A local dessert shop, known for its seasonal hiring of high school and college students, recently became the center of a workplace controversy after a boss’s attempt to assert authority backfired. According to a post shared on Reddit, the boss, who frequently reacts strongly when employees quit, faced unexpected consequences when a new hire decided to resign without notice.
Immediate Retaliation Sparks Backlash
The situation began when a new seasonal employee, still in high school, submitted her two-week notice to focus on school commitments. The boss reacted by immediately canceling all of her remaining shifts, seemingly as a form of punishment. “Goodbye!” the boss reportedly said, expressing disbelief that the employee would leave.
The Reddit user who shared the incident highlighted the stark contrast in treatment when another employee, a different high schooler, quit without prior notice. Unlike the first case, the boss reportedly became upset, not over the resignation itself, but because they were unable to execute a similar “power move” against the employee.
Double Standards
Commenters on Reddit were quick to point out the hypocrisy. One user noted, “Boss isn’t upset the second one quit. They are upset they couldn’t pull their ‘power move to stick it to them’ by cancelling their shifts.” Another added that word had spread among staff about the boss’s retaliatory tendencies, suggesting that this behavior could encourage future no-notice resignations.
The post highlighted the broader implications for employee morale. “You can never make your boss happy. They will always shift the goal post but still cry victim,” wrote the original poster, reflecting the frustration among staff.
This incident is not isolated. Multiple Reddit users shared similar experiences where bosses reacted immediately to resignations, sometimes letting employees go the same day despite notice periods. “I have seen multiple instances of someone giving 2 weeks notice only told to leave almost immediately. It’s freaking hypocritical,” one user remarked. Another explained that high turnover often results from such management behavior, noting that power struggles and financial insecurity on the boss’s part may play a role.