Waking up early and dragging yourself to work is hard enough—but with a horrible boss waiting at the office, things can get too much. From showing a lack of appreciation to being downright unprofessional, these people share the worst bosses they’ve worked with.
1.
- I introduced my wife at work. My boss made jokes like, “Bet she married you for your benefits!” and “She’s out of your league.”
Later, he got serious, pulled me aside and said something that made me sick, “Actually, your wife looks like she might need a job. I’ve got an opening for an assistant. Tell her to apply.” After we left, she asked, “Is that the guy you work for every day?”
It hit me hard. I stayed up that night updating my resume. Three weeks later, I got a job offer with better pay and a better boss. I took it without hesitation.
2.
- Had to take 4 weeks off with a collapsed lung, then 4 months later, 2 months for a scheduled surgery (pleurodesis). Came back after to a disciplinary hearing, HR couldn’t even believe it. “It’s not why you missed the time, but just the fact that you missed the time. We can’t have that.”
3.
- I worked as a graphic designer for a startup company. My boss would nitpick the tiniest details that I guarantee you no one would ever notice. She would simply give comments for the sake of giving comments.
I once designed a post with a clean, minimalist layout. My boss stared at it for five minutes, then said, “Can you move the text two pixels to the left? It just feels off.” I made the change—barely noticeable—but she wasn’t satisfied. “Actually, try a slightly warmer black.” It was already black.
We spent two hours tweaking things only she could see. The worst part is that she took forever to give any approvals, holding back our schedule and slowing everything down, and guess what? She complains about the team’s pace being too slow.
4.
- I worked for a small café, doing a manager’s amount of work while being paid minimum wage, and when I contracted pink eye from caring for my sister, my boss got mad at me. After that I applied, and was hired, at Starbucks. His business fell apart without me there and closed within 4 months of me leaving.
5.
- I decided to work as a waitress to make some cash while finishing up uni. My boss gave the most ridiculous demands. She wanted me to maintain a smile all throughout my six-hour shift, even if no customers were present.
She would supervise us from the cameras and make sure we weren’t sitting down and kept our smile. If our smile falters, she’d give us a call through the restaurant phone and ask us why we’re not smiling. I left after two weeks and couldn’t smile for a while after.
6.
- I had a boss who refused to let me take an “unplanned vacation” to see my grandma on her deathbed. I quit on the spot. It was strange because up until that incident, she was really cool and laid back. But when I asked for the weekend off to go visit my dying grandmother, she snapped and lectured me about how I needed to “plan” my “vacation” better.
7.
Does she not understand dying grandma?
What happened next changed everything… continues on the next page.
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