They say there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’. But some people are selfish, shortsighted, and seem keen to ruin everyone’s day for their own pleasure or gain. Naturally, we call these people jerks. While unpleasant to deal with, your average, run-of-the-mill jerk isn’t usually someone to fear. Not so if they’re your boss.
Good bosses are a godsend, but bad bosses make you pray for divine intervention. Even worse than merely incompetent managers are bosses who love being jerks. Jerk bosses are by far the crème de la crème of all possible types of the species known as jerks.
Bored Panda made this list of the greatest examples of bosses acting like jerks, so you can feel a bit happier about working at your current job, in comparison. So go make yourself some popcorn, grab yourself a drink, and scroll down. Upvote your fave jerk boss stories and let us know if something similar has ever happened to you! Be sure to take a look at Bored Panda’s other stories about jerk bosses, regular everyday jerks, and the vast differences between leaders and bosses.
This post may include affiliate links.
So My Boss Calls Me To A Meeting On My Day Off, Then Asks Me To Arrange The Meeting Room
After Receiving A $50 Gift Card For Walmart As A Christmas Gift From My Boss, I Was Happy Until I Saw That It Had Been Deducted From My Paycheck
Your mom probably told you to stay away from jerks when you were a kid. However, when we’re all grown up, we can’t always choose our colleagues (and especially not our bosses), as we choose our friends. I’m sure that at one point or another we’ve all met jerks that made us grit our teeth, put on a fake smile and pretend like everything’s just peachy. When all we really wanted to do was Sparta Kick them into a volcano as a sacrifice to the venerable Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Artists At My Local Tattoo Shop Left This For Their Boss After Finding A Motion Detector That Records Video In The Unisex BR
My Boss Said "No" Too Many Times. He Forced My Hand. I Quit! Now While He's Miserable. My Feet Are In The Sand. F Him
Ohio State University researcher Bennett Tepper explained to the Harvard Business Review that “if your boss is hostile toward you, you are going to be less satisfied with your job, less committed to the work. You are more likely to experience psychological distress. We know that performance suffers; we know that people are less helpful when their boss is hostile toward them.” So far, so good.
My Coworker Went All Wet Seal On Our Boss Today
So I Bring A Pecan Pie To Work. By Noon It Was Missing. Found It A Few Hours Later In My Boss's Office
“I have found no upside whatsoever to a boss being hostile, even though there is a lay belief out there that if you kind of kick people a little bit, maybe you can get them motivated. We never seem to find evidence of that,” Tepper revealed how aggressive behavior isn’t too great for inspiring folks to work harder.
Secret Recording Device Under Break Room Table At Work
One Of A Seemingly Endless Series Of Unreasonable Notes Left By My Boss. It’s Great Here
Tepper and his colleagues checked whether acting aggressively right back at a hostile boss would yield any positive results. Are you ready for the shocking news? No, acting like a jerk to your jerk boss doesn’t create anything of value for you, nor for anyone else. The old adage that two wrongs don’t make a right is absolutely correct. Only, in this case, two jerks don’t make a warm and supportive work environment.
Our Boss Doesn't Let Us Take Any Home!
This Structural Pole My Boss Refuses To Fix
There are laws regarding the structural safety of buildings. Notify the proper authorities.
Far from everyone has the luxury of quitting their jobs at the drop of a hat. That means that for quite a number of different possible reasons, some people are stuck working for bosses they otherwise wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole. What can you do to survive if you’re in such a situation? Sometimes, a change in perspective can help. Thrive Global proposes learning all you can from your boss, doing the best work you can, and taking responsibility for your own happiness.
When Your Good Service Rewards Only Your Boss
Shift Manager At My Work Was Just Diagnosed With Colon Cancer, Our Store Manager Put This Sign Out A Week Later
Meanwhile, the BBC suggests you meditate at the office every day and watch the stress go away. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed with life, take a few deep breaths, go for a walk, cuddle a doggo, and remember all the wonderful things in life you’re grateful for. Keep calm and carry on, my friends!
