New Manager claims first-come, first-served served employee parking spot, sends email promising to retaliate against and tow any staff who dare park in it, Big Boss forced to intervene and put them in their place: ‘That’s my parking spot’ – FAIL Blog

The disparity between the mundanity of the subject, which is just a few painted lines on asphalt, or a spot on the curb on the street, and the reactions that some people have to parking is almost humorous. Or it would be if they weren’t so sternly serious about it.

It’s not unusual for a new manager to enter the workplace with swaggering bravado, wanting to establish their authority over their subordinates quickly and clearly. Meanwhile, they do little to establish their capability as a leader and lay the groundwork to build and foster trust and relationships with the team that will lead to a successful workplace culture. 

In this case, it would have been one thing if they were the actual owner of the business and wanted to clearly reserve a spot for themselves, but this manager didn’t even have the authority to get a label made for the first-come, first-served employee parking space that they were trying to lay claim to.