The Worst Things People Have Experienced From Their Bosses

Bosses can make or break a job, and sometimes they do a lot more breaking than making. A bad manager can turn a normal shift into something employees remember for years, for all the wrong reasons.

That is exactly what came up in a viral Reddit thread asking, “What’s the worst thing your boss has said to you?” The replies were full of cruel, bizarre, and wildly inappropriate comments from managers who seemed to have no filter at all.

The stories below are hard to believe, but they are very real to the people who shared them. Read on.

1. "Instagram doesn't pay your bills, I pay your bills."

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2. "How the hell does an office run like that?!"

"Worked for a small, understaffed eye clinic with only 3 staff and the dr (we were down to 2 staff and the dr when I quit). We worked our assess off and kept it running... 6 months in the Dr finally gets around to doing my 90 day performance review.For 30 minutes she proceeds to point out all of my flaws,how she doesn't really like me and thinks I'm not doing good at my job. How sometimes when she walks in the room I have my back to her and a bunch of other stupid expectations she had that I was never told about..When in reality I was doing the job of 2-3 people and keeping up with it. My patients loved me and I never had a single complaint from any patient or my coworkers.I interviewed for the same position at a different clinic and when I mentioned i quit due to only having a staff of 2-3 people. He literally blurted out "How the hell does an office run like that?!".Now I have 11 coworkers and I do 1/3 of the work for more money and get treated with respect. It's amazing."reddit

3. "Her son is already dead, it’s not like you can do anything for him now."

"My best friend’s newborn son passed away 3 days after giving birth. She called me in tears.I told my boss I needed to leave right now. My boss looked at me in disbelief:“So? Her son is already dead, it’s not like you can do anything for him now,”."reddit

When leaders engage in behaviors that undermine this safety, such as belittling employees or dismissing their concerns, it can lead to increased anxiety and a decrease in overall team performance. Research suggests that organizations should prioritize training for leaders on how to foster an environment of trust and open communication, as this can dramatically improve employee morale and productivity.

That kind of comment is exactly why these stories hit so hard.

4. “So what’s it gonna be?”

"My grandfather was in the hospital and was notified by my mom through text that he signed a DNR, this was on a Thursday I was a cook at the time. I told my manager what I was told and that I need the next day off (would make it a 3 day weekend to go up and visit him in the hospital which is 9 hours away).She told me no that she has nobody to cover my shift (I’m currently cooking dinner rush while talking to her) I told her that this is my last time I could possibly see him and she goes on how her brother died in the hospital and she still came into work because that’s what she had to do and that life sucks sometimes, you just have to get over it, while I’m still cooking during rush she says “so what’s it gonna be?” In a threatening tone and I say “well I guess I can’t go if nobody can cover me” she then said she’s sorry about what’s going on and thanked me for not missing the next day.Next day comes and my shift starts and my phone is literally exploding in my pocket, I’m at the hospital with my kids and wife with my grandfather, my manager is losing it “where are you!?” “Please let me know if you’re running late!”I sent a reply “Remember when you said you have nobody to cover my shift? Well you’re covering my shift tonight and all future shifts, enjoy!Oh by the way I didn’t prep anything last night so you better get going on all that!” People ask if she replied back: No she didn’t as I was in a very emotional place at that time so I sent the message waited for it to show that it was sent then I block/deleted the number, I wanted the last word and didn’t feel like giving her the chance to “make it better” or “tell me how unprofessional I was” I didn’t care."reddit

5. "That they could "find anyone fresh out of college or off the street" to do my job."

"I worked for a startup for 3.5 years. Started as an intern and worked my way up to production manager.When it came time to decide my salary, I sat down with the then COO to discuss pay. When I asked for a compensation that was fair and the average for my city, he said to me that it was too high for my role and that they could "find anyone fresh out of college or off the street" to do my job.I was floored. Fast forward to months later when the company started laying off people and folding, I resigned because I could no longer do my job as a manager since the companies I was managing haven't been paid by us.They begged me to come and teach them all of my processes, forms, and documentation I had set up because they didn't know how to do my job. I simply told them "you don't need me for that, you can find anyone right off the street to teach you."Ahh, sweet bliss."reddit

6. "My socks cost more than your shirt."

