A solid leader is a quintessential element for any work team to prosper. Ask Michael Scott from The Office, aka “World’s Best Boss.” All jokes aside, it’s no secret that a good boss can make it or break it when it comes to the success of a business, but sadly, not every employee is lucky to have one.

Some bosses turn their employees' lives into misery that lasts over 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. It can happen for various reasons, and it often relates to the way they treat their employees: from toxic management to delusional demands, to awful things bosses dare to tell people who chose to devote a big portion of their lives to them.

“What’s the worst thing your boss has said to you?” a person asked on the Anti-Work community and the responses started rolling in like there was no end. Some stories are plain awful, others cringe-worthy, the rest make you wonder what these people are still doing at that desk.

Scroll down and be sure to check out our previous feature with more out-of-touch bosses who’d better stay silent.

Image credits: Disastrous-Use-2373

#1

My best friend’s newborn son passed away 3 days after giving birth. She called me in tears. I told my boss I needed to leave right now. My boss looked at me in disbelief:

“So? Her son is already dead, it’s not like you can do anything for him now.”

Image credits: SuperShineeCoinToss7

#2

I woke up to my house being on fire, so I texted my boss and his response was “are you still coming in?”

Image credits: Onepointeight

#3

That if I had a penis I'd be making $10k more per year.

Image credits: Chibzor

#4

Boss told me she didn't know what happened but that I was not the same person from the previous year. She wanted that happy, cheerful person back.

She knew what happened. She was at my father's funeral two months before.

Image credits: MsAmazingWho

#5

Manager called a store meeting to discuss how sick calls were costing us big time. Said, "everyone one who calls out costs our store $10,000 a day in lost sales." My man straight up told everyone how valuable their labor was to the company, in stark contrast with how much we actually made per day.

Image credits: Successful_Addition5

#6

Worked for a small, understaffed eye clinic with only 3 staff and the dr (we were down to 2 staff and the dr when I quit). We worked our assess off and kept it running... 6 months in the Dr finally gets around to doing my 90 day performance review. For 30 minutes she proceeds to point out all of my flaws,how she doesn't really like me and thinks I'm not doing good at my job. How sometimes when she walks in the room I have my back to her and a bunch of other stupid expectations she had that I was never told about..

When in reality I was doing the job of 2-3 people and keeping up with it. My patients loved me and I never had a single complaint from any patient or my coworkers.

I interviewed for the same position at a different clinic and when I mentioned i quit due to only having a staff of 2-3 people. He literally blurted out "How the hell does an office run like that?!". Now I have 11 coworkers and I do 1/3 of the work for more money and get treated with respect. It's amazing.

Image credits: selm267

#7

I was a week into a new job when my best friend’s mom was put into hospice. I warned my boss that I would be attending a funeral probably within the next couple weeks. On the Thursday morning of my 2nd week (before Memorial Day weekend) she passed away. I was in tears when I went to my boss to let her know. Her first comment, “Let’s hope the funeral is on the weekend.”
It was the Tuesday after Memorial Day & I took the entire day off. Quit 2 months later.

Image credits: Somedaydreamer22

#8

My grandfather was in the hospital and was notified by my mom through text that he signed a DNR, this was on a Thursday I was a cook at the time.

I told my manager what I was told and that I need the next day off (would make it a 3 day weekend to go up and visit him in the hospital which is 9 hours away).

She told me no that she has nobody to cover my shift (I’m currently cooking dinner rush while talking to her) I told her that this is my last time I could possibly see him and she goes on how her brother died in the hospital and she still came into work because that’s what she had to do and that life sucks sometimes, you just have to get over it, while I’m still cooking during rush she says “so what’s it gonna be?” In a threatening tone and I say “well I guess I can’t go if nobody can cover me” she then said she’s sorry about what’s going on and thanked me for not missing the next day.

Next day comes and my shift starts and my phone is literally exploding in my pocket, I’m at the hospital with my kids and wife with my grandfather, my manager is losing it “where are you!?” “Please let me know if you’re running late!”

I sent a reply “Remember when you said you have nobody to cover my shift? Well you’re covering my shift tonight and all future shifts, enjoy! Oh by the way I didn’t prep anything last night so you better get going on all that!”

