While some people are blessed with thoughtful and down-to-earth bosses, others have to bear superiors boasting way less positive qualities. And unless you switch jobs until you find one of the former kind, the type of boss you get at a workplace is more or less a lottery.
Today, we’re focusing on the people who, unfortunately, haven’t won in said lottery. Having to deal with higher-ups with all sorts of aggravating traits, these people have screenshots to show just how difficult working with them can be. If you’re curious to see what it entails, scroll down to find them on the list below and see how your boss looks compared to this “hall of fame”.
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with a Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, Dr. Ronald Riggio, who was kind enough to share his insight on how strong of an influence a bad—or good—boss can be on their employees.
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I'm Still In Shock
If anyone doesn't know, "bless your heart" is code for "Wow! You really are a tw@twaffle, aren't you?"
I Hope They Feel Really Awkward
I’m Probably Going To Be Fired For This, But I Don’t Care
"ATTENTION! We do not get our tips! Our boss takes all of our tips! For more information, please talk to the cashier."
If that's America, I'm pretty sure it's illegal. Either way, it's sh1tty.
Discussing the best and the worst approaches superiors can take, Dr. Ronald Riggio told Bored Panda that exemplary leaders are relationship-oriented; they work hard to develop good relationships with their followers.
“This serves three purposes,” he suggested. “Firstly, it increases the employee’s commitment to shared goals; for example, performing at a high level. Secondly, it allows the leader to help the follower learn and develop and build their capacity to grow and develop their own leadership capacity. Lastly, it increases employee satisfaction and reduces stress (the greatest source of employee stress comes from difficult relationships at work, particularly poor relationships with supervisors or bosses).”
The Audacity Of This Restaurant Owner. He's Asking Customers To Increase Tipping So That His Staff Could Be Paid More
God i hate the whole tipping culture in the USA and im not even american myself.
Why Would You Assume People Who Use Public Transportation Won't Be On Time?
And he said it wasn’t his problem. He didn’t pay attention, so I hired anyone who was qualified and then quit.
“The very best relationships between bosses and employees are built on mutual trust. If there are high levels of trust, the boss doesn’t have to micromanage, because the boss knows the worker will perform,” Dr. Ronald Riggio continued.
“On the employee side, it can allow the employee some freedom and autonomy to get the job done in the right way. The very best bosses try to understand and empathize with their employees. This allows them to better understand what motivates each employee, what their strengths and weaknesses are, so that the boss can better leverage those. The happiest and most productive employees tend to have bosses who support them, make them feel secure and appreciated, but a boss who can also challenge them to have them be motivated and perform at their best.”
The Office Manager Tries To Bully Me Into Giving Money For A Present For Our Millionaire Boss
The office manager is your typical social butterfly who loves to gossip and suck up to the boss at any opportunity she gets. I’m paid so poorly, but I have a job to make ends meet for my family. I don’t have anything extra in my budget for myself or my kids, let alone to put towards a gift for my already rich boss. I hate this toxic workplace.
The Cry Tells Us Everything We Need To Know
Owner Prohibits Drive-Through Employees From Wearing Jackets During Cold Winter Months
The type of boss a person has can significantly influence their well-being, especially if the two have to communicate on a daily basis. Bearing in mind that many people work roughly 260 days out of the 365 comprising a year, daily communication with someone aggravating could be compared to a form of torture.
Unfortunately, quite a significant number of people reportedly suffer such a form of torture at work. According to Pew Research Center, 55% of employed individuals say their boss is excellent, or very good, at least; however, one-in-five would strongly disagree, as being only fair or poor, their bosses line up on the other end of the spectrum.
I Got Fired For Not Going To Work The Day Of My Grandpa's Funeral
I was a great waitress. I had worked there for over a year, made a slightly higher tip percentage than the other girls, was always on time, and showed up. To give "proof" that I was a great waitress, I had just been given a raise and been promoted to a shift lead position.
The restaurant had planned a Halloween party. We were all supposed to dress up, and we had a special menu planned. My grandpa was in hospice during this time and unfortunately passed away. As soon as I knew when his funeral was, I asked if I could have the day off. They said no because "all waitresses needed to work on the Halloween party". However, they let a girl take the night off because she’d been there a month and she "wasn’t comfortable working at a party yet". Well, fast-forward to the day of the funeral, and I just could not bring myself to rush home, put makeup and costume on, and be energetic with strangers, a mere three hours after burying my grandpa. I texted this at 1 PM, and the shift starts at 5 PM. It was really unfortunate because I considered my manager a true friend, but this really showed their true colors.
They Told Me The Staff Reduction Was Necessary
I just got laid off without even being given 2 weeks' notice and then I got this sent to me accidentally from one of my bosses.