"8 years ago early 20s I was a receptionist at a hair salon and the owner / main stylist was my boss and he would make fun of me every day. He even gave me a haircut on my second week and it was purposefully a bowl cut and I was so broke and insecure I pretended everything was fine.I caught him laughing at me more than once. One day he looked at me, scoffed and said "My socks cost more than your shirt."He fired me exactly the day before my third month and I cried I was so happy. Felt ashamed to quit as I was raised never to quit but I have learned there's no shame in demanding you deserve better."reddit

The concept of emotional labor is particularly relevant when discussing the impact of difficult bosses on employees. Emotional labor refers to the process of managing feelings and expressions to fulfill the emotional requirements of a job. Employees who engage in high levels of emotional labor, especially in the face of unsupportive leadership, are more prone to burnout and job dissatisfaction. Organizations can combat this by implementing support systems, such as peer counseling or access to mental health resources, to help employees cope with the emotional demands they face at work.

And somehow, it only gets worse from there.

7. "I woke up to my house being on fire, so I texted my boss and his response was “are you still coming in?”."

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8. "She knew what happened, she was at my father's funeral"

"Boss told me she didn't know what happened but that I was not the same person from the previous year. She wanted that happy, cheerful person back.

She knew what happened. She was at my father's funeral two months before."

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9. "Well, customer complained and I have to follow up".

"I used to work at Walmart and they were rolling out these new scanners that were basically large Android smartphones with barcode scanners built into them. Anyway I normally worked in the back unloading trucks, but this particular day, I was sent out to the toys department to stock.I used the scanners to locate where items are supposed to go since I didn't really stock any departments besides grocery and wasn't too familiar with the layout. A customer comes up to me and asks for help looking for something.I don't remember what it was off hand. The customer was nice, thanked me for my help, so on.About 20 minutes later, the store manager comes up to me and asks me to follow him to the office. After he closed the door, he told me that lady had complained that I was "using my cellphone on the floor" and he started chewing me out over it.I explained that it was the scanner, not my phone. He said "I believe you.They do resemble phones, but I still have to coach you" (Walmart's term for write up). I asked why, and he said "well, a customer complained and I have to follow up".So basically I got wrote up for doing my job. I was a good worker, barely called off the 4 years I worked there, and that was my first write up.After that incident, I noticed a huge difference in how I was treated by other managers. I didn't work there much longer."reddit

His research categorizes leadership into six styles: coercive, authoritative, affiliate, democratic, pacesetting, and coaching. Each style has distinct effects on employee motivation and productivity. For example, coercive leadership often results in a culture of fear, discouraging initiative and creativity, while coaching leadership fosters personal development and engagement. Organizations should consider adopting a more democratic or coaching approach to enhance collaboration and employee satisfaction, as studies show that a participative style can lead to higher levels of commitment and job performance.

10. "Not only are you not qualified to work at this company, you are not qualified to work as developers at all."

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11. "You guys might have to work through your breaks.”

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12. "She makes too much already."

"Have a guest who described what they were looking for (clothing) to me in vague terms, I managed to deduce what they were looking for, led them directly to it, asked them if they had a size and color preference, fished that exactly out of the racks, handed it to them and directed them back to the fitting rooms.Was re-hanging clothing with my Store ASM standing right next to me, doing another z rack. Guest comes up and hands me what she didn't want, asks ASM if she's the manager, ASM says yes, obviously bracing for a complaint of some sort.Guest gushes about how I am friendly, knowledgeable, treated her wonderfully, found exactly what she needed, and that I deserve a raise.ASM pointblank : *"She makes too much already."*"reddit

Studies have shown that negative workplace experiences, such as receiving belittling comments from management, can lead to long-lasting psychological effects. This phenomenon can be understood through the lens of attachment theory, which posits that our early relationships with caregivers shape our emotional responses in adult life. When employees feel unsupported by their bosses, it can trigger feelings of insecurity reminiscent of past attachment wounds. To mitigate these effects, organizations should implement regular feedback training that emphasizes constructive criticism over negative remarks, enabling leaders to communicate effectively without damaging employee morale.

