The Worst Bosses The World Has To Offer, Exposed By Former Employees
By Harry Anson | July 10, 2022
Reddit.com/Anonymous
One unavoidable aspect of life in a post-industrial age is the presence of management in some shape or form for each of us. Even if you are the president of a firm, you are still responsible for answering questions from shareholders, board members, or the general public. It is not easy to find a good boss, but it is not difficult to find a poor one.
The actions of the following bosses, exposed online for their horrible behavior, might be enough to drive any group of employees to demand change. There are plenty of bad bosses out there. For anyone out there who has ever dealt with mean management or any other kind of bully for that matter, you might get a sense of relief and satisfaction.
Consider This My Resignation
This worker sat to relieve the pressure on his shattered foot bones, and that day, he even outperformed his coworkers. Of course, any reasonable person would be delighted about this achievement. For his supervisor, however, it wasn't enough.
Reddit.com/hestolemysmile
He noted that the employee was spending some time sitting down on a stool, which shocked him. The employee made a few good points, including the fact that the company had a difficult time keeping its employees. It’s not hard to see why.
The Grief Of Work
Who doesn't allow a worker to grieve the loss of a father? Who is this person? He’s like a robot in a human skin suit. This boss tried to argue that losing an uncle or grandmother is "almost as bad" as losing a father. That’s an unacceptable loss to the bottom line, apparently.
Reddit.com/tylerro2
We can see his point of view—dealing with an absent employee for one day is inconvenient. Unfortunately, this factory serf has the right to leave the kingdom for another one. We just hope this guy found another job soon after and didn’t have to go hungry for too long.
Gonna Have To Ask You To Work Saturday
If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so difficult to get a national healthcare bill passed in this country, here’s a good snapshot explanation. This employee worked eight days in a row, and their supervisor rewarded their efforts with a threat—all because they wanted to take their only day off to recover.
Reddit.com/bluepiehax
Bars, restaurants, fast-food chains, and other places that cater to the public already use tipping culture as a way to sidestep paying their employees a fair wage, but this is nuts. No one should have to stand for this—no matter how small their employer makes their employee feel.
A Shot In The Dark
After receiving their second vaccination, this individual had an adverse reaction. You’d think that a business would be able to see the long-term benefits of protecting their employees from the plague, but of course, that’s not always how management sees it.
Reddit.com/Darkfearmusic7
Even though the reaction was unintentional, it still wasn't a good enough excuse. If the employee had passed away because of the plague, their boss probably would have been seen standing over their casket, yelling at them for missing their bi-monthly performance review.
Innovative Office Space Solutions
There was a time in history when many offices lured their workers to higher levels of productivity with the carrot of having your own office. Times have changed. Now workers might be offered floor-stationed chairs or even a floor-stationed desk of their own—if they work hard enough.
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Okay, this probably wasn’t a result of cutbacks, but we can imagine a boss somewhere dreaming something like this up. We’re not sure how safe that thing is up there, hanging from the flimsy office ceiling. Like market booms, it’s only a matter of time before the whole thing comes crashing down.
Only Ebola
This worker has a terrible job. They have wanted to resign for more than ten years, and after deciding to take a mental health day, they got this. While Ebola is a terrible disease, there are still other things out there that can kill you—or at the very least, kill the motivation to work at this company.
Reddit.com/Anonymous
Can you imagine a world in which a workplace colleague responds to the news that you’re sick with, “No problem, buddy—your health is important—rest up, we’ll see you back at work when you get better.” Ah, that’s the dream—at least until employers find a way to get employees to work in their sleep.
Message Received But Not Understood
For anyone who isn’t aware (management, that goes for you too), PTO stands for “paid time off.” If someone informs anyone that they are taking time off, it’s probably best to let them take it and find someone else. The final two words, "time off," are critical.
Reddit.com/Anonymous
If a business depends on one person to keep everything running, well, they should probably find a way of fixing that problem. Or maybe value them more. One way to make someone feel valued is by respecting their off time. What do they even teach at business school?
Disposable Worker
It didn't take long for this employer to swing the “you’re fired!” hammer on an employee who was simply taking a break from work. The guy's employer wanted him to go on a work trip, even though he was already on vacation!
Reddit.com/andale_guey
“Sure, I’ll just cancel the time off I made months ago so that you won’t be inconvenienced by your own horrible management skills. Sure, that won't be a problem. Can’t someone else take over for a single day? What a nightmare.
The Phone’s Been Playing Up
Most of the examples on this list are of bosses who want to squeeze every last drop of productivity and spirit out of their employees. This one’s a little different. In this case, they gave their employee a “surprise unpaid holiday.”
