Being an employer or manager does not entitle anyone to abuse that authority. But of course, some people will cross those boundaries, causing their subordinates to grow fed up and quit. 

A handful of these employees spoke up, albeit anonymously, in this recent Reddit thread. Someone asked, “What did your boss tell you that got to your last nerve?” and the stories poured in. 

One person shared how their raise was “not on the budget” because they were “paid enough.” Another disgruntled worker who was mere weeks from giving birth shared how her boss told her to “put on a game face.” 

These responses are troublesome, to say the least. Scroll through, and feel free to share similar experiences in the comments.

#1

“Can’t you just be late to your other job? You have responsibilities here.”

Yes, and those responsibilities end when my shift does. *You* have a responsibility to make sure the shift is adequately staffed, but I don’t see you doing that.

Image credits: Agnol117

#2

Told me that my raise was not in the budget, and that “lazy i.t.” are paid enough, and we play video games all day.

He gave himself and all managers a raise a month later.

I found a better job, left, gave my two weeks and because he was cheap with i.t. lost his website, and took him a year to hire or keep anyone long enough. His company lost millions in online sales.

His company never recovered and went under.

Image credits: anon

#3

He once told me “just do it and don’t ask questions” when i was trying to clarify something important… like dude, i’m trying not to mess it up.

Image credits: CoolestBrandon

#4

I am a manager and she is my direct boss. She told me to tell a new hire “we don’t discuss wages here”. While I understand her thinking, I find making this statement and request to be wildly inappropriate.

Image credits: bookingjames

#5

“It’s not overtime, it’s extra time.”

Oh yeah, reminding me that I don’t get time-and-a-half is a great way to make me feel better about working extra hours.

Image credits: fishbake

#6

I’m nearly 37 weeks pregnant, extremely tired, extremely uncomfortable and sore.. my boss told me to act like I want to be at work, to put on a game face and smile more.
I let the intrusive thoughts win and I lost my s**t.

Image credits: xXUnic0rnL0rdXx

#7

“We couldn’t have asked for anything more from you as an employee, but this jobs going to Taylor because he’s more of a go getter.”

I told this a*****e okay, I’ll go get another job elsewhere then and quit immediately. Exceptionally satisfying and the place has been going down in flames since I left.

Image credits: Pigbenis7687

#8

Independent contractor here we renew our contracts at the beginning of each year. Was recently told to sign the contract and return it on the spot, that it should only take 10 seconds. That I have no need to read it…… Like what? Yes, I’m gonna read it.

Image credits: Amberlyn

#9

She said that I did “horrendous” on a project to one of my coworkers behind my back. I literally did a perfect job (since I knew she would be holding me accountable) and it showed that she never checked my work but had a narrative about what she was going to say.

Image credits: Bloody_Hangnail

#10

Didn’t tell me directly, but i heard it about me a few feet away. “Blank will do it, he always does it.” Yes the hell i do it, i do it all the damn time cause nobody else does and if i don’t do it then nobody else will and when they do they do a bad job.

Image credits: Chairbreaker23

#11

“You need to choose between work and your family”.

Ok. Bye.

Image credits: intensenerd

#12

My manager was off recently and left us with no cover. I forwarded something on an email because it’s something that only management can raise. Nothing urgent, so figured it could wait and be picked up when she was back.

Got a snotty reply less than 5mins later saying “You *know* that I’m not in today. Send this to [person]”

I would do that. IF YOU’D ACTUALLY BOTHERED TO TELL US THAT THEY WERE COVERING FOR YOU.

Image credits: Shas_Erra

#13

My dad passed away. He had been sick, but it was still unexpected. My mom and I had long before booked a 4 week holiday, which now happened to be 1,5 months after his passing. It was perfect timing, because I was taking it all pretty badly. When I returned, I had a pretty rough time. I still showed up to work, all my coworkers were very appreciative and understanding.
Except for my boss. After my first week back, he planned a meeting in which he told me: “I really hope all that stuff with your dad finally got sorted, so you can focus on work again.”
I found another job and left 4 months later.

