A ‘Karen’ Manager Throws Away An Expensive Birthday Cake Meant For The Employees, So They Devise A Revenge Plan

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So when one particular Karen basically got free reign of the premises where her office was located, she got a little carried away.

One day, she went as far as throwing away a really big, expensive cake just because she didn’t like the guy who brought it in. Even though it was his birthday!

But that was the last straw. His subordinates were furious—they liked the man. So, the whole office decided to get back at the evil queen and devised a savage revenge plan.

A 'Karen' Manager Throws Away An Expensive Birthday Cake Meant For The Employees, So They Devise A Revenge Plan

Image credits: Josh Davis (not the actual photo)

A 'Karen' Manager Throws Away An Expensive Birthday Cake Meant For The Employees, So They Devise A Revenge Plan

Image credits: NFkappaBalpha

Not all bosses are equal. After all, they all have different backgrounds. But being a bad boss doesn’t just mean employees don’t like your management style. As Inc. pointed out, there are actually real, verified, scientifically proven traits that ineffective leaders share. And the antihero of our story shows signs of possessing at least three of them.

Firstly, there’s the passive-aggressive or micromanaging boss. These people tend to avoid in-person discussions or confrontations, they provide unclear feedback, and stir up office drama. They can also withhold important information and disguise hostility as humor.

In 2018, Comparably polled more than 2,000 tech sector workers about the biggest complaint they had about bosses. Being a micromanager was first for 39% of respondents followed by “overly critical” (22%), disorganized” (16%), “know-it-all” (14%), and “impatient” (9%).

Then, there’s the narcissistic boss. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology finds that some narcissism can be a positive trait in leaders, but too much of it can tip the scale toward being a selfish boss who cares only about themselves.

Narcissism, in fact, may become a growing problem as millennials step into leadership positions (this demographic is said to exhibit stronger qualities of entitlement, self-centeredness, and neediness).

Let’s not forget the power-hungry or Machiavellian boss. Seth M. Spain, assistant professor of organizational behavior and human resources at Concordia University, coined this phrase in Stress, Well-Being, and the Dark Side of Leadership.

While some bosses might have poor management skills, they do not necessarily have ill will toward employees. Some bosses, on the other hand, represent those who can be mean, harassing, and abusive.

Finally, the psychopathic boss. They’re arguably the most toxic, and have traits such as lack of behavioral control, manipulativeness, and impulsivity which can point to a psychopathic boss. Psychopathic people are often described as having a lack of empathy.

Do you think our Karen fits any of these categories? Let us know in the comments.

Here’s what people said about the whole ordeal

A 'Karen' Manager Throws Away An Expensive Birthday Cake Meant For The Employees, So They Devise A Revenge Plan

I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.

Read less »

Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

Read less »