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Antiwork

Boss wanted me to buy a car… to work longer hours… for no extra pay

This happened about ten years ago. I was working at a large(ish) software company and one day my boss called me into his office. He said that the project I was working on was in serious trouble and he needed me to “step up” and save it. I told him that I was already working full-time, and I would need to start working extra hours to get things back on track. Unfortunately, I lived about an hour away and I took the bus to work. Due to the limited bus hours, there was no way for me stay at work longer; so I politely asked if the company could rent me a car, or maybe put me up in a hotel near the office. My boss *laughed* at my suggestions. Then he told me to just buy a second car. I asked him, “You want me to buy a new…


This happened about ten years ago. I was working at a large(ish) software company and one day my boss called me into his office. He said that the project I was working on was in serious trouble and he needed me to “step up” and save it.

I told him that I was already working full-time, and I would need to start working extra hours to get things back on track. Unfortunately, I lived about an hour away and I took the bus to work. Due to the limited bus hours, there was no way for me stay at work longer; so I politely asked if the company could rent me a car, or maybe put me up in a hotel near the office.

My boss *laughed* at my suggestions. Then he told me to just buy a second car.

I asked him, “You want me to buy a new car, pay for gas, toll fees, maintenance, and city parking just so I can work longer hours for no extra pay?” (I was on salary.)

He thought for a moment, then he said, “You can always take a cab home and charge the company.” So that's what I did. For the next three months I took a cab home… 5 to 6 nights per week… at nearly $100 per trip, including my generous tip. Would have been cheaper to rent me a car.

I was making pretty good progress but then our new studio VP, not liking where the project was after over a year in development, tried to put me on a PIP (performance improvement plan).

So I quit.

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