13. "It bothered me for days and kept me up at night for a few weeks"

"In high school, I worked at a Subway. My boss asked that the team come in on a Sunday night after closing for a meeting.As soon as everyone was settled, my boss said “we all know there is one person in this room who isn’t efficient like the rest of the team and it’s becoming more obvious by the day.” Anyway, she turned to me and asked me how it felt to hold others back because I wasn’t quick when it came to making sandwiches and cleaning up.My boss then asked three others to give examples of my “poor” performance in front of everyone. I ended up crying out of sheer embarrassment and was asked to leave the meeting.It bothered me for days and kept me up at night for a few weeks. It’s still such a vivid memory…no one has ever made me feel so low before in my entire life.Of course at a damn Subway lol"reddit

14. "Everyone who calls out costs our store $10,000 a day in lost sales."

"Manager called a store meeting to discuss how sick calls were costing us big time. Said, "everyone one who calls out costs our store $10,000 a day in lost sales."My man straight up told everyone how valuable their labor was to the company, in stark contrast with how much we actually made per day."reddit

15. “Let’s hope the funeral is on the weekend.”

"I was a week into a new job when my best friend’s mom was put into hospice. I warned my boss that I would be attending a funeral probably within the next couple weeks.On the Thursday morning of my 2nd week (before Memorial Day weekend) she passed away. I was in tears when I went to my boss to let her know.Her first comment, “Let’s hope the funeral is on the weekend.” It was the Tuesday after Memorial Day & I took the entire day off.Quit 2 months later."reddit

Resilience is a critical psychological construct that can buffer the effects of negative workplace experiences.

That office tension feels similar to the worker who declined to adopt the office dog.

16. “You aren’t worth the paycheck we give you “.

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17. "That if I had a penis I'd be making $10k more per year."

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18. "Everyone has things going on in their lives."

District Manager: 'Why haven't you been hitting your sale targets?"Me: 'Sorry, I've been tired and distracted, I just found out the other day my mum has breast cancer.'District Manager: 'Well everyone has things going on in their lives."reddit

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan found that employees who perceive their bosses as unsupportive are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. This phenomenon can be explained through the lens of the Job Demand-Resource Model, which posits that high job demands coupled with low resources lead to burnout and disengagement. When employees feel unsupported, they may perceive their workload as unmanageable, increasing stress levels. To combat this, organizations should ensure that leaders are trained to recognize and respond to their employees' needs, providing resources and support that can help mitigate stress. Regular check-ins and open-door policies can serve as effective tools for leaders to gauge their team's well-being.

19. "You need to do better work! He would be so ashamed of you right now!"

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20. "It’s a wonder how you ever made it even this far in life.”

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"F**k that place and f**k anyone that makes you feel worthless."

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Workplace culture plays a pivotal role in shaping employee experiences and perceptions of leadership. In contrast, a toxic culture often fosters distrust and resentment, leading to high turnover rates. Organizations must actively cultivate a culture that values transparency and kindness, as this can improve overall employee satisfaction and retention. Strategies such as team-building exercises and diversity training can help create a more inclusive and supportive work environment.

21. "Geez, how many more aunts are left to go?"

“Geez, how many more aunts are left to go?” "His words to me whenever I told him I couldn’t come in for a full day due to a funeral.

This was my third family member to pass away in less than a year so idk that s**t hurt to hear."

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22. "I reported this to hr three years ago. He’s still my boss."

