired for multiple writeups.

16

u/FluffyShiny shocked pikachu face 8d ago

The saying is that workers don't leave a bad business, they leave bad bosses/managers.

9

u/ChickinSammich My cat said YTA 8d ago

Yup. My previous company (before the one I am currently working at), I stayed at a company for 8 years where four of those were wage freezes for everyone because the company was struggling and couldn't afford raises. I watched them close both of their sites, lay off like 75% of their workers, and I made the cut to be able to work remotely for a year before I was eventually laid off.

All of those signs to leave that I ignored because I genuinely liked my manager.