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At this point, we all know that it’s a red flag if your employer claims “you’re all family.” But it’s also not great if they decide to treat their workers like machines rather than humans.

It’s no secret that the workplace has been becoming increasingly toxic in recent years. And one way that bosses love making their employees feel uncomfortable is by posting insulting messages for them.

Bored Panda has scoured the internet to find some of the worst notes companies and employers have published in their workplaces, so we’ve gathered the most shocking ones down below. Good luck scrolling through this list without becoming infuriated, and be sure to upvote the notes that you would have reported to HR!

#1 A Sign In My Hospital Reminding Nurses To Bill Patients For A Pillow. Yeah USA

Image credits: Phreakie

#2 I Left My Job Shortly After Receiving This Prize For My Good Work

Image credits: No-Satisfaction-749

#3 This Motivational Quote When I Walked In This Morning

Image credits: reddit.com

It’s no secret that many employees aren’t satisfied with the current state of capitalism. Plenty of people are feeling overworked, underpaid, undervalued and exploited by greedy corporations run by billionaires who don’t care about the planet or their employees. And if you’re unfamiliar with just how bad the workplace has gotten, the photos on this list might be eye-opening for you.

Photos like this are also why many people argue that we’re in the late stages of capitalism. According to The Balance, late-stage capitalism “spotlights the immorality of corporations using social issues to advance their brands” and “criticizes the growing wealth gap and the concentration of power in the hands of a few.”

#4 Place I Worked For A Month

One of the worst places I’ve worked. Super short-staffed, managers are buddies with the crew, always had issues with pay. Was only there a month before I left. Glad I’m not employed there anymore.

Image credits: tortilini-houdini

#5 This Sign

Image credits: -CherryByte-

#6 “Time Theft”

The managerial mindset. Why not ask why someone would do such a thing, instead of putting up signs all around the bathroom?
All the managers here are jerks who rarely respect my 30-minute break time, let alone be kind or empathetic.
If I’ve learned anything working in food service or any job, it’s that unhappy workers are unproductive workers.

Image credits: DeathlessQuotient

The term “late-stage capitalism” comes from the idea that this system is not sustainable in the long run, and it will inevitably collapse at some point soon. Wealth inequality is a huge issue that critics of late-stage capitalism aim to highlight. While Forbes reports that 78% of Americans are currently living paycheck to paycheck, the top 1% own 43% of the world’s financial assets.

There are over 3,000 billionaires in the world who have more money than they’ll ever need, yet a quarter of people on the planet don’t even have access to clean drinking water. And as you can see from the photos here, many employees who are working 40 hours a week at jobs they hate aren’t even treated with decency or respect.

#7 Only In America Would A Restaurant Display On The Wall That They Don’t Pay Their Staff Enough To Live On

Image credits: M7plusoneequalsm8

#8 I Have No Words

Image credits: SlingshotSweatpants

#9 This Sign At A Chain Pizza Place Left A Bad Taste In My Mouth

Image credits: blakleafeon

Toxic workplaces have even become so common that it can be hard to be taken seriously when you call out your employer for bad behavior. The BBC published a piece last fall discussing how often workers complain about their workplaces. Unsurprisingly, social media has also added fuel to the toxic workplace fire, as many users will post stories online detailing what they’ve had to deal with at work.

“The word has gone into hyperinflation, often used to dramatically label situations that aren’t actually ‘poisonous’, but rather negative experiences with a lousy manager,” behavioral expert Thomas Erikson told the BBC. “’Toxic’ is so overused that I don’t react when I see it now.”

#10 Charging Your Phone Is Theft Of Electricity, Apparently

Image credits: ketchupandsalt77

#11 $90,000,000 In Sales And This Target Store Rewarded The Workers With Cupcakes. Yes, Cupcakes

Image credits: UnionDrip

#12 Saw This Sign At McDonald’s And Thought It Belonged Here

Image credits: honeygar

Regardless of whether or not your job actually meets the criteria for being considered “toxic,” it’s safe to say that many offices aren’t pleasant for workers. One Monster poll found that three quarters of workers in the U.S. say they’ve recently had a terrible boss. But another potential factor in why every workplace suddenly seems toxic is that employees are finally standing up for themselves and refusing to put up with unhealthy work environments.

“I don’t know if there’s more dysfunction so much as, in many cases, we’re saying: No, we’ve seen a better path, or we have this opportunity right now, to make the world of work better,” Anthony Klotz, an organizational psychologist and UCL management professor, told CNBC. “And there’s a frustration with people in power who aren’t seizing that opportunity.”

