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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.
#1
So My Boss Calls Me To A Meeting On My Day Off, Then Asks Me To Arrange The Meeting Room
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#2
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.
#3
Artists At My Local Tattoo Shop Left This For Their Boss After Finding A Motion Detector That Records Video In The Unisex BR
#4
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.
#5
My Coworker Went All Wet Seal On Our Boss Today
#6
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.
#7
Secret Recording Device Under Break Room Table At Work
#8
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.
#9
Our Boss Doesn't Let Us Take Any Home!
#10
This Structural Pole My Boss Refuses To Fix
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
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.
#11
When Your Good Service Rewards Only Your Boss
#12
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!
#13
Boss Didn't Like The Color Of The Chairs In The Break Room. So Now We Just Don't Have Chairs
#14
My Boss Installed An IP Camera At The Store To Spy On Us When He's Away. I Retaliated With This Rig
wandile dludlu 5 years ago
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
#15
My Boss Was Deathly Serious When He Posted This. Looks Like I'm Spending Some Quality Time At Work This Year
#16
Quit My Job Yesterday Because I Was Tired Of The Unprofessional Environment - Got This Text From My Supervisor Today
#17
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
#18
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
Mary Rose Kent 5 years ago
So when your finished product isn’t up to par, point out that you were doing just fine when you had the proper tools for the job...
Oerff On Tour 5 years ago
And deliberately make things oversized, as you have "forgotten to adjust for smaller screen".
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Blue Cicada 5 years ago
Deadpan report a theft to your boss. Point out that someone stole critical company equipment from your desk. Ask him to help you find the culprit.
Kobitka-artworks Tumblr 5 years ago
u have fan! u have fan!! My boss took out my own to his home, when we had a heat waves x.x
Susan Reid Smith 5 years ago
How are you supposed to work on the detailed stuff with such a small monitor?
Susan Forbes 5 years ago
It's probably on your boss's desk, just switch it back some day when he's not there
Margaret Jenkins 5 years ago
There is a lovely old fashioned English word for him, “nincompoop”
Kathy Conley 5 years ago
Go to your favorite drug store and buy a pair of cheep readers. When your boss says “I didn’t know you wore glasses”? Tell him I didn’t till now. I can’t see the fu@king screen without them now!
Coreen Kerr 5 years ago
And is he gonna do your work when you go blind from working on such a tiny monitor?
cybermerlin2000 5 years ago
Go to your boss and demand it back or you will quit. He will give in straight away seeing as he didn't have the balls to do this while you were there
Marnee DeRider 5 years ago
I love bosses that confuse things that increase productivity with personal comfort or perks.
debrina blackmoon 5 years ago (edited)
a bigger monitor is probably better for production, asshat-so you can stfu, 'k?
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#19
My Brothers GF Sent Him This From Her Workplace, This Is What Her Boss Posted
Demonic cow 5 years ago
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.
#20
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
#21
My Boss Thought It Would Be A Good Idea To Play Drag Racing. On His iPad. While Driving A Truck. On The Highway
#22
The Way My Boss Asked Me To Order Her More Pens Like This One. I'm Sure She's Just Bluffing.......
#23
My Christmas Gift From My Boss. Fortune 500 Company. No Christmas Bonus, Post It Notes, 2 Pieces Of Chocolate, Pen, Jeans One Day
#24
Work For Multimillion Dollar Company. Employer Refuses To Pay For Drinking Water. Group Of Employees Decides To Pitch-In And Pay
#25
The Temperature My Boss Keeps The Office At
#26
If You Park Like This... You Are My Boss, So I Can't Say Anything
#27
Complained To My Boss And Received This Minutes Later
Uwe Theiss 5 years ago
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.
#28
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
#29
The Six Pack Of Macarons Cost More Than Six Individual Ones. "You Weren't Supposed To Notice" Is What The Manager Working Told Me
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What do you think ?
