Malicious compliance in the chemistry lab.

[u/animal_chin9]

I worked in a chemistry testing lab for a while. For those of you that don't know, it is pretty common to have a "list of posted documents." When a document (procedure, work instruction, etc.) gets posted in the lab it gets added to the list of posted documents. That way if a new version gets updated it gets updated where it is posted in the lab.

Well we had this really old hot water bath. It was so ancient that the temperature dial didn't even have the degrees each setting corresponded to. It just had the numbers 1-10. So every time somebody used it at a new setting they would write on a post-it note that was on the front of the water bath what temp it got to.

I knew that our internal auditor was coming for an audit and I also new that this post-it note was technically a posted document. So I added it to the posted documents list! I also gave it a really long title because I thought that was funny. Something like "Thermo brand hot water bath temperature dial conversion to degrees Celsius chart." When the auditor saw it she said I was "being a smartass." 🤭

[u/tsian]

A smartass to the nth degree...

[u/warkolm → u/tsian]

to the 10th degree! :p

[u/GotGRR → u/tsian]

... the best degree!

[u/atomicsnarl → u/GotGRR]

But mine goes to 11. Nyah!

[u/GotGRR → u/atomicsnarl]

I'll admit, it's more satisfying than setting it to N.

[u/Magical_Savior → u/GotGRR]

I would have to set it to P to feel complete.

[u/GotGRR → u/Magical_Savior]

You don't like that rolling backwards feeling?

[u/mrdenzino → u/atomicsnarl]

Better than a dumbass

[u/GroundbreakingCat983 → u/tsian]

To the ISO 9001 degree

[u/habershamglam]

I wouldn’t have said you were a smart ass. I would have written an OFI to control the post it document with a doc number, rev, and date. Just make it all clean and tidy.

[u/animal_chin9 → u/habershamglam]

Ohh the post-it note was labeled with all that stuff. I'm no amateur. :)

[u/habershamglam → u/animal_chin9]

I would have given you a gold star ⭐️ please accept this award on behalf of the other auditors with a good sense of humor and love of documentation.

[u/Think-Committee-4394]

Workplace signage can be fun, I used to work in a controlled access electronics stores area, over years the control bit had become more & more relaxed till the inevitable occurred & something expensive went AWOL

big management flapping about who would/wouldn’t be allowed in

Everyone’s arguing about why they should get access

Finally I put new signage up

UNAUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY

It took a week before anyone commented

[u/animal_chin9 → u/Think-Committee-4394]

Not entirely unexpected. When you have too much signage people just tune it out.

[u/Automatater]

Well, you were being a smart ass, but there's no reason for her to point that out as if it were a bad thing!

[u/animal_chin9 → u/Automatater]

We had decent rapport with each other so I'm guessing it was said half jokingly. haha

[u/Chaosmusic → u/animal_chin9]

So you had good chemistry.

[u/Illuminatus-Prime → u/Chaosmusic]

That made her part of the solution.

[u/mgerics → u/Illuminatus-Prime]

<sigh>

Applying Angry Upvote to the previous two replies.

Thank you.

[u/Illuminatus-Prime → u/mgerics]

Sorry to have precipitated your anger.

[u/commentsrnice2 → u/Illuminatus-Prime]

Are we waiting for their feelings to sublimate?

[u/Illuminatus-Prime → u/commentsrnice2]

I'll wait for them to evaporate.

[u/mgerics → u/Illuminatus-Prime]

OMG, staaaahp!

[u/Chaosmusic]

If the auditor didn't take it well you could have ended up in hot water.

[u/Metraxis → u/Chaosmusic]

There was that one time when I mixed up Jacuzzi and Yakuza. Wound up in hot water with the Japanese mafia.

[u/Chaosmusic → u/Metraxis]

The Jakuza? Hot Tub Time Machine 3, Ninja Turtles Through Time

[u/kittenvera9]

told my lab partner to use a stir rod instead of shaking, got a whole lecture about it being "old school

[u/CommanderP5 → u/kittenvera9]

James Bond would be disappointed..

[u/plotthick]

I am an Editor. The Auditor was incorrect, it should have been "Being an excellent smartass"!

[u/HitlerLivesOnTheMoon]

"For reference use only"

Top tier stamp

[u/hellyea63]

Better than being a dumbass

[u/InsectElectrical2066]

Better a smartass than a dumbass.

[u/Nothalffast]

Intellectual Gluteous Maximus

[u/51225]

Nothing wrong with being a smartass

[u/Crazy_Cat_Lady_Num5]

Not the ending I expected. I read the title and the words "in the chemistry lab" gave it a really ominous feeling. 🤣 I guess I got my fill of chemistry lab accidents in high school and my first year in college.