#13 Came Into Work This Morning To Find This Taped To The Wall. Boss Went On A Tirade Against Me And Co-Worker Yesterday For Taking To Each Other With No Customers In The Store

Image credits: MrHatesThisWebsite

#14 McDonald’s Will Reward You For Working 30 Long Years With $300

Picked up a part-time second job to pay down credit cards/save for a vacation and saw this in the break room. This is a franchise, so I’m not sure if this is normal for McDonald's or not. But imagine putting in your 30 years, getting ready to retire, and being presented with $300 and being told to buy yourself something "special".

Image credits: chocolatebarguitar

#15 No Phones

Image credits: NashCp21

Considering how miserable the workplace is for many employees, it would be wise if bosses started focusing on improving morale, rather than posting passive aggressive notes that will infuriate their staff. After all, making workers happier isn’t actually rocket science.

According to Nectar, one of the first steps is prioritizing a healthy work-life balance. Don’t expect anyone to work overtime, and encourage employees to use their holidays. Don’t bother anyone outside of work, and don’t expect them to show up every single day emotionless and ready to be 100% productive. Understand that your workers are human beings with lives who deserve to be treated as such while they’re on the clock.

#16 So This Is The Sign Posted On The Bathroom Door At Work Today

Image credits: Sir_Garbus

#17 Found In A Break Room At My Job. Can’t Tell You How Infuriating This Sign Is

Image credits: RedBeardsCurse

#18 Injury At Work

Hello. I work at a Subway franchise in a small town in Tennessee. Tonight, my hand got crushed under the glass that separates the food and customers. I was instructed to go to the walk-in clinic if it was open, and if it wasn’t, to just go tomorrow morning. My supervisor said I could not go to the ER because she would get in trouble. I went to the clinic and they took the info from my supervisor, and the entire clinic staff thought the entire situation was sketchy. They put me in a splint for now and said to come back in the morning because the x-ray tech had already gone home. Apparently it is not being filed as worker's compensation, and instead the office (for this chain of franchises) will pay the bill in cash. My supervisor couldn’t even find any injury forms and said the general manager has never trained her on what to do in this situation. I’m scared to talk to my general manager tomorrow, because I’m worried I'll be tricked into making Subway more responsible.

Image credits: petalios

Flexible working schedules can also make employees much happier in their current positions. In fact, 76% of workers want flexible hours. These schedules allow employees the opportunity to sleep in when necessary, take their kids to school or pick them up in the afternoon, make time for after-work activities that they couldn’t have attended otherwise and gives them the chance to take advantage of the hours when they’re naturally most productive.

#19 CFO Hung This Up

They gave everyone the option to either come in when the building didn't have clean water and just clean, or stay home. Most people chose to stay home. They were really mad, so many people didn't volunteer to come in, despite the fact that they "gave us the option".
This was also after they refused to pay us after we had no water at all and made us use sick time or take it unpaid to cover it.

Image credits: macdennism

#20 Local Subway Had This Posted On Their Door, I Ask The Manager What The Starting Pay Is And He Couldn’t Give Me A Straight Answer

Image credits: Garlic_Sause

#21 The Place My Girlfriend Works At Just Posted This Sign In Their Break Room. The Company Had Record Profits Last Year

Image credits: harveytheham

Another way employers can boost morale is to simply listen to their employees. Hear their concerns, and consider what can be done to make them happier. Don’t simply tell them what to do and make decisions for them. Allow them to weigh in! If they feel valued and understood, they’re going to be more likely to stick around and do the best work that they possibly can. On the other hand, however, if they feel overlooked and ignored, they won’t hesitate to quit at the drop of a hat.

#22 My First Job Has Crazy Fees

Image credits: thumbsup7up10

#23 My Job Threatened To Withhold My Paycheck To Ensure No One Left Early; I Responded Accordingly

Image credits: ClayShooter262

#24 A Department Manager Did This To My Bike When I Had It In The Back For A Single Day

Image credits: AutismAsylum

Overall, it’s incredibly important to foster a positive work environment. Bosses shouldn’t use fear tactics, passive aggressive notes or threats to get their team members to comply with rules. We all deserve to be treated with respect, and nobody should be miserable for 40 hours a week. It’s much better for all of us if we actually get to enjoy our work!

#25 The Most Toxic Thing I’ve Ever Seen Hanging On An Office Wall

Image credits: MiaaaPazzz

#26 Recently Posted At Work

My boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That’s why I poop on company time.

