“Hey, you’re fired, old man,” the manager says to the janitor, not knowing that the next day he would be his boss – Story of the day.

A very hardworking woman becomes an aggressive and impatient boss after her latest promotion in a store. She gets her way until she insults and fires an old janitor.

Nia had recently been promoted to general manager of a major fashion store. She had only been in her new position for a week and was already making significant changes, guided by a folder of ideas she had accumulated over the years.

One morning, Nia addressed her employees.

“All right, guys. Does everyone understand the new protocols we’re going to follow?” she asked.

The team responded with nods and soft affirmations.

“I don’t want anyone deviating from my guidelines, so here’s what we’re going to do,” she continued. “Anyone who breaks the new rules—whether it’s about the uniform, greetings to customers, display arrangements, or punctuality—will lose their incentive for that month,” Nia declared, her face beaming with pride.

The employees exchanged worried looks. Nia’s drastic measures made them fear for their livelihoods, as even small mistakes could cost them dearly.

Despite her recent changes, the team respected Nia. They knew her trajectory from intern to the top position and admired her dedication to the fashion industry.

However, over time, Nia’s approach became increasingly problematic. She set unrealistic targets and responded harshly to minor mistakes. Her decisions, such as extending shifts and imposing strict rules, led to the silent frustration of the staff. Their only respite, the weekends, was now occupied with work. But that wasn’t all.

Nia’s strategies, like cutting costs by involving the sales staff in loading tasks and limiting employee breaks, pushed the team to the limit. She even banned sitting during shifts and restricted sick leaves, all in the name of creating a good impression for customers.

“We need to show them that we never get tired of serving them. And always serve them with a smile. Is that clear?” Nia instructed sternly. She was too satisfied with the way she was handling things.

Raised by a single mother, Nia had faced numerous rejections before securing an internship at the fashion store. Her dedication to work and effort quickly earned her the promotion.

From her office, she looked out at the street where she once sought opportunities, determined never to return to those hard days. Under her direction, the store buzzed with activity, although the staff struggled with the overwhelming workload and tight deadlines she set. Nia was happy until… the work began to take a toll on the employees.

Over time, her strict management led to a drastic drop in sales, contradicting her ambitious plans. Furious, she confronted her exhausted employees. “Our sales numbers are dropping. At this rate, we’ll go bankrupt,” she shouted. “Extend shifts, cut breaks… Do whatever it takes! We have to increase sales.”

Nia didn’t understand the sudden decline and increased the workload even more. One day, after a tense meeting with a client, she found Maya, a sales assistant, asleep on the counter.

“How dare you sleep on the job?” Nia shouted at her.

Maya, frightened and panicking, apologized, but Nia was unforgiving. “Meet me in my office,” she demanded. Gathering the staff, Nia, already upset about the sales, decided to assert her authority.

She fired Maya on the spot, throwing her paycheck at her. The team was shocked but remained silent. They knew Maya was exhausted from overwork, but who would dare stand up to Nia? They wanted to keep their jobs.

But as Maya was leaving, Victor, a 68-year-old janitor, spoke up. “Nia, dear, I have something to say to you,” he said calmly, despite Nia’s obvious irritation.

“We are all happy to help with your vision, Nia,” Victor began, trying to reason with her. “But maybe we could overlook the small mistakes…”

Nia, angry at his audacity to speak, cut him off. “Enough, Victor! Do you think I haven’t noticed your tardiness and your long lunch breaks?” she retorted. “And let’s not forget that you’re late every day!”

“Nia, there’s a reason why I’ve been arriving later than others…”

Nia couldn’t believe the older man dared interrupt her again. Seeing the other employees watching her closely, anticipating her reaction, she decided to stand firm and set an example once and for all.

“I don’t care what the reason is! Let this be an example, everyone,” Nia said. “Anyone who makes excuses under my watch will be fired. Hey, you’re fired, old man! Now you can join Maya and leave.”

Maya and Victor left in silence while the rest of the staff watched, dismayed, with tears in their eyes. Nia’s cruelty had reached a new level, leaving everyone shocked.

Although it was the end of Victor’s job at the store, an unexpected turn of events awaited him the next day.

Mr. Gordon, owner of the multimillion-dollar chain of stores, made an unexpected visit to the store to discuss the sudden drop in revenue.

“Good morning, everyone! How are things going?” Mr. Gordon asked all the employees.

“They could be much better,” one worker replied, and others nodded.

“What’s going on? Aren’t you excited about the Christmas holidays?” Mr. Gordon asked.

“Some of us wanted a longer Christmas holiday, but Miss Ferguson only allowed us two days off,” another employee explained.

