If there's one thing employers hate, it's benefits; even the greatest employer or boss has likely at one point begrudgingly approved a PTO request or ticked off additional PTO for their staff. And I'll admit, as a manager, when you see a PTO request, sometimes your intrusive thoughts kick in… “Do they really need this week off?" “How about the next one?” “Can't your brother just reschedule their wedding?” Obviously, this is ridiculous, but show me a manager who hasn't had these thoughts and I'l…

Being told to just do your job is kind of fair; it is your job, after all, and the reality of the world is that at some point, it's going to be necessary for you to step in line and let someone else call the shots. Still, is it really fair to “just do your job” when it's not really your job in the first place, and someone else has decided that your job is to do their job too? There's a reason why your boss is paid more to go along with the responsibility that has been handed to them, and handin…

It's incredible when your employer thinks they own your entire life just because they're paying you for a small amount of your time. For some reason, they seem to think that giving your time to other interests somehow takes away from your contributions to your work. Almost as if they feel threatened that you have a life outside your career. This probably stems from the fact that their work is probably their entire life, and they probably can't stand being home with their spouse and kids. As a r…

Being injured stinks... and that's something that doesn't even need to be said. There's nothing like being injured to make you appreciate all those times you weren't before. And that's just in your personal life… Chances are your employer isn't going to be particularly understanding, even if you have all your bases covered and have whatever doctor's note your employer requires and covered; legal protections are provided in your area. Yeah, depending on the duration and severity of the accommoda…

Applying to endless jobs is demoralizing, especially when you take the time to write custom cover letters only to never even receive a rejection notice from hiring managers. Still, anything is better than receiving a response like the one this applicant received after submitting their CV to a position opening.

Get your Tarot cards out and crystals ready cause we're out here trying to manifest the failure of every terrible boss we've ever had. Try or not, in a way, we're all manifesting something… I “manifested” two tacos and a side of sweet, sweet guacamole not thirty minutes ago. But, what I've recently consumed isn't really the point here, we're more concerned about accusations of the manifestation of a businesses failure being thrown around like the Salem witch trials.

Working for a terrible boss—well, it really “sucks”… especially when they think they can dock your pay because of their own faulty vacuum. Dealing with authority figures as a teen is tough; on the one hand, they often regard you as being far more immature, dumber, and irresponsible than you actually are, and adults tend to forget how claustrophobic that constant correction and lack of agency can feel. On the other hand, there are times when that authority figure definitely had a point, and it w…

People don't quit their jobs—they quit their bosses… And there's no better way to get back at a terrible manager than to be the one pulling the string that unravels their entire working world—just as this worker did to their terrible boss.

Nothing sows the seeds of distrust from your manager like calling out sick for work; no matter what evidence you have of your illness or incapacity, they're always going to have some degree of doubt —even if they've seen the evidence with their own two eyes.

For some inexplicable reason, basic comforts are considered to stand in opposition to efficiency—if you're uncomfortable, you'll work harder being the deeply flawed logic at play. If there's a comfort that can be denied… you bet it will be, all in the name of bigger bonuses for the executives and higher returns for shareholders. There seems to be a societal impression that customers will think someone who is comfortable won't offer good service, which is a complete farce. One can't help but won…

It's not uncommon in the workplace to be told not to worry about something only to later be asked why you weren't worried about it—or to have that thing that you were told not to worry about coming back to haunt you or completely blow up in the company's face.

Managers love things like mandatory training sessions just as much as they hate excuses about why you haven't gotten your work done… Even if you haven't gotten your work done because of all the mandatory training sessions and useless meetings they've scheduled for you.

Remember that scene from The Matrix where that kid with the spoon is all like, “There is no spoon,” when there's clearly a spoon right there in front of Neo's face? Yeah—well, it turns out that kid is now managing a team, except now, instead of “There is no spoon,” it's “There is no snow.” as if they somehow know more about the situation than what their subordinates are currently witnessing outside of their own window.

Walking the walk of your own talk is important as a leader as it shows that you're willing to stand by the words that are coming out of your own mouth. It also helps your subordinates realize that there's no hypocrisy at play and that the rules and requirements you're enforcing apply to everyone equally.

Even if your work, knowledge, and contributions make you irreplaceable in your organization, your employer is never going to admit it. For one thing, they probably aren't even going to be aware of it until long after you're gone. They probably think that there are dozens of people out there who can do exactly what you do. For another, if they did admit how valuable you were, they know that you'd likely want to be paid fairly for that fact—and that's just never going to happen. No, it's better t…

One of the most horrible realities that slowly dawns on you as you settle into your working life is that political standing and social status have far more bearing on your career than aptitude, skills, or results ever will.