Edit people ask if she replied back: No she didn’t as I was in a very emotional place at that time so I sent the message waited for it to show that it was sent then I block/deleted the number, I wanted the last word and didn’t feel like giving her the chance to “make it better” or “tell me how unprofessional I was” I didn’t care.

#9

District Manager: 'Why haven't you been hitting your sale targets?"

Me: 'Sorry, I've been tired and distracted, I just found out the other day my mum has breast cancer.'

District Manager: 'Well everyone has things going on in their lives."

Image credits: AusXan

#10

“We don’t allow chairs on the sales floor because if a customer walks in and see’s you sitting, they’ll view the company as lazy and won’t come back”

Image credits: seanyb0y38

#11

I used to work at Walmart and they were rolling out these new scanners that were basically large Android smartphones with barcode scanners built into them. Anyway I normally worked in the back unloading trucks, but this particular day, I was sent out to the toys department to stock. I used the scanners to locate where items are supposed to go since I didn't really stock any departments besides grocery and wasn't too familiar with the layout. A customer comes up to me and asks for help looking for something. I don't remember what it was off hand. The customer was nice, thanked me for my help, so on. About 20 minutes later, the store manager comes up to me and asks me to follow him to the office. After he closed the door, he told me that lady had complained that I was "using my cellphone on the floor" and he started chewing me out over it. I explained that it was the scanner, not my phone. He said "I believe you. They do resemble phones, but I still have to coach you" (Walmart's term for write up). I asked why, and he said "well, customer complained and I have to follow up". So basically I got wrote up for doing my job. I was a good worker, barely called off the 4 years I worked there, and that was my first write up. After that incident, I noticed a huge difference in how I was treated by other managers. I didn't work there much longer

Image credits: superfatman1991

#12

“Geez, how many more aunts are left to go?”
His words to me whenever I told him I couldn’t come in for a full day due to a funeral. This was my third family member to pass away in less than a year so idk that s**t hurt to hear.

Image credits: PippaDaRippa

#13

Have a guest who described what they were looking for (clothing) to me in vague terms, I managed to deduce what they were looking for, led them directly to it, asked them if they had a size and color preference, fished that exactly out of the racks, handed it to them and directed them back to the fitting rooms.

Was re-hanging clothing with my Store ASM standing right next to me, doing another z rack. Guest comes up and hands me what she didn't want, asks ASM if she's the manager, ASM says yes, obviously bracing for a complaint of some sort. Guest gushes about how I am friendly, knowledgeable, treated her wonderfully, found exactly what she needed, and that I deserve a raise.

ASM pointblank : *"She makes too much already."*

Image credits: WolfDragonStarlit

#14

In high school, I worked at a Subway. My boss asked that the team come in on a Sunday night after closing for a meeting. As soon as everyone was settled, my boss said “we all know there is one person in this room who isn’t efficient like the rest of the team and it’s becoming more obvious by the day.”

Anyway, she turned to me and asked me how it felt to hold others back because I wasn’t quick when it came to making sandwiches and cleaning up. My boss then asked three others to give examples of my “poor” performance in front of everyone. I ended up crying out of sheer embarrassment and was asked to leave the meeting. It bothered me for days and kept me up at night for a few weeks. It’s still such a vivid memory…no one has ever made me feel so low before in my entire life. Of course at a damn Subway lol

Image credits: teenicon

#15

I’m a young Hispanic woman in the hospitality industry and while working a Mexican concert my old dusty white boss said to me “everyone is late which isn’t surprising…You know how your people are..” this was a few months after working an event where the lights were turned down low and when he came by my work area he asked me if I needed an extra light to see better..I reply “no, I’m ok thanks my eyes have adjusted” his response was “ I heard you do your best work in the dark” than walked away. I reported this to hr three years ago. He’s still my boss.

Image credits: Easy_Sloppy-joe

#16

I worked for a startup for 3.5 years. Started as an intern and worked my way up to production manager. When it came time to decide my salary, I sat down with the then COO to discuss pay. When I asked for a compensation that was fair and the average for my city, he said to me that it was too high for my role and that they could "find anyone fresh out of college or off the street" to do my job. I was floored.

