Work relationships can be iffy under the best of circumstances. Add in an entitled worker who loses their job and feels slighted, and an intra-email system and petty revenge will take care of itself. The following story has all these elements and more.
Superior Karen
A woman we’ll call “Lisa” worked with a woman we’ll call “Karen.” Karen was considered a project manager and had been with company A for 15 years. It was obvious to Lisa that she felt superior in her role. Lisa also revealed that Karen was more like an office admin, and many interoffice projects got handed to her.
Hello, and Thank You
Lisa says that eventually, a project got passed to her, which made Karen mad. Karen stonewalled her at every turn and was difficult to work with. This caused the project to fall behind, making Lisa’s life miserable at work. When she told the executives that it was hard to get information from Karen, the woman tried to make an about-face, becoming overly sweet and saying that Lisa didn’t understand the project. Lisa powered through despite Karen’s attitude.
Bye
Lisa says that not too long after the delayed project situation, the company had a heavy round of layoffs, and Karen was one of the employees who were let go. Because she’d been with the company so long, Lisa says she got a three-month severance to be paid month by month as well as some other extended benefits. Upon her exit, Lisa says Karen had to sign both an NDA and a non-disparagement agreement. She also had to confirm that she’d handed over all files, documents, and important materials.
Houston, There’s a Problem
Lisa explained that the company used an interconnected network for email and other work-related interactions. At the time, platforms like Google Drive, Slack, and Teams weren’t available, so everything was shared on a massive drive, but it made finding backup materials a pain. Lisa says that when she went to retrieve some files, they weren’t there; Karen had apparently deleted them. Thankfully Karen used her work email for all of her personal accounts, including LinkedIn.
Knock Knock
According to Lisa, it was also company policy that anyone who’d left the company would have their work emails forwarded to their department head for a few months after their departure. Lisa sent Karen a quick message “Hi Karen – I heard about your departure. I hope you can use the time to take the vacation you talked about. I went to grab some of the files but noticed they were missing. Do you have backups you could share?.” Feeling smug, Karen wrote her a snide response, which, because Karen used her work email, also went to her former department head. “Don’t pretend to be nice. I wouldn’t be surprised if you helped me get fired. Good luck finding any of those files. I DELETED EVERYTHING. Screw you.”
Stop Payment
Lisa said that once that email hit the department head’s desk, all payments to Karen stopped immediately as it was determined that she had violated her severance agreement. Lisa doesn’t feel the least bit sorry. Of course, when she posted her story to an online forum, people felt free to share their thoughts.
Napoleon
Someone left an apt quote by Napoleon Bonaparte. “Never interrupt your enemy while they are making a mistake.”
It was ME
Another user suspects Lisa used her message as a small dig at Karen. “I want you to suspect it was me but never be able to prove it, so there is doubt eating at you with no sense of closure for the rest of your days.”
Boomer Attitude
One contributor knows Karen’s attitude isn’t solely the fault of her age. “People like your Karen are the reason some companies lock employees to be laid off from everything at least the evening before. Also, while that person may have been a boomer, her attitude and the action she took when laid off is shared by others of any age.”
Can’t Fix Stupid
An interested party knows that stupidity has nothing to do with when someone was born. “Frankly, the fact that she is a Boomer has nothing to do with it. If you are going to break the rules, you should learn not to leave it in the open. Whatever the generation, you can’t cure stupidity.”
Gen X, Maybe?
Lisa stopped by to discuss tech with the forum. “There’s a weird subset of generations that were born ’75-’85 that have a higher level of tech aptitude than preceding and following generations. They grew up with it as part of their daily lives but also had to figure it out.”
Well-Played
One respondent really thinks Lisa did a great job handling Karen. “That’s cold but sounds like she devoted some serious time trying to screw you over. That was well played. I mean, she didn’t make it hard, lol, but well played.”
Honest and Decent
Another informed participant knows being honest is the way to go. “Once, I was laid off, and my boss went out to lunch and left me rearranging folders, passing on all of my contacts to his email, and finalizing a few PowerPoints. I wasn’t escorted out; on the contrary, they trusted me to fill in any blanks I might have left. We left the building together at night, having a good laugh. They gave me a 6-month severance, an NDA, and a gleaming letter of recommendation. Sometimes it pays to be honest and decent.”
Shut It
Someone else knows all about NDAs. “When you’re let go and sign documents, keep your mouth shut until you have all that’s owed you. Or at least don’t put anything in writing.”
Oh That Karen
One reader understands just how maliciously stupid “Karens” can be. “Tell me you’re a Karen without telling me you’re a Karen.”
Sound Words
A couple of respondents to the forum shared some catchy words to live by. “Say it and forget it. Write it and regret it. Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes.”
Generational Stereotypes
Plenty of “Boomers,” “Millenials,” and “Gen X” readers took issue with Karen being described as tech-ignorant because of her age and “Boomer” status. They rightfully pointed out that her mistakes had little to do with the year she was born and everything to do with her nasty, spiteful attitude. Getting over on someone stretches across generations and has nothing to do with when someone was born and everything to do with that person’s need for revenge.
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