Boss Didn't Like The Color Of The Chairs In The Break Room. So Now We Just Don't Have Chairs
My Boss Installed An IP Camera At The Store To Spy On Us When He's Away. I Retaliated With This Rig
I don't think Spy is the right way if that camera is facing what looks like a shop. I think he is justified here
My Boss Was Deathly Serious When He Posted This. Looks Like I'm Spending Some Quality Time At Work This Year
Quit My Job Yesterday Because I Was Tired Of The Unprofessional Environment - Got This Text From My Supervisor Today
This Is The Drinking Water Filter At My Work. It's Been Getting Darker By The Day But My Boss Insists It's Doing Its Job Still
Leave Work For One Day And My Boss Replaced My Large Monitor That I Use To Make Prototype Models And Engravings On Products With This Tiny One
My Brothers GF Sent Him This From Her Workplace, This Is What Her Boss Posted
You can only notice this if you’ve been staring at employees asses. And is so creepy to ask someone to change their underwear so their butt looks better.
Came To Work To Find That My Boss Threw Away Everyone’s Desks And Replaced Them With Dressers, A Sheet Of Glass, And Saddle Chairs
My Boss Thought It Would Be A Good Idea To Play Drag Racing. On His iPad. While Driving A Truck. On The Highway
The Way My Boss Asked Me To Order Her More Pens Like This One. I'm Sure She's Just Bluffing.......
My Christmas Gift From My Boss. Fortune 500 Company. No Christmas Bonus, Post It Notes, 2 Pieces Of Chocolate, Pen, Jeans One Day
Work For Multimillion Dollar Company. Employer Refuses To Pay For Drinking Water. Group Of Employees Decides To Pitch-In And Pay
The Temperature My Boss Keeps The Office At
If You Park Like This... You Are My Boss, So I Can't Say Anything
Complained To My Boss And Received This Minutes Later
I think this is funny if you have a good realationship to your boss. But it also can be a dickmove if he is a d**k.
He is a d**k. He's an officer. I know that, because I'm also the officer (OF3).
Load More Replies...
It is a way to bully staff into not complaining or reporting problems.
This is a joke standard form (SF) that has circulated around the US military for years. Not sure who actually created it, it is based loosely on other SFs, but the person who got it may either be 1. a legitimate whiner (i.e., complaining about everything from the fact that the dining facility doesn't carry his/her favorite type of soda; to complaining about having to pull some crappy duty or the fact that something is broken and while he/she could fix it, they haven't cause that shouldn't be their job.) or 2. the "boss" is a legitimate jerk who thinks he/she is being funny. Without the full story, I can only guess. BTW, I used to have this hanging in my office (as a joke) when I was active duty and an NCO in the Army.
@K. LNU just read your profile that's pretty funny like your sense of humor
Load More Replies...
I think it's funnier because it's Army. I say fill it out with a crayon.
Which part of the army is this from? I can't believe it's not just a joke....
It is and it isn't a joke. These float around basic a good bit and have even been seen in SFAS. It has the purpose of being a joke while telling the recruits - many of them being 18 who just left the protective nest of home for the 1st time - you need to toughen up.
Load More Replies...
I laughed the moment I read “hurt feelings report.” Really? In a professional environment? Is your boss a child?
My husbands crew uses this in the oilfield whenever they get green guys that whine about how hard the work is.
Yeah, depending on context this could be amusing, otherwise it's out and out bullying.
This looks like the act of a true dedicated bully. Poor you to have that for a boss
That's passive aggressive. He or she can't deal with a complaint properly! A complete d**k!
I would be tempted to make copies of this to have at the ready. Can't tell if this a joke or insult.
On the Interwebs there's a thing called a "butthurt report". I post it occasionally when some one is acting like a b***h
Add an extra box that says "My boss is an a*****e" and then check that box
Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is an ARMY thing. Not surprising, they don’t like complaining. Even if it is valid.
Notice how at the bottom, "to" was used improperly. (Should be "too")
Justifying on the words and camouflage I assume you're in the military which means all complaints usually are issued thru paperwork. It accounts in physical and psychological means
Wow. I don't know whether to be disgusted or impressed that they went through the work to create that form.
Lmao we have those too, (I work LE) We only give them to friends, not subordinates or new people that don't understand our humor.
If there were any possible way to report this to their boss that would be my first move. They can die in a fire, it isn't funny.
Very patronizing... nail his balls to the wall with a lawsuit and see who's butthurt then!
Not taking my complaints seriously? Then i don't take working for you seriously.
1) it's a joke 2) it's the army 3) "it's on the internetsss...it must be realz"
Hey, that's sweet! He most likely wanted to cheer you up. What's wrong with it?
Depends on whether he’s laughing with you or laughing at you.
Load More Replies... 
After reading a few of these horrible posts which are certainly from the US, I have to wonder..it this really the home of "the Free"? We have laws to stop all of this kind of behaviour in the workplace. So just how Free are y'all?
