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People Are Sharing The Moments They Understood Their Workplace Was “Toxic” (30 Stories)
Interview With Author
There’s no such thing as the ‘perfect’ workplace, but that’s not an excuse not to make life better for your colleagues. And it certainly doesn’t excuse creating a toxic atmosphere that makes employees disillusioned and forces them to burn out and quit.
Life coach Lindsay Hanson asked her followers to share the moment that they realized their workplace was toxic and problematic, and wow, did the responses flood in. These blew our minds with how much they remind us of the Corpo culture in ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ (you’d better believe all of us are living the dystopian nightmare). Upvote the stories that left the biggest impressions on you and share your own workplace moments that left you shocked by how far from ok things were.
Eddy Ng, the James and Elizabeth Freeman Professor of Management at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, told Bored Panda that employees might be able to look into workplace health and safety regulations for help if their managers and HR aren't responsive to details about harassment or bullying. "Many jurisdictions are beginning to include mental health under workplace and occupational health regulations." Read on for our full interview with Professor Ng, as well as for our in-depth chat with Lindsay.
More info: TikTok | Instagram | LindsayHanson.com
@lindsaymhanson Drop a like if you hate your job 🙃 #quityourjob #quarterlifecrisis #careercoach #accountantproblems #big4accountant #accountingcheck #9to5problems
♬ original sound - Lindsay Hanson
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#1
When I called to inform my boss that I was unable to come in due to my 4-month-old daughter being kidnapped, they threatened to fire me because it 'sounded dramatic'.
#2
I had a manager when I worked at McDonald's who was harassing me over something that was not in my control to the point where a customer told her to stop.
#3
When I was giving birth, I got a call from my boss asking if I was gonna have my report turned in and if I was coming back the following day.
wandile dludlu 3 years ago
You know that this is from America... Even 3rd world countries like the one I'm in have at least 4 months paid maternity leave for which you can take it a month before due date
Lindsay told Bored Panda that she believes that each and every one of us is responsible for setting the boundaries for what we're willing to tolerate. Whether or not you have the support of HR, you still have the option to talk to your superiors about any situations that make you uncomfortable or set your alarm bells ringing.
"If you feel that there's nothing you can do to change the situation and the company or people involved are unwilling to change, then you have to decide whether you're willing to stay in that environment or not," she told Bored Panda. Lindsay added that whether or not you should stay and try to change your organization for the better depends entirely on you. "A good question to ask yourself is, even if this toxic situation were to change, would I still want to work here?"
In Lindsay's opinion, we all have two options: choosing to find happiness (or contentment, at least) in the position you're in now or looking for a way out. And we shouldn't feel imprisoned by the fact that there's a global pandemic going on. "The idea that you can't change your situation due to the pandemic is very limiting. There are still companies hiring. There are still ways to make money on your own. There is always a way to change your current situation—telling yourself you're stuck feels very limiting," she said.
#4
I went to leave on time, and I was asked if I was working a half day. My manager's argument was that if I could leave on time, I clearly didn't have enough work, and I should be working late every single night.
#5
My senior at my first assignment required the young female members of staff to give up half their lunch break for BIBLE STUDY so that we could "learn our place".
Tiffany Marie 3 years ago
Not sure where you worked or a school, but religion needs to not be in a work place. Also, just eww.
#6
I was pregnant and working at Subway and my coworker had a heat stroke because they wouldn't fix the air conditioning. I had to work around him passed out on the floor with EMTs trying to wake him up because the owner wouldn't close the store. Instead of fixing the air for me to be safe with my unborn child, all the owner did was say, 'Hey, good job getting through that.'
E Menendez 3 years ago (edited)
For something like this in the U.S. you can call OSHA and file a complaint. If at any point in time you feel your workplace is not safe, call OSHA!
"Again, it comes back to what you're willing to tolerate. You can do everything in your power to bring attention to the toxic situation and attempt to change it. And at the end of the day, you always have control over your own mindset, how you're reacting to the situation, and how much you let it affect you."
Meanwhile, Professor Ng from Bucknell University explained that if the problems in the workplace concern derogatory comments (like unwanted or unwelcome jokes), a human rights complaint might be the right course of action. "Employers (managers and HR) can be held responsible for inaction," he told Bored Panda.
"If repeated complaints about the toxic workplace to the manager or HR fall on deaf ears, then it is indicative that the employer is not taking the concern seriously and it's the cue that you should switch employers/workplace," Professor Ng pointed out that there comes a limit where an employee should take charge and make major career changes.
#7
I went to go tell my boss and said that I had finally planned my wedding and my honeymoon. She told me, 'No, that's not gonna work for us' because it's on a certain date that our magazine gets published — even though I had told her more than six months in advance. I was a salesperson, so my job was done by the time the magazine gets published.
E Menendez 3 years ago (edited)
LOL - I don't know why people think saying no at the last minute would work. I had a boss that tried to pull something similar by saying I needed to change my plans because someone else more senior needed the time off. They let me go after I said I would only if they reimbursed me for the airfare and travel expenses I would have lost due to prepayments, etc. But I knew I had to get out because now I was no longer a "team player".
#8
When I worked at a daycare and a one year old was left outside in the cold FORGOTTEN for 30 minutes and his teachers weren't reprimanded at all and the parents weren't notified.
Or maybe when the teacher threw a water bottle at an infant in his crib because he woke up and she wasn't ready to deal with him yet.
wandile dludlu 3 years ago
The question is, did this employee report the child abuse happening there?
#9
I had two bosses. One of them told me to my face during a company outing that I would never get the promotion I wanted unless I slept with one of them because "that's how corporate works" I told him that didn't work for me, and later found out he and my other boss were sleeping with various other coworkers of mine.
