This manager was what we call a “seagull manager”: they randomly swoop in to scream and make a mess everywhere before fleeing the scene. Perhaps you've been in a job like these two guys were. As u/RedEd024 writes,

Interns are allowed to make mistakes over and over and over again. It's kind of just part of the job. As a young person in college, you want to get some valuable experience in your career field with an internship. But since you are still in college, and have probably never worked in an office setting before, you're just bound to mess things up. At least at this point in your not-yet-existing career, you're allowed to make a few mistakes in the name of learning and gaining experience. This perso…

When your boss tells you to “figure it out” in a certain tone of voice, you know they mean business.

At one point in everyone's professional career, you come across a manager who says something so ridiculous you have to question how it's possible that they are in charge of you. It could be a moment of sheer ignorance or a tone-deaf comment. Sometimes, it's troubleshooting technology, which is occasionally understandable. However, sometimes, it's as simple as “Where do I find the Spam folder?” and you really have to question how these people have functioned successfully over the last several de…

Some points in your career give you a sudden moment of clarity.

This company decided they weren't going to pay overtime to their employees anymore. Maybe they should've thought about their very perishable product before implementing that rule! Being a truck driver is a crucial job in America. It's how we receive all sorts of items---every time you buy food from the grocery store or buy a new sweater at a clothing store, you can be sure a truck drove it to that location first. Even though truck drivers are so critical, they don't always get the best treatmen…

How bold of this company to take a few minutes of every employee's day for free! U/afazihdob had a great workplace tale to share from their time working in retail. The OP laments that although they worked at numerous retail chains in their career, their bosses at one store were notoriously strict about latenesses. If I were ever a manager at a retail or food place, I wouldn't be able to take clocking in seriously at all. I just don't think it's the end of the world if an employee is two minutes…

If your boss doesn't like you, what can you do about it? This person realized that fact, but only after they'd already been at the company for several months. U/aineslis shared a malicious compliance story that took place at their job while they were working in Europe. The rules are different there compared to the USA---workers have different protections and rules around their conduct. However, it seems like this person was just perhaps not a good personality fit for that company. In a bank whe…

Never assume, always make certain. Otherwise you might find yourself in the same situation that this boss did. There's a pernicious assumption that people who speak English as a second language aren't as smart as everyone else. There have been studies showing that people think this way about ESL folks. But in reality, speaking multiple languages shows that you're really bright. After all, if you aren't speaking in your first language, you kind of have to translate everything people are saying t…

This is one of those rules that is so obtuse, it hurts your head to think about. Every job has some rules that make no sense. But some jobs, particularly retail work , have rules that are jaw-droppingly inane. This is especially silly when it comes to the "customer is always right” types of rules. Because, as it turns out, the customer is not usually right at all, so why should they get to determine the rules? For example, if you want your store to close at 2AM each night, you should have a rul…

Before movie streaming was even a concept, you had to physically take yourself to a video store . Back in the day (the 1990s, in this case) when you wanted to watch a film, you had to visit a Blockbuster or a Hollywood Video location. These were glorious rooms full of video tapes , and later DVDs entered the mix. The place was full of people at any time of day. You would usually rent a few movies for under $5 a peice, and would return them within a week or so, just like you would with a library…

When you're pushed too far, sometimes you just can't take the heat anymore. These workers know the feeling all too well, and they shared the moments that were the final straw before they quit their job on the spot. As much as you try to vet a company before you join, you just don't know what your job will really be like. You can keep an eye out for red flags during the interview process, but you won't really know what it's like until you spend a few weeks emailing with your boss or calling clie…

If you've ever had a boss that you are clearly smarter than, you know it can get pretty awkward really fast. We all want to think we're super smart and sophisticated, especially in the workplace . Many people try really hard to appear on top of things and in tune with exactly what's going on at their workplace from day to day. However, some bosses just don't care. It's baffling — they'll have a whole job that involves giving a darn about a workplace, and yet they'll happily sit in a back office…

When you're desperate for work, sometimes accepting an under-the-table job is your only option. The cash is quick, the work is flexible, and now you can add a little extra padding to your wallet on the side; but occasionally you're stuck with an untrustworthy, shady dude as your new boss. An employer that's willing to bend the rules on legally paying their employees can't always be trusted to follow the ledgers when it comes to payday.

While working in an antiquated shelter, this man had to continually change up his daily attire . U/Sucessful-Medicine9 writes that he works at a shelter that hasn't been updated much in about three decades. He writes that people still take notes on paper kept in binders, and that they have panels labelled with cards with typewriter ink on them. That's some impressively outdated technology. Despite all this clunky old tech, the OP's boss knew exactly what needed to be updated first: the dress co…

If you're working for a boss you don't like, quitting is the best feeling in the world. And these people had an added bonus: they were able to tell their terrible bosses exactly what they thought about them before leaving. They say that people don't leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers . If you've ever been in a great job that quickly goes downhill when your favorite boss leaves, you know exactly what I'm talking about. A good manager can shield you from blame so that you can do your best wo…