Employee has the last laugh after managers renege on their promise and deny flexible working hours

When employers start neglecting employees' needs and force them to work in hostile environments, it often backfires. That's what happened with u/Glittering_Growth246. He shared that he was working in a supervisory role as a charge nurse for three years. "I had great reviews and earned consistent raises and performance bonuses," he wrote. So, he asked his managers if he could take up a more flexible schedule if he started a master's degree.

He even clarified that he was not looking for time off but for his schedule to be adjusted if he had practical rotations. "They agreed as they wouldn't be losing any productivity and would be gaining a nursing practitioner for the system," the nurse shared. However, a year after starting his program, situations forced him to consider divorcing his wife. He informed the employee assistance program about it and he got therapy. His managers also advised him to apply for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) due to their concern for his mental health. He was very grateful for their consideration. The employee "was approved for up to forty hours per week for a year."

When things became hectic and out of control for him, the employee stepped down from his role and started working as a staff nurse. However, this did not sit well with his main manager. She stopped talking to him and greeting him. When his practical rotations were about to begin, he asked his managers for a flexible schedule as promised, but they reneged. "They denied my requests for flexibility and began to schedule me almost entirely for the times I would request off. At first, I was frustrated and very hurt that they did this," he wrote. He recalled that his FMLA leaves were approved and he could take them whenever he wanted.

The employee then started to call off every morning he needed for his rotations. Moreover, he didn't give his managers any advance notice, which led to them covering up his shifts. "As I had PTO hours saved up, I still got paid as well. I finished all my rotations in this manner and took a job at a different system after I graduated," the person wrote. He worked in the new system for a few years before he was rehired in his old organization as a provider. "I loved seeing the look on my old manager's face when I took my first shift at the hospital as a provider and not under her chain of command," the man concluded. 

People were impressed by the way the person got the last laugh in the whole situation. u/overall-magician-884 commented, "Congrats on completing your master's and getting a fresh start. I wonder how low her heart sank when she saw you as a provider. It was probably like 'Lord of the Rings' when Gandolf removed his gray cape and showed he was the white wizard to worm tongue." u/Alfred-Register7379 wrote, "Holy smokes! Thank God you pulled through! Congratulations on completing your master's and becoming a provider! Take care of yourself first, in every way!"

u/mission-bet-5035 shared, "Sadly, she probably learned not to be this initially kind (i.e., informative) to the next people who asked about it. Wonder what changed that made her flip like that? So odd. Good for you though! You definitely deserved that comeback!"

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 5, 2024. It has since been updated.