E Menendez 3 years ago (edited)
File a complaint with your HR, get a lawyer and sue. In the U.S. This is illegal. I also don't understand women who will do this - sleeping to the top has no glory and it only further diminishes women being seen as equal in the workplace. I feel this first hand as an attractive woman in a senior position, there are many who see me and question my ability, etc. When introducing myself at functions, etc. I make it a point to say I have been in the industry for almost 20 years (started when I was 19 and had an associate's degree). I don't wear makeup and make it a point to wear very conservative clothing as well. I want people to see me for my ability, not as a pair of tits.
However, you should also look out for signs that the organization is responding to feedback as well. "If management makes an effort for change, then it would be an opportunity to assist with that change," he said that some organizations address systemic discrimination and engage with their employees while some others do not.
Professor Ng told Bored Panda that choosing to quit is a tough decision that depends on a person's ability to switch employers based on their financial situation, life stage, ability to adapt, and other things. "This is also exacerbated by the pandemic. If the toxic environment becomes a health concern and the employer is not responsive, you can quit and sue the employer for constructive dismissal," he said.
#10
We were at a company festival, and my then-boss had taken a bunch of drugs the night before, so I think he was still high the next morning. We were all chilling by the pool, and he shared with me that he was dying of cancer. I had a sister who had passed two years earlier, so being the sympathetic person I am, I started to give him advice. He then turned around and said, 'I'm just f**king with you.' I quit a month later.
#11
When I was trying on a menstrual cup for the first time, and I bled through my pants. I was two hours away from home, so no one could bring me pants. I wasn't allowed to leave, so I had to work a 12-hour shift in bloody pants. It was disgusting.
#12
I got fired for asking if Iwas going to be paid. I was shorted 15 hours on my last check.
E Menendez 3 years ago (edited)
This is illegal in the U.S. and you can easily sue. Everyone thinks the U.S. is sue happy, but when it is illegal it is the only recourse to ensure fair treatment. Frivolous lawsuits are just that, but slavery is illegal. You must be paid for your time.
"Generally, it is easier to look for another job while you are still in one, so you don't have to explain gaps in employment or past problems with a prospective employer," the professor stressed that we should think about switching jobs strategically, even if we're in a tough spot emotionally.
Meanwhile, switching careers might call for a break to "take stock, engage in career planning, and exploration and transition to new careers," Professor Ng said about the importance of retooling and adapting if we switch lanes.
Lindsay touches on a variety of different topics in her podcast, so give her a listen if you’re in need of some self-help advice (personally, I’m a fan of shorter podcasts like hers because I have the attention span of a fruit fly). Back in 2018, Lindsay did what a lot of people secretly dream about: she quit her job and went all-in on her passion project.
#13
When I was in college I worked at a tanning salon. Like most out of state students I flew back home for winter break. So I gave my PTO a month and a half in advance so she knew that I would be gone. It was cool, nothing was ever said. I come back after New Years. I was an opener so I got to the salon, logged onto the computers, and another employee comes in and goes "did they not tell you???". Apparently my manager terminated me while I was back in Ohio and just never informed me. Still had my store keys, alarm codes, safe key. And she just never sat me down to collect them from me.
#14
At my first serious workplace literally every male manager sexually harassed every single female that worked there.
#15
When I was an au pair, and I got ticket by expired car inspection my 1 month in USA. And the family blame me by using their car in my free time as we agreed before because apparently if I used the car only for professional purposes police would not see the invalide date of inspection.
In Lindsay's case, she said ‘goodbye’ to her accounting job and started an online coaching business. “I had no idea how to make it happen, but I knew I was made for more and I was committed to creating a life of freedom doing work I love and serving others,” she writes on her website.
According to her, having your own business gives you a lot of freedom, such as setting your own schedule, being able to work from home, and traveling when you want. In her opinion, she’s impacting the world and won’t have to wonder about not going for her dreams when she’s old and gray.
Now, Lindsay helps other women “overcome the self-doubt, fear of judgment, and money struggles that hold them back from launching their biz.”
#16
The GM at my old job pressured me to take a management job. I ended up getting so much better than him that he would continuously stalk me on the cameras and once he got the opportunity, fired me during COVID.
wandile dludlu 3 years ago
So many people were fired during Covid because of other reasons but the companies saw a great opportunity to use covid as an excuse
#17
My boss frequently punished people by cutting their hours/shifts. So eventually it was my turn on the game of hours roulette and when the person she gave my hours to no showed to the shift she had the audacity to call and text me multiple times to try and get me to fill in.
#18
When my daughter got a rash from a medication that could have been deadly and the owner told my office manager to write me up for missing time. After talking to the owner he told me her medical condition didn't seem that serious and probably wasn't a big deal. Even though I told him about her condition in my interview and explained I could miss time.
brukernavn340 3 years ago
In Norway, the boss is not entitled to know the reason behind sick leaves.
Of course, there’s a flip side, too—quitting your job or taking your first steps as an entrepreneur can be stressful, challenging, and might make you feel like you’re in way over your head. Even if you’ve got Lindsay and the entire internet full of self-help advice to help you out.
That’s why the decision to quit or stay at your job is a deeply personal one that makes you ask some of the hardest questions in life. Are you happy and do you feel like your work has Purpose with a capital 'P'? Should you tough it out in your toxic workplace or have you had enough? Is it wise to switch jobs in the middle of a global pandemic? Will you be able to support your loved ones without this job? Do you have what it takes to chase your dreams? What will you do if you crash and burn—what’s your Plan B?
Everybody deserves to feel fulfilled at their jobs. But it can be an uphill struggle, there’s no two ways about it.
#19
My boss thought it was a 'joke' to call me by my birth name every single day, rather than my chosen name.
#20
One time I heard the owner of the store comment that he prefer hiring women because they did not talk back.
Truth Monster 3 years ago
This man is delusional. All the women I know talk back. and I'm one of them.
#21
The men get paid more without having to fight for the raise.
