Cruel Manager Gets Himself Suspended After Forcefully Yanking A Fidget Toy From An Autistic Employee Who Also Has ADHD
"People will often choose their hill to die on without actually realizing that they might die on that hill."
One office dispute over a fidget toy turned into a full-blown mess when a manager decided to grab an autistic employee’s coping tool and toss it away. The employee, who also has ADHD, had already been told by HR that the toys were allowed, but her boss kept pushing the issue anyway.
What should have been a simple workplace accommodation quickly became a power struggle, and the manager’s reaction crossed a line. After he forcefully yanked the toy from her hands, the situation escalated fast, and the fallout landed on him instead.
Now the office is dealing with the consequences, and the story has plenty of people taking sides.
This is how OP's story goes
ToysInTheOfficeThis is how OP's story goes
OP's toys are more than playthings for her; they're her way of coping when she can't focus on the change of settings
ToysInTheOfficeHer manager ordered OP to remove the toys in a rather impolite manner, but according to HR, there's no rule against them
ToysInTheOffice
One time, OP was using the pup-in-a-cup fidget toy, and out of the blue, the manager threw it away.
OP took action to accommodate her needs by talking to HR and her boss's manager. Kyle, OP's boss, was suspended from work when he was three years away from retirement.
ToysInTheOffice
That was the moment everything went sideways.
Kyle defended his actions and blamed OP for overreacting
ToysInTheOffice
Kyle did everything on purpose, and he has to face the consequences
Mkheir01
Kyle did everything on purpose, and he has to face the consequences.
He doesn't want to appear as the bad guy
ICWhatsNUrP
It shouldn't even be surprising; it's common sense
CynicallyGemini
It shouldn't even be surprising; it's common sense.
The situation occurred not because of what OP chose to bring into the office, but because of her manager's behavior
enigmasaurus-
Kyle might not consider the value of employees as long as he can do whatever he wants
RedditKentiar
Kyle might not consider the value of employees as long as he can do whatever he wants.
A Redditor is not tolerating bullying in their workplace and is trying to eliminate that problem
ExodusTheBard
OP's toy wasn't even inappropriate; it's even recognized by some corporations
GratificationNOW
OP's toy wasn't even inappropriate; it's even recognized by some corporations.
It might have been different in Kyle's era
GratificationNOW
It's a different generation, and people are more vocal now when they are wronged
sawdustandfleas
It's miserable growing old as a bully
GladMagician5611
It's also wise to let HR handle it in case he tries something
SlartieB
It's also wise to let HR handle it in case he tries something.
Reading between the lines
Ritehandwingman
There might be unwarranted judgment from Kyle's side, according to Redditors
Red_orange_indigo
That realization might have hit the nail on the head, and people dealing with conditions like OP are already speaking out
mkat23
There's a struggle every day to complete tasks when you can't focus consistently
rosatter
Mundane tasks are thought over twice because of distractions
rosatter
It differs, but even mild symptoms are daily disruptions
rosatter
It's hard to hear when they don't treat you as a normal person
ScathingHagfish
People who deal with struggles like OP or other Redditors who commented on the thread have enough on their plates. They work as others do, yet they still face judgment.
They are fidget toys for OP, but they might mean something different for someone else; however, it's not inappropriate. Nor was it against the rules, so what Kyle did to OP is rightfully followed by consequences.
Now Kyle has to deal with the fallout.
Also, see why one coworker faced backlash after OP tossed their repeatedly stolen lunch.