This Is How My Coworker Handled This Text From My Boss
Update and context: This line cook had already previously put in his two-week notice due to moving out of state to take care of sick family and was days away from leaving anyway. Yes, he hit send and actually quit. Yes, he is leaving the industry. This isn't our chef he is texting. It's the owner.
While one-in-five employees being unhappy with their bosses might not seem like a lot to some people, they might change their opinion after contemplating just how detrimental working for an awful superior is. A study of 3,100 men presented back in 2009 found that managers lacking certain skills can lead to the risk of suffering a heart attack increasing by 40%.
“This was the first time leadership was so clearly connected to physical health. I think, in general, bosses have a great impact on us. They are people who have power over our lives by defining the boundaries of our work, where we spend a lot of our time,” said the researcher behind the study, psychologist Anna Nyberg.
I Was Just Trying To Get Enough To Eat, And My Manager Sent Me This
Dollar General Management With An Inspiring Message To The Staff
How dare a cashier sit! Why, next they're going to want bathroom breaks!
My Mental Health Job Doesn’t Have A Bereavement Leave Policy In Place
For context, my company is pretty small, and my boss and her boss are both aware that this was the death of my mother. I work in mental health, specifically crisis aversion, and my company talks a lot about self-care and taking care of your mental health. It's just so absurd that it’s funny.
“If there is a bad boss-employee relationship it can disrupt performance at work,” Dr. Riggio pointed out. “At a basic level, employees may avoid going to the boss to get proper instruction or information about how to do their jobs and about goals.
“As mentioned, a poor relationship with one’s superior can lead to employee stress. Stressed employees may then call in sick—either because they are suffering from stress-related illnesses, or they simply want to avoid the bad situation at work—which leads to increased absenteeism. In extremes, a bad boss-worker relationship can cause an employee to leave altogether, looking for a better situation.”
Roughly 75% of workers in the US say that their boss is the worst and most stress-inducing part of their jobs, the World Economic Forum reports. For some employees, the situation is so dire, as much as 60% of them would rather choose a new boss than a pay rise.
This Was My Boss's Response To Me Calling In Sick. What Should I Do? I Can't Find A Cover
Cassidy, Read That Again, But Slowly
I Asked For A Raise On Tuesday And Received This Text Message Yesterday Morning
According to the World Economic Forum, more than a quarter of individuals working for an awful boss quit as soon as they find a new job; roughly one-in-ten do even without having a new job lined up. (For those willing to keep changing workplaces until they find one with a tolerable boss, the possibility of remaining perpetually jobless is better than working for someone unbearable.)
Unfortunately, nearly one-in-six employed adults continue working for the person they likely find aggravating at best, which ought to have an effect on their performance, as well as their personal well-being.
My Mum Has Stage 4 Cancer In 5 Areas And Her Boss Has Been Pressuring Her To Come Back To Work
So Serving Expired Food Isn't A Big Deal Anymore
I Was Admitted To The Hospital With Sepsis And My Boss Expected Me To Roll Out Of The Hospital Straight To Work. "Audrey" Is HR. This Was After 3 Days Of Her Harassing Me Non-Stop About Work
Holy s**t. When I had sepsis I was in ICU a few days and then on a gastro ward for 2 weeks. I left with a drain in my gallbladder (my gallstones had blocked my bile duct so bile couldnt drain, which had caused the infection that had led to the sepsis) and still couldn't stand up straight. Even had the cause been simpler to deal with, such a deadly infection smacks you down and doesn't let you up for a while.
As if having to deal with an annoying superior is not bad enough at a given moment, the negative effects of such encounters might last for as much as a decade to come.
A meta-analysis of 57 different studies found that the negative impact of dealing with a bad boss can linger for up to ten years. To make matters worse, such an impact outweighs the positive influence of a good boss, Inc reports.
I Legitimately Thought I Was Dying Last Night, And After I Called My Shift Lead About It This Morning, My Boss Texted Me This
This is hypocritical because her daughter works with me and calls out all the time over being hungover. But no, me bleeding myself damn near unconscious last night doesn't warrant me taking a day off.
My Dad Had A Stroke. He's Not Doing Too Well, So My Significant Other And I Are Moving. I Had To Give A 1-Week Notice And Got This Text From The Boss
Don't you just hate when your employees' family members have serious medical emergencies? It's just so thoughtless of them.
I Woke Up On My Day Off To A Voicemail Asking Why I Wasn't At Work. Apparently Someone Changed My Schedule Without My Knowledge, And That's My Fault?