Image credits: ladyemippo

#14

Working 24 hour shifts on an ambulance. We used to get run to the ground often. On one occasion, we were running calls non stop from 8 am to midnight without a break. I called dispatch to ask for a break to get some food (there were other ambulances in service so a 20 min food break was reasonable). My boss happened to be dispatching and he denied my request and said “this is what you signed up for. Just run the calls or you’ll be written up for insubordination.” Mind you, I’ve been doing this for 5 years at that time. That’s when I realized that private ambulance sucked. I was also his “Top EMT,” and for him to say that, was the final nail in the coffin. I got a job with a hospital shortly after working as a tech. Best decision I’ve ever made.

Image credits: Ok-Economy9827

#15

My boss said to me several times in our last meeting “This is [our field], not therapy”, when discussing projects I’ve been working extremely hard on. Other co-workers were present.

He is known for never, ever, ever being satisfied with the rate of progress in a project, which is something I’ve come to accept, but to imply that I’m treating my job like some kind of relaxing recreational activity is just delusional on a galactic scale.

Still in two minds about whether to book a meeting with him soon where I can explain just how incredibly condescending and unprofessional I felt this comment was and how I never want to hear it again.

Image credits: Feline_Diabetes

#16

“Your pay comes out of my pocket. You do what I say. I’m god here” he got fired lol.

Image credits: Virtual-Row6413

#17

My old boss had the nerve to tell me I needed to stop making plans on my days off so he could have me come in to work.

Image credits: Top-Storage6160

#18

When a family member died they told me if I leave I’ll be fired. The next day after I left they called me in and walked me out.

Image credits: Pugsforlife1993

#19

My workplace is currently understaffed right now and when I asked my boss if we could hire another staff, his response was “We’ll be alright, you have me and I can always come and help you guys out”. From past experience, his help is mostly non-existent.

Image credits: Moon_Jewel90

#20

“At least you’re getting experience … think about all the experience you’ve gotten..”.

Image credits: itsagoddessj

#21

We were doing a performance review and I got a bad mark because I was “late” on an annual project. I told my boss the project was extended two months because we added a bunch of additional parameters at the last minute and showed him the emails stating the new deadline.

He said regardless i missed the initial deadline. I was done because I felt they just need something to give me a mid review.

Image credits: GuacKiller

#22

My team essentially runs projects for various areas of our organization.

I was in my skip level 1:1 (meeting with my VP) and she told me my team and I are not liked in our organization because we follow up on items that are due for our projects.

We were literally told if someone owed us something for a project with a critical deadline, we weren’t allowed to ask for it or even remind the person that their item was due.

Image credits: unendingpursuits

#23

“I don’t care if you’re throwing up in a bin, you’re not going home”
– I was having digestive issues due to extreme stress over custody arrangements, the rights to my son and a narcissistic baby mama.
I told him to get f****d and I left.

2 months later he called and offered me my job back, even offered a raise.

Image credits: DesignerPaper3311

#24

TL;DR: Unfairly/Illegally dismissed. I sued, was gaslit and decided to turn whistleblower. Winner winner, chicken dinner.

“Your performance review was excellent, however I hate to say this but we’re letting you go.”

*hands me my excellent performance review letter & the dismissal letter which states my poor performance*

I thanked him, thought about it a bit over the weekend. Decided to sue them and called the company’s legal rep to let them know (dumb I know).

Ex-boss called me in for a private meeting with himself and the HR director a few days after that call.

So I agreed & recorded them pretty much saying, “We’re a multinational company with unlimited resources, you’re just one person.”

“You can’t afford the legal costs.”

“Just take the severance check and walk away.”

That made me snap.

Went to the labor ministry’s legal people, let them hear my recording(s) and showed them the damning emails I had collected over the years. Their legal team ended up representing me, pro bono.

At one point about a month or so into the case, I got a call from someone in the company who threatened to make me ‘homeless’. I sent the same emails to a union the next day.

Eventually we settled out of court. But the ministry & union continued and threw the book at the company.

