One thing that will always be hard to understand is why some people enjoy making their coworkers’ lives miserable. Whether it’s through gossiping, being rude, or simply making their lives harder than they need to be.
After all, we’re all there for one common reason: to work and then go home. But no matter what, some people just seem to enjoy putting others down to make themselves feel better, and that seems to be the case in today’s story. A man shared on r/pettyrevenge all about his problematic coworker and exactly how he got revenge on her crazy antics. And this is what readers had to say about it.
No one is obligated to get along perfectly with their coworkers, but sometimes, it goes beyond a simple disagreement
Drazen Zigic / Magnific (not the actual photo)
A man realized his seemingly nice colleague was two faced, behaving as if she was their boss
rawpixel.com / Magnific (not the actual photo)
bilahata / Magnific (not the actual photo)
beststudio / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Madhanajah / Magnific (not the actual photo)
8photo (not the actual photo), ai-assisted image
Workplace bullying is a common behavior among people trying to achieve a top-performing spot
Some of Diane’s actions align with traits associated with the Dark Triad, specifically Machiavellianism, like manipulation, strategic deception, and exploiting others. Research has also linked Machiavellian traits to counterproductive workplace behaviors, although people with these traits may still maintain positive relationships with those in positions of authority.
Her behavior could also be viewed through the lens of what organizational psychology calls upward impression management. This refers to employees using tactics such as flattery, favors, or self-promotion to influence how their superiors perceive them. Given Diane’s apparent social intelligence, she may have been using these tactics with management, making it easier for her complaints about coworkers to be taken seriously.
And then there’s the halo effect. Because management liked Diane and viewed her as a productive, experienced employee, they may have had a positive bias towards her. That bias could have led them to overlook her lateness and accommodate her by giving her morning shifts, rather than addressing the apparent problems in her relationships with her coworkers.
bilahata / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Stealing food and inventory accounts for a significant portion of workplace fraud
Curiously, by taking food under the guise of customer tickets, Diane could potentially be accused of occupational fraud. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), stealing inventory is one of the main categories of occupational fraud. Small retail and food-service businesses can also be more vulnerable to fraud when they have weaker internal controls.
However, as much as Diane was clearly a problem in this situation, the narrator wasn’t entirely in the right either. From the beginning, the OP chose not to confront her directly. Instead of going straight to management, he shared the information with a coworker, who then handled the confrontation. This could be seen as delegated reporting, allowing the narrator to distance himself from the conflict and reduce the risk of retaliation.
Instead, conflict-resolution experts would generally recommend addressing workplace issues through the appropriate channels rather than simply ignoring someone’s demands. In this case, the narrator could have directed Diane’s requests to management, making sure he wasn’t giving her any legitimate reason to complain about his work. Thankfully, though, everything ended up working in the man’s favor. But do you agree with how he handled the situation? Let us know.
Most people were confused about management and how they never figured out that money was missing