There are laws against a lot of the things on this list in the US. I don’t think there are laws against potentially insensitive joke reports in any country though.
Load More Replies...
My Boss Ordered A Box Of 6000 Pepper Packets Instead Of A Shaker, So Now I Get To Spend My Saturday Cutting Open Packets For Our Burger Seasoning
The Six Pack Of Macarons Cost More Than Six Individual Ones. "You Weren't Supposed To Notice" Is What The Manager Working Told Me
My Boss Wears His $50,000 Green Diamond Ring To Work, Laying Asphalt
Note: this post originally had 61 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
There seems to be a healthy mix of a*****e bosses and a*****e employees here...
I'd say we lack proper context for many of these, in that we only see the "end" result and not what led up to it.
Load More Replies...
Some of these are ridiculous, but certainly not all of them. Some are examples of a terrible boss and some are examples of whiny employees.
Which ones were whiny employees? Honestly, to me, almost all seemed anywhere from ridiculous to outrageous to terrified-for-the-future-of-the-next-generation level. I've never worked at a place where I'd have to put up with anything like any of this.
Load More Replies... A lot of these seem to be Occupational Health and Safety ( OH&S ) issues. Your union should be able to do something about them.
There is a Greek saying that goes "A fish smells rotten starting at the head". Sometimes when I get wonderful service from employees, I ask them if they have a very nice boss and the answer is always positive. A great atmosphere at work turns into great employee output.
This is so true. I saw this presentation some time back about how great customer service started with a good boss and happy employees.
Load More Replies...
I once had to take two weeks off on a leave of absence because of a crippling clinical depression. My (former) boss yelled at me, in front of everyone in an open floor office: "Pfff! Depression isn't even a disease, this is an excuse to cover the fact that you're just plain lazy!"
Even if you were lazy, you still have the right to take time off and your boss doesn't have the right to yell at you. Don't let him get away with it
Load More Replies...
Spoke with my seemingly nice boss about my raise, he said he does everything, but the company doesn't want to give raise for anyone. A friend of mine from HR told me that my boss was the one who said NO when my raise has been mentioned on a meeting...
As a lawyer, I've never been more proud of my country's work related laws. Everyone of these bosses would be in big trouble for this kind of behavior here. (I live in Brasil, btw)
Boss told me at my last job he could only afford to give me a $1 an hour raise after working there for 2 years with excellent reviews. 24 hours later he's asking my opinion on which yacht he should rent for his 2 week trip to the islands.
"I wouldn't know. I could NEVER afford something like that on my salary."
Load More Replies...
I worked at the same place for 10 years (got the job while I was still in college and went full-time when I finished studying). I had to work late every day except for the month of July, when my schedule finished a couple of hours earlier. Well, last year my boss came up to me and said "forget about leaving early next July. I'm going to need you here until 8.30 minimum." When I complained and said I had had that schedule for 10 YEARS, he responded with "previous years don't count." After enduring endless illegalities and lies, this was the last straw. I promptly quit and now I have a new job where I'm home from work at 4 every day. Best decision ever.
I've worked for so many worthless bosses! When I finally became a Boss I worked hard to insure that our job got done and that the employees were happy. If I couldn't get stuff they wanted I'd find an employee with a connection and then we brought it in, my expense!! When things are crazy during a Security crisis, you grind it out and fix the situation!! My team drank and ate free when we were done!!! You gotta take care of your employees, it can be a 30 minute call home or just donuts on Friday, it really sets the tone!!!
Back in the 80's I was called into work on my day off.... it was a ruse to get me in so my boss could FIRE ME...This article has opened an old wound.
Reading this, I realised that I'll have to pick my first job carefully
You could get several offers on your first job if you're extremely talented or if there is a large demand for employees in your field. Otherwise, you night opt to take what you can in order to pay the bills and pad your resume. Telling an interviewer "I took the job to gain experience in XYZ" sounds much better than saying, "I didn't find anything I liked."
Load More Replies...
I can't imagine any of these being in the UK? We have a litany of workers rights and health and safety compliances. Well.. Maybe the rubbish Xmas bonus, but that's about it. All the others could be easily and rightly sued over.
Our small company moved into an office building shared by other small companies. The bathrooms are in common areas accessible to everyone, and one set of bathrooms is right outside our door. Lady boss went into the ladies' room and threw away the lovely basket of personal products left there by another company. Because she didn't like them (thought it was gross having them OUT THERE like that).
Glad here in Canada my boss gives me 2 dollar raises a year. I worked at a grocery store that gave me X-mas bonuses for $500 to almost a grand.