E Menendez 3 years ago (edited)
And when a woman asks for a raise she is being pushy, but a man asking for a raise shows he knows what he is worth! Took a class on negotiating deals and there was a whole lesson on how these strategies work for men, but women cannot utilize them in the same way because of pervasive misogyny - even among other women!
#22
1. They fired someone via a WhatsApp group chat.
2. I overheard a general worker get yelled at (from across the hall) for asking for a lunch break.
CatWoman312 3 years ago
By LAW they are required to give you a 30 min break if you work more than 6 hours
#23
When only the females were allowed to be cashiers, and the males were only allowed to bag and push carts.
#24
My bosses tried to make me feel so guilty about joining the military and that I was a bad mom for leaving my kid. They also would make me feel guilty for calling out while my kid was sick. They were informed I didn't have a backup childcare when I was hired.
Katie Johnson 3 years ago
So many of these posts sound as if they were male bosses just trying to keep women down!!! Let's have an opposite post that shows men understanding mum duties, sexism, working females and periods!
#25
When I asked my senior to come eat lunch, he said he can't because he didn't want people to see him taking a lunch break.
Brett Layton 3 years ago
A team lunch would be better , everyones invited no favoritism and it allwos you to connect more with them all.
#26
One time I was talking to customers and my headset fell out and my manager thought I was purposely ignoring her so she storms over, puts headset back on me and said "Do not ever ignore me again" and proceeds to shove me into fitting rooms.
#27
I am a nurse. I had a patient take a pictures of me. I told my unit manager and he said "If you were my nurse I would admire you just as much".
Laugh or not 3 years ago
Of all the nurses' photos out there, why choose the one where the nurse doesn't wear her mask properly?
#28
Where to start...
1. Expecting me to pick up everyone else's slack on top of mine.
2. Picking favorites.
3. The manager blantly ignoring me after I told them no to coming in early.
4. Taking someone else's word over mine. I'm sure there's more, but these are the one that bug me most.
Jen Soals 3 years ago
I've experienced toxic gas-lighting and psychological run-a-rounds by bosses too. Not promoting, using me to fill in for employees, feeling treated as expendable. The company lost business and money from Covid and I was part of the layoffs. Months later they ask me to come back temporarily for only two months because their back up plan didn't work.
#29
People asked me for the first month "did they yell at you yet". Also one morning my boss was so mad he couldn't log into his computer he just took his keys and threw them across office and made a mark on his office door.
#30
A month in a training for my new job and my manager told me to go and change a halogen light bulb I was not supposed to touch, it burned through my glove, it burned my hand and I had to go to the hospital.
What do you think ?
A.M. Pierre 3 years ago
I can't give full details because I stupidly signed a non-disclosure agreement (that I honestly thought only applied to client account details), but the final straw on this camel's back was when my boss forced me to install a security camera in my own home so he could watch me. Pandemic or not, that's the end. I am now far poorer but far happier.
kjorn 3 years ago
the other way around: one monday during my job i got a call from my brother who asked me to come home. didn't tell me anything else. when i got home this is where i saw that my dad killed himself. i got back at my job in the afternoon to told it to my boss and before i even asked to have few day he just told me to take the week off.
Bobert Robertson 3 years ago
wow... I can only imagine what that would be like to deal with.
Load More Replies... Bobert Robertson 3 years ago (edited)
For me it was when our workplace was overly busy so we were working a lot of Saturdays. I'm in distribution for a large company, and oversee inbound operations. My manager told me if we did not have a good Saturday he was bringing a rope for me on Monday, indicating I should use it to hang myself. He then repeated that joke in front of me to his manager, who did not shut it down. The final straw was when he actually "jokingly" handed me a rope, that's when I made a formal statement with HR and it was dealt with appropriately.... we still work together now, but fortunately he learned his lesson and things have been all good since - I'm not one to hold a grudge over what I believe to be a poor joke.... It only upset me because I was afraid of someone else, who may have mental health issues or suicidal thoughts, being put in the same position.
Catlady6000 3 years ago
OMG, mental illness runs in my family, and that thought really scares me, for the individual and the coworkers. I hope you're not a POC, cause if so, that went way beyond bad taste, to me anyway. Then again, my black and brown friends always seem to handle this horrible sort of thing with amazing patience and grace
Load More Replies... Sandra Gifford 3 years ago
I was a great worker and team player, according to my coworkers. I was dealing with some health issues that I did not let influence my work. I always put in extra time and made sure things were done..One day, I collapsed and couldn't breathe (turns out I had congestive heart failure due to a undiagnosed birth defect and needed a pacemaker, which was found out many months later and solved everything). The paramedics were called. Several days later I was called into my boss's manager's office with a woman from HR sitting there. They said they had to "write me up." When I asked why, they said I had caused a commotion! I almost died! I needed a heart pacemaker! I refused to sign their little piece of paper and said I would call my attorney. Ultimately filed an EEOC complaint. Don't work for Paychex... you are forewarned!
Suzanne Donahue 3 years ago
I was an operating room nurse starting my shift at 6:45. No break , no lunch.At 1:45 i got dizzy. Obviously low blood sugar.An employee gets fired for testing their own blood sugar even though there are machines everywhere. I walked past manager and said I was gonna pass out. She said" I dont have time for this".A kind person on staff got me a bagel and OJ. I went to college to be treated like this.
Joanne Haywood 3 years ago
When you have to take the blame for another employee’s mistake because the manager refuses to believe that employee could make that mistake. The same employee who threw a hole punch, a stapler and a half-eaten sandwich at me. And who regularly verbally abused me and physically assaulted me. This was before they got rid of me. The same employer (large company) who let someone who had defrauded the company out of thousands, got prosecuted, but was allowed to keep his job because he was apparently the only one who could do it properly!