Image credits: thisdodobird

#25

I’m with a non-profit. They asked me to cut next year’s department budget by 5%. I confirmed the task and deliverables multiple times and gently pushed back since our expenses scale up with program delivery and we had a 4-5% growth target on top of an approved year of *massive* anniversary events and programs planned. After losing multiple nights of sleep over it, I delivered the cuts. Then they said, “Oh great, don’t worry, it was just an exercise. You manage budgets well.” Lost my trust.

Image credits: manicjazzer

#26

Used to be a baker. One night I was training a newbie how to make baguettes. I demonstrated how to slide then into the deck oven with wood plank, but when she tried it they went in curved. So I told her to hold on while I straightened them out. 2 seconds later she shuts the door on my arm while it’s still in the oven. My arm at this point is badly burnt, so I call my boss and explain what happened.

His first question: “Is the oven still working?”

2 weeks notice the next day.

Image credits: TheKrusader

#27

I’m in a medical profession directly treating patients. The team leaders told me I had to cut certain corners with materials and do it they way they did (maximizing profit while giving a substandard outcome, and I usually had to fix their s**t because they refused to see the patients returning with problems). I handed in my notice the next week.

Image credits: wadibidibijj

#28

Off the clock, on my unpaid break, I would often drive to the bank in a fairly busy shopping square about a mile away from my work. The day I had had enough and quit, an elderly woman had gently backed into me not looking while reversing out of a parking space while I was in a standstill line to turn out of the parking lot on my unpaid break. There was no damage but I was furious because I’d just gotten my car back from the body shop a few days prior and it was expensive! I didn’t confront the older lady and I wasn’t late getting back from my break but ranted about the situation and her lack of awareness to my coworkers when I returned and clocked back in.

My boss then popped her head around her office door and stated, “oh, no one is allowed to leave the property on break anymore, I got an email this morning from corporate that they changed the policy. It’s a safety risk and things like that can make you late getting back to work too.”

I demanded to see where the policy was changed and she said she would show me before I left work but she had to answer ‘an important phone call’ so couldn’t show me right then.

A few hours later another manager told me as I was getting ready to clock out that my boss had already left for the day. I told her to consider that my final shift as they cannot dictate what I do, if I leave the property, on unpaid time. If they weren’t paying me, it’s my personal time. Not company time.

I never went back.

Image credits: Pinktuxcat

#29

Worked for a guy who ran a small coffee distribution business – sold and maintained espresso machines, distributed coffee and tea for some good quality sources. He was pretty good at the mechanical side of things, was definitely a coffee snob, but had absolutely no organizational skills and was a terrible hoarder.

I was there to organize and help the business run more smoothly – but it was an uphill battle. He ran it out of his own home and it was a mess. The “warehouse” was full to the brim with junk and he wouldn’t let anyone touch it; he wouldn’t even put a trashcan in there. You could barely get to the product and he would get angry when you implied that the junk needed to be tossed.

He had a ridiculous amount of uncollected invoices because he couldn’t organize to save his life. After a few months, I was able to successfully collect about $30k in invoices that his clients probably never even received bills for.

He had a lot of small parts on hand for repairing espresso machines, but because different companies had different names for the same part and the fact that he was a mess, he never had an accurate accounting of inventory. I streamlined the inventory system and based on his suggestion, implemented a digital system so he could account for inventory used on site. The problem was he never used the system and so our inventory was never accurate. When I would point this out, he’d go off about how he couldn’t be bothered to do it while he was in the middle of fixing something.

He got a contract at a local event to set up a small coffee stall. Getting the equipment and supplies was an absolute nightmare. The equipment was in the warehouse and he refused to let anyone touch anything in there. When the perishable supplies arrived, there was no space to store them in his fridge because he was a hoarder. I offered to clear the fridge, but he got attitude and wouldn’t let anyone touch the contents that were who knows how old. He ended up angrily doing it all himself.

When he finally got the stall set up, he tried running it – but he was too a**l about the quality of the espresso and didn’t have the barista skills to quickly dial in the flavor. I watched him take an order for two espressos, and then proceed to pour then toss out about seven consecutive shots before he was happy with serving it. He probably threw out more shots than he served and the only thing that was served consistently was the nitro cold brew. It wasn’t until he brought in a barista he knew that the stall started to run smoothly.

