Useless Boss Tells Employee To “Automate Everything,” So He Does — Including Her Job

It’s ironic when the laziest person in the office preaches about “efficiency.” This employee’s manager was known for skipping out early, delegating everything, and coasting on charm until her own team decided to make her truly redundant.

When the analyst automated the reports she’d built her reputation on, the higher-ups quickly realized how little value she brought to the table. One well-timed script later, her secret affair with her boss wasn’t the only thing exposed. Sometimes automation isn’t just about saving time; it’s poetic justice.

A data analyst shared one story that makes every burned-out office worker cheer from their desk

According to organizational psychologist Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author of Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?, corporate hierarchies often reward confidence over competence. “Many people mistake assertiveness for ability,” he writes, which explains why leaders like Kerry thrive until genuine skill exposes them.

A 2022 Gallup study found that 82% of managers are chosen based on performance in non-leadership roles rather than their ability to manage others. When such managers face automation or data-driven transparency, their lack of value becomes glaringly obvious. In this case, technology simply held up a mirror.

Automation isn’t the villain here; misuse of authority is. As Dr. Rita McGrath, a Columbia Business School professor, notes in Forbes, “Automation doesn’t replace leaders, it exposes them.”

Companies that embrace it ethically tend to see improved efficiency and accountability. Kerry’s mistake was assuming her charm could outlast innovation.

There’s also a sociological layer here: the “fear of redundancy.” According to a 2023 Express Employment Professionals report, 72% of workers say they fear automation will reduce job security. Yet, as this story proves, automation doesn’t replace good workers, it replaces bad ones. When technology becomes a test of contribution, true value finally shows.

For employees, don’t fear innovation; own it. Learning automation tools or data systems doesn’t just make your job safer; it makes you indispensable.

For leaders, humility and transparency matter more than control. Encourage your team’s efficiency projects, but stay involved enough to understand them. The modern workplace rewards adaptability, not authority for its own sake and as this story shows, even one smart script can change the balance of power.

Take a look at the comments from fellow users:

These Redditors responded with humor, cracking jokes about automation taking over

This group shared similar workplace revenge tales

These commenters focused on the outcome, praising OP for earning recognition and a bonus

Both highlighted the educational and practical side of automation, saying it’s a skill worth teaching or learning

This Redditor didn’t just save his company money; he delivered poetic justice in binary form. A boss who mistook laziness for leadership discovered that efficiency doesn’t play favorites.

Would you dare automate a superior’s work if you knew it could backfire or would you let incompetence ride to keep the peace? Drop your thoughts … and maybe back up your code first.