Wouldn't You Like to Know 3 years ago
Interviewed with a person for a job many times via video conference. Relocated and discovered that he was 100% different in person than on video where he was in his 'sales' mode. He threatened me by telling me if I want to fight fire with fire that he as a 'southern boy' fights fire with an inferno. WTH ever that means. It was then I realized he's bad mojo and found another job in a different city. He was so pissed he fired me when I gave him 1 month notice. Good riddance.
Catlady6000 3 years ago
Had that happen awesome ago, as soon as they hired me the whole tone changed, as if they felt they already owned me. Then they wanted me to send money for "equipment" so a scam, but still.....
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A.M. Pierre 3 years ago
As I sadly discovered, there aren't a lot of protections for workers where I live (USA). I actually consulted with lawyers after my boss' actions escalated to the point where I feared for my safety. I asked what I could do about it. They said, "You can quit."
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Katharine Rudden 3 years ago
These are painful to read and I wish there were more kind and understanding decent people in middle management in America. The good bosses are more rare and we don’t exactly get to choose....companies take advantage of entry level workers especially and wages have not kept up with the cost of living here. A wonderful and supportive place to vent is “retail hell underground” and while it’s not really funny (though sometimes it is) it’s very real!
Batwench 3 years ago
After reading this I would like to say that not all places are bad. I am in the UK and my LM and workmates are total stars and we all look after each other. I would give my left kidney for my immediate boss. He is that awesome.
Tamera Gardner 3 years ago
I became a nurse in 1982 in Texas. I’m still dumbfounded every time I meet a “nice” doctor nowadays. I could write a book about all the a*%hole physicians and their antics that were completely overlooked back then and would get them fired today.
KT 3 years ago
My first hospital job, I didn't realize why at first why there were so many empty shifts. I would finish a 12 hour night shift, and driving home from work get a call from my boss asking me to come back in 4 hours to work another 12 etc this was quite frequent. I wasn't in the union yet so I agreed to the extra shifts. problem was i ended up working 80 hour weeks, my drive was 2 hours there and back. I was so exhausted. I made it to the 3 month mark and cut way back much to her dismay. Found out she had been bullying, sexually assaulting and much more and 70% of the staff up and quit all at once.
Lord Mysticlaw 3 years ago
Me: X has been making a lot of mistakes in her work (1. 100% honest and legitimate concern, 2. It was my job to double-check, 3. These were mistakes that literally could have endangered people's lives). Manager: You know, I think you gave a personal issue with X and you should act more professional.
Unaffected 2 years ago
My boss had favourites.Two years of bullying, ended up on five weeks stress leave with high blood pressure and panic attacks.I finally left.Eight others left in two months following my leaving, all because favourites could do whatever they wanted.They now struggle for staff, advertising all the time and new staff not staying for long. I'm now in much better paying job and having an amazing manager.Oh and I recommended three key staff from the old place to my new place and they all got a job!
Laurie VanNurden 3 years ago
when my dad died, I called in to tell them I wouldn't be in for a few days. she replied "get your ass in here; you have responsibilities". after a minute of stunned silence, I just said NOPE and hung up. Never went back. I was 21. it was almost 40 years ago and it's still burned in my brain
Mary Ridings Guarino 3 years ago
I worked at an after school & summer camp program run by a mother & daughter. The daughter was cool, the mother was mean. Kids hate her. After a couple of years of working there, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I came into work that afternoon and the daughter was there, but the mother wasn't. So before starting, I told the daughter, and told her occasionally I'd have to rest. The daughter didn't tell the mother. Fast forward months, and out of the blue the mother is on me for every little thing. I could do nothing right. I got yelled at for the same things others did and they were fine with. One day when I had to sit down, despite still watching kids, I got chewed out right in front of the kids, which really upset them. As I mentioned that my legs were hurting from the fibromyalgia, she yelled at me, "why do you guys never tell me about these things?" and acted like it was my fault her daughter didn't tell her. I quit the next day.
Angela Turrall 3 years ago
Due to poor planning and management I had just worked 60 days straight with no time in lieu or reimbursement, averaging 18 hours a day, been told to lie about it so the company wouldn’t get caught out by health and safety. A couple of weeks later my dad, who had lung cancer, was briefly hospitalised, I took a day off then worked from the hospital for the rest. A few weeks after that my niece passed away, I took the rest of that day off, plus the day of her funeral. A few weeks after that, I was very ill and told by my manager to take a couple days sick leave. I returned to a meeting with HR because I’d had too much time off work. I had been there 4 years, had over 17 sick days still available to me, even after I took those days. That same manager listed all the above as evidence in the meeting. That was just the start of his systematic bullying of me which lasted more than another year before I was made redundant, by his equally bad “best friend”, another systematic bully.
Seabeast 3 years ago (edited)
I had a boss who first cut my hours down to nothing, then took three weeks to decide whether to lay me off so I could get unemployment insurance, then dilly-dallied on filling out the forms until I went nearly 9 weeks with no money coming in. When I got a better job at a different company, he phoned me there one day several months later (don't know how he found out where) and demanded that I drop everything and come back immediately to do a rush project he had going. When I pointed out that I *had an new job*, he insisted I come in after hours and on weekends. Um, nope.
Catlady6000 3 years ago
I always wonder just exactly what is going on in their minds when they pull stuff like this? These are probably the same people who really should not eat or drink anything the waitress brings
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deanna woods 3 years ago
When my manager had me working several different positions in the same shift and wouldn't let me eat unless I paid for it. I ended up losing over 30 pounds.
Lourdes Harmon 3 years ago
When my mother died, my boss asked me if there was another sibling who could go in my place. When his mother died he took 2 weeks off.
