The Office Showdown: How One Admin Outmaneuvered “Lazy Suzy” and Won
There’s nothing quite like a workplace drama where the underappreciated hero finally gets their due—and the villain, in this case “Lazy Suzy,” walks herself straight into the trap. If you’ve ever found yourself drowning in deadlines while your colleague reclines at their desk, this is the story for you. It’s a tale of quiet cunning, office politics, and a mic-drop moment of poetic justice that had Reddit’s r/PettyRevenge community in stitches.
When “Busy” Means “Barely Moving”: The Set-Up
Our protagonist, a beleaguered admin assistant, was pulling double (or triple) duty, supporting five professionals and just barely keeping her head above water. Enter Suzy—her counterpart, responsible for only three execs, with plenty of time on her hands. Or so it seemed. When the pressure mounted, our hero asked Suzy to help with an urgent assignment. Suzy’s response? Two days before the deadline, she plopped the work right back on her desk, claiming she was “too busy”—a claim about as believable as a three-dollar bill.
The OP (original poster) had had enough. Instead of confronting Suzy directly, she decided to play a smarter game. She approached each of Suzy’s three people and asked if they had any outstanding admin tasks. The answer, across the board: “None right now.” As one top commenter, u/consulent-finanziar, put it: “One of those moments where you barely have to do anything at all and the situation collapses under its own weight.”
The Trap Is Set: Office Meeting Mic Drop
Armed with evidence and a dash of righteous indignation, OP marched into her manager’s office, laying out her case for rebalancing the workload. She pointed out that Suzy’s unit had nothing on their plate, while she was clocking overtime to keep the ship afloat. The real magic, though, happened in the Monday morning staff meeting.
When the manager asked why overtime was necessary, OP coolly replied, “Ask Suzy. That work had been on her desk. Then she brought it back to me.” Suzy, sticking to her story, claimed she was “too busy.” That’s when the manager, with the precision of a reality TV judge, asked Suzy’s three execs if they’d given her any tasks. Cue the awkward silence. As u/BootySuccubun quipped, “She literally set herself up for that. You just handed her the mic and boom.” Suzy blushed, stared at her shoes, and the entire room collectively winced through the most excruciating silence since your last Zoom meeting froze mid-sentence.
Community Chimes In: Applause, Analysis, and Admin Appreciation
Reddit’s reaction was as swift as it was savage. “Yo… you didn’t just expose her, you orchestrated the ultimate self-own. Legendary 😭,” wrote u/MoistGoblettes, capturing the spirit of the post. Others saw the humor in the “Lazy Suzy” nickname—u/Pawpaw-22 noted, “Glad you called her Lazy Suzy vs lazy Susan because a lazy Susan at least does its job!” (A sentiment OP later confirmed: “As someone pointed out, Lazy Susans do the job they are meant to do.”)
But there was more than just applause. Many commenters highlighted the unsung role of admin staff in keeping organizations humming. As u/BayAreaPupMom wisely observed, “Not only are [admins] usually lovely hard working people, but they often know best how to work the system… Most underrated ally to getting things done is the department or exec admin!” Others shared tips: networking, temping, and upskilling (even getting a notary license!) as great ways to break into admin roles.
There were, of course, a few side-eyes directed at management for not knowing who was actually busy. u/Original-Track-4828 summed it up: “This is a failure of management to have no idea what work is in the pipeline, and how it’s being assigned.” But as OP clarified, Suzy’s role was meant to absorb overflow when things got hectic—she just chose not to. Or as u/iccohen put it: “You didn’t get her, SHE got herself fired. You just accelerated the process.”
The Fallout: When the Trash Takes Itself Out
By the end of the month, Suzy was gone and interviews for a replacement had begun. OP’s department could breathe again, and the balance of workload was (hopefully) restored. As several commenters pointed out, firing Suzy wasn’t just about justice—it was about making sure the next admin would actually lighten the load, not add to it.
And if you’re wondering whether this was “petty” or just plain effective, u/NewNameNeededAgain settled it: “I don’t know if this qualifies as petty—she did get fired after all—but it’s sure as hell exquisite! And deserved.”
Conclusion: When Doing Your Job Is a Superpower
Sometimes, all it takes is a little observation, a well-timed question, and the courage to speak up to turn the tables. As this story shows, you don’t need to be the loudest or flashiest person in the room to make a difference—you just need to know what’s really going on (and who’s really working).
Have you ever witnessed (or orchestrated!) a workplace comeuppance? Do you have admin horror—or hero—stories of your own? Share your thoughts, tales, and tips below. And remember: the office may be a jungle, but sometimes, karma is just a well-placed question away.
Original Reddit Post: Got my lazy colleague got fired