Fast forward to months later when the company started laying off people and folding, I resigned because I could no longer do my job as a manager since the companies I was managing haven't been paid by us. They begged me to come and teach them all of my processes, forms, and documentation I had set up because they didn't know how to do my job. I simply told them "you don't need me for that, you can find anyone right off the street to teach you." Ahh, sweet bliss.

#17

"Your dreams are over. The future you imagined no longer exists. You need to accept that"

She colluded with the head of HR to ensure that I stayed at the bottom of the salary band for my position because she was afraid that her boss would recognize that I was much more qualified to do my and her job.

She and the HR person were publicly fired. But it was after they managed to get me fired. It still hurts when I think about it =(

Image credits: Thirstin_Hurston

#18

"You need to schedule your medical emergencies. " mind you, I went to the ER to make sure I was not in DKA again. Which I was lucky enough to survive last year, but got written up for *being admitted to the hospital* last year. Here in the USA you have a *1 in 10* chance of dying if you are admitted with DKA.

Image credits: Coelubris

#19

8 years ago early 20s I was a receptionist at a hair salon and the owner / main stylist was my boss and he would make fun of me every day. He even gave me a haircut on my second week and it was purposefully a bowl cut and I was so broke and insecure I pretended everything was fine. I caught him laughing at me more than once.

One day he looked at me, scoffed and said "My socks cost more than your shirt."

He fired me exactly the day before my third month and I cried I was so happy.

Felt ashamed to quit as I was raised never to quit but I have learned there's no shame in demanding you deserve better.

Image credits: lasagnamurder

#20

I complained about colleague who was always saying something sexual no matter what I talk about, and the owner answered: "I don't care if a serial killer works here".

#21

My boss told me it was part of my job to be sexually harassed and if I didn’t like it I shouldn’t work in that field.

#22

"you're too depressed to work with me"

I was having panic attacks and suicidal thoughts due to extremely mental harassing work environment

Image credits: CutieWhenMedicated

#23

I was working on a devapps team for a major ISP and we were told to finish work on a project by the day after Thanksgiving. We ended up working till midnight the day before Thanksgiving, all day OF Thanksgiving, and all night to midnight. Basically it was 44 of 48 hours on our desk, heads down coding and testing.

We turned the project in at 4:30 the day after Thanksgiving, and when the CTO accepted the submission she said to us, and I quote: "You should not have taken so long to get this done. Not only are you not qualified to work at this company, you are not qualified to work as developers *at all*."

The next Monday they announced the sale of the new software package to another company for 4.2 million dollars.

All three of us turned in our resignations that day.

#24

"You know, some things in this world are good. Like AIDS."

Image credits: judyblue_

#25

When asked for junior resources to better fill out our team, they said " *You* are our junior resource." This wouldn't have been a problem if I didn't carry 12 years of experience, which in my field is considered senior-level. As if that wasn't insult enough, they went on to say "I'm getting paid x3 your salaries to do a better job than you, so no need to worry about me or my workload". I'd have quit right then but I have an ailing parent to take care of. Actively looking out for something better though.

Image credits: PhotoKada

#26

Back when I was a student I worked as a waiter. The place was sold and the new owner was an horrible person. The new boss worked 6 days a week and on his day off there was no manager, we were instructed to call him in case of emergencies. The kitchen messed a client order and to apologise I offered for free a 12 oz glass of beer. It had always been the policy to give a little something when an order was messed up and I genuinely did not think I needed to call the owner for this. Anyway, the next day he questionned me on the free beer I gave and I explained what happened. I thought he was asking because he wanted to know what webt wrong with the meal. He then asked who authorized me to give something for free. I said no one, I took it upon myself. To which he replied:
- you are an employee and as such you don’t take decisions, you do what I tell you to do and nothing else. If I asked you to get down on your knees and wash the floor with a toothbrush, you would do it because I say so.

#27

At my last job- factory work in an easy position where I just stood and pushed buttons; I was already trying to plan with my boyfriend how to exit it and find something safer- I started bleeding heavily. It was earlier on in my pregnancy and I, of course, freaked out and went to my supervisor and told him I had to leave right away and what was happening. I was sobbing and he just gave me an annoyed look and told me that I needed to get my priorities in order and that he needed me there and that he hoped this wasn't going to become a reoccurring thing. I told him I was going to the ER and left.

