The movie revolves around the friendship among three dynamic women working at the large corporation Consolidated Industries. New to the workforce, Judy Bernly (played by Jane Fonda) is a naive employee coping with the recent departure of her husband, Dick (portrayed by Lawrence Pressman), who left her for his secretary. On her first day, Judy meets Violet Newstead, the long-time supervisor of her department, who becomes her guide in navigating the workplace dynamics. Unfortunately, Judy quickly discovers that the department executive, Franklin Hart, Jr. (played by Dabney Coleman), is not only arrogant but also sexist, having blatantly overlooked Violet for promotions she has rightfully earned over the years.
Judy also receives an introduction to the office staff, which includes Eddie (Ray Vitte), the mailroom clerk, the alcoholic secretary Margaret Foster (played by Peggy Pope), and Roz Keith (Elizabeth Wilson), Hart's executive assistant, who is known for eavesdropping on private conversations. Another significant figure is Doralee Rhodes, Hart's personal secretary who endures inappropriate advances from her boss despite being married to a kind-hearted construction worker and aspiring country singer named Dwayne (Jeffrey Douglas Thomas). Hart's lewd comments create a hostile environment for Doralee, generating unnecessary office gossip and mistreatment from other employees, resulting in Judy initially rejecting Doralee's attempts at friendship.
As time progresses, Violet faces the frustration of being consistently passed over for a crucial promotion, with Hart stealing credit for her successful ideas. When Violet confronts Hart about his blatant sexism, he dismisses her concerns, insisting the company prefers male leadership. This infuriates her, especially after disclosing that word of Hart's alleged affair with Doralee has circulated among the other employees. Following Doralee's breaking point, where she boldly threatens Hart with her gun, the women rally together, leaving the office in protest after Hart fires a dedicated employee, Maria (Roxanna Bonilla-Giannini), due to Roz's meddling.
At a bar to commiserate, the trio's fate takes a twist when they stumble upon a marijuana cigarette left in Violet's purse, leading to a night of fantasizing about how to exact revenge on Hart. From heroic hunts with shotguns to fairy tale poisonings and cowgirl ambushes, their imaginations set the stage for chaos. The following day, Violet accidentally poisons Hart's coffee, causing a series of bizarre and comedic events as they mistake a dead body for Hart's and find themselves entangled in absurd situations to cover up their blunder.
Their antics escalate as they discover Hart is not harmed and he attempts to manipulate Doralee's kindness. When they decide to confine him at his house, they uncover his shady dealings of embezzling company funds. Thus, they devise a plan to turn the tables on Hart with evidence against him while implementing meaningful changes in the workplace, such as job-sharing programs and flexible hours—much to employees' delight.
As Judy, Violet, and Doralee settle into their roles wearing Hart's old shoes, they face one last challenge when Missy, Hart's oblivious wife, unexpectedly returns home. Amidst chaos and tension, Hart announces his supposedly indomitable stance against women, but his arrogant attitude crumbles when the Chair of the Board, Russell Tinsworthy (Sterling Hayden), arrives just in time to witness the flourishing changes the women initiated. Instead of praising Hart, Tinsworthy promptly demotes him and sends him off to work on a special project in Brazil.
In a final twist, Roz returns to find the office buzzing with celebrations. As the dust settles, the women flourish in their newfound positions, with Violet stepping up as vice president. Judy finds love and leaves the company, and Doralee returns to her roots in Tennessee as a country music star, while Hart's fate remains sealed in mystery, forever lost to the depths of the Amazon.
