Malicious compliance is when a worker follows a manager's orders to a tee—to the point of it having an adverse effect on that manager or workplace. TikTok user Chris (@chrispa46) shared his act of malicious compliance after his boss tried to contact him outside of work hours.
The content creator sits in his car while letting the text overlay on his video tell the story for him. His video now has 1.3 million views.
According to one study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, 37% of jobs can be done remotely. Chris said in his TikTok that he has one of those jobs. Still, he said his company asked him to complete all of his work in the office.
The move backfired on the company. Chris said he complied, deleting his email from his phone along with Microsoft Teams.
"My boss tried to call me last night for something urgent and couldn't reach me," Chris shared.
Chris said his boss questioned why he was unable to reach Chris, and Chris reminded him that he was just following orders. “I am not allowed to work from home," he said.
Recent studies suggest that offices that make their employees return to the workplace after letting them work remotely during COVID times are hurting themselves. Remote workers, according to some studies, have been shown to work longer hours and harder than in-office employees.
In the comments section, viewers praised Chris for standing his ground and pointed out that his act was one of malicious compliance.
“Good. I’m so glad you did that. Make them understand, you are NOT working from home anymore,” one viewer applauded.
“Way to go and don’t answer calls off the clock, weekends or vacay!” a second agreed.
“Can’t have it both ways,” a third noted.
In addition, others revealed their similar acts of malicious compliance.
“I did the same thing. even blocked then from my personal phone and they can only reach me on company phone that stays at work,” one user commented.
“When i was 100% in office—I blocked my managers from my personal phone,” a second shared.
According to a SkyNova study, over 20% of workers surveyed reported that their workplaces call them every day outside of work. Sixty-three percent of employees believe it should be illegal for employers to contact them outside of work hours.
Earlier in the month, California introduced a bill called “The Right To Disconnect Act." This bill which is set to go into effect in 2024, is going to prohibit employers from reaching out to workers after work hours. Other countries, such as France, Italy, and Belgium, have similar laws in place.
The Daily Dot reached out to Chris via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.
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