Thomas brennan 5 years ago
There seems to be a healthy mix of a*****e bosses and a*****e employees here...
BlackestDawn 5 years ago
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...
charlotte berger 5 years ago
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.
Marnee DeRider 5 years ago
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...
Magpie 5 years ago
A lot of these seem to be Occupational Health and Safety ( OH&S ) issues. Your union should be able to do something about them.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
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.
Laugh Fan 5 years ago
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...
Beatrice Alighieri 5 years ago
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!"
Rudy Joseph 5 years ago
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...
Miklós Nagy 5 years ago (edited)
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...
Saulo Frota 5 years ago
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)
Kurtz Frausun 5 years ago
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.
MammaG 5 years ago
"I wouldn't know. I could NEVER afford something like that on my salary."
Load More Replies...
Nadine 5 years ago
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.
Tracy Moorhead 5 years ago
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!!!
Matthew Smith 5 years ago
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.
Bored Alchemist 5 years ago
Reading this, I realised that I'll have to pick my first job carefully
Viviane Katz 5 years ago
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...
Lara Harris 5 years ago
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.
Naomi Armitage 5 years ago
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).
Mark Kelly 5 years ago
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.
Viviane Katz 5 years ago
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.
Cheryl Fontaine 5 years ago
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!
Harleen 5 years ago
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.
3xtr3m3 5 years ago
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.
Gregor Rosenauer 5 years ago
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.
Katinka Min 5 years ago
So, so happy that I am a freelancer. Yes, a lot of pressure, but no boss, no colleagues. THANK YOU, UNIVERSE!
Cindy Snow 5 years ago
My boss hates when I use the nickname D**k. Especially since his name is Stephen.
Milena 5 years ago
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!
Didi 5 years ago
Based on if you enjoyed/were entertained/appreciated the post.
Load More Replies...
Laugh Fan 5 years ago
There is a link at the end that takes you to the lower rated posts.
Load More Replies... Viviane Katz 5 years ago
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...
Thomas brennan 5 years ago
There seems to be a healthy mix of a*****e bosses and a*****e employees here...
BlackestDawn 5 years ago
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... charlotte berger 5 years ago
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.
Marnee DeRider 5 years ago
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... Magpie 5 years ago
A lot of these seem to be Occupational Health and Safety ( OH&S ) issues. Your union should be able to do something about them.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
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.
Laugh Fan 5 years ago
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... Beatrice Alighieri 5 years ago
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!"
Rudy Joseph 5 years ago
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... Miklós Nagy 5 years ago (edited)
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...
Saulo Frota 5 years ago
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)
Kurtz Frausun 5 years ago
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.
MammaG 5 years ago
"I wouldn't know. I could NEVER afford something like that on my salary."
Load More Replies... Nadine 5 years ago
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.
Tracy Moorhead 5 years ago
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!!!
Matthew Smith 5 years ago
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.
Bored Alchemist 5 years ago
Reading this, I realised that I'll have to pick my first job carefully
Viviane Katz 5 years ago
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... Lara Harris 5 years ago
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.
Naomi Armitage 5 years ago
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).
Mark Kelly 5 years ago
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.
Viviane Katz 5 years ago
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.
Cheryl Fontaine 5 years ago
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!
Harleen 5 years ago
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.
3xtr3m3 5 years ago
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.
Gregor Rosenauer 5 years ago
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.
Katinka Min 5 years ago
So, so happy that I am a freelancer. Yes, a lot of pressure, but no boss, no colleagues. THANK YOU, UNIVERSE!
Cindy Snow 5 years ago
My boss hates when I use the nickname D**k. Especially since his name is Stephen.
Milena 5 years ago
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!
Didi 5 years ago
Based on if you enjoyed/were entertained/appreciated the post.
Load More Replies... Laugh Fan 5 years ago
There is a link at the end that takes you to the lower rated posts.
Load More Replies... Viviane Katz 5 years ago
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... 
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