Malicious compliance

Malicious compliance (also known as malicious obedience) is the behavior of strictly following all orders, laws, and rules to the letter; ignoring things that go without saying and doing things only by the book, reducing efficiency. This usually involves going to work on time, leaving on time, and completing lawfully ordained yet unnecessary and usually ignored safety checks. Malicious compliance is a common method by unions when they cannot strike and puts emphasis on the unpaid work laborers do for their companies. A form of passive-aggressive behavior, it is often associated with poor management-labor relationships, micromanagement, a generalized lack of confidence in leadership, and resistance to changes perceived as pointless, duplicative, dangerous, or otherwise undesirable. It is common in organizations with top-down management structures lacking morale, leadership or mutual trust. In U.S. law, this practice has been theorized as a form of uncivil obedience, in contrast to civil disobedience.