FAIL Blog
Advertisement

toxic-boss

'Fired for insubordination': CEO fires employee the day he files for paternity leave, claims he was insubordinate

'Fired for insubordination': CEO fires employee the day he files for paternity leave, claims he was insubordinate

We're pretty sure toxic bosses are not allowed to do this anymore… This boss decided it was appropriate to fire his hourly employee on the same day that the employee filed for more state-protected paternity leave, a privilege that his boss doesn't normally grant to his other employees as well. First of all, let's start by acknowledging that granting maternity and paternity leave should not be seen as a privilege in anyone's else, nor should workers be rewarded for not taking their full time off…
View List
'He got laid off. An hour into his first day': 10+ wild workplace stories as told by HR

'He got laid off. An hour into his first day': 10+ wild workplace stories as told by HR

We often talk about how HR is not your friend here on FAIL Blog. That being said, there are always good apples everywhere, and you know with certainty that some of these HR professionals have seen some wild stuff. It could be during the hiring process, when HR employees and hiring managers end up hearing some pretty ridiculous demands or inappropriate remarks from potential job candidates. It could be a crazy story from a boss or CEO, who has pretty backward standards when it comes to workplace…
View List
Advertisement
'I was the one that paid the $500': Server forced to pay the bill after table of 11 dines and dashes

'I was the one that paid the $500': Server forced to pay the bill after table of 11 dines and dashes

The most infuriating part of this story is how common this phenomenon seems to be among other servers. Several folks in the comments section of this Reddit thread pointed out that they too would be forced to pay up if any of their customers dined and dashed at a restaurant. Not only is this completely unfair, but this kind of policy is certainly not going to create a sense of loyalty among the restaurant staff. The underlying concept here is that it's the server's fault for allowing customers t…
View List
'Printed the proof... and walked straight out': 20+ People who quit their jobs on the spot

'Printed the proof... and walked straight out': 20+ People who quit their jobs on the spot

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…
View List
'I just sent that to my entire team': Employee photoshops boss's face on photo of his entire family as a joke, then accidentally sends it to the whole team

'I just sent that to my entire team': Employee photoshops boss's face on photo of his entire family as a joke, then accidentally sends it to the whole team

There are some people in this world who would save themselves a whole lot of embarrassment if they just didn't have phones. Today, we're talking about the technologically incompetent folks who accidentally send the wrong message to the wrong person. These are the people who accidentally spoil surprises or reveal their true feelings to the very person they are insulting. We feel that this is a relatively common phenomenon that we can discuss freely and openly, especially considering that yours t…
View List
Advertisement
'Sorry boss, that's a managers job': Boss tells employee not to take on extra work, employee maliciously complies and boss's incompetence starts to show

'Sorry boss, that's a managers job': Boss tells employee not to take on extra work, employee maliciously complies and boss's incompetence starts to show

Sometimes, bosses become so reliant on their employees' contributions that they don't even recognize how hopeless they'd be without them. This boss clearly became threatened by how much extra work her employee was taking on regularly, so the two had a meeting where the boss told the employee not to take on any manager's responsibilities. Normally, this would actually be great advice. There is no need for an employee to work that hard and not get paid extra for it. However, that's not exactly wh…
View List
'You are too expensive': Boss fires employee, employee forces boss to compensate them for a full year and gets job at the competition

'You are too expensive': Boss fires employee, employee forces boss to compensate him for a full year and gets job at the competition

If this employee's boss thought he was expensive before he got fired, well, it turns out he was even more expensive to fire. There has to be something gratifying about proving to your boss that they made a mistake, and in this case, making it far too late for them to back out of their poor decision-making. It all started after this Redditor's boss pulled him aside one day and told him that they needed to have a discussion during his next coffee break. When OP walked into the meeting and saw the…
View List
'I got laid off saying I wasn't necessary': Employee develops startup for two years, was promised shared, gets laid off right before the company launch

'I got laid off': Employee develops startup for two years, was promised shares, gets laid off right before the company launch

Imagine developing a startup for two years only to get fired right before the company is officially registered. As upsetting as this situation may be, we've seen employers behave this way before so we cannot say that we're surprised by this. When it comes to startups in particular, we know this kind of shady behavior is pervasive. What's especially upsetting, in this instance, is that the developer seems to be integral to the success of said startup. In fact, his work was not only an integral i…
View List
Advertisement
'Boss threw out 7+ years of employee files': 25+ Employees with completely nonsensical bosses