Reddit.com/Da_Neager
Even though the worker had already taken the bus to get there, their manager just gave them the flimsy excuse that their “phone is acting up.” Can you imagine if this dynamic was reversed and the employee didn’t give any kind of heads up? Heads would be rolling.
First Thing Tomorrow
Although worker productivity has shot up four times faster than wages over the last few decades, companies have been finding new ways to make a few extra dimes and cents wherever possible. Don’t like it? Just find another place to work—they’ll do the exact same thing.
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And with the advent of smartphones and the internet, it’s never been easier to get more out of workers. Don’t you just love always-online culture? Whatever the problem was, it wasn’t worth ruining a person’s mental health over.
The Wee Hours
Look, we understand. Making a timetable for a shop is a lot of effort. There are a lot of moving pieces. Who works the register? Who stocks the shelves? Who runs the floor? We don't know, and neither does management in this case.
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Except for those who are actually paid to remain awake at this time, most people are asleep at this time. Business owners often pride themselves on always being at work and on the job, but that’s because they actually have a choice in the matter.
Work-Life Balance
It seems that this "last straw" narrative is all over the place. A worker will do anything a job requires of them because they need the money, but they will ultimately reach a breaking point. Bosses often forget that the materials necessary for producing profits, AKA employees, require downtime too.
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If a supervisor asks gently, recognizing that individuals have lives outside of work, it's one thing. "Cancel your plans and get here right now, or you'll regret it," on the other hand, isn’t exactly motivating to anyone in the long run.
Here’s Your Bonus
Not every employer on this list uses the “stick” tactic. For instance, this boss uses the “carrot” by incentivizing their workers with a financial bonus. The catch? The bonus is worth pennies, literally. Somehow, this poor desk worker will have to carry all this change to the bank.
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It probably won’t even be enough to cover the chiropractor bills that will inevitably result from all that heavy lifting. They may as well have been paid in gruel if this really is an example of a bonus. Pennies on the dime, as they say.
Is This Overtime?
Some occupations, such as medical professionals and server technicians, need on-call availability. Many supervisors may believe that having a company phone is the same as being on call, but there is a significant difference.
Reddit.com/Aussie_Psycho
One allows people to contact you during conventional business hours—and it usually pays more—the other kind doesn’t. If it isn't in your contract, there’s no obligation. If it's in your contract, we hope you're being compensated.
No Time For A Life
There's a lot more to this tale than just this image, such as a supervisor who can't comprehend that people should work to live, not the other way around. The boss insists on them coming in, stressing that it's either come in or lose your job.
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This employer is asking his employee to break the law because they’ve been inconvenienced. What does the R stand for? Rude? Maybe this boss should get to the caster and do the job themselves rather than ruining the lives of those they lord over.
The Great Resignation
In 2021, more than 40% of the working population were considering leaving their jobs. Is it any wonder why they would feel that way? After months of bad treatment from their bosses, these staff members decided they couldn’t take it anymore and walked out.
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They clocked out for the last time, locked the shop, and never returned. They left a message for all of us: "If you've been thinking about leaving your job because you're unhappy, stressed out, and overworked, go ahead and do it! Teach those greedy capitalists a thing or two."
The Bartender
Apparently, everyone is recruiting bartenders right now, which is great news for anyone who knows how to mix drinks. Unfortunately, this guy's supervisor made an error in requiring his inebriated worker to come in and assist out for a long, long shift.
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This boss is going to have to actually work for a living. Well, it looks like there’s another job opening for some unfortunate soul to fill. And so, the cycle continues. Well, it’s more like a downward spiral. This isn’t such a bad response.
The Negotiation
If your supervisor wants us to come in when you aren't scheduled to do so, consider hitting their weak spot—their wallets. Consider this: they’re approaching you. Try to leverage their weakness and make it an advantage. It will at least make them second guess their actions.
Reddit.com/somenerdnamedtom
“Does the boss need me to work? It'll cost them.” If they don't want to pay, they can get someone else to perform the task. Remember that you’re not quite a slave. But try negotiating at your own peril. High unemployment is good for bosses, after all.
Young Picasso
A unique kind of employee loves their work and their employer. We know that seems ridiculous, but it's true. There are some people out there who will do anything to catch their boss’ attention, even if it means mimicking the habits of their children.
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This man was so envious of his superior's kid that he wanted to prove that he was just as talented as his two-year-old daughter, if not more. He has unquestionably shown the same amount of emotional maturity.
Looking At Nicholas Cage
The age-old issue of whether it is worse to have a boss sit next to you and monitor your every move than having a camera spy watch you has remained unanswered—until now! Introducing the Wage Cage! Featuring everyone’s favorite hit-or-miss superstar, Nicolas Cage.