Plane Lover 3 years ago
I know this is the wrong place and time but I literally just found that all of the rude, untrue or misleading comments that people make say ‘this comment is hidden. Click to view.’ Am I the only one who noticed this
Lara Harris 3 years ago
The UK has many *many* issues. But I'm glad I live here. Employee rights mean none of this can happen. Well no, it can happen, but then you have a right to sue. None of this is legal. Any employment solicitor would take any of these cases probono. They're all slam dunks.
alloutbikes@yahoo.com 3 years ago
Daughter worked for a rural county in IT. She had the certificates, but went back and got her 4 year degree. Her bosses kept throwing her curves like saying she was insubordinate when she showed a senior(not her direct supervisor) a flyer for training when she was checking with finance department for available funds. He asked and she politely handed it over. She was written up for circumvented the chain of command. A few years later, she finally was pregnant and having many issues. She had a weekly appointment even though she wasn't very far along. She was accused of looking at porn. They said they had a video(the IT dept had a video, not browser history) I got her an attorney. He checked and said they would do some nasty stuff if he continued and consider it great she got out.
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B-b-bird 3 years ago (edited)
Had a job once at a tiny store ( 1 cash register, 1 isle). Three of us female staff. GM of entire chain put cam over cash register, which is understandable, to check on cash operations... or so we thought... Overall the guy had quite weird vibe. Once he came over and yelled at us that he cannot watch us in the cam if we are standing too far in the corner (and adjusted the cam). Only then we have understood that he is interested in watching us and not the register. Old creep
Noez 🇸🇪 3 years ago
I worked at a hotel for two years. Learned A LOT and I don't regret those years, but that place was so toxic that it took me almost 3 years to realize that me getting fired was a good thing. I was so broken down that I couldn't see how toxic the hotel staff was. Among a lot of other things, one thing that happened was that I one day was harrassed by a guest and didn't get any help or back up from the staff. The next day I started crying because of how helpless I felt, and the manager smiled when he saw me and said I was being lazy (since I was sitting down while crying instead of working) and when I told him to go away he laughed. When I finally got fired they blamed me for not being a team player and at the same time having my own agenda and making my own decisions. I still have no idea what the hell they meant with that 🤔
Lara Verne 3 years ago
I shortly worked in candy factory. On my third day, boss came to work and started yelling at employees. Apparently someone made a mistake calculating and he had to work overtime because of that.. Turned out ihe was one to blame , and he knew it before he went to work. My coworkers later told me that he was heavily indebted gambler and often lashed out at employees for no reason, like it was their fault. I quit my job next day.
Daniel Nilssen 3 years ago
Being honest when I didn't need to be and getting in trouble. Having more experience than half the people I work with but no pay raise or promotion
Eva Sawyer 3 years ago
I was working at a retail big box store and had to be scheduled for surgery. When I went to get the time off they told me that they didn't think it was a medical necessity and could I reschedule it. I hadn't realized they had gotten medical degrees (obvious sarcasm) and knew better then my own doctors. Needless to say I quit.
hydrostatic joints 3 years ago
At my mom's job, her supervisor went on a trip to Arizona in a corona hotspot and didn't quarantine or get tested when he came back. Someone filed an anonymous complaint about it and they were more concerned that someone complained than that he didn't get tested. Also, one of her coworkers never does his job, uses examination rooms like his own personal office, and once went into a break room when he was supposed to be working and told the person that was in there alone eating their lunch on their break to get out. And another one of her coworkers treats people differently and treats on lady better because he has a crush on her, even though he's in a committed relationship.
Annika Schrenk 3 years ago (edited)
I worked in a very small office and also had another office in a different city managed by her business partner. My boss was a serious micromanager who wanted me to take on more responsibility but at the same time kept telling me what to do. So my last few months at the company we were asked to anonymously review our respective office bosses and I knew I was planning on leaving so I was quite honest about how she micromanages us. A few days later I got called into her office and she straight up asked me if I thought she was a micromanager because of the “anonymous” review. She started crying and felt like I was attacking her, I then had to comfort her and basically deny everything I had written. There was a host of other things but that one I’ll never forget. BTW I wasn’t mean in review, I was just honest but obviously not super detailed as I thought they would be able to work out it was from me considering it was anonymous. They were also specific about wanting to know if they were micromanaging.
Sinkvenice 3 years ago
I was sexually assaulted at work and when I reported it to HR I was fired.
Sinkvenice 3 years ago
Oh and at another job I was fired on Christmas Eve because I "took too many sick days" when I had a kidney removed. I was off work for two weeks.
Load More Replies... karin s. 3 years ago (edited)
one time, the final straw was when i contacted a physician because of a suicidal patient and got screamed at (the patient told me later that she also got screamed at for being suicidal). and that was it when i knew i had to resign. on another job it was when they kept me in suspense about renewal of my job trying to get my consent to what ever they might offer me or not. In the end, they offered me some more months. in my head, i said F**k You as i had no intention to help them over summer vacation´s staff shortage in my f*****g hot office and being kicked out in fall. and loud, i said NO Thanks.
Morgan Olson 3 years ago (edited)
My dad works for Accenture and has teams of people that need to work on projects. He is a lot of times the head of the team basically so if people don't finish work, he has to do it. It is our winter break and we were planning on him taking the whole break off to spend time as a family, but they dumped a new project on him, and he has less then a month to finish it when they usually have 3-4 months to work on a single one, this one is also a very complicated one. He had to go into the office 2 hours away from where we live and they literally are not allowed to wear masks, and a few people had to fly in from Maine (a lot of his team live in Maine) and the only day he got off was Christmas and he is hoping that he can take New Year's off too. Also, going to the office was manditory and he got home around 11:00 PM. (and obviously this is during covid) Also, my mom went back to work in February, and her boss was SO mean she literally made my mom cry (and I've only seen my mom cry once before that) and my mom got laid off really soon because of Covid 19. (Also funny story, my mom let us kids get big candy bars/candy thingys, and I got a big box of nerds and it lasted longer than her job did ;) )
CatWoman312 3 years ago
I couldn’t finish. Most of these were straight up illegal and many are an easy solve by calling HR or OSHA. You need to know your rights as an employee. Never allow a company to treat you like s**t
Catlady6000 3 years ago
What's sad is, many people are too young, inexperienced or desperate even if they do know. I cannot tell you how many times I have offered to be a witness for someone getting harassed, injured ,etc. So frustrating to see people actually afraid to stand up for themselves. And for what? A dime a dozen minimum wage job! Or, almost worse, job with good benefits and wages, but the boss is a toxic, soul-sucking prick. Even now there are other jobs out there, even if you have to go door to door offering to clean, mow, power wash, etc.
