# Blowing the whistle on arrogant/troublesome co-workers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 10, 2000, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982 "2000-06-10T22:39:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/21 "2001-08-22T20:06:06Z")
A security guard I used to work with–I’ll call him Herman–did one of the dumbest, most reckless things I ever heard of. He was making long-distance calls on the lobby phone and ran up a bill of about $4,000! For his pains–since the bill carried the number the calls were made from and he was the only person in the building (the annex) at the time, he was removed from the post, but not fired. The guard company assigned him to another post, and deducted the cost of his calls from his pay. How reckless can you get? Where I work now, I always have to have someone unlock the door to the room: People have been going in there when they’re supposed to be working, and using the phone. Didn’t they think someone would notice their absence? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/22 "2001-08-22T20:09:28Z")
One of my very first jobs in New York was as the receptionist at an advertising agency, back around 1982. One day, the boss was walking by with a client, and boss said something about 'some faggot." I reached up, grabbed him by the necktie, pulled him down to where I was sitting and told him if I EVER heard him use that word again I would twist this tie so tightly his head would pop off and lfy through the window. To his credit, he apologized and never used the f-word again (and I wound up working there for the next five years). I did hear the client whispering, “where did you HIRE her?!” ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/23 "2001-08-22T21:03:57Z")
Oh wow, Eve! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: Golly, how do you measure up to this boss _physically?_ You must have some strong vibes if you are short and he is tall; then again, if you are as tall as Kirsten Johnson (Sally of _3rd Rock from the Sun)_ and he is as tall as Paul Williams, it’s easier to contemplate…[me cringing] ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/24 "2001-08-22T21:25:50Z")
Reading this, and hearing about Panzy, I gotta put in a word for documentation. If you can start keeping a record of employee abuse of company time or policies, write it down. Keep a log. It not only gives you a basis for complaining, but it also can be useful in a lawsuit. We had a real bad apple here who finally got fired. Her reaction was to file a wrongful termination suit. She also threw in a sexual harrassment suit for good measure. The kind of person who would regularly screw their employer is also the kind of person who would think nothing of bringing a baseless nuisance lawsuit on an employer, so write it all down, folks. Nothing will deflate a case like that than actual documentation of employee incompetence by coworkers. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/25 "2001-08-22T21:38:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chas.E \* > \*\*I got my revenge by blowing the whistle on the CEO at my company. > Long ago when the Mac Plus came out, I was spending all my time on the phone taking orders, but we never seemed to get any inventory. I’d see a delivery of MacPluses marked for a certain date, and when the day came, none of my backorders were filled and no units were marked as coming into inventory. I could have sold as many MacPluses I could get ahold of, but I couldn’t get ahold of a single one. Even worse, it seemed that the local grey-marketers had a plentiful supply. > So one day my manager comes to me and says the CEO requests my services for one full day, he needed me to do some repair to the corporate database. I was never on good terms with the CEO, he was a major asshole and every time he got involved with a deal, it went to hell. I spent most of my time on the job ducking him. And now he was cornering me and asking me questions like “can you alter the date of a file without anyone being able to tell?” I was sure something weird was about to happen. > So on the appointed day, I am driven by Mr. CEO up to his HQ. I am informed that I must help him alter the database so that ComputerLand Corporate HQ does not discover what he has been doing. He has been taking every MacPlus that arrives, selling them at cost to his brother the greymarketer, and splitting the profit his brother makes. I am immediately furious. The scumbag has basically been embezzling money out of the company, right in front of his partners (who together hold a 50% stake in the company, CEO holds the other 50%). Furthermore, I am pissed because CEO has been skimming my most profitable product, screwing me out of about $100,000 of commissions over a year. Now the boss demands that I roll back the system clock, alter each invoice to remove the name of his brother and change the buyer to “Federal Communications Commission.” Oh shit. I am sure that if any of this ever comes to light, I will be the fall guy, and it’s now a federal crime. I inform CEO of this, and Mr. CEO kindly responds that if I don’t do what he asks, he will have a friendly person come to my house and politely break my legs. > So having established in my own mind that I am doing this under diress, I complete the job. But not before making a copy of the original file, and the modified one, and storing it on a floppy disk. > On return from the site, the disk went into my safe deposit box at my bank, along with a written explanation of what happened. I send an identical copy by registered mail to myself. The next day I arrange a meeting with the CEO’s partners, and inform them of what has happpened. They are absolutely furious. CEO has been skimming about 5% of the company profits right into his own pocket, untraceable until I provided the smoking gun. CEO is now CEO in name only, all decision-making power is stripped away. Computerland corporate and Apple get wind of this incident. CEO is informed that he should start looking for a buyer for his share in the company, and prepare to exit the business before his dealership is revoked. The company merges with another (weaker) company, the partners move to the new company, the CEO is ousted, and my position is dissolved. > Asshole CEO now is president of a dinky networking company. \*\* Christ A’mighty, Chas. You should script this. It’d make a good crime/suspense film. