r/LockedIn_AI

I work in a café whose owner is obsessed with squeezing a little extra money out of everything. We were already charging extra for almond milk, flavored shots, paper bags, takeaway lids - basically anything that wasn't standing still next to the coffee grinder. Annoying, but tolerable.
Until one morning he announced that we were going to start charging people for tap water.
Not sparkling water. Not fancy bottled water. Tap water.
As in, someone orders a toastie and asks for a glass of water? That'll be 90 cents.
We all thought it was absurd, but he acted like he'd discovered some hidden law of business.
He printed little signs saying that "glassware, cleaning, and staff time all cost money."
And the best part was that he knew customers would be upset. We all knew. And honestly, they were right. I'd be annoyed too if I paid for lunch and got charged for sink water.
So I started doing exactly what felt right. Any time someone asked me for tap water, I'd put on my best customer-service smile and say something like:
"Sure, the owner is the one who explains the water charge. I'll get him for you."
Then I'd go get him.
Every. Single. Time. Literally.
It didn't matter if he was in the back counting coins, arranging pastries, on a smoke break, or doing his important-looking spreadsheet routine. If a customer asked about the water fee, I'd bring him out like I was ringing a tiny bell of shame.
At first, he'd come out with his polished little speech:
"Well, sadly, there are costs involved with providing - "
And the customer would immediately cut him off with:
"You're charging me for TAP WATER?"
"Wait, is this a joke?"
"I just paid €16 for food."
"The place across the street gives water for free."
"Are you even allowed to do that?" (I looked it up later - no, lol.)
And I'd stand nearby wiping the same spot on the counter for way longer than necessary, trying not to laugh.
This went on for about eighteen days until he finally snapped.
Last week, during a quiet moment, he pulled me aside and said:
"You need to stop calling me over for the water thing."
I said, "But it's your rule."
He said:
"Yes, but it's embarrassing having to explain it to people all shift."
I had to look at the pastry case so he wouldn't see my face.
Because, like... My brother in Christ, if saying your policy out loud makes you feel humiliated, maybe the problem is the policy itself.
Anyway, the tap water charge has been canceled now. No meeting. No apology. The signs disappeared after closing one night like they had never existed.
Still easily one of my favorite tiny acts of malicious compliance.

Yes. Yes, it was about the salary. I need a bigger salary so I can give a home for my family and put food in the fridge. You weren't giving me that, so I looked and found someone who would.

I've been at the company for 5 years, and if another place wants to pay me a lot more to do different work, I'm going to take the opportunity. I'm not here because "we're all one big family" or because "I've always had a passion for CRM tools and dreamed of spending my life inside one of them." Lol.

Pay me my money, you bastards.

I went for a Head Chef gig in West Hollywood. I usually avoid this side of town because parking there is a nightmare, but the pay was really high, so I decided to give it a shot.

I arrived ten minutes before the interview; the appointment was at 4:00 PM. I checked in with the host, and she told me the owner was on his way.

It became 4:25 and still nobody showed up. I talked to her again, and she said he was finishing a call and would seat me in a booth.

By 4:50, I was done. I took off my blazer, called the server, and ordered a cold IPA. It was on the table within two minutes.

I had finished half of my second glass when the guy finally arrived at 5:15. He looked at my glass and said, "Are you seriously drinking beer while waiting for an interview?"

I told him, "No, I'm just enjoying a drink because I had an interview with someone professional, but what happened is I got stood up by someone who doesn't know how to manage his time. Now, I'm just waiting for the 405 traffic to ease up before I head home."

His face turned very red, and he said, "Enjoy being broke then," and walked away annoyed.

Lmao forget about this guy. Honestly, it was the best beer I've had in a long time.

A few weeks ago, the medical company I work for was late paying salaries for about the seventh time in the last 14 months, on top of a pile of other nonsense, like my health insurance "somehow" being canceled about 6 weeks ago. They also started acting suspicious and handing out paper checks instead of direct deposit, which is probably so they can avoid the usual deductions because of their cash flow problems.

The situation has become a disaster by every measure, but I've been here for about 6 years, the pay was good, and my patients depend on me, so I put up with far more than I should have.

Anyway, a few days ago I went to ask about my paper check because it was around 3:30 p.m. And I still hadn't gotten it. I wanted to take it straight to the bank before it closed and make sure it cleared. When I went up to HR, I found the CEO there with the HR manager and three other coworkers. I very calmly asked if my check was ready.

The CEO looked at me and said, "Get the fuck out, you son of a..." with a very serious face and absolutely no joking tone.

I didn't argue. I didn't even answer. I turned around, went back to my office, packed my things, and left.

Now I have three offers with better salaries in the works, and a few texts from the CEO saying he was "just joking." I haven't replied to any of them, and I'm planning to give notice on Wednesday.

Late salaries, insults to my face, disappearing health insurance, and a hostile work environment all around... No thanks.

After a long run in tech, it finally happened to me. I found a meeting added to my calendar out of nowhere with the big boss, heard the usual corporate funeral speech, and then that was it, I was out. My company has been moving tech roles out of the country for a while, so honestly it was more a matter of when, not whether, someone would get cut.

Right now I'm going to sit with it for a bit, but I'm shocked and pissed off. The market is tough, and being more on the senior side probably isn't going to make the search any easier at all!!

What a hell of a week to quit sniffing glue.