Mr. Gordon partly understood what was happening and called Nia to his office.

“Miss Ferguson, our revenues have dropped drastically. What happened? Do you need help?” he asked as they sat across from each other.

Nia blamed the staff, claiming they were lazy and needed close supervision.

“I see… Last month we had the same ‘lazy’ staff with us, right? But everything was much better. We haven’t hired anyone recently, so I don’t understand why they’re suddenly acting lazy.”

Mr. Gordon gave Nia a month to improve the situation. As he was leaving, he asked about Victor, the janitor.

“Where’s Victor? I haven’t seen him today,” he said.

“I fired him for being late and too old to work,” Nia revealed hesitantly.

Mr. Gordon was stunned. “WHAT? Do you know you fired the co-owner of this store?”

Nia was stunned. “The co-owner? But he’s just a janitor.”

Mr. Gordon shared a story from his childhood. “I still remember that day… but my father told me that I ran after an ice cream truck and almost got hit by a car. Victor had seen me while he was taking out the trash and ran to rescue me. He pushed me and saved my life, but ended up in intensive care after being hit by the car.”

“My father, the original owner of this store, offered him a stake in the business. Do you know what Victor said when my father wanted to reward him? ‘I just did what any normal human being should do.’ Victor accepted the offer to become a co-owner because my father kept persuading him, but on one condition. That he would work as a janitor.”

He continued, “Victor lost his wife and son during childbirth and considered the staff here as his family.”

Mr. Gordon then dropped a bombshell. “You must apologize to Victor. Tomorrow he will take charge of this unit. I’ll come again, and Victor will decide whether or not I should fire you.”

Panicking and fearing for her job, Nia drove to meet Victor, worried about facing him and the challenges ahead. “How am I going to increase sales in a month? How will I face Victor? It’s his fault too. Why did he leave without telling me who he was? Now, everything is against me. What will I do?” she worried.

Nia arrived at Victor’s modest house, surprised by its simplicity despite being the co-owner of a lucrative business. She knocked on the door, and Victor greeted her warmly, inviting her in for apple pie.

“Mr. Gordon told me you would come. Please, make yourself comfortable,” Victor said, indifferent to her previous actions.

Nia felt uncomfortable in that humble setting. Victor, sensing her discomfort, began talking about Mr. Gordon’s father’s business philosophy.

“Unlike others, he valued his staff first. He provided them with nap rooms, bonuses, corporate events, and weekends off, and made sure customers didn’t mistreat them. He treated employees like family,” Victor explained.

Nia nodded shyly, partially realizing what she had done wrong. “But how does that help business growth? If employees have those perks, how are they going to work without distractions? Won’t they take it for granted?” she said.

Victor smiled. “When employees love their job, they provide top-notch service, satisfy customers, and grow the business. A smart boss finds ways to make employees feel devoted. They don’t fire them.”

As Victor eagerly devoured his pie, he asked Nia to call Maya to return to work. “You may never know how fate works for others, Nia. You joined as an intern but became a general manager. You may never know the potential a simple sales assistant like Maya can have. Never underestimate or judge others by their appearance or job.”

Nia smiled, and just as she was about to leave, Victor stopped her. “Don’t worry, Nia. I won’t fire you. But we will decide later with all the employees and Mr. Gordon by voting, okay?”

Sure that she still had a second chance, Nia returned to the store and gathered all the employees in her office. They were afraid of what more rules she would impose on them. But none of them expected to see what was about to happen next.

“Good morning, everyone!” Nia started with a smile. It seemed strange to everyone because she had never greeted them with a smile since the first day of her promotion.

“I would like to tell everyone that Victor, the co-owner of the company, will be leading us from tomorrow!”

The employees were stunned by the revelation. Some had no idea that the janitor at their store was their boss.

“Don’t be shocked, guys! I’m young and new at this, and I’ve made mistakes. I hope you all forgive me for what happened in the last few days. Maya and Victor will be back tomorrow, and we’ll work as a team. Is that clear?”

From the next day, Nia followed Victor’s advice and implemented Mr. Gordon’s father’s principles. She treated her employees with respect and didn’t show authority over them. She thought more about them and ensured that every single employee loved their job.

As the days went by, Nia’s efforts worked in her favor. The employees began to give their best, and, as Nia had wanted, the next quarter’s sales increased with impeccable results.

Mr. Gordon was impressed by Nia’s efforts and, along with Victor, decided not to fire her. Five years later, Nia was promoted to the position of General Manager of all the brand’s stores.

As for Victor, he decided to continue working as a janitor because he loved his job.

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