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The original was posted on /r/antiwork by /u/RateCold867 on 2025-09-24 17:34:43+00:00.
I work full time in a produce department and for the first time in a month, we actually had a closer scheduled and the department finally looked decent in the morning. That one change made me realize just how bad things normally are.
It’s usually just me and one other person in the morning, and we’re expected to both stock the shelves AND break down the truck. Yeah it’s technically possible with two people but we have to run around just to do it. That means we have to run around basically working three jobs worth of labor at once just to "catch up."
What’s even worse than the workload is the gaslighting. When I go all out I’m really tired by the end of my shift. But when I slow down to a reasonable pace suddenly it’s, “Why’s the department looking bad?” or “What’s going on with you guys today you’re moving like snails?” He actually said if this keeps going he’s going to have to make some schedule changes and hire new guys for the morning if we’re not going to be able to keep up.
The last week I finally decided to match the pace of everyone else in the department (Who work very slow, always on their phones or hiding in the bathroom) and everything started falling apart.
What’s funny is my boss noticed things were looking worse in the department the last week. I didn’t admit to him that I’ve purposely slowed down to a normal pace but the fact that he noticed just shows that means I’m 100% the one who makes the department look good or not and if I slow down because the other co workers suck the whole place suffers. I don’t get how he doesn’t see it? I mean he must.
Also this dude is a full blown micromanager. He’s constantly hovering, asking “What are you doing now?” or “What’s next?” Sometimes he’ll literally ask that right as I’m walking back from break, like I’m supposed to know what to do before I even get a chance to see the floor again. It’s nonstop.
And then there’s the bathroom comments. If someone takes 10-15 minutes and clearly went to take a shit, it’s “Where were you?” or “Did you get lost?” Or he’ll joke (but not really joking) like, “Damn why does everyone here shit so much?” He actually came into the department and said to everyone that if bathroom breaks last 20 minutes, they’ll count as our second break.
Meanwhile, there’s a coworker who regularly disappears for 45-50 minute breaks and nothing gets said. But I came back 4 minutes late once (34 minutes total) and got told, “We gotta work on our breaks. You were 4 minutes over”
He also makes these comments about how he shouldn’t have to babysit us, or we need to be better when he’s not around. It’s just more passive aggressive guilt tripping. The kind of comment that makes it feel like everything is your fault no matter what you do.
I’m just so done. I’ve realized the only reason things “run smoothly” is because I’m breaking my back to keep them from falling apart. And now I’m being micromanaged, overworked, and guilted on top of it.
The obvious answers is to get another job and I’m working on it. It’s just tough and I can’t find anything at the moment that will pay enough. So Idk what to do for the time being. I’m typically able to remain pretty stoic and brush things off my shoulders easily but I do feel myself getting to a point where I might actually yell at him.
I know this doesn’t really matter as much and it’s more of a mental thing but I’m a big guy. I’m 6’1, 260 pounds. This guy is like 5’6. So when he talks to me like he does it’s like “Ugh you know you only really have power over me right now because of your position”. People have actually said he has a napoleon complex and one of these days someone is gonna punch him lmao
I just don’t get what his problem is. He’s only 30 and I’m 2 years younger than him.