"I’m a young Hispanic woman in the hospitality industry and while working a Mexican concert my old dusty white boss said to me “everyone is late which isn’t surprising…You know how your people are..”this was a few months after working an event where the lights were turned down low and when he came by my work area he asked me if I needed an extra light to see better..I reply “no, I’m ok thanks my eyes have adjusted” his response was “ I heard you do your best work in the dark” than walked away.I reported this to hr three years ago. He’s still my boss."reddit

23. "If I asked you to get down on your knees and wash the floor with a toothbrush, you would do it because I say so."

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Psychological research indicates that the way feedback is delivered can significantly impact employee motivation and performance. Providing feedback in a way that encourages a growth mindset can help employees view challenges as opportunities rather than threats. Organizations can implement training sessions for leaders on effective feedback techniques, ensuring that performance reviews focus on development and improvement rather than solely on shortcomings.

24. "I can donate you some old blankets though! But no time off!”

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25. "It still hurts when I think about it"

"Your dreams are over. The future you imagined no longer exists.You need to accept that" She colluded with the head of HR to ensure that I stayed at the bottom of the salary band for my position because she was afraid that her boss would recognize that I was much more qualified to do my and her job.She and the HR person were publicly fired. But it was after they managed to get me fired.It still hurts when I think about it =("reddit

26. "You need to schedule your medical emergencies."

"You need to schedule your medical emergencies. " mind you, I went to the ER to make sure I was not in DKA again.Which I was lucky enough to survive last year, but got written up for *being admitted to the hospital* last year. Here in the USA you have a *1 in 10* chance of dying if you are admitted with DKA.reddit

The phenomenon of 'toxic leadership' can lead to a range of adverse psychological outcomes for employees, including increased anxiety and decreased job satisfaction. This underscores the importance of addressing toxic behaviors within organizations. Regular training focused on emotional intelligence and conflict resolution can empower leaders to recognize their own negative behaviors and develop healthier interactions with their teams. Such proactive steps can foster a more positive workplace culture, ultimately benefiting both employees and the organization.

27. "I don't care if a serial killer works here".

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28. "I'd have quit right then but I have an ailing parent to take care of."

"When asked for junior resources to better fill out our team, they said " *You* are our junior resource." This wouldn't have been a problem if I didn't carry 12 years of experience, which in my field is considered senior-level.As if that wasn't insulting enough, they went on to say "I'm getting paid x3 your salaries to do a better job than you, so no need to worry about me or my workload".I'd have quit right then but I have an ailing parent to take care of. Actively looking out for something better though."reddit

29. "The boss had to put off buying his house for a while."

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In conclusion, the effects of leadership on employee well-being are profound and far-reaching. Organizations must recognize the critical importance of creating a psychologically safe environment and training leaders to adopt supportive behaviors. By prioritizing emotional intelligence in leadership development, organizations can transform their workplace culture, ensuring that employees feel valued, heard, and motivated to contribute to their fullest potential.

30. “We don’t allow chairs on the sales floor because if a customer walks in and see’s you sitting, they’ll view the company as lazy and won’t come back”

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31. "You know, some things in this world are good. Like AIDS."

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Everyone has a bad day now and then, but that doesn't give him the right to treat other people poorly. The boss should be a person who supervises you and motivates you to work harder and better, not to underestimate and humiliate you.

If the working environment is toxic, the best you can do is walk away and find yourself a healthier one.

These bosses clearly crossed the line.

The article on the worst experiences people have faced from their bosses sheds light on the critical impact of toxic leadership on employee well-being. The discussions highlight that even in challenging circumstances, such as unfavorable salary or long hours, a positive work environment can keep employees engaged and committed. To create healthier workplaces, organizations must prioritize psychological safety, encourage open communication, and integrate emotional intelligence into their leadership practices. These changes are not just beneficial; they are essential for enhancing productivity and job satisfaction, as they empower employees to perform at their best.

That boss-versus-employee power struggle is wild, but see what happened when an employee confronted a coworker for stealing their lunch.