I had a threatened miscarriage (baby is okay!) and spent the next eight hours in the ER terrified and upset and angry. The first thing I did the next day was go to HR with my doctor's note and told them what happened and how his attitude was unacceptable- especially after they had been shoving down our throats how they were cracking down on a*****e supervisors and trying to cultivate a more "caring and understanding atmosphere."

They tried to brush it off as "oh he's a man- he might not know about those types of things." Which just made me even more angry. I stood my ground and told them that he needed to be reprimanded and put through SOME kind of training or, at the very least, made to apologize. Walking out of that meeting, I passed him in the hallway and heard him b**ching about how I "wasn't cut out for the job and always making excuses" to some team leads.

I regret not losing my s**t on him. I regret not going straight back to HR.

But, now I'm at home on bed rest and have been since the incident due to doctor's orders. Most likely will continue to be on it for the rest of my pregnancy.

Like, dude...have some f*****g compassion.

I did tell my coworkers about what happened before quitting and I heard that he got b**ched out by a few of them and that two of the team leads requested transfers to different lines- they'd apparently had s**tty experiences with him trying guilt trip over leaving early for medical emergencies with their own kids and that was kind of a last straw thing for them.

Hope that a*****e gets heat exhaustion.

#28

Worked for Amazon. Boss had his bootlicking underlings tell us that because we couldn't handle Amazon's increasingly ridiculous workload, the boss had to put off buying his house for a while.

#29

A customer on a survey gave a 9 out of 10 for me.
A supervisor told me to call the customer and ask what I could do for a 10. Because I got a 9 .

#30

This was during a team meeting regarding dissatisfaction at the s**tty 1% salary increase we received. Again. After CEO promised we’d be rewarded for perseverance and high productivity during lockdown and layoffs.

Boss: ‘You know, all of us are struggling with inflation and rising costs…. I’m not taking my Range Rover out as much and have a four bedroom house I’m selling!’

I will never own property unless I meet someone, coworker is putting off having kids and other coworker cares for an elderly relative by taking a part time job on top of this one.

I was stunned.

#31

I had a friend at a restaurant I worked at that trained me in and made sure that I got a free meal each day (starving art student and all that.) Eventually he started teaching me the line and got me bumped up from dish washing to working along side him on the line which came with a nice raise. We would even hang out after shifts and play a couple hours of Cod Zombies or Borderlands. Well one day I walk in and the owner is in tears. Ends up my friend had suffered a heart attack the night before and had been found dead that morning. I was devastated but we remained open and I just kind of ghosted through my shift. I forget exactly what it was I think I cooked some fries or something and set it aside and forgot they were there. Got the order sent out (with some fresh fries btw) and the owner came back found the ones I had forgotten about glared at me threw them out and pulled me aside and said "I just had to throw out those fries! You need to do better work! He would be so ashamed of you right now!" I just looked at her and then proceeded to walk out with out saying a word.

#32

I used to have a terrible boss, and she said terrible things to everyone, but this was to a coworker.

We worked at a restaurant, and my friend went to school 2 days a week. She decided to quit school for whatever reason, and the next time my boss saw her she said "Hey, beauty school drop out!".

This absolutely crushed my friend. It happened years ago and I still feel bad for her.

#33

“We’re starting to get a little behind, so you guys might have to work through your breaks.”

The icing on the cake was this was a union job. The whole shop laughed so hard we no longer felt well and had to go home sick the rest of the day. Some were still sick the day after.

#34

I asked for to be put on a 2 week LOA while I dealt with my abuser in court. It was denied. I cried & my boss saw the tears so she pulled me aside & asked what’s wrong. I told her the truth, because she kept saying “it’s ok” and “you can tell me.” I told her I was homeless & needed the time off to deal w/ things. She looked me in the eye and said “Well when my son was born with autism you can’t even imagine the pain I felt. Did I cry? No. I moved on & focused on WORK and it made me better. You don’t know how hard it is being an autism mom. No excuses! I can donate you some old blankets though! But no time off!”

I was working six days a week sometimes 7. I quit that day.

