Having a toxic boss can make showing up for work ten times harder than it needs to be. They seem to get joy from making their employees’ lives miserable, and there’s no telling what they’ll have in store for them on any given day.

But when this factory environmentalist realized he had a golden opportunity to get petty revenge on a supervisor, he jumped at the chance. Below, you’ll find the full story that he recently shared on Reddit, as well as some of the replies amused readers left him.

When this factory environmentalist realized a supervisor had messed with his equipment on purpose, he decided to retaliate with a harmless act of petty revenge

Image credits: Pressmaster (not the actual photo)

The supervisor’s reaction, however, was much more severe than the environmentalist could have ever imagined

Image credits: piasupuntongpool (not the actual photo)

Image credits: westend61 (not the actual photo)

Image credits: westend61 (not the actual photo)

Later, the employee added that security footage of the event was no longer available

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Image source: MrDreamThief

Unfortunately, it’s common for supervisors to create toxic work environments

Image credits: Prostock-studio (not the actual photo)

The idea of having a toxic supervisor is, sadly, something many of us are familiar with. A recent study found that 64% of Americans say they’ve experienced a toxic work environment, and 44% of those workers blamed leadership for the uncomfortable atmosphere. There are a variety of ways managers can go about creating a toxic workplace, but some of the most common behaviors workers report are supervisors who are disrespectful, abusive, non-inclusive, unethical and cutthroat. According to Heidi Lynne Kurter at Forbes, toxic bosses might also be guilty of using microaggressions against employees, gaslighting, using intimidation and fear tactics, scapegoating employees, assuming the worst of their staff and micromanaging workers.

In this particular story, the supervisor was attempting to gaslight this employee, claiming that he left the cart somewhere that was a safety hazard and justifying his reasoning for moving it so far away. Gaslighting is an extremely difficult behavior to deal with, whether in personal relationships or work environments, so Constance Scharff, PhD, recommends that employees remove themselves from a workplace where managers utilize this toxic tactic. “If you cannot leave your job, avoid the supervisor who gaslights as much as you can,” Scharff writes for Psychology Today. “When you cannot avoid them, document every interaction. Make requests and have conversations in writing whenever possible. If you are unsure of yourself, ask a trusted colleague for feedback. When you have clear documentation, bring the situation to human resources.”

Nepotism hires often negatively impact workplaces as well

When it comes to how this particular supervisor got his job in the first place, the OP mentioned that he is the son of one of the company’s best senior engineers. However, nepotism is not something to be taken lightly in the workplace. There’s a big difference between following in your parent’s footsteps because you’re passionate about the same field, and simply being given a job you’re unqualified for because of your last name. According to Valamis, some of the negative impacts nepotism can have on a company are reduced productivity, morale and engagement; employees being given special treatment; reduced employee development; increased turnover; poor company culture; reduced diversity; worse personal relationships; and even potential lawsuits.

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It’s difficult for employees to feel comfortable at work when they know that their supervisor is unqualified for their position, or that they can get away with anything because they won’t be fired regardless. Nepotism discourages employees from working hard and continuing at a company where they feel they’ll never be promoted, due to their lack of familial connections. While the legal implications of nepotism vary across the globe, there are no specific laws against it in the private sector, Valamis notes. However, the United States does have statutes and regulations in place to prevent nepotism, mentioned by the Federal Civil Service, and in some cases, it may be possible to prove discrimination was a factor in nepotism hires.

Homophobia should never be tolerated, especially in the workplace

Image credits: Elyssa Fahndrich (not the actual photo)

Nepotism is clearly not the only issue present in this particular story, though. Despite being a questionable manager, this employee may not have done anything that could be considered a fireable offense, until he began spewing homophobic remarks in the workplace. Discrimination in a work environment should always be taken seriously, and although this man was not specifically targeting or harassing individuals, the statements he made were incredibly offensive and inappropriate. 

In the United States, the 2020 Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia set the precedent that “public and private employers nationwide are prohibited from firing or otherwise discriminating against workers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity,” and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited as well. However, NOLO explains on their site that typically, an employee must show a pattern of inappropriate behavior to qualify as “unlawful harassment,” rather than a single, inappropriate incident. It’s possible that’s how this man managed to keep his employment, despite spewing such hateful words.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. What did you think of this man’s act of petty revenge? And if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing discrimination in the workplace, look no further than right here!

Readers applauded the man for his brilliant revenge and called out the supervisor for his bigotry

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