Employee rants on 'backstabbing manager' on Reddit. Netizens school him: 'How old are you?'

A Reddit user recently shared a personal story that struck a chord with many who’ve experienced the unpredictable nature of corporate life. What began as a seemingly easy workday turned into an exhausting evening filled with frustration—and a realization about misplaced trust in a manager.

The 'Lucky' Day Begins

The day started with a packed schedule—five client meetings spread across the workday. The employee's manager, seemingly in a light mood, approached him with a smile and a casual thumbs up. “Hey, buddy, you’re lucky today. You don’t have to work—just sit in meetings, listen to the clients’ nonsense, and head home,” he joked.

Encouraged by the relaxed tone and the perceived green light, the employee looked forward to a laid-back day. With nothing but repetitive client discussions ahead, he imagined passing the time easily—sitting through meetings, occasionally zoning out, and filling the gaps with Instagram reels. After all, if anyone questioned his lack of productivity, he could truthfully say he had been in meetings all day—and his manager was already aware.

A False Sense of Relief

The workday followed the expected rhythm. Meetings came and went, most of them repeating the same conversations he had heard many times before. By 5:30 PM, he had wrapped up all scheduled calls and was mentally preparing to head home. With only one hour left on the clock, he was looking forward to winding down.

Then, just thirty minutes before the end of the workday, his manager returned—again with a smile and a thumbs up. This time, the mood shifted.

A Sudden Twist

“Hey, something critical came up, and I need this done today—on an urgent basis,” the manager said. “Can you do me a favor and stretch a little bit to get this finished before EOD?”

Before the employee could respond, the manager flashed another cheerful thumbs up, followed by a premature “Thank you,” and walked away without waiting for an answer.

What was supposed to be a simple “stretch” turned into a grueling late evening. The task ended up taking until 9 PM, extending his workday by more than two hours.

Two Hard Lessons

Reflecting on the day, the Redditor walked away with two key insights. First, he realized that a day filled with meetings isn’t necessarily an easy one—it just drains your energy in a different way. Second, and more importantly, he understood that not every smile or thumbs up from a manager comes from a place of support. In his own words, “A manager’s thumbs up is equal to a middle finger.”

The post resonated with thousands of readers, many of whom shared similar experiences in the comments. It served as a lighthearted yet poignant reminder that in the workplace, appearances can be deceiving—and even a casual thumbs-up might come with a hidden agenda.

Netizens React

Reddit users responded to the post with various degrees of skepticism. One wrote, "This is not backstabbing. You are yet to experience what real backstabbing is."

Another seconded, "Very true. The kind of blatant backstabbing and office politics I faced in Kolkata IT offices is something I will never forget."

Another user offered a different perspective, suggesting that the manager’s actions were not necessarily an act of betrayal. According to them, the manager was simply trying to meet a deadline and chose to assign work in the evening to ensure delivery. “This isn’t backstabbing,” they explained. “Backstabbing would be if he threw you under the bus or blamed you for a mistake in front of the higher-ups.” From their point of view, the situation reflected poor timing and communication rather than intentional deceit.