#35

The owner of my workplace told me that he sits in on the interviews these days, would’ve seen right through me, and that if he’d have been there to know what I was like they wouldn’t have hired me — they’re known to be homophobic. This was after he somehow found out that I put my foot in my mouth during the interview for a sales role *that I was headhunted for*, and he mocked me for that loss.

#36

That I literally was the reason she had a heart attack. I was 17 years old, working at a family restaurant and apparently was to blame for all of the stress in the owner’s life. I walked out an hour later and her sister (co-owner) begged me not to leave. I told her I refused to be talk to that way. I never went back.

#37

Basically nothing to do with work itself, but I was working pizza delivery once upon a time and we had a temp manager who came in to oversee us for a shift, and during a slow point he somehow got on the topic of cheating on his wife.

"I still love my wife, but obviously I cheat on her. Every guy does. If they try to claim they don't, they're lying. It's just in our nature." He told us with the most smug, self-assured frat bro grin. He then proceeded to teach us the optimal strategy for cheating on our wives and how we should avoid getting caught. He also gave us strategies for picking partners, specifically "Cheat on your wife with fat chicks. They have such low self-esteem, they'll do **anything** you want them to."

I always used to see those scenes in movies with the douchebag guy hitting on girls and giving them the 'you know you want it' lines, and thought they were super exaggerated unrealistic. "Nobody in real life **actually** talks like that." I would tell myself, "Even the sleaziest of dudes has a sense of propriety about his s**ttiness."

I no longer think of those scenes as unrealistic or exaggerated at all.

#38

All the same restaurant owner:
1. Told me the delivery driver was autistic (he was NOT)
2. Spoke to me out loud about not doing a**l sex then vaginal sex because of infections
3. Spoke about how young black girls get their period earlier and therefore had regular sex at age 12
4. Told me not to tell the chef "I'm coming" after being summoned because he would get too excited

#39

"People with kids are able to schedule appointments, Why can't you? This is really inconvenient." -When I asked for the day off to put my cat to sleep. It was for a Friday and I didn't want her to suffer over the weekend.

#40

One of my bosses once was walking around the studio and responded to something someone said with "you guys work for me, so I own you."

His co-founder was once around when I figuratively jumped out of my seat with excitement after getting some code to work. Code, I'll mention, which has revolutionized his company in different ways both times I've worked there. He knows I'm unlucky in love, so he muttered off to the side to a coworker who, mind you, was a programmer working under me, "that's the closest thing to sex he gets." They both laughed.

#41

“You aren’t worth the paycheck we give you “.
I was working 70 hours a week, turning unprofitable divisions profitable for the first time ever in the history across all brands. Developed and Ran the quality control process for a domestic manufacturer. Also did product development ma management for the s**te brands the big boss couldn’t be bothered to deal with ( mine sold better with fewer issues in the market). Traveled the trade show circuit 5-8 months a year for 5 years, chumming it up with local work crews and unions so we weren’t paying expo center rates for booth set up, carpet, power, “entertainment” and other cost cutting measures.

I asked for a raise because I was making minimum wage (early 1990s) and living in nyc. I was paying for groceries w a credit card.

3 months later I found another job. The hiring manager was incensed that the old company was paying me so little. The new boss hand delivered my resignation letter to him at a trade show (at their request- apparently they had a beef going back decades). The next three weeks were a bit uncomfortable.

Last day: got 2 years back pay in an handwritten check and was asked to reconsider the offer.

I laughed. And ran to the bank to cash that check for the cash.

#42

My boss came up to me and saw i was on my phone when the store was dead he said "I cant make exceptions for you, we are not friends and the rules apply to everyone"
I said i agreed, and it was fine.
Then i called HR and told them about the $50 he took from the safe and used to buy an amazon gift card as well as a screenshot of the reciept, he was fired 18 hours later.

#43

I worked for a small family owned place as my first office job.

One day I didn’t know where something was (because it was misplaced from its usual spot) so I asked my manager where it was.

They looked at me like I was the dumbest person alive and pointed somewhere to the far right of them and then said to me, “It’s a wonder how you ever made it even this far in life.”


I apologized and went back to working on whatever I was doing. That night I drove home while bawling.