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This individual decided that he would no longer put up with being watched when he was only trying to go through the day and earn a living salary. We think the idea he came up with is brilliant, but even if his employer is a huge admirer of Nicolas Cage, we have a hunch that he won't be a fan of this particular solution.
A Call For Food Inspection
There are many jokes about Taco Bell's poor food quality, yet most of us end up feeling fine after eating there, at least those of us with digestive systems that aren't composed of soft crackers. But then we hear stories like this one, and we wonder whether we should ever go to Taco Bell again.
Reddit.com/Anonymous
At the very least, this employee can simply pick up the phone and contact a health inspector. Their job is basically ninety percent closing down Taco Bells, so why not direct them to one that plainly deserves it? There are better places to go anyway.
Avoiding Recruiters
If a recruiter calls a prospect over the phone, they will most likely ask them numerous questions. Usually, the right answer is to laugh at them and urge them to go back to their damp little hole. May as well aim them towards one that deserves it.
Reddit.com/TheBeansler
If we do play with them for a little bit, this is the type of stuff we’re going to get: demands, as if they owned us, when they first came crawling to us on their knees, asking for someone, anybody, to accept the job—all for them to steal a portion of our earnings.
Deserving A Collared Shirt
Why is it necessary to wear a shirt with a collar while working here? It must be some type of status symbol, the kind of item that will bring a swarm of people to our doorstep. Because we are wearing collared shirts, you may assume that we are significant.
Twitter/@Bonkson_
But first, we have to prove ourselves worthy of that shirt, and if we dare disobey our supervisor, we will never get our hands on that coveted collared shirt. Although we have to confess that we don't fully understand this situation, we are going to side with the worker because, well, why the heck not?
Must Be Kidding
The law states that thirty-two cry-laughing emojis in a single text in response to a question about time off qualifies as harassment—or at least it should. This individual wanted to be compensated for the vacation time he or she did not take, and the supervisor thought this was an amusing concept.
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The employee then drew down the regulation from the book of state employment laws without skipping a beat. The boss then answered with a well-planned and responsible—oh, wait, no, he made a two-letter word into a ten-letter response.
Past The Point Of No Return
This guy worked seven consecutive 60-hour weeks and needed time off for his birthday, according to the history of this lengthy essay. Because the request was refused, the employee phoned in sick instead.
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The supervisor found it out, and this text was the worker's reaction, listing all of the workplace concerns and providing the last notice. This employee has already found new employment where he will be treated like a person. We don't get to witness the boss's answer here, but based on what we know of him, it wouldn’t have been a pleasant one.
Remember Who Makes The Money
This individual recently concluded that he was unhappy with the work culture, which is one of the most widespread gripes voiced by employees. If you dread going to work each day, it will be difficult for you to take pleasure in the tasks that you do.
Imgur.com/troublemutt
It looks like the boss and a buddy of the boss were losing the ball when it comes to building the correct work atmosphere. Bad bosses are only one part of the issue, and it seems like the boss was dropping the ball super hard here.
Cutting Hours
After a death in the family, this employer expected their worker to be at work the next day. Anyone with a heart understands that it takes more time than an afternoon to overcome the grief of losing a loved one.
Reddit.com/DarkseidHS
On the day after losing a mother, this worker stayed home from work, and the manager began reducing hours after employing more workers. The employer has a company to operate—can’t let that bottom line shrink! Maybe this employee should find a new job.
Taking In Some Extra Hours
There are many instances when employees wait for their superiors to make a blunder before documenting the conversation on social media sites like Twitter or Reddit. Everything began off nicely, with the manager asking whether the employee had the proper equipment.
Reddit.com/Fptmike
As a result, the employee suggested they put off purchasing the pricey jacket for the time being (apparently costing almost three hundred dollars). As a joking response, the manager said that the employee must be short on work and suggested that the employee take up some more shifts.
Toxic Trait Revealed
One of the worst things that can happen to a person is to work in a poisonous workplace environment. People go to work to make a living, but if the environment in which they do so is hazardous, they might end up wanting to unalive themselves.
Reddit.com/MLObenza
When this individual decided that enough was enough and walked away from the company, the manager was not pleased. We don't know all the circumstances of the "toxic work environment," and the boss looks to be a bad one to work for. However, the fact that the boss used the F-bomb tells us a lot.
Getting Priorities Straight
With the promise that he would have time to focus on his academic pursuits, this student agreed to join a fast-food restaurant team. Not long after they joined up, they were being scheduled for fifty-hour work weeks, which is considerably more than most professionals work full time.
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For some reason, their employer is unaware of this, and the student pointed out that if you have to choose between working fifty hours a week and having enough time to do your studies, the academic pursuit will always win out.
