Employee called his boss ‘dense’ in a heated meeting — he expected to be fired but got a raise instead

Bosses aren't always right, and at times, they may surprise you with their ridiculous demands. What's more unfortunate is that most employees give in to their unrealistic expectations, fearing retaliation and job loss. A small real estate firm employee (u/radiant_rebel), however, stood against their boss after she dismissed a coworker's concern about the cost of coming into work full-time. Infuriated, they called out the superior, despite knowing that they might end up getting fired by the end of the meeting. But to the employee's surprise, the defiance took an unexpected turn, and they ended up getting a raise. The post was shared on Reddit and has received 3,300 upvotes to date.

The confrontation

It started when, during a Zoom meeting, the management insisted that staff resume work full-time from the office. Everyone, including the author, resisted because their primary job, which was to basically attend calls, did not require them to show up at the office. The situation escalated further when the boss dismissed a coworker's concern about the cost of coming in full-time. Frustrated, the author intervened, knowing that it could result in their termination. "Are you dense?" they asked. Everyone was shocked by the author's outburst but did not question it. The meeting continued for another hour, and after that, the employee was asked to join another meeting before the end of their shift.

The surprising 'reward'

The author was sure they were going to be fired for what they said and even texted their mother to prepare her for the termination news. However, to their surprise, the boss gave them a $2 hourly raise. Later, the employee clarified in the comments that after the meeting, a couple of other employees agreed with them, forcing the management to continue the hybrid remote setup. "I'm not sure if anyone else got a raise — I was shocked by it because last week he told me I was paid 'well enough,'" they added. Moreover, the employee confessed that they threatened to quit the job if forced to join the office full-time.

Online vs. offline 

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, most employees have been enjoying their remote setups. However, there is a small percentage of Americans who enjoy working from the office. A Gallup survey revealed that 6 in 10 people with remote jobs want to have a hybrid setting, and nearly one-third of employees are looking for fully remote jobs. Notably, less than 10% of respondents confessed to being interested in on-site jobs. But why? Well, while 76% of respondents said hybrid setups have allowed better work-life balance, 61% mentioned less burnout or fatigue at work. Moreover, 51% of respondents reported more productivity due to the hybrid setup. 

Meanwhile, several people in the comments congratulated the author for not backing down and giving in to their superior's demands. Some even shared their own stories of standing up to their bosses. u/expert-magician1531 wrote, "I tell my department manager and his manager exactly what I think all the time. I may be blunt sometimes, and I may be wrong sometimes, but they know exactly where they stand with my opinion, and we all gain from being honest instead of beating around the bush. Never be scared to speak your mind." u/mrmeeseeksthe1st commented, "Oh yes, do this especially when you know there's a group consensus on a problem, others are more likely to speak up or even back you up. I did it so much that management didn't want to bring up problems, nowhere near as much."

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