Worker's Reaction After Boss Asking Him to 'Gain Some Perspective' Praised

An employee's response to his boss telling him to "gain some perspective" is being applauded online, after the man took his advice—and got a better job.

For five years, Reddit user u/BeeeRick worked as an IT administrator for a company that provided tech systems for small businesses. "When I interviewed, the boss seemed like a friendly but professional person," the 35-year-old, from Oregon, told Newsweek. "The pay initially was so-so, but I wasn't too worried about it."

During his time there, BeeeRick went from supporting just a few users to roughly 250 businesses. His days were spent troubleshooting a range of IT issues to installing software and devices. Although BeeeRick was successful in his role, his boss's attitude became more and more of an issue. "He was just this condescending, arrogant, abrasive jerk," BeeeRick said. "I would have an anxiety attack every time he called me or texted me."

Sixty-one percent of American workers are thinking about handing in their notice this year, according to research by LinkedIn. Surveying 2,000 U.S. employees, the social-media platform found the top reasons for switching jobs included a higher salary, more growth opportunities and flexible work arrangements, especially among millennials and Generation Z.

Exclusive research for Newsweek found that one-third of Americans are "quiet quitting"—doing the absolute bare minimum at work until they find a new role.

After years of dealing with his bullying boss and difficult clients, BeeeRick had enough. He discovered that his boss expected him to commute three hours a day, three days a week, to work in a new market. When he refused, BeeeRick was subjected to a brutal scolding that lasted an hour. "I was having to drive to and from work on my own time, then work the 8-hour-plus day," he said.

"After doing that [for] a few months I told my boss I didn't want to do it. That's when my boss got angry and lectured me," BeeeRick added.

His boss implied that BeeeRick had no future at the company and told him to "take a long hard look at himself and gain some perspective." So, the Reddit user took his advice, and two weeks later he'd found another job with increased pay, benefits and a better work-life balance.

When his boss found out that BeeeRick had quit, he begged him to stay, offering him a raise. In response, the Reddit poster said: "No thanks, I finally found that perspective you wanted me to find. Boy am I glad I did!"

After telling his boss that leaving was "the only advice of value" he'd ever given him, BeeeRick was told not to return. A year later, and the poster has settled into his new role and loves his new boss and co-workers.

"I did have a great feeling about my new employer from the second I met my new boss," BeeeRick said.

"The staff I encountered were friendly, people were smiling, it didn't feel like a dark cloud was over the place when I was there," he added.

BeeeRick feels valued by his new employer and receives recognition for the work he is doing, while his former boss has had difficulty filling his role.

"I have heard from my former coworkers a few times," BeeeRick said. "It's funny too to hear that employees they hired after I left haven't lasted very long. I can only imagine why."

BeeeRick shared his story with Reddit's Malicious Compliance forum, where it received over 24,000 upvotes from fellow users.

"The more they need you, the more they act like you need them," wrote cultured_banana_slug.

"I guarantee he hasn't learned a thing," commented Penguin_Joy.

"Bosses like this rarely realize that 'perspective' is the last thing they want you to get," said baka-tari.

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