Bad Timing
People—even if some of us are up at 11:30 at night, it doesn't mean we're going to be ready for an interview at nine in the morning. Sending a message that late and expecting a turnaround that quickly doesn’t paint you or the company in a very good light, to say the least.
Signing up with a workplace that expects even its HR department to work such extreme hours can’t be a good call. The recipient would be out of luck if they already had morning plans. It seems like this person just dodged a bad work bullet.
Take Five
This isn’t the worst back and forth, granted— the supervisor values the employee's time and wants them to improve (for backstory, the employee had to call in sick). Additionally, the manager seems to be saying that this guy is one of the company's best employees.
Reddit.com/justfutaba
Then again, "Don’t worry, you’ll be right as rain in five hours or so" wouldn’t exactly inspire anyone to work harder. This is still toxic—just because you’re being nice, it doesn’t make the demand any less insufferable. There has to be another way, right?
A Nuanced Resignation
This claim that Planet Fitness is a "judgment-free zone" is a long cry from reality for anybody who's attempted to do anything more than merely walk on the treadmill. Since there are no benefits, PTO, or other employee perks, it seems like a pretty bad place to work.
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This employee was fed up with unpaid lunch breaks, so he decided to write a letter to the employer to tell him that enough was enough. They made sure that it was addressed not only to the employer but also to everyone who could see it as it is proudly on display. Good for them!
Cannot Be Talked Out Of It
The employee walks to work every day since he has no automobile. Managers nonetheless booked him for a different location miles away, which would have necessitated a hike. Talk about getting the cardio for the day by hiking those miles to work.
Reddit.com/lemonyfreshpine
Exactly how long it takes an hour to run five miles is unknown, but if you add another half hour for going home in the dark, you may be jogging your whole day. This employee was able to graciously refuse, even admitting that he needed to leave the position. We all have to do it from time to time.
The Big Picture
Whether it's due to a lack of funds or a dislike of change, making a significant adjustment in your life is never easy. Be prepared to go immediately. It's difficult, and we understand it. If this firm does not employ you, then you're safe.
Imgur.com/troublemutt
There seems to be nothing positive going on here. Nothing works because there are not enough resources. Not even HR can answer a resignation email. So this employee was forced to use the old-fashioned walk-out method. Quit now.
Education Comes First
Companies will do anything to keep costs down, and sometimes—especially when they anger some particularly well-placed staff members—it can be their undoing. In this case, Kmart decided to cut costs by ignoring a nest of cockroaches.
Twitter/@MorganCerese
We’re glad this one worked out in the end. Not only did she do the morally right thing, but she had a great graduation ceremony and taught her old employer a lesson. It’s a heartwarming story. We’d love to see more of this!
Help Wanted
We don't want someone who has the flu to bring us our spaghetti. But unfortunately, this is what many managers in the world consider to be an acceptable set of conditions. We get sick, but they get money in the cash register.
Twitter/@Xev_Kismet
It's as though he doesn't understand how the flu works. It’s not like a microwave dinner. More than likely, he was just interrupting the person's much-needed slumber in spite. Why harm the very people making you all of your money? Power and greed, that’s why.
Say Uncle!
The loss of human life is a tragic thing, and it can hit different people in different ways. It’s a sad fact that it isn’t the best who rise to the top of the hierarchy, the most psychotic and sociopathic. The world has been set up to allow these kinds of people to win for a long time.
Twitter/@shaines12
If you're asked to attend a funeral, you should go. They are celebrations of a person’s life, a reminder that we all die someday, and if your boss gives you trouble for it, a reminder that you’re not just an employee—you’re a person—and your boss can take his job and shove it.
Is This A Trick Question?
Unless their last name was Skywalker, the answer to that question is nearly always family—especially when it's a high school student working a summer job at the school. Why do employers expect their underlings to act as their own personal minions?
Twitter/@MaggieMcMiller
Sure, the employee loses out on valuable work experience and pocket money, but this is only a temporary position. These people are like a network of alien tapeworms cosplaying as a human. When you’re on your deathbed, are you going to second-guess this moment? Probably not.
How Did That Get There?
We like this letter, but we have an alternate suggestion for the wording: “We are sorry to inform you that we have discovered the camera that you hid in the restroom. Even worse news: we have all given up. Even more bad news: that is super illegal, and you'll be lucky to avoid jail time. Don’t bother trying to make excuses—you’re done.”
Imgur.com/ProfessorPancakes
There’s no level these ghouls won’t stoop to; somehow, we’re not surprised. Why did life bother crawling out of the ocean if we had to subject ourselves to this kind of humiliation? At least dolphins don’t tape spy cameras to cubicles to watch their employees tinkle.