The next day, he b****ed at me about how he felt that somehow the fact that the stall was run so poorly was my fault. I got up, put my key to the business down on my desk, told him, “Never contact me again.” and walked out the door.

Image credits: Vjornaxx

#30

One time at band camp ….. my boss tried to embarrass me in-front of my team that I had done my work incorrectly. I was being bullied by her too at the time. My blood was boiling. I had to pull her aside with another Project Manager present to explain what I had been asked to do and that what I had completed was accurate and correct. She did not apologise and left me feeling enraged at her stunt to embarrass me in-front of the team that I managed.

Image credits: JasmineRider27

#31

After I suggested that we can automate work and save everyone lots of time instead of going through data manually, he said “No, just do it manually. You have to work smarter not harder”.

#32

When my boss told the management team that we needed to do a great job on a project assigned to her because HER bonus was going to be determined by it.

#33

“We’re still looking for someone for second shift”. Heard this for like 4 months before I finally had it and quit.

#34

Or better yet, teammates who are lazy , we ask, why doesn’t ‘sally’ have to do ‘xyz’… response ‘we have a ‘plan’ for her’ … still planning 3 years later…

#35

It was my second day and there was a pin in my apron pocket stabbing me and as she was telling me something I reached my hand in my apron pocket to try to fish out the pin that was stabbing me.

She says instantly, “get your hands out of your pockets I cannot stand when people stand like that”

And I said, “this pin was stabbing me” I was 27… I didn’t go back the next day. It was off putting to me to be spoken to like that.

#36

Years ago, ok, a couple of decades ago now…. After several years of 1% and 2% raises that were not keeping up with COL but we’re necessary “because the company is struggling.” I found another job and gave my 2 week notice. Later that afternoon my manager pulled me into his office and offered me 15% to stay. That MF had the budget all along. I left.

#37

Many years ago, I had taken a single PTO day in the middle of the week to go out with my family. My manager called me and asked me to attend a meeting with the client. When I said I was on PTO, he said he’d cancel the leave if I did not take that call. I quit that job and left the country in 15 days (my visa was tied to that job).

#38

2 for one special really

“Stop trying to prevent issues. Just leave it alone and we’ll deal with them when they come up.” I work in SaaS software…

“You’re just exaggerating now” when I pushed back saying that ignoring a specific issue now would make customer churn entirely more likely and likely lead to a key employee resigning…

Last I heard that employee is really enjoying their new job.

#39

During college I worked at the bookstore on campus and most of the employees were extremely lazy. I had grown up on a farm and I remember the first day the other employees telling me not to work so hard and I politely explained that this was not hard work. There were days I’d finish projects solo why they just stood around and talked. Eventually my yearly review came up and the manager there told me I taught bad habits to other employees and it took a lot to not comment “What how to work?” So I just quit within two weeks. Within a month he was asking me to come back, but I just thought if he couldn’t recognize who actually got stuff done he wasn’t worth working for.

#40

I was working at the Publix deli, had just started in the kitchen literally 2 days before Super Bowl, I told my manager “hey I’m gonna need some help in the kitchen in Super Bowl day or switch me with someone that has more experience” she never did. (Mind you my other manager, on such busy days would put two of the best in the kitchen together)
Day came, I went in with my redbull in hand trying to do as good as possible but I burnt myself a couple of times and I was starting to get too overwhelmed. I asked her for help and she said “you should’ve tried harder” I quit right there on the spot, bought a carton of eggs and egged the f**k out of her car.

#41

Happened just yesterday and caused me to quit. I was calling off today as the weather forecast cast there was a huge winter storm coming that’s supposed to last until noon. It started at 3pm yesterday. I live on a hill that I can’t get down when it snows. They made a big deal about it and tried making me come in regardless. I said no. So they told me to come in Sunday instead. I have classes on Sunday and have it set as unavailable on my schedule. So since they clearly lacked any courtesy for my safety or education I quit. Like come on.