I really was trying my best at the time and it honestly was very hard to wake up in the mornings sometimes even before they said that. Despite that, I would always go above and beyond at work and come in 1-2 hours early and leave late.
I had been diagnosed with major depression few months before I even started the job and I was living paycheck to paycheck. On my own with zero support from anyone, and I spent all my free time clipping coupons, doing doordash and picking up side gigs so that I could afford to feed myself and
my dog and buy furniture. I literally had no time to myself and was constantly working.

I made $9 an hour.

F**k that place and f**k anyone that makes you feel worthless.

#44

A rule around the office was you always had to go by my boss’s office to say good morning within the first thirty minutes of the day. On my second day of work I didn’t realize the seriousness of this rule, and left for a meeting before he was in for the day. When I returned he said “If you ever forget to say goodbye to me again I’ll lay your a*s out.”

#45

In the early 80’s, my middle aged, married father of 3, boss used to tell me what he wanted to do to me sexually and show me what “a real man” does to satisfy a woman. When I finally had the guts to turn him in (at the urging of my future husband) to Corporate (2 states away), they had a stern talking to him and left him in position, sitting 10 ft away from my desk. He spoke all instructions for the next 6 months to my co-worker (8 ft away, same office space) instead of directly to me. I finally found a better job and quit. 6 months later, my co-worker followed me to the new company. This is what women put up with in offices at the time.

#46

Years ago I worked in a small kitchen where people with culinary degrees went to die slow deaths. I was only like 18 and she always gave me the worst jobs on delivery day and inventory day while she always found a way to lean or talk for hours with whomever. My best friend at the time worked with me after school and we were laughing during work while she was chatting.

She decided to complain to the person that I was the worst worker and then told me that it made sense because I was the result of a failed abortion.

She was never reprimanded or talked to about how she treated us back then.

#47

After I challenged a double-demotion with "you can't do that, it is against the law" he responded with "it is your fault for being on medical leave when I needed you".

Background: I nearly died when run over by a car and was out for a few months because of that.

#48

"Didn't you have cancer?" - manager of 5 years after finding out his wife had cancer and recalling I had medical issues under his management. Medical issues that he tried to fire me over and were not cancer. I had actually told him exactly what was going on at the time. He had four employees total and our offices were right next to his. How do you miss an employee having f*****g cancer?

Nothing that any manager has ever said to me in my 22 year career has hurt as much as that question. Four f*****g employees for over five years.

#49

I’ve got a few- all from Chipotle

Manager asked rudely why I was limping and not wearing my non slip shoes. I had sprained my ankle badly (doctor said they were surprised it wasn’t broken due to how big the swelling was) and told him that I couldn’t wear my usual shoes because my foot wouldn’t fit.

A few weeks later, same manager same demanding rude tone “why are you coughing so much”. It was my first day back from having covid, and I was only back because of other manager.

This particular manager was preparing to become a gm. I got covid despite taking all precautions (likely from a coworker since no one in my personal life got it) and was out. I missed 2 scheduled days due to covid, and the first day I was able to come back, they scheduled me during my classes (I never worked that day) so I had to get cover. The next day I was planning to work, but covid really took me out so I tried to get cover. Manager said she’d dock my hours for “calling out so much” and when I explained my situation, she left me on read and then dropped me from 20 to 4 hours when she became gm.

#50

After asking for people's opinions and me giving mine; "If you don't like it, leave!" So I left. He did not like that.

#51

I worked for a man that had a great reputation in his line of work due to his successes. I thought it would be a good experience for me.

This man was downright verbally abusive to me. He would give instructions on tasks and I would do them but if they weren’t done exactly the way he wanted, he’d yell and call me names. The final straw was when he gave somewhat vague instructions. My co-worker and I both understood him the same. I did the task as we had understood it. The boss proceeded to scream at me asking if I’m f’ing r-word this and that. None of these were life and death situations.

I finished the day and completely ghosted him. No notice, no text, and blocked him from contacting me.