'Boss threw out 7+ years of employee files... because she hated paper': 25+ Employees with completely nonsensical bosses

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…
View List
'I remind him since he hasn't sent me the contract I don't work for him yet': Former boss tries to squeeze free labor out of ex-employee

'I remind him since he hasn't sent me the contract I don't work for him yet': Former boss tries to squeeze free labor out of ex-employee

Bosses never know what they've got until you're gone. This dude was one of those non-profit employers who assigned the amount of work a salaried employee would complete to an intern without paying them properly. That intern eventually pursued a career in a similar field and would go on to receive a graduate degree years later. Seven years following that joke of an internship, his former boss reached out and asked for his help with some grant writing. Now that OP worked regularly as an independe…
View List
'I should get a bump in pay too': Boss pays new hire 20+% more, denies employee the same rate, employee gets a better job elsewhere

'I should get a bump in pay too': Boss pays new hire 20% more, denies employee the same rate, employee gets a better job elsewhere

Bosses should never underestimate their employees' ability to get the pay they want somewhere else. This dude not only denied their overworked loyal employee the raise they deserved, but they also had the audacity to tell them that the only way they could negotiate a higher salary is if they got a competitive offer at another company. Either this guy wanted his employee to leave (and his team's productivity level to implode) or he really underestimated the Redditor's ability to find a better jo…
View List
Advertisement
'Ted was cast aside to make room for the owner's son': IT employee with 40+ years of experience gets fired and replaced by inexperienced nepo baby

'Ted was cast aside to make room for the owner's son': IT employee with 40+ years of experience gets fired and replaced by inexperienced nepo baby

Is this business owner trying to run his company into the ground? It would almost be a better decision on his part to make his inexperienced nepo baby son his co-CEO. Whoever thought that firing the IT guy with over 40 years of experience on the job and promoting the owner's son instead should be, well, fired! What happened to Ted, whose story was shared by a coworker via this Reddit thread , is unfortunately all too common. Ted was given a generous severance package in exchange for a promise t…
View List
'[I] threw it in a dumpster out back': Employee throws out coworker's smelly sweater, coworkers conducts formal investigation, gets fired

'[I] threw it in a dumpster out back': Employee throws out coworker's smelly sweater, coworkers conducts formal investigation, gets fired

There are various ways to deal with your coworker's annoying quirks and eccentricities. Taking their supplies and throwing them in the trash is certainly not the most adult way of handling things. That being said, this employee seems fully convinced that what they did was the only way. In short, this Redditor confirmed that the strange odor they were smelling was emanating from their coworker's sweater, which he always kept at the office and therefore never washed. When OP asked the coworker ab…
View List
'I was told I'd be making $15/hr, flat': Housekeeper blindsided by employer at resort after salary keeps changing

'I was told I'd be making $15/hr, flat': Housekeeper blindsided by employer at resort after salary keeps changing

How many red flags does one need before it's time to quit and run? Imagine going through an interview process and being told an hourly rate that you're comfortable with should you get the position. Then, you get said position and you're told the exact same number as you sign the contract. Now that the contract is signed and you're beginning to schedule your training, you're told a wildly different number by someone else. You contact your boss and they tell you not to worry about it. You move fo…
View List
Advertisement
Salesman lets truck get hailed on in order to follow boss's rules

'I am forbidden from driving my truck even a few feet': Salesman lets truck get pummeled by hail in order to follow boss's strict rules

At this company, there is zero room for error when it comes to driving the company trucks . Employees can never use the trucks for personal use, so if they don't like it, there's the door. This salesman clearly values his job, so he followed the rules to a T. Some companies are extremely strict with their property. Whether they're monitoring every keystroke you type into your computer, or keeping an eagle eye on the company van's GPS, it can put every employee on edge. Businesses like this almo…
View List
'I'm not used to being managed like I'm a child': New boss requires employees to notify every time they go to the bathroom, employee debates taking it up with HR

'I'm not used to being managed like I'm a child': New boss requires employees to notify every time they go to the bathroom, employee debates taking it up with HR

Imagine having a new boss who felt the need to watch your every move, including your bathroom breaks. If you've ever been in this position before, we imagine you found a loophole at some point because one simply cannot get their work done well without much-needed breaks. As for monitoring bathroom breaks, that simply feels hierarchical in a way that is no longer conducive to healthy work environments. It's merely invasive. Managers should have way more important priorities on their hands than n…
View List
Advertisement

Hot Today

Advertisement