Laptop Flop, Part 43

Bosses/Owners/Managers, Malicious Compliance, Office, Reddit, Tech Support, Technology, USA | Working | CREDIT: smohk1 | January 8, 2026

I was sitting in my office one slow day, and the CEO walked in (always a pucker moment, even though I’m on VERY good terms with him), and he handed me an (obviously non-business) laptop.

CEO: “Can you get it back up and running? It has a very important thing on it that’s needed shortly.”

As I wasn’t doing anything, and he still signed my paycheck, I said:

Me: “You got it, sir!”

Later, a middle manager comes in and asks me to do something. I say:

Me: “You’re number two in line.”

I point to the (obviously not corporate) laptop I am fixing. [Middle Manager] doesn’t like that much!

Middle Manager: “Call whoever’s laptop that is and tell them that it isn’t acceptable for you to be working on personal equipment. Right now!”

So, I pulled out my cell and called. The middle manager could only hear my half of the conversation, but what he heard was something like:

Me: “Hey Tom, I got Bob here telling me it isn’t acceptable for me to be working on your personal stuff, and he wanted me to call you and tell you…”

Me: “Oh sure, he’s right here, hang on.”

I hand the phone to the manager.

Middle Manager: “It’s not acceptable—”

And then his eyes get REAL BIG, and the rest of the conversation is “yes, sir” and “no, sir”. He hung up and thundered:

Middle Manager: “Why didn’t you tell me it was the CEO’s laptop?!”

Me: “You didn’t give me a chance and demanded I call them RIGHT NOW!”