There's a point where being overly petty, stupid, and cheap crosses a line over into straight-up malice. I'm a huge proponent of Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity — but sometimes the negligent stupidity is so wanton it becomes evil. Still, this idea of a stingy boss cheating their employee out of a hard-earned Christmas bonus is a theme so storied that it has been featured in one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time: Christmas…

It's ever a wonder how people like this manage to get into positions of power over other people. Unfortunately, it's often probably because the organization they're working for is run by toxic, cruel people who recognize the toxic and cruel (or spineless, subservient) traits in those they promote to management positions within their business.

There are petty employers — then there are employers who fire you for bogus claims of wage theft and demand repayment of said wages. The crazy part is the employer doesn't seem to have (or isn't willing to offer) any proof to back their claims. They're just like, “You're fired, and btw you owe us money," and expect the employee to comply. After being accused of claiming hours that they had not worked, this employer demanded repayment of the supposed wages under the threat of a lawsuit. In reali…

Some people are blindly ignorant to the irony of their own existence. How could anyone send those texts — in that order — and think to themself, “Gee, what a wonderfully competent and enlightened being I am.”

"Don't come in and act like you already know everything when you're a new comer to not only the job, but [also] the whole industry.”

Those working in retail and service are no strangers to discomfort and, often times it can seem like employer's make it intentionally so.

There are certain things in life that just make sense: Like hiring a plumber to help in your plumbing department and an electrician for the electrical department. Well, this mysteriously nameless “home improvement store” got their wires crossed when this manager decided to nepotistically appoint an electrician to the full-time plumbing department that they had just hired a plumber to work in. When the plumber came to start their full-time job… they were told by the manager that they actually ha…

Working relationships are built on mutual trust — so why are so many recruiters determined to start things off with deceit?

We grow up naively believing that rules exist for a reason. It isn't until we're older that we realize that some rules exist because someone— just… decided that it was so, even if that deciding person wasn't qualified or didn't possess the brainpower and insight necessary to make said decision. This results in a whole lot of stupid rules that are blindly followed just because it's a rule. Meanwhile, said stupid rule followers couldn't make an actually informed, ethical, or empathetic decision t…

Sometimes it's not about the words being spoken; it's about the implication . When your boss suggests a singular place where you should take your lunch break, claims it's not a requirement but goes on to imply that you'll be disadvantaged in the workplace if you disagree… well, you don't really have a choice — do you?

This vindictive a-hole of a boss saw fit to mandate surprise overtime when they came to the conclusion that their employees had missed too much work. Sure, it's understandable that they were feeling some stress and pressure while looking at the loss of man-hours for the week. There were probably some slumping numbers and unfinished tasks that were contributing to their impulse to pick up the phone. But, as adults and professionals, it's important that we control our impulses; there will always…

According to HR, they're out 'sick' at least 100 times per year

Working retail on busy holidays sucks — doubly so when understaffed.

It is simply HARD to believe that people would think THAT COMMUNICATING like this to their staff is in the SLIGHTEST bit effective or acceptable!

A stupid directive necessitates an even stupider response — that's why these employees decided to eat their lunch in the middle of their CEO's annual update when their boss told them the meeting was going to count as their lunch for the day. The boss would soon learn to regret their bold words when their entire team threw them right under the bus as soon as the CEO started asking questions about the buffet that was taking place before their very eyes. When put to sharp questioning, the boss dec…

The act of giving notice is one of mutual trust — especially when the worker isn't protected by an agreement or local law. The worker is showing their employer a sign of goodwill by allowing them the time to prepare other workers, maintain continuity, and execute a proper handover. The problem with giving notice is it's also like a breakup — “It's not you, it's me. I've just… Found someone else.” — and all too often, emotionally-stunted owners and middle managers take it exactly as such. This l…