I was part of a team of 10 graphic designers at a 16-person ad agency. The owner paid for a subscription to Maxim (a lad rag). If the graphic designers wanted a subscription to a graphic design magazine, they had to pay out of their own pocket. Not criminal on the part of the boss, but certainly illogical. The lads indulged freely in porn, no idea how they got the idea that it was okay. Said lads also wondered how I managed to notice their porn habit in an open-concept office.
Thank God, in my 39 years of employment I never had any bosses like these.... cheapo a******s... would have been out of there in a heartbeat. Never had a boss who wasn't courteous, generous, and kind. Thanks all you former bosses!
I have to add to this. There was a woman in AZ who owned Green Table Gifts. She's the epitome of an a*****e boss. She effectively divided the staff against each other and would use one of them as her little spy to report anything the employees said about her. She was a hoarder and used the store as her own personal storage. She had give-aways and never actually gave anything away. The worst of it was that she would make life hell until they quit so she wouldn't have to pay for firing them. One employee had known her for years. She fired the lady, then called her to mock her about it!!! She stopped paying rent and at some point tried to change the name of the company. Long story short, she was evicted. They were seizing her assets and she tried to sneak back in to get stuff. Now she's in a new town, trying to start over because everyone here knows what a b***h she is. God help any future employee she finds.
I know this person (ill call him johnny) who his boss was constantly yelling at everyone, even though johnny was doing a good job. Eventually he got laid off, and most everyone started leaving the business, making it go down, so then the boss calls johnny back, but with less pay. His boss continues to yell at him. Eventually johnny left and got a well paying job, where his boss is really nice and doesnt yell at him.
These terrible examples sound like slavery, I'm so glad that regulations in Europe and esp Austria prevent even a spark of things like these. Oh and we have drinking water quality tap water here... Really hope things improve for you all and alternatives surface soon.
So, so happy that I am a freelancer. Yes, a lot of pressure, but no boss, no colleagues. THANK YOU, UNIVERSE!
My boss hates when I use the nickname D**k. Especially since his name is Stephen.
Help needed fellow Pandas; how do we rate these posts? Negative for the awful message, or positive for bringing light and awareness about these hateful practices? Honest question, thanks!
Based on if you enjoyed/were entertained/appreciated the post.
Load More Replies...
There is a link at the end that takes you to the lower rated posts.
Load More Replies... 5/10 on the trolling. Meh. On the other hand, I do like your handle. It's a nice twist on farm boy jokes. :)
Load More Replies...
There seems to be a healthy mix of a*****e bosses and a*****e employees here...
I'd say we lack proper context for many of these, in that we only see the "end" result and not what led up to it.
Load More Replies... Some of these are ridiculous, but certainly not all of them. Some are examples of a terrible boss and some are examples of whiny employees.
Which ones were whiny employees? Honestly, to me, almost all seemed anywhere from ridiculous to outrageous to terrified-for-the-future-of-the-next-generation level. I've never worked at a place where I'd have to put up with anything like any of this.
Load More Replies... A lot of these seem to be Occupational Health and Safety ( OH&S ) issues. Your union should be able to do something about them.
There is a Greek saying that goes "A fish smells rotten starting at the head". Sometimes when I get wonderful service from employees, I ask them if they have a very nice boss and the answer is always positive. A great atmosphere at work turns into great employee output.
This is so true. I saw this presentation some time back about how great customer service started with a good boss and happy employees.
Load More Replies... I once had to take two weeks off on a leave of absence because of a crippling clinical depression. My (former) boss yelled at me, in front of everyone in an open floor office: "Pfff! Depression isn't even a disease, this is an excuse to cover the fact that you're just plain lazy!"
Even if you were lazy, you still have the right to take time off and your boss doesn't have the right to yell at you. Don't let him get away with it
Load More Replies... Spoke with my seemingly nice boss about my raise, he said he does everything, but the company doesn't want to give raise for anyone. A friend of mine from HR told me that my boss was the one who said NO when my raise has been mentioned on a meeting...
As a lawyer, I've never been more proud of my country's work related laws. Everyone of these bosses would be in big trouble for this kind of behavior here. (I live in Brasil, btw)
Boss told me at my last job he could only afford to give me a $1 an hour raise after working there for 2 years with excellent reviews. 24 hours later he's asking my opinion on which yacht he should rent for his 2 week trip to the islands.
"I wouldn't know. I could NEVER afford something like that on my salary."