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/26 "2001-08-22T21:45:36Z")
> [@](#): > > We had a real bad apple here who finally got fired. Her reaction was to file a wrongful termination suit. She also threw in a sexual harrassment suit for good measure. The kind of person who would regularly screw their employer is also the kind of person who would think nothing of bringing a baseless nuisance lawsuit on an employer, so write it all down, folks. Nothing will deflate a case like that than actual documentation of employee incompetence by coworkers. Amen and touché, Cranky. 🙂 She’ll be in for more trouble if the judge decides she is filing a frivlous action. (after Judge Joseph Wapner, whom I have faced) ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/27 "2001-08-22T23:19:03Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Eve_ > **One of my very first jobs in New York was as the receptionist at an advertising agency, back around 1982. One day, the boss was walking by with a client, and boss said something about 'some faggot." I reached up, grabbed him by the necktie, pulled him down to where I was sitting and told him if I EVER heard him use that word again I would twist this tie so tightly his head would pop off and lfy through the window.** Eve, can I be you when I grow up? I mean, you have an editing job like I’ll be looking for soon, you write cool books (loved that Theda Bara stuff, btw), and, as this post once again proves, you kick ass. Please? I’m willing to apprentice and do all that “fly with chopsticks” stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/28 "2001-08-23T03:05:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*One of my very first jobs in New York was as the receptionist at an advertising agency, back around 1982. One day, the boss was walking by with a client, and boss said something about 'some faggot." I reached up, grabbed him by the necktie, pulled him down to where I was sitting and told him if I EVER heard him use that word again I would twist this tie so tightly his head would pop off and lfy through the window. > > To his credit, he apologized and never used the f-word again (and I wound up working there for the next five years). I did hear the client whispering, “where did you HIRE her?!” \*\* Eve, i love you for that :). ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/29 "2001-08-23T05:10:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dougie\_monty \* > \*\*Hey, Chas. E: What happened to _you?_ :eek: \*\* Sorry for the late reply, I lost track of this thread… Well… Things got very uncomfortable for me after I blew the whistle, Mr. CEO did all sorts of dirty tricks. For example, I remember coming back in from a smoke break where CEO was waiting with a can of air freshener, he sprayed it right in my face and eyes and said “You stink!” Boy did he get a lot of shit for that, from the other owners, they were justifiably afraid of a lawsuit for assault. So I consulted the District Attorney anonymously. I told him everything (leaving names out) and he said yes, they could probably make it look like I was the fall guy, it wouldn’t work but they’d make my life hell in the meantime, but since no government contract, I was legally unprotected. The DA’s suggestion was to run like hell and get out of there. Too late. The merger came almost immediately, and I was told that I would be terminated. I was forced to sign a contract agreeing never to reveal any of what had happened, under penalty of $50,000 liquidated damages. Sign the deal, or no severance pay. I asked what happens to my $20,000 profit share in the company. CEO says here it is, it’s somehow now $1200. Sign now, you have 30 seconds or you get nothing. I signed. I took the contract to an attorney, he said I could probably have the contract nullified since it was signed under diress, but it would cost more than I’d probably get. Atty’s advice was to take the lumps and get on with life. I tried. Alas, the CEO made it his personal crusade to blackball me, I never did find another decent job in the computer trade in LA due to his bad references. Alas, ogre, this would make a pretty lousy script, since nobody really cares about grey market computers. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982/30 "2001-08-23T13:33:03Z")
Alright, Juniper, I am taking applications for Eve Internships. I was young and full of pep and moxie, in a Joan Blondell c1932 way back then, and said boss was kinda scrawny and old. It was also a rather zany, “Blue Moon Detective Agency” sort of office. Now, if the head of the huge multi-national corporation where I work NOW said something like that, I would quietly ask for a conference and Have a Word with her. I’m too old for tie-grabbing now . . . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blowing-the-whistle-on-arrogant-troublesome-co-workers/21982.md?page=1)