Load More Replies...
zovjraar 3 years ago
i was not trained at all, just had to figure it out for myself. when the boss saw that i wasn't doing things the right way, i told him i hadn't been trained. the person who was supposed to train me said she had and he believed her and called me a liar. i was in such shock, i didn't quit until the next day.
John Louis 3 years ago
Before we judge too quickly just remember there are two sides to every story. I would like to hear from the bosses in each of these cases just to verify that we are hearing all of the facts correctly.
dandelion moon 3 years ago
Have you never dealt with a narcissist boss? They'll just make s**t up to make their actions justifiable. It's really sad
Load More Replies... A.M. Pierre 3 years ago
I can't give full details because I stupidly signed a non-disclosure agreement (that I honestly thought only applied to client account details), but the final straw on this camel's back was when my boss forced me to install a security camera in my own home so he could watch me. Pandemic or not, that's the end. I am now far poorer but far happier.
kjorn 3 years ago
the other way around: one monday during my job i got a call from my brother who asked me to come home. didn't tell me anything else. when i got home this is where i saw that my dad killed himself. i got back at my job in the afternoon to told it to my boss and before i even asked to have few day he just told me to take the week off.
Bobert Robertson 3 years ago
wow... I can only imagine what that would be like to deal with.
Load More Replies... Bobert Robertson 3 years ago (edited)
For me it was when our workplace was overly busy so we were working a lot of Saturdays. I'm in distribution for a large company, and oversee inbound operations. My manager told me if we did not have a good Saturday he was bringing a rope for me on Monday, indicating I should use it to hang myself. He then repeated that joke in front of me to his manager, who did not shut it down. The final straw was when he actually "jokingly" handed me a rope, that's when I made a formal statement with HR and it was dealt with appropriately.... we still work together now, but fortunately he learned his lesson and things have been all good since - I'm not one to hold a grudge over what I believe to be a poor joke.... It only upset me because I was afraid of someone else, who may have mental health issues or suicidal thoughts, being put in the same position.
Catlady6000 3 years ago
OMG, mental illness runs in my family, and that thought really scares me, for the individual and the coworkers. I hope you're not a POC, cause if so, that went way beyond bad taste, to me anyway. Then again, my black and brown friends always seem to handle this horrible sort of thing with amazing patience and grace
Load More Replies... Sandra Gifford 3 years ago
I was a great worker and team player, according to my coworkers. I was dealing with some health issues that I did not let influence my work. I always put in extra time and made sure things were done..One day, I collapsed and couldn't breathe (turns out I had congestive heart failure due to a undiagnosed birth defect and needed a pacemaker, which was found out many months later and solved everything). The paramedics were called. Several days later I was called into my boss's manager's office with a woman from HR sitting there. They said they had to "write me up." When I asked why, they said I had caused a commotion! I almost died! I needed a heart pacemaker! I refused to sign their little piece of paper and said I would call my attorney. Ultimately filed an EEOC complaint. Don't work for Paychex... you are forewarned!
Suzanne Donahue 3 years ago
I was an operating room nurse starting my shift at 6:45. No break , no lunch.At 1:45 i got dizzy. Obviously low blood sugar.An employee gets fired for testing their own blood sugar even though there are machines everywhere. I walked past manager and said I was gonna pass out. She said" I dont have time for this".A kind person on staff got me a bagel and OJ. I went to college to be treated like this.
Joanne Haywood 3 years ago
When you have to take the blame for another employee’s mistake because the manager refuses to believe that employee could make that mistake. The same employee who threw a hole punch, a stapler and a half-eaten sandwich at me. And who regularly verbally abused me and physically assaulted me. This was before they got rid of me. The same employer (large company) who let someone who had defrauded the company out of thousands, got prosecuted, but was allowed to keep his job because he was apparently the only one who could do it properly!
Wouldn't You Like to Know 3 years ago
Interviewed with a person for a job many times via video conference. Relocated and discovered that he was 100% different in person than on video where he was in his 'sales' mode. He threatened me by telling me if I want to fight fire with fire that he as a 'southern boy' fights fire with an inferno. WTH ever that means. It was then I realized he's bad mojo and found another job in a different city. He was so pissed he fired me when I gave him 1 month notice. Good riddance.
Catlady6000 3 years ago
Had that happen awesome ago, as soon as they hired me the whole tone changed, as if they felt they already owned me. Then they wanted me to send money for "equipment" so a scam, but still.....
Load More Replies... A.M. Pierre 3 years ago
As I sadly discovered, there aren't a lot of protections for workers where I live (USA). I actually consulted with lawyers after my boss' actions escalated to the point where I feared for my safety. I asked what I could do about it. They said, "You can quit."
Load More Replies... Katharine Rudden 3 years ago
These are painful to read and I wish there were more kind and understanding decent people in middle management in America. The good bosses are more rare and we don’t exactly get to choose....companies take advantage of entry level workers especially and wages have not kept up with the cost of living here. A wonderful and supportive place to vent is “retail hell underground” and while it’s not really funny (though sometimes it is) it’s very real!
Batwench 3 years ago
After reading this I would like to say that not all places are bad. I am in the UK and my LM and workmates are total stars and we all look after each other. I would give my left kidney for my immediate boss. He is that awesome.