Image credits: Appropriate-Train-57

#27 This Is The Sign Outside HR Today

Image credits: winsockie

Are you feeling frustrated after looking at all of these photos, pandas? I sincerely hope that you don’t see any notes like these in your own workplace, but if you do, remember that you deserve better. Keep upvoting the pics that you find most atrocious, and let us know in the comments below what the worst note you’ve ever seen from a boss was. Then, if you’d like to check out another Bored Panda piece that might make you anti-capitalist, look no further than right here!

#28 Went Out To A Pub Tonight, And This Is What I Saw

Image credits: wrong-astronomer-916

#29 Saw This Posted On The Schedule After A Coworker Called Out Sick. Is This Even Legal?

Image credits: OkDelivery4270

#30 Punishment For Talking About Wages

Image credits: ThanosRuler555

#31 We Got A New District Manager

I honestly liked my work environment up until now. We got switched to a different district, so now we have a different district manager. I get that everything on here is pretty much industry standard at this point, but she really gets the point across that we are not people to her. She's worse in person.

Image credits: Remote-Acadia4581

#32 Is This Even Legal In USA?

Image credits: Fort__Waffle

#33 Saw This In A Coffee Shop. Their Profits Are So Important To Them That They Are Making Us Pay Extra So These Poor Workers Get A Fair Wage At Our Discretion. How Is This Legal?

Image credits: Puzzleheaded_Mirror4

#34 Popular Sandwich Chain Had This Tip Sign

I saw this, this weekend. I was shocked, to say the least. It's a popular sandwich chain that has over 200 locations in the US. Not sure what to do, but I did give them a cash tip in the moment. DFW, TX was where I saw this nonsense. Thoughts on what I should do next to help the employees? Or do I let them do something? Not looking to get anyone canned, even though their owner is clearly a POS.

Image credits: shibbyman342

#35 Found This In Our Break Room This Morning. “Instead Of A Raise Or Bonus, We’ll Give You Fake Money With The Manager’s Face On It!”

Image credits: Games_and_Strains

#36 Boss Wrote “Thief” On My Check

Filed a wage theft report against my former employer, was told he only paid 80% of what was owned, but I sucked it up. When I picked up the check at the Department of Labor, it had "THIEF" boldly written on the subject line. Super awkward, unfair, and embarrassing, especially with others witnessing it. Is there anything that can be done?

Image credits: OriginalNotice7957

#37 On The Manager’s Door In A Restaurant

Image credits: medi_navi

#38 Defacing “Motivational” Propaganda Posted By Management. Removed Within 24 Hours

Image credits: Gyushi

#39 What Do You Think Of This? Is This Allowed?

Image credits: IdiotKuma

#40 Posted On All The Operating Room Doors Today

Image credits: mykarachi_Ur_jabooty

#41 Waste That Needs To Stop Now

Image credits: _sedlp_

#42 When I Used To Work At This Fast-Food Restaurant, They Hung This Sign Up. I Took A Snapchat Of It And Talked To Management

Image credits: The_Bovine_Manifesto

#43 The Average Pay At Publix Is $9.59 An Hour, If You Get Tipped You Have To Give It To Management Or You’re Fired. Here They Are Adding Insult To Injury Right On The Uniform

Image credits: TuckerShives

#44 My Job Put This Up Half An Hour Ago. Passive Aggressive Much?

Image credits: breakpointGodling

#45 Surely It Has Nothing To Do With $2.17 Per Hour And No Benefits. Oh, And Please Make Sure You Pay My Staff For Me And Tip

Image credits: KingdomCulture

#46 Recent “Sweat Pledge” My Wife Was Asked To Sign Before Employment

Image credits: Casbaxter

#47 Dollar General Management With An Inspiring Message To Staff

Image credits: Whadyagot

#48 I Saw a Bunch Of These Signs In The Checkout Area Of Home Depot. Because Uncomfortable Employees Work Harder

Image credits: IamtheRealDill

#49 Saw These Signs So I Inquired. They Pay Minimum Wage In A Small Tourist Town Where A Gallon Of Milk Is Almost $10

Image credits: awesomewastakin

#50 I’m Probably Going To Be Fired For This, But I Don’t Care

Image credits: Cherry_P0pper

#51 Gross “Do Not Sit Unless You Have Doc. Note”

Image credits: MosiahJasper

#52 Seen From The Drive-Through Window Of McDonald’s. For My Minimum Wage, I’d Walk Out Without Saying A Word

Image credits: failedhope

#53 Is This Even Legal? Stopped At A Restaurant For Lunch And Saw This Sign In The Employee Area

Image credits: Cheek_Sorry

#54 Unfortunately, This Doesn’t Work. At Least Not For Me. Just Like Right Now

Image credits: VividVoid_

#55 My Availability Has Always Been Strictly Monday-Friday. I Spoke To A Manager When I Saw This Sign And Was Told I Will Be Working That Day, Regardless Of My Availability

The schedule is now up and I have been assigned a full shift that Saturday.

