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Horrible Bosses

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'[I] saw an angry email from my boss and decided... nope!': 10+ Workers share why they quit their jobs to look for new opportunities

They say quitters never win, but when it comes to jobs, sometimes you just need to know when to walk away… After all, we're not going to work the same jobs for our entire working lives. I think it's safe to say that the days of that being a likelihood are long behind us. Sure, our grandparents might have started working straight out of high school and spent their entire careers with one company, retiring at 55 with an excellent pension… But that's just not in the cards for anyone who isn't bord…
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'I got fired right after coming back from leave': Worker gets fired immediately after returning from leave

Taking leave from your job is important. For one thing, a bit of time away can give you more headspace, meaning that when you return, you're feeling fresh and invigorated, ready to bring new ideas and approaches to your role—or it can just mean you return with your hatred for your job freshly invigorated… If that's the case, it's a good sign that your current role and duties aren't a good use of your time, and it's time to do something else.
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workplace discussion getting fired employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs fired employment-discussion job work workplace Horrible Bosses employment in the workplace - 22478085

'[I got] fired because I wouldn't pet [a] customer's dog': Contractor gets fired for not petting a client's dog when client lies about the exchange

There are a lot of reasons to get fired from a job: being late, failing consistently to do basic tasks or meet KPIs, and being difficult to work with are some of the most common. However, you probably wouldn't expect to lose your job for expecting a client to follow basic common courtesy and for expecting your employer to respect your basic safety requirements. The thing about our pets is that while we love them to death and they can do no wrong to others, they're just another unpredictable ani…
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'Bad work pays the same as excellent': Employee confirms with boss that promotions at his company are no longer based on merit,  starts doing the bare minimum

'Bad work pays the same as excellent': Employee confirms with boss that promotions are no longer based on merit, starts doing the bare minimum

There's a moment in everyone's working lives when you suddenly become disillusioned and everything else becomes crystal clear. It's like the reverse of the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the world goes from being black-and-white to full technicolor. Instead, your rose-colored lenses disintegrate and everything becomes, well, bleak and cynical. After five years of working to the bone at the same company and repeatedly being denied a promotion, this Redditor was able to get their boss to basical…
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Incompetent boss claims worker is defrauding the company over three-minute late clock-out

Some people are convinced that other people are plotting against them at every turn—continually suspicious that everyone else is constantly scheming to swindle them out of petty cash. Really, this is probably just an admission of their own thought process—as they say, your reality is a mirror reflecting your inner world… and the reality probably is that these people constantly anticipate underhanded tactics because they wouldn't hesitate to use them themselves.
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'My boss is tracking me': Nanny finds tracking device under her car, discovers it's in her boss's name, calls police

'My boss is tracking me': Nanny finds tracking device under her car, discovers it's in her boss's name, calls police

Overprotective parents are known to go the extra mile in the name of keeping an eye on their children, but tracking the nanny outside of work hours is way too far. You would think that any employer would know that this would be a clear invasion of privacy, yet apparently, some folks need to be reminded of decent human behavior. Just because we live in an age where it's easy to stalk someone doesn't mean you should. Again, this should be self-explanatory, but as it turns out, this basic sense of…
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'[The shift] wasn't even mine': Worker gets written up after missing shift due to a family emergency, gets a new job and quits next day

Getting written up for a bogus reason in the workplace can be unfair, and being written up for a family emergency that caused you to miss a shift (that wasn't even yours in the first place) really fits the bill. Unfortunately, in most circumstances, you'd probably be stuck in the role for quite some time, especially if your life was already at a precarious point due to the aforementioned emergency. In fact, your power-tripping boss is probably counting on it.
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'OK, I'll take more breaks then': Manager tells worker not to drink at their desk, worker leaves their desk more often

Employers are determined to replace workers with machines, and, sure, automation and specialized machinery lead to more efficiency, but it's not like the productive workers see any of that increased cash flow anyway. While employers might hope to one day replace certain roles with automation, AI hasn't come that far yet. Just ask anyone who has gotten stuck talking to an AI on a “customer care” line or ended up messaging a robot that has no idea how to solve your problem and keeps redirecting y…
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'She HAD to maintain her dominance in the workplace': Office tyrant tries to sweep her own mistakes under the rug, her team gets her fired