Load More Replies... I worked at the same place for 10 years (got the job while I was still in college and went full-time when I finished studying). I had to work late every day except for the month of July, when my schedule finished a couple of hours earlier. Well, last year my boss came up to me and said "forget about leaving early next July. I'm going to need you here until 8.30 minimum." When I complained and said I had had that schedule for 10 YEARS, he responded with "previous years don't count." After enduring endless illegalities and lies, this was the last straw. I promptly quit and now I have a new job where I'm home from work at 4 every day. Best decision ever.
I've worked for so many worthless bosses! When I finally became a Boss I worked hard to insure that our job got done and that the employees were happy. If I couldn't get stuff they wanted I'd find an employee with a connection and then we brought it in, my expense!! When things are crazy during a Security crisis, you grind it out and fix the situation!! My team drank and ate free when we were done!!! You gotta take care of your employees, it can be a 30 minute call home or just donuts on Friday, it really sets the tone!!!
Back in the 80's I was called into work on my day off.... it was a ruse to get me in so my boss could FIRE ME...This article has opened an old wound.
Reading this, I realised that I'll have to pick my first job carefully
You could get several offers on your first job if you're extremely talented or if there is a large demand for employees in your field. Otherwise, you night opt to take what you can in order to pay the bills and pad your resume. Telling an interviewer "I took the job to gain experience in XYZ" sounds much better than saying, "I didn't find anything I liked."
Load More Replies... I can't imagine any of these being in the UK? We have a litany of workers rights and health and safety compliances. Well.. Maybe the rubbish Xmas bonus, but that's about it. All the others could be easily and rightly sued over.
Our small company moved into an office building shared by other small companies. The bathrooms are in common areas accessible to everyone, and one set of bathrooms is right outside our door. Lady boss went into the ladies' room and threw away the lovely basket of personal products left there by another company. Because she didn't like them (thought it was gross having them OUT THERE like that).
Glad here in Canada my boss gives me 2 dollar raises a year. I worked at a grocery store that gave me X-mas bonuses for $500 to almost a grand.
I was part of a team of 10 graphic designers at a 16-person ad agency. The owner paid for a subscription to Maxim (a lad rag). If the graphic designers wanted a subscription to a graphic design magazine, they had to pay out of their own pocket. Not criminal on the part of the boss, but certainly illogical. The lads indulged freely in porn, no idea how they got the idea that it was okay. Said lads also wondered how I managed to notice their porn habit in an open-concept office.
Thank God, in my 39 years of employment I never had any bosses like these.... cheapo a******s... would have been out of there in a heartbeat. Never had a boss who wasn't courteous, generous, and kind. Thanks all you former bosses!
I have to add to this. There was a woman in AZ who owned Green Table Gifts. She's the epitome of an a*****e boss. She effectively divided the staff against each other and would use one of them as her little spy to report anything the employees said about her. She was a hoarder and used the store as her own personal storage. She had give-aways and never actually gave anything away. The worst of it was that she would make life hell until they quit so she wouldn't have to pay for firing them. One employee had known her for years. She fired the lady, then called her to mock her about it!!! She stopped paying rent and at some point tried to change the name of the company. Long story short, she was evicted. They were seizing her assets and she tried to sneak back in to get stuff. Now she's in a new town, trying to start over because everyone here knows what a b***h she is. God help any future employee she finds.
I know this person (ill call him johnny) who his boss was constantly yelling at everyone, even though johnny was doing a good job. Eventually he got laid off, and most everyone started leaving the business, making it go down, so then the boss calls johnny back, but with less pay. His boss continues to yell at him. Eventually johnny left and got a well paying job, where his boss is really nice and doesnt yell at him.
These terrible examples sound like slavery, I'm so glad that regulations in Europe and esp Austria prevent even a spark of things like these. Oh and we have drinking water quality tap water here... Really hope things improve for you all and alternatives surface soon.
So, so happy that I am a freelancer. Yes, a lot of pressure, but no boss, no colleagues. THANK YOU, UNIVERSE!
My boss hates when I use the nickname D**k. Especially since his name is Stephen.
Help needed fellow Pandas; how do we rate these posts? Negative for the awful message, or positive for bringing light and awareness about these hateful practices? Honest question, thanks!
Based on if you enjoyed/were entertained/appreciated the post.
Load More Replies... There is a link at the end that takes you to the lower rated posts.
Load More Replies... 5/10 on the trolling. Meh. On the other hand, I do like your handle. It's a nice twist on farm boy jokes. :)
Load More Replies... 