Image credits: Clumsy_Cheeseburger

#56 When My Grandfather Passed Away, My Boss Asked For A Funeral Note. What Is A Funeral Note?

Image credits: snaresht

#57 Nice Sign I Saw

Image credits: Massive_Yak_8360

#58 Management’s Empathetic Response To Employees Trying To Unionize

I don’t work here, but I used to be employed by the company. I left years ago, amicably, after finding a new job.
I saw this online from a store that is not the one I worked at and I gotta say, it’s quite embarrassing. The context here, from what I gather, is that the employees are trying to unionize.
Management there is filled with pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps type folks that think the admittedly good ESOP (that used to be way better) is worth living a life of poverty wages for. Winch gets a lot of good press for being an employee-owned company, but I don’t think that’s fair. It’s exactly as garbage as any retail experience and pays about as much. And I can’t even describe how shocked I was when I left and was treated like an adult for the first time in the workplace.
WinCo hides behind its employee-owned status, but make no mistake the employees have zero say in anything. There are committees that are constantly overruled by corporate whenever they try to advocate for themselves. And as you can see here, management isn’t above intimidation and bullying.
Good luck to the folks still working there and I hope they find peace in the hell world we live in.

Image credits: TheSadMarketer

#59 I’m So Done With This Petty, Stupid Garbage

Image credits: doughnutsprinks_

#60 A Thoughtful Message From Management

Image credits: BikeGlass2335

#61 Do The Work Of 2 People For $13.50 An Hour

Image credits: jawnzoo

#62 Is This Even Legal?

Image credits: RabidHamster105

#63 Just Taking A Stroll Down Memory Lane To Why I Left Giant Eagle Last Year. This Really Was Indicative Of How They Treated Us

Image credits: Historical-Elk5496

#64 It’s Not Like I Signed Up To Do Other People’s Jobs

Image credits: DevilCapricorn

#65 Is This Legal In Illinois? Posted Above The Time Clock. I Interpret It As Saying That If You Forget To Punch In, You Will Not Be Paid, Even If You Tell The Manager

Image credits: Salty-Highlight6446

#66 Operation “Sunshine”

Image credits: elohlace

#67 Crazy New Policy At Menards Morton Grove

Image credits: Outrageous-Insect188

#68 Friend Of Mine Has This Sign Where They Work

Image credits: Indigo_Tokyo

#69 Is This Allowed

Image credits: generaljustin3

#70 Found This Sign At A Local Dinner. Decided To Eat Somewhere Else. Sounds Like A Horrible Place To Work

Image credits: ima_lesbean

#71 My Local Denny’s Has This Sign In Plain View

Pretty aggressive sign at my local Denny’s posted right behind the counter. Been here 15 minutes and already heard a worker complain about being shorted a day on their paycheck. No wonder it’s always short-staffed.

Image credits: ParteesHere

#72 Is This Legal? I’m In Texas

Image credits: chrisleetdf

#73 This Sign At My Work. They Will Charge Staff For Anything As Minimal As A Broken Ice Cream Cone

Image credits: whatthef__ck

#74 This Sign Posted At Our Shop. Don’t They Know I Need At Least 3 Days Off A Month For My Mental Health

Image credits: sleepybot0524

#75 Employees Need A Doctor’s Note To Eat At Work

Image credits: MiladyWillDo

#76 Sign Your Name Every Time You Use The Bathroom

Image credits: Redpoint77

#77 This Sign At Schlotzsky’s

Image credits: ScaryRed

#78 How Legal Is This?

This note didn’t even go up until 7/1, so I don’t know how anyone who didn’t work that day would even anticipate it. Also, I HATE how at my job, NOTHING gets communicated verbally, through email, or even through text. Things get left on notes around the office all the time, and you’re just expected to have seen it at some point.

Image credits: notnaturalcas

#79 Wanted To Share What My Boss Has Been Hanging In The Break Room

Image credits: mashbrook37

#80 A Note From Management When I Used To Work Here

Image credits: jayzval

#81 Those Pesky Workers

Image credits: Only-Reach-3938

#82 Got This Gem

I can understand the no headphones, but drinks or snacks? The break room barely fits 7 people max, so the drink in your department shouldn’t be an issue.