The detrimental effects of having a terrible boss are why it’s important to take action to get yourself out of the situation, be it by reporting certain unacceptable behavior to the higher-ups or changing jobs, if need be. And while that might not be easy to do, for some people, thinking about having to suffer through 260 torturous days a year might be a great motivating force.
If you’re looking for more motivation to leave an aggravating boss, feel free to browse our older editions on horrible bosses here and here next.
Text I Received From My Boss While I Was Sick In Bed
I had told her the day before that I was attempting to look, but of course, nobody wanted to cover. She didn't respond, so I sent a follow-up text, and that was the reply I got. What is this joke about making employees find their own coverage while sick? I was literally passed out on the floor, being told I needed to find coverage.
"You are the manager, do you f**king job" should be the answer to these questions.
Boss Tried To Make Me Pay For My Mistake, Which Is Illegal In New York. When I Expressed I Wouldn't Pay For A One-Time Mistake, He Doubled Down And Said This
To be fair, it was a to-go order that I just blanked on and forgot to make sure it was paid before I handed it out. Regardless, it's illegal to try and make me pay for it in my state. I tried to give him the opportunity to correct his reaction, and he doubled down. He even said that breaking the law is a common practice.
Dawn, The Manager, Has Been Fired
Should I Take His Advice?
My Contract Is For 25 Hours A Week, Part-Time And Today I Received This Week’s Schedule. I'm Scheduled For 48 Hours With No Prior Warning
My Boss Offered A "Smile" To Incentivize Me Picking Up Extra Hours
I Have Been In The Hospital For A Week, Trying To Determine The Source Of My Pain. Potentially Having Surgery This Week To Get My Gall Bladder Removed. This Is My Lovely Boss's Response
Should I Just Not Go In?
My Boss Sent Me This Text After I Asked To Be Paid
I work in a very small bakery, getting paid under the table. My boss, the owner of the bakery, and I work together a lot of the time, and we’ve opened up to each other about lots of things. I trusted her when I confided in her about my family’s financial situation. I was not looking for pity, and I did not expect her to use it against me. It’s been 2 days since she was supposed to have paid me, and if she’s late, I usually ask if she’s done or is planning on doing payroll. I have no idea what to do or say. I get paid below the minimum wage, which certainly isn’t enough to deal with all of this.
Having A Fever And Feeling Unfit To Make It In. "Boss" Responded With This
I was feeling fine at work today, but as I drove home, I rapidly started sweating and having a throbbing headache, so I took a test. I sent this picture, letting him know I could not make it tomorrow. For context, the reason for the "bad timing" statement is the fact that he texted me off work hours just before I took this test and when I was already feeling unwell. Is it unreasonable of me to excuse myself so I can care for my health? I don’t feel he respects my personal needs or simply does not have the awareness, but I also honestly don’t want to let the team down if possible. I did inform both a general manager and a second-hand manager, who were both understanding.
Yeah make them come to work with covid and get the rest of the employees sick too then all your staffing worries will be over Idiot
Boss Wrote "Thief" On My Check
I filed a wage theft report against my former employer and was told he only paid 80% of what was owed, but I sucked it up. When I picked up the check at the Department of Labor, it had "THIEF" boldly written on the subject line. It was super awkward, unfair, and embarrassing, especially with others witnessing it. Is there anything that can be done?
The Most Satisfying Text I've Ever Sent. Long Story Short, The Guy Who Made The Schedule Was My Roommate, And We Fell Out, So He Cut My Hours Drastically
At the time, I had secured another job and had training scheduled. I got the few shifts I had covered and was ready to go. Just days before I’m supposed to leave for training, the schedule is changed, and all of a sudden I’m at 30 hours and can’t get anyone to cover my shifts at the last minute. This was the response I got.
Manager Ignoring My Time Off Request That Was Approved
Over two months ago, I requested time off for Halloween, and it was approved the next day. Then earlier today, next week’s schedule came out, and I’m scheduled to work on Halloween. I wouldn’t be as mad if I didn’t make plans for Halloween, but I did. Should I be as frustrated as I am, and how should I approach this?
My Girlfriend's Boss "Fixed" Everyone's Schedules After They Were Complaining About Not Getting A Lunch Break On Sunday By Making Them Work 10 Minutes Short Of Being Legally Entitled To One
The Picture Was Taken Last Night In The Kitchen Of The Restaurant I Work At. The Temperature Inside Was 86 Degrees. This Has Been Going On For Weeks
The hood vents have not been working properly, and it’s been dreadfully hot. The cooks are constantly sweating and miserable, one even filed a complaint with OSHA because they were tired of working in that condition. They were confronted by the owner. Servers and bartenders were raising concerns in the work group chat last night about their asthma and how customers in the front of the house can smell the smoke. Rather than assuring and being helpful to employees, the manager shut down the conversation and stated that if anyone had an issue, they could speak to them and the owner privately. They stated that they were probably affected by the storm yesterday (this has been happening for weeks) and should be fixed today. I’m pretty sure they’re under the pressure of OSHA’s grace period.