Tamera Gardner 3 years ago
I became a nurse in 1982 in Texas. I’m still dumbfounded every time I meet a “nice” doctor nowadays. I could write a book about all the a*%hole physicians and their antics that were completely overlooked back then and would get them fired today.
KT 3 years ago
My first hospital job, I didn't realize why at first why there were so many empty shifts. I would finish a 12 hour night shift, and driving home from work get a call from my boss asking me to come back in 4 hours to work another 12 etc this was quite frequent. I wasn't in the union yet so I agreed to the extra shifts. problem was i ended up working 80 hour weeks, my drive was 2 hours there and back. I was so exhausted. I made it to the 3 month mark and cut way back much to her dismay. Found out she had been bullying, sexually assaulting and much more and 70% of the staff up and quit all at once.
Lord Mysticlaw 3 years ago
Me: X has been making a lot of mistakes in her work (1. 100% honest and legitimate concern, 2. It was my job to double-check, 3. These were mistakes that literally could have endangered people's lives). Manager: You know, I think you gave a personal issue with X and you should act more professional.
Unaffected 2 years ago
My boss had favourites.Two years of bullying, ended up on five weeks stress leave with high blood pressure and panic attacks.I finally left.Eight others left in two months following my leaving, all because favourites could do whatever they wanted.They now struggle for staff, advertising all the time and new staff not staying for long. I'm now in much better paying job and having an amazing manager.Oh and I recommended three key staff from the old place to my new place and they all got a job!
Laurie VanNurden 3 years ago
when my dad died, I called in to tell them I wouldn't be in for a few days. she replied "get your ass in here; you have responsibilities". after a minute of stunned silence, I just said NOPE and hung up. Never went back. I was 21. it was almost 40 years ago and it's still burned in my brain
Mary Ridings Guarino 3 years ago
I worked at an after school & summer camp program run by a mother & daughter. The daughter was cool, the mother was mean. Kids hate her. After a couple of years of working there, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I came into work that afternoon and the daughter was there, but the mother wasn't. So before starting, I told the daughter, and told her occasionally I'd have to rest. The daughter didn't tell the mother. Fast forward months, and out of the blue the mother is on me for every little thing. I could do nothing right. I got yelled at for the same things others did and they were fine with. One day when I had to sit down, despite still watching kids, I got chewed out right in front of the kids, which really upset them. As I mentioned that my legs were hurting from the fibromyalgia, she yelled at me, "why do you guys never tell me about these things?" and acted like it was my fault her daughter didn't tell her. I quit the next day.
Angela Turrall 3 years ago
Due to poor planning and management I had just worked 60 days straight with no time in lieu or reimbursement, averaging 18 hours a day, been told to lie about it so the company wouldn’t get caught out by health and safety. A couple of weeks later my dad, who had lung cancer, was briefly hospitalised, I took a day off then worked from the hospital for the rest. A few weeks after that my niece passed away, I took the rest of that day off, plus the day of her funeral. A few weeks after that, I was very ill and told by my manager to take a couple days sick leave. I returned to a meeting with HR because I’d had too much time off work. I had been there 4 years, had over 17 sick days still available to me, even after I took those days. That same manager listed all the above as evidence in the meeting. That was just the start of his systematic bullying of me which lasted more than another year before I was made redundant, by his equally bad “best friend”, another systematic bully.
Seabeast 3 years ago (edited)
I had a boss who first cut my hours down to nothing, then took three weeks to decide whether to lay me off so I could get unemployment insurance, then dilly-dallied on filling out the forms until I went nearly 9 weeks with no money coming in. When I got a better job at a different company, he phoned me there one day several months later (don't know how he found out where) and demanded that I drop everything and come back immediately to do a rush project he had going. When I pointed out that I *had an new job*, he insisted I come in after hours and on weekends. Um, nope.
Catlady6000 3 years ago
I always wonder just exactly what is going on in their minds when they pull stuff like this? These are probably the same people who really should not eat or drink anything the waitress brings
Load More Replies... deanna woods 3 years ago
When my manager had me working several different positions in the same shift and wouldn't let me eat unless I paid for it. I ended up losing over 30 pounds.
Lourdes Harmon 3 years ago
When my mother died, my boss asked me if there was another sibling who could go in my place. When his mother died he took 2 weeks off.
Plane Lover 3 years ago
I know this is the wrong place and time but I literally just found that all of the rude, untrue or misleading comments that people make say ‘this comment is hidden. Click to view.’ Am I the only one who noticed this
Lara Harris 3 years ago
The UK has many *many* issues. But I'm glad I live here. Employee rights mean none of this can happen. Well no, it can happen, but then you have a right to sue. None of this is legal. Any employment solicitor would take any of these cases probono. They're all slam dunks.
alloutbikes@yahoo.com 3 years ago
Daughter worked for a rural county in IT. She had the certificates, but went back and got her 4 year degree. Her bosses kept throwing her curves like saying she was insubordinate when she showed a senior(not her direct supervisor) a flyer for training when she was checking with finance department for available funds. He asked and she politely handed it over. She was written up for circumvented the chain of command. A few years later, she finally was pregnant and having many issues. She had a weekly appointment even though she wasn't very far along. She was accused of looking at porn. They said they had a video(the IT dept had a video, not browser history) I got her an attorney. He checked and said they would do some nasty stuff if he continued and consider it great she got out.
