A Reddit user’s account of how their boss’s attempt to avoid paying full severance backfired spectacularly has garnered significant attention on the platform’s r/pettyrevenge community. The post, shared by user u/TrantorX, has accumulated over 12,000 upvotes and 213 comments as readers rallied behind the employee’s refusal to accept less than they were legally owed.
Nearly Two Decades of Employment Ends Abruptly
According to the post, the user had worked for the company for almost 20 years when their boss informed them they were “too expensive” to keep on the payroll.
“I’m told by boss, in a nonchalant manner that I’m too expensive and not needed. However, he will not fire me yet!”
the user wrote.
Instead of immediate termination, the boss placed the employee on a special government status—a form of paid leave that could last several months. This arrangement gave the company time to prepare financially for the dismissal or reconsider the decision.
Administrative Error Creates Leverage
Two months into the paid leave period, the employee was called back to the boss’s office. The atmosphere was immediately tense.
“Once there, he looks p——. I try to be cheery since I know it will p— him off even more, and ask how’s everything? Turns out, not fine,”
they wrote.
The boss had missed the deadline to submit a request for extending the paid leave arrangement, and the extension was denied. Consequently, the company became obligated to pay the employee for the previous two months despite no work being performed during that time.
Boss Attempts to Negotiate Down Legal Obligation
When presenting payment options, the boss offered several alternatives—none of which involved paying the full amount upfront. The employee characterized the proposals as deeply insulting given their tenure.
“To say his offers were disrespectful would be a big understatement,” the user wrote. “This is no small amount of money we’re talking about. I’ve worked for almost 20 years with this company and the mandatory payment is HUGE—and well deserved. He’s trying to get me to voluntarily give up 80% of my compensation.”
Knowing the Law Proves Decisive
The user later clarified in an edit that they were located in South America, where labor laws provide strong severance protections.
“Once you’re fired in my country, the employer has 7 days to legally pay you what they must, otherwise they’re forced to pay you by the government, with a 10% extra on top for your troubles,”
they wrote.
This legal framework meant the former boss was required to pay the full severance amount within seven days of the dismissal notification, regardless of any alternative payment arrangements he had proposed.
Full Payment Secured After Legal Reality Check
The employee declined to accept any reduced settlement. After explaining the statutory requirements to their former boss and highlighting the administrative error that triggered the obligation, they received their full compensation.
Commenters on the thread praised the employee for standing their ground. Many emphasized the importance of understanding workplace rights and legal entitlements, while others noted the disparity in severance protections across different countries.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in the Reddit post. The details in this article are based on the account shared by u/TrantorX on r/pettyrevenge.