I've Texted My Boss After I Tested Positive For COVID. Is There Anything I Can Do About This?
This is a new job, and I've only invoiced them for work so far and haven't gotten officially on the payroll. I just moved to a new town for this job and would hate to have to find a new job, but I don't know if I want to work for a place that has these policies.
My Boss Is Upset That I'm Not Grateful For A 3-Cent Raise
It’s been a grueling year at work, and over the last few months, our boss has been heavily hinting that we’ll finally be getting some raises, so when I had my performance review and HR was smiling as they slid me a piece of paper that said my raise was just 3 cents, I literally couldn’t hold it in. I was so upset, I literally had to leave because I was starting to tear up, and I cried when I left. I thought my hard work was finally going to pay off. I'm tired of being broke all the time. I thought I was going to get a good raise or a bonus so I could finally treat myself for once and go out to dinner or the movies or something, but nope, I can’t have anything good in life.
Villain Behavior
Then they fired me for talking about it.
The big boss should not only be fired, but stripped from his child custody and have his reputation be so ruined that he would be begging to have a life sentence in solitary. People like the big boss disgust me, having to be gleeful at someone's suffering. THEY don't belong here, but in hell. (okay, I spoke too long and also overreacting, but that how disgusted I'm through words)
This Is An Insulting Statement Against Wife's Work
My wife's salary is made out of commissions and instead of getting cash payment for a product she sold, her company gave her 6k Hong Kong dollars ($766) in vouchers to spend in a "Japanese supermarket".
This supermarket isn't even located in our area and we will have to carry the groceries from far away by public transport or cab.
P.S. In Hong Kong, we don’t drive like most locals.
As stated before, these kinds of bosses are not isolated to the states. We are just getting more attention than everyone else.
Just Because Of The Corset
I'm a waitress at a restaurant in a country club. We had a change of management, and I got into a heated argument with my supervisor when he went off at me for loosening my corset while I was on my break. I just got sent this and found that my hours have been cut in half. Is there anything I can do?
I Had A Stroke At Work, And Me Almost Dying Inconvenienced My Boss
Enjoy the text between me and my (ex) coworker. I was in the hospital for 7 days while they figured out why it happened since I was "younger". I’m wondering if I stroked out because I worked for such a heartless woman.
Strokes are nothing to mess around with. My husband had 2 & the 2nd one ended things just this past November. If she had any brains at all she'd know that they have to run so many different tests until they can find what caused it so it can be treated correctly. I'd show this to everyone. I sure hope you're feeling better and doing well by now 💖
This Is The Thermostat In The Office. I Told My Boss That If I’m Going To Work In A Sauna, I Will Do It Naked
I Was Told to Serve Ice Cream At A Nursing Home While Throwing Up. Where And How Can I Report This?
My Boss Admitted To Taking Money From My Tips To Cover The Bill That Was Short And That Everyone Has Access To, It Is Not Assigned To Anyone
And this why 1) only one person (+the Mgr) is assigned to and can only use a specific till. . 2) there is petty cash to cover small amounts like this. Depending on company size, a certain amount of overage/shortage is factored in. 3) it is illegal to take a workers tips For Any Reason. 4) he took it from people, why isn't he paying too?
Thought My Boss Was Playing An April Fool's Day Joke
Boss Brought In Drumsticks For Employee Appreciation Day
My Boss Asked Me To Cover A Shift While I’m On Vacation
Note: this post originally had 89 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Why do so many people apologise for getting sick? It's not like you can repell sickness off you on command. It's weird that we do that tbh when it's out of our control.
Just take those whatsapp messages to your union or, if you don't have one, a lawyer (there are lawyers that work pro bono) and then go to court to get compensation. You might not get your job back, but you will have time to look for another one while not having to worry about paying your bills. You could even get transition compensation also, which is money meant to fund any training that will give you a better chance to get a job.
Why do so many people apologise for getting sick? It's not like you can repell sickness off you on command. It's weird that we do that tbh when it's out of our control.
Just take those whatsapp messages to your union or, if you don't have one, a lawyer (there are lawyers that work pro bono) and then go to court to get compensation. You might not get your job back, but you will have time to look for another one while not having to worry about paying your bills. You could even get transition compensation also, which is money meant to fund any training that will give you a better chance to get a job.