'She HAD to maintain her dominance in the workplace': Office tyrant tries to sweep her own mistakes under the rug, her team gets her fired

People on power trips are just asking to make enemies in the workplace. Nine times out of ten, it is almost always easier to just be kind. To those of you who have previously fallen privy to the psychological effects of being in a position of power within the workplace hierarchy, do not doubt that everyone around you knows that you're in charge. There is no need to assert your authority any further when everyone already knows. It's not only redundant, but it's a waste of time, energy, and often…
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'Update: HR called me begging me to come back': Boss fires developer during tantrum and deletes their account, HR calls when everything stops working

It's nice to know that you're needed and appreciated both in your work and in other areas of your life. But when appreciation is out of the question… a frantic phone call from your (very) recently ex-employer's HR department, proving that your necessity, will do. It's not uncommon for those prone to giving into their anger to make unwise decisions in the midst of that anger, and that can put you in some unfortunate situations when that person is your boss—or holds some other form of authority o…
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'He had to know every detail': Boss gets fired for wasting time and money after demanding he be included in all communication

Sometimes, it's just easier that things happen without your involvement, even if—no— especially if you're in charge. See, the more areas of the business you're in charge of, the more people there will be working within those areas, and while you want some insights and updates into their operation, if you need to be involved in every little detail, the entire operation will come to a standstill while everyone waits for you frantically comprehend every facet of the business to approve every decis…
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'He’s upset my head might be somewhere else': Boss tries to use worker's hobby of painting miniatures against them

Divulging personal aspects about yourself in the workplace can be a pathway to forming stronger bonds and close-knit relationships—or it can be used against you the next time your performance review comes around. The reality is that your work time is for work, and your own time is—well, your own. But, in a modern “always online” world that's fueled by instant communication and where some employers want to squeeze their workers for every last drop of productivity, this line becomes increasingly…
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'Where are you? It's your first day': Boss calls confused random guy too chew him out for missing his first shift

In a cold sweat, you wake from your sleep, flailing wildly for your phone. Light is peaking through the edges of the curtains, and birds chirp pleasantly just on the other side of the window behind them. You feel rested—suspiciously, well-rested for the amount of sleep that you should have gotten. You must have slept through your alarms… but surely not. After all, you set five of them. Yet, all the indicators are there… and you should have been up long before the birds if you were going to make…
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'The entire sector didn't get raises that year': Employee gets revenge by raising KPI averages to a point where their boss loses their bonus and raise

They say the best revenge is achieving personal success, but sometimes it's more than that… It's the pathway to it. After all, performing well above requirements isn't always going to win you friends and is more likely to put a target on your back for everyone who is just there to earn a paycheck and who you're making look bad in comparison. See, when you prove what's possible to an employer, they start wondering why everyone else isn't being as productive as you are and are bound to start aski…
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'Feels good': Worker quits and leaves their terrible boss scrambling, others share their stories

Toxic managers have one thing in common: Their belief that their authority is absolute . It's almost as if they think it's impossible for anyone ever to leave them, acting like workers will continue to put up with the most dreadful working conditions and their abhorrent behavior for the rest of their careers. So, of course, they're completely blindsided when their most pivotal workers hand in their notice, with the news sending them scrambling to figure out how they're going to maintain the con…
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'We see EVERYTHING': 20+ bosses share what they see when their employees think no one's looking

'We see EVERYTHING': 20+ bosses share what they see when their employees think no one's looking

If you like to procrastinate at work, definitely be sure to check who's looking over your shoulder. Look, we all have to be honest with each other, bosses and employees included. We all need to take breaks at work. It's literally impossible to always be working. If you dare to think otherwise, you obviously aren't capable of recognizing that the quality of your work has likely suffered as a result of going non-stop for over eight hours a day. Now, for those of you who are able to procrastinate…
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