Load More Replies... B-b-bird 3 years ago (edited)
Had a job once at a tiny store ( 1 cash register, 1 isle). Three of us female staff. GM of entire chain put cam over cash register, which is understandable, to check on cash operations... or so we thought... Overall the guy had quite weird vibe. Once he came over and yelled at us that he cannot watch us in the cam if we are standing too far in the corner (and adjusted the cam). Only then we have understood that he is interested in watching us and not the register. Old creep
Noez 🇸🇪 3 years ago
I worked at a hotel for two years. Learned A LOT and I don't regret those years, but that place was so toxic that it took me almost 3 years to realize that me getting fired was a good thing. I was so broken down that I couldn't see how toxic the hotel staff was. Among a lot of other things, one thing that happened was that I one day was harrassed by a guest and didn't get any help or back up from the staff. The next day I started crying because of how helpless I felt, and the manager smiled when he saw me and said I was being lazy (since I was sitting down while crying instead of working) and when I told him to go away he laughed. When I finally got fired they blamed me for not being a team player and at the same time having my own agenda and making my own decisions. I still have no idea what the hell they meant with that 🤔
Lara Verne 3 years ago
I shortly worked in candy factory. On my third day, boss came to work and started yelling at employees. Apparently someone made a mistake calculating and he had to work overtime because of that.. Turned out ihe was one to blame , and he knew it before he went to work. My coworkers later told me that he was heavily indebted gambler and often lashed out at employees for no reason, like it was their fault. I quit my job next day.
Daniel Nilssen 3 years ago
Being honest when I didn't need to be and getting in trouble. Having more experience than half the people I work with but no pay raise or promotion
Eva Sawyer 3 years ago
I was working at a retail big box store and had to be scheduled for surgery. When I went to get the time off they told me that they didn't think it was a medical necessity and could I reschedule it. I hadn't realized they had gotten medical degrees (obvious sarcasm) and knew better then my own doctors. Needless to say I quit.
hydrostatic joints 3 years ago
At my mom's job, her supervisor went on a trip to Arizona in a corona hotspot and didn't quarantine or get tested when he came back. Someone filed an anonymous complaint about it and they were more concerned that someone complained than that he didn't get tested. Also, one of her coworkers never does his job, uses examination rooms like his own personal office, and once went into a break room when he was supposed to be working and told the person that was in there alone eating their lunch on their break to get out. And another one of her coworkers treats people differently and treats on lady better because he has a crush on her, even though he's in a committed relationship.
Annika Schrenk 3 years ago (edited)
I worked in a very small office and also had another office in a different city managed by her business partner. My boss was a serious micromanager who wanted me to take on more responsibility but at the same time kept telling me what to do. So my last few months at the company we were asked to anonymously review our respective office bosses and I knew I was planning on leaving so I was quite honest about how she micromanages us. A few days later I got called into her office and she straight up asked me if I thought she was a micromanager because of the “anonymous” review. She started crying and felt like I was attacking her, I then had to comfort her and basically deny everything I had written. There was a host of other things but that one I’ll never forget. BTW I wasn’t mean in review, I was just honest but obviously not super detailed as I thought they would be able to work out it was from me considering it was anonymous. They were also specific about wanting to know if they were micromanaging.
Sinkvenice 3 years ago
I was sexually assaulted at work and when I reported it to HR I was fired.
Sinkvenice 3 years ago
Oh and at another job I was fired on Christmas Eve because I "took too many sick days" when I had a kidney removed. I was off work for two weeks.
Load More Replies... karin s. 3 years ago (edited)
one time, the final straw was when i contacted a physician because of a suicidal patient and got screamed at (the patient told me later that she also got screamed at for being suicidal). and that was it when i knew i had to resign. on another job it was when they kept me in suspense about renewal of my job trying to get my consent to what ever they might offer me or not. In the end, they offered me some more months. in my head, i said F**k You as i had no intention to help them over summer vacation´s staff shortage in my f*****g hot office and being kicked out in fall. and loud, i said NO Thanks.
Morgan Olson 3 years ago (edited)
My dad works for Accenture and has teams of people that need to work on projects. He is a lot of times the head of the team basically so if people don't finish work, he has to do it. It is our winter break and we were planning on him taking the whole break off to spend time as a family, but they dumped a new project on him, and he has less then a month to finish it when they usually have 3-4 months to work on a single one, this one is also a very complicated one. He had to go into the office 2 hours away from where we live and they literally are not allowed to wear masks, and a few people had to fly in from Maine (a lot of his team live in Maine) and the only day he got off was Christmas and he is hoping that he can take New Year's off too. Also, going to the office was manditory and he got home around 11:00 PM. (and obviously this is during covid) Also, my mom went back to work in February, and her boss was SO mean she literally made my mom cry (and I've only seen my mom cry once before that) and my mom got laid off really soon because of Covid 19. (Also funny story, my mom let us kids get big candy bars/candy thingys, and I got a big box of nerds and it lasted longer than her job did ;) )
CatWoman312 3 years ago
I couldn’t finish. Most of these were straight up illegal and many are an easy solve by calling HR or OSHA. You need to know your rights as an employee. Never allow a company to treat you like s**t
Catlady6000 3 years ago
What's sad is, many people are too young, inexperienced or desperate even if they do know. I cannot tell you how many times I have offered to be a witness for someone getting harassed, injured ,etc. So frustrating to see people actually afraid to stand up for themselves. And for what? A dime a dozen minimum wage job! Or, almost worse, job with good benefits and wages, but the boss is a toxic, soul-sucking prick. Even now there are other jobs out there, even if you have to go door to door offering to clean, mow, power wash, etc.
Load More Replies... zovjraar 3 years ago
i was not trained at all, just had to figure it out for myself. when the boss saw that i wasn't doing things the right way, i told him i hadn't been trained. the person who was supposed to train me said she had and he believed her and called me a liar. i was in such shock, i didn't quit until the next day.
John Louis 3 years ago
Before we judge too quickly just remember there are two sides to every story. I would like to hear from the bosses in each of these cases just to verify that we are hearing all of the facts correctly.
dandelion moon 3 years ago
Have you never dealt with a narcissist boss? They'll just make s**t up to make their actions justifiable. It's really sad
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