He Was Sent Home With an Impossible Task. Weeks Later, He Left for a New Job—with a Paycheck Still in Hand.

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When employed at a company, you often encounter challenging individuals as part of earning your salary.

How would you respond if your supervisor changed from being eccentric yet kind-hearted to getting furious over minor issues?

That was the experience of the technology specialist. this story So when the manager instructed him to leave work and not return, he followed those instructions precisely. As a result, he got compensated for staying away from the workplace for several weeks.

Check it out.

"Figure it out, and don’t return until you do!" Alright pal, if that's how you feel.

Okay, this tale takes place 19 years in the past.

"This location" referred to the workspace of an interior designer in THE BIG CITY WHERE I LIVED.

I was searching for technology jobs when a friend who had just become the office manager recommended me for the position.

I was pleased to secure a position offering technical assistance, along with receiving a reasonable hourly pay and adaptable work schedule.

However, I had no idea just how strange this location was.

How bizarre, you ask?

Hey, many managers tend to be quite peculiar.

Indeed, my colleague, the newly appointed office manager was consistently absent from the workplace.

The designer, whom we can refer to as Boss, was frequently absent.

Allow me to share some details about Boss: He was quite elderly (probably around 60) —which felt incredibly old to someone only 22— he frequently gritted his teeth and tightened his jaw, often appeared preoccupied, and gave off an overall strange impression.

So I start this new job, and right away end up in a spacious office all by myself, without any orientation, training, or tasks to work on.

Basically, show up at the office, spend numerous hours browsing online, then head back home or to your classes.

From time to time, the boss would drop by unexpectedly and request I handle a somewhat technical task, such as making a spreadsheet for our clients' names.

Then he would ask me to demonstrate how to accomplish the same task.

I would go for it; he'd be delighted and reward me with an immediate bonus right then.

Sweet, right? Right.

What occurred to this person?

Before Boss began storming in and going berserk over trivial matters.

Similar to the incorrect shade of green ink used on his printed Excel spreadsheet, everything seemed off.

Or perhaps the office manager had called in, and what on earth was her reason for needing the day off?

Or any variety of other miscellaneous items.

None of these issues were my responsibility and I was not involved in most of them at all.

The boss would yell at me every time he was present in the office.

Which became more frequently.

The office manager informed me that Boss has been approved by his psychiatrist to increase his work hours again.

Wait, WHAT?

It turned out that the Boss was not present when I began because they experienced a mental health crisis and were encouraged to take some time away from their job.

Is he truly prepared to return to working full-time now?

Then, for distraction issues? Medication. And for the teeth grinding?

Uncontrollable stress reaction.

He managed to do it even while asleep; it was so severe that his dentist worried about potential microscopic fractures in his jawbone.

Oh great.

So he jumps back into everything and channels all his energy toward me.

I'm 22 years old, my spouse is pursuing graduate studies, and I really need this job.

However, I'm experiencing stress; I constantly think about my job, dwelling on the last time I was unjustly scolded.

I'm finding myself waking up 3 or 4 times each night without any clear cause; apparently, I also tossing and turning according to my spouse when I manage to get some rest.

This continues for about a week or two.

Lastly, here’s something he can genuinely tackle.

Next, the boss enters carrying a new, portable digital voice recorder.

Give it to me, he says "whenever I make a voice recording, I want it saved as 'Boss_date_note_##'" and now I need your help to figure out how to do this.

Sure, this falls right within my expertise, so I pick up the recorder, retrieve the manual, and begin experimenting. I swiftly develop a concise instructional program and then notice a note in the manual: "Voice recordings are stored on the device as vr####_TIMESTAMPT.vrn files. After transferring them to your computer, feel free to rename them accordingly."

Initially, what the Boss asked for can’t be done with the current equipment, but there’s an easy fix. I include this solution in my course material and then join the Boss to walk through it together.

Naturally, he explodes over his inability to rename the files on the device.

It surprises him that I'm unable to understand this particular issue.

Was I so much as glancing at the instruction book?

He understands that it can accomplish what he desires; I simply need to focus on doing my part and figure out how to implement the necessary adjustments.

Individuals who become disproportionately agitated over minor issues can be challenging to collaborate with.

Then he declares, "GO HOME IMMEDIATELY! AND ONLY RETURN WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT I EXPECT!"

Signal my relief mixed with joyful rebelliousness.

I go home.

Given that I realize what Boss is requesting is unfeasible, I immediately rule out the possibility of going back.

I don't make the call the following day when I'm supposed to be working.

I don’t go in.

I attempt to put the entire experience behind me.

I indeed start sleeping soundly, like an infant.

Two weeks pass.

I've progressed, searching for new employment, attending classes, handling everyday tasks.

It’s hilarious; the boss didn’t question his whereabouts at all.

I receive an unexpected call from my boss. "It's been a while since you've dropped by. Everything okay? When will you return to work? I have some technical problems that require your assistance..."

I’m floored.

This person is speaking to me as though the previous time we talked, they weren't yelling loudly or flinging saliva around.

I responded with, "Hey man, you said wait till I crack that voice recorder issue before returning. So here I am, because that gadget will never meet your expectations."

Manager: "Oh that? I returned it to the store. So, I'll meet you tomorrow?"

So, he has been receiving payment all along!

I said, "Um... No thanks. I assumed I had been let go, so I've secured another position elsewhere. Could you send me my final paycheck? Please refrain from contacting me further. Appreciate it, goodbye."

I ended the conversation with a laugh.

Never before has being out of work felt this fulfilling.

Incredible, that boss was absolutely insane.

I reckon this fellow could have easily "worked from home" for quite some time without getting caught.

Continue reading to find out what others have commented about it.

This individual has experience with comparable circumstances.

Fingers crossed the boss received some assistance.

Occasionally, financial necessity arises.

Sometimes staying in a poor work situation isn’t beneficial.

This is very interesting.

Occasionally, having an unpleasant supervisor can lead to significant benefits.

It shows you how to simply move on.

If you enjoyed this post, take a look at this tale about An employee retaliated against a coworker who consistently gave them unfairly low grades. .

The post His boss instructed him to go home until he could resolve an unsolvable problem, so he went home and relaxed for weeks while getting paid, eventually finding another job. first on Cryptonesia .