Aimeé
Anyone who has ever worked for anyone else has probably had some fantasy about telling their boss off and then walking out. This story on r/IDontWorkHereLady posted by u/LocalLiBEARian will allow you to cathartically live out those fantasies for a moment. If it seems impossible to blithely walk out on a job right now, the poster says this happened in the 1980s, when employment was easier to come by than during a pandemic. We’ll get there again, folks. Hopefully. Anyway!
So, he worked for a large corporation that started selling off franchises because business wasn’t going so hot. His location was sold to a man he’s calling Ken, but it took a while for the sale to be finalized. For about a month and a half, the OP worked with the Head Honcho guys from Corporate on getting things ready. But Ken kept popping in:
He wanted us to change displays. order specific products, etc. HH guys had already told me to ignore his demands, so all of them were met with some variation of: No, Ken. I work for Chain, NOT for you, and this isn’t your store yet. Which sent Ken off in all his huffing glory, yelling that I wouldn’t be acting like that once HE ran the place.
On the very last day that Corporate still owned the store, the OP came in and help finish the day. Then he handed in his key and the store belong to Ken:
Once that was done, something close to the following happened.
HH: Okay, Ken, we’re done. It’s all yours now. (They start packing up to leave)
Me: Just making sure; Chain no longer owns this location… Ken is in charge now, yes?
HH confirms, so I step out from behind the counter. Of course, Ken starts yelling. (I think yelling was his default mode.)
Ken: WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?
Me: Home, what does it look like?
Ken: YOU GET BACK HERE AND GET YOUR BUTT BACK BEHIND THAT COUNTER WHERE IT BELONGS!
Me: (calmly) No. I don’t work for you.
Ken: WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NO? I TOLD YOU THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT WHEN I TOOK OVER AND NOW YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT =I= TELL YOU TO DO!
Me: (with a HUGE grin on my face) You just don’t get it, do you? (Ken looks confused) You bought the store, you bought the inventory… but you did NOT buy the employees and you sure as hell didn’t buy me. So I’ll say it one last time, and try to get this through to whatever functional cells may be floating around in your empty head: I. DON’T. WORK. FOR. YOU. Never have, never will. And since Chain Store #1234 no longer exists, I don’t work there any more, either. Since I’m no longer needed here, (nod to HH guys) I’m leaving.
He said Ken lost it when he realized he didn’t have anyone to work the register:
Of course, I can’t help myself… as I’m pushing the door open, I turn around, give Ken my best customer service smile, and a cheery “Have a nice day!”
He claims the store was closed for a few days as Ken looked for new employees, but he had a bad reputation already. When it did reopen, it closed soon after.
The comments are a mix of applause for the OP and comments about how most business do include provisions in sale contracts that employees will remain at the company after the sale…but they’re not obligated to. It’s to protect them, which the OP didn’t want:
Respect definitely shouldn’t be in such short supply that your business closes. A little bit goes a long way.
More stories about employees coming out on top:
- Employees Are Sharing Their Most Ridiculous “Customer Is NOT Always Right” Stories (32 Tweets)
- Guy Leaves Bad Review Because Comic Store Employee Won’t Help Him Pirate Comics
- A-Hole Boss Demands Doctor’s Note From Injured Employee, Doctor Recommends A Week Off Instead
- 19 Of The Pettiest Things Employees Have Ever Done To Rude Customers