#42

We were wrapping up a workday and casually talking, It was My Boss, my one other co-worker, and myself at the time, we were In the detached workshop across the moderately sized backyard from my boss’ newly constructed house and he started casually talking about the trap house he secretly owned and how he would throw parties and get absolutely trashed there, as well as the illicit things that were available there and all the girls he had slept with while partying in his secret trap house…..as his wife and 2 kids were enjoying the pool just across the yard. That on top of the poor handling of scheduling jobs and having to comute a hour one way everyday not knowing if I even had work to do that day, it’s sealed the deal and I took a week off to do some contract work and told him via text that I was done.

#43

Vice President of the company told me “I don’t know what the f*** you do as a ____” with ____ being my title after I worked 60 hours the previous week to get a project on track. I put in my two weeks that Friday.

#44

I won engineer of the year for our entire region, in my year end review I told my boss “these are the things I think I need to improve on and here is my plan to do it, what else do you have for me?” He said “Nothing, you’ve done everything I’ve asked and then some”

So I said “Cool, would that performance come with a promotion to the next tier?” His response was “No, we can’t promote you two years in a row”

Flash forward to one of my coworkers (who absolutely deserves it) was promoted again, after being promoted last year. So apparently that guy can get jumped twice but your engineer of the year with no feedback given whatsoever is stuck in HR purgatory apparently.

#45

I worked as a new manager and we had a few problem people.

We were working to get their pending tasks down to a reasonable number.

During a meeting, my boss goes to my counterpart and asks “what have you done about Bad Employee 1?”. He says “nothing yet”. And my boss remained silent.

Then it was my turn. “Oh, I see Bad Employee 2 has less outstanding tasks, what are you doing?”

I explain that I’m sending 10 tasks a day to be completed on top of their normal tasks.

“Well, 10 isn’t enough”

I quit the next day without a job lined up. Like b***h, I’m the only one doing it and you didn’t say s**t to the other supervisor who said he has been sitting on his hand for 2 weeks.

I now make 30k more 2 years after that.

#46

One of my first jobs at a gas station. Had been there a few months when almost everyone up and quit and the manager was out on sick leave.

For 3 months we had 3 employees, including myself, running a gas station open from 5 AM to 11 PM with only an assistant manager.

It was hell, and it seemed like corporate just could not give a s**t. Then one day the district manager comes in and I’ve got Metallica playing on my phone connected to the stereo. Does this man thank us for our extremely hard work keeping this f*****g store from collapsing? Does he reassure us that help is coming or that we’ll at least have a f*****g manager soon?

No, he looks at me and told us no music but the radio, turn that off. Then goes into the office and shut the door.

I swear to god my heartbeat jumped to 150 and just walked out. The drive home was such a f*****g freeing feeling.

#47

Aunt and grandma died the same week (old age and illness complications) and when I was putting in time off for bereavement they said..”sounds like you have alot of personal problems.” Walked out.

#48

Repeatedly called me and my team out to the whole business for not fully completing our deliveries. Not only what he was saying wasn’t true, but everything was completed 2 months prior to his emails, and he never bothered to even check. When I informed him that everything was completed 2 months ago he doubled down and said that what I delivered was never shared out. I had to respond again saying that the deliverables were shared directly to my boss 2 months ago and he never shared them out!!!!!

#49

“It seems to me that you just come in here, do what you’re asked to, and leave. There’s no “extra” in you.”
Like dude, this is literally just a job, it’s in the description to do what you have to, and that’s it. You give me money, I give you my time.

#50

Not a boss, but definitely a few levels above me. I was doing some mandatory training online, just boring company culture stuff, and the system messed up, so my training didn’t show as completed in the system even though I’d completed it. I asked her to go in and manually update it, and after some back-and-forth she refused because there was “no proof” that I’d done it. In other words, “I think you’re lying.” I asked her why my word wasn’t enough proof, and if she wanted me to swear on a bible. Now we’re *both* angry.

from Bored Panda https://ift.tt/iV0fWw8
via IFTTT source site : boredpanda