When you work, you get paid for the work you do, but what if you end up working longer than you should to cover for a coworker? Would you be okay with the coworker getting paid for the time that you are actually working?
That’s what happens in today’s story, and the coworker is not okay with the situation!
See how this clever coworker gets revenge on the coworker who is consistently late for work…
Back in college, I worked at a gas station.
We worked for cash under the table, so it was pretty loose.
Another quirk was that we did not clock in and out, but were paid for each 8 hour shift.
I worked 4pm-midnight and had a passing friendship with the guy who worked the overnight shift (we attended the same college and had some classes together), let’s call him Dave.
OP was annoyed that Dave was consistently late for work.
Dave had a problem showing up on time.
Generally it was 5-10 minutes, and we were friends, so I didn’t mind too much, but I took to calling his house 15 minutes before my shift ended just to make sure he wasn’t dragging his butt (he lived about 15 minutes away).
Because I was so affable about him being a few minutes late, he would basically show up at 12:10 on the regular, and it really started to get on my nerves.
I wasn’t being paid for this time and HE WAS.
One particular day, OP called Dave’s house, but someone else answered the phone.
One night after a particularly horrible shift, I called Dave’s house and a mutual friend answered.
I asked her if Dave was there and she said yes, but he was in the middle of a game and couldn’t come to the phone.
Not wanting to vent my rage at her, I just said thanks and hung up.
OP called Dave out on being late.
Dave rolled in at 12:30 (his latest yet) and I let him have it.
I reminded him that he was getting paid for work I was doing and it was completely unfair.
He acted kind of annoyed, and interrupted me with “just let me know what I owe you on payday”.
I came up with the idea on the spot and agreed to his terms.
Dave started showing up for work even later than usual.
I stopped calling him to remind him to leave his apartment and jotted down every minute he was late.
The time added up quickly, because without my constant haranguing, he was coming to work even later, generally 15-20 minutes late.
I was always cheerful and friendly when he finally deigned to come to work, and never mentioned him being late again.
OP wasn’t after Dave’s money.
Several months later I went to pick up my pay and my weekly schedule (it was printed out, as this was in the olden days) and Dave was at the counter.
“Oh hey!”, I said, “I was hoping to run into you. I need to tell you what you owe me.”
He rolled his eyes and reached for his wallet.
“Ohhhhhh, no, you misunderstand.” I said, sliding my printed schedule across the counter. “I don’t want your money. I want your TIME. “You owe me 16 hours of time. Which two shifts of mine do you want to take this week?”
The revenge worked!
He tried to argue, but I showed him the records I had been keeping. Every shift, up to the minute.
He tried to say he’s work for me next week, but I wasn’t having it.
“I didn’t get to choose when I had to work for you, you’re lucky I’m giving you some kind of choice, but it has to be this week.”
Dave worked 7 shifts that week, including a double.
He was never late again.
That was very clever revenge, and I bet OP enjoyed a nice relaxing week with fewer shifts than usual.
Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story…
It’s great that Dave learned his lesson!
This reader calls the revenge “beautifully done.”
Another reader praises the revenge.
This person would’ve preferred the extra money.
Taking the money probably wouldn’t have been as effective as taking the time!
If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.