#52

Fast food job.
Middle of a rush, friday night. only me and one other person working kitchen. This is normal for that place.
Accidentally press fryer basket against my arm. I get a really nasty burn. Nothing life threatening, just what happens in a kitchen.
After rush I knock on the door of office. General Manager has been chatting with her friend who is the manager of another store for the last straight hour. Not helping us at all.
I show her the burn, ask for the burn cream that we keep on hand.
Her response?
"Why did you do that?"

It gets worse
Next friday, come in for the same shift. She sees my arm, asks what happens and howd I get such a terrible burn.

#53

I was called and told that my sister had 2 days left to live and I asked my boss if I could leave a bit earlier to go see her in hospital. She told me I had to book 3 hours leave to go see her rather than be given compassionate leave to just go. And I work in a well staffed office where her favourites are regularly allowed time to leave early. At the time I just did it but many months later when I had time to think plus after a series of other events in this bullying environment im now looking for a new job (along with a few others)

#54

Scolded me the following day (I should've been on 3 days of FMLA but only took 1) for not checking my email while I was at my grandma's funeral

#55

I was told that the reason I didn't get a promotion was because she didn't think I had a backbone. I left and got myself a promotion elsewhere.

#56

On the weekend we had to take my son to the ER due a very high fever. Come Monday morning he still had the fever, so couldn’t go to day that day or the next.

Told my boss I could only work to noon and then I had to take the rest of the day and any other day off to stay home with him. Because my wife had an extremely important project due at her work and we didn’t have any other family.

His response “work’s important too you know.” That’s all he said to me. He was the worst person I’ve worked for.

#57

Few years back I injured my back. Incredibly painful sciatica, however for the whole 5 months I came into work, not a single day off sick.
Got all my work done despite the fact I was holding onto desks, cabinets to get around the office, in tears at my desk from being in so much pain.

Colleagues were sympathetic saying they could see how much pain I was in, how I shouldn’t be coming in etc.

However my manager - she acted like she thought I was putting it on and had no sympathy. Used to huff is she saw me struggling and had a go once because I was 5 mins late even though I practically crawled through the door.

Anyways one morning, I collapsed on the floor getting ready for work, so had to call in sick.
Had paramedics out, I was screaming on my bed, given strong pain medication etc.

Later that week I had an MRI which showed a severely herniated disc which was why I was in agony.

I sent a pic to one of my work mates who was also a manager. He then showed this pic to my non sympathetic manager and apparently her response was “oh there *is* something wrong then?”

Like I’d been making the whole thing up for 5 months. My attendance record had been perfect up until the point of collapse. She had no reason to think badly of me.

#58

I think the worst thing i was told was "If you don't get everything done like you did tonight during the summer you'll be fired" i worked overnight at a Sheetz and was made to not take a break by the overnight manager so that everything would get done by the time the one who said this came in. I quit a month later on saint Patrick's day and found out she tried to write me up on holidays when i was unable to leave the register because we were that darn busy.

#59

I had a boss tell me, in the middle of the office and in front of my co-workers, "You're weird, no wonder you aren't married." I'm still pretty angry about that and it's been years. But I did end up marrying someone who appreciates my weirdness. Suck it Joanne!

#60

Short and sweet story.

Basically, small business of 20 staff, person I worked with was an alright coworker, got along well enough, they were promoted to manager.... Became an instant a*****e, everyone hated her, people started leaving.

I had a meeting with her to discuss my issues with how I was being treated as a person and a mother of a young baby at the time, she told me "work is more important than family".

I handed in my notice the next day and left 2 weeks later, I was the 3rd person to leave, another has left since.

Preschool...... We worked in a preschool.....

#61

When I applied for a promotion in another department. My boss told me after the fact why they didn't choose me for the position

"You are too good at your job to lose you. We would never be able to find a suitable replacement!"

I quit.

#62

That I was invited to an important conference to be eye candy (his actual words) for the older men in the industry to come to our table. Also that I was hired because I’m a woman and my boss who has 6 daughters wanted to “give back” to women. And that any woman who doesn’t want take her husbands last name is not worth marrying.

Lots of sexism in stem. But actually been improving an insane amount the past few years!

#63

Not as dire as some replies here, but my first review at my job, my manager was praising my performance. He then followed up that, "regrettably, promotions and raises are not based on performance."

Again, not dire, but to have that dropped on me at my first "adult" job in my first review really colored my view of this job.