Horrible Bosses!

walkingshadow

Just had a friend vent to me about his a-hole boss, and got me thinking: do any boardsies have stories of working for really horrible bosses? Here's mine:
I once worked for a boss who would sometimes make me write out the dialogue I would speak to a supplier on the phone and approve it before I made the call. When I would then go about making the phone call, he would be listening from his office across the floor, and as I spoke, he would loudly shout to me extra things to say to the person on the other end.

Corvo

No, but I've had some smelly ones.

xalot

I had a boss who used to make me climb four flights of stairs at 9 months pregnant to put paper in his printer cos he didn't know how to do it himself

Irishcrx

I once had a boss I hated so much that it was mentioned to me I should avoid looking at her directly at meetings because my eyes were burning a hole through her.

I hated her so much (And I generally don't dislike anybody) that I actually began to think the world would be a better place if she was to fall in front of a train on her way home one evening , to the point that if I was to fall into her by accident to make it happen I'd get away with it...

I knew then it was time to hand in my notice...

Generic Dreadhead

xalot wrote: »

I had a boss who used to make me climb four flights of stairs at 9 months pregnant to put paper in his printer cos he didn't know how to do it himself

Was it in your job spec that this was one of your tasks?

Cause while this might be an unpopular opinion, if you cannot complete the tasks your job entails while pregnant, you shouldn't be there.

Now if it was "anyones" job and they were singling you out to do it out of nastiness, that's a different matter.

kylith

An old boss of mine was recently sued for constructive dismissal. The only thing that surprised me is that it hasn't happened sooner and a lot more. She was horrible. I have a clear memory of her screaming "I am a business woman! I know what to do in business!" at a client and thinking 'Clearly you don't.'

I only didn't put a kipper behind the radiator in her office because there was no radiator in her office.

magicmushroom

Cormac... wrote: »

Was it in your job spec that this was one of your tasks?

Cause while this might be an unpopular opinion, if you cannot complete the tasks your job entails while pregnant, you shouldn't be there.

Now if it was "anyones" job and they were singling you out to do it out of nastiness, that's a different matter.

She didn't say it wasn't her job, she's just pointing out that it was a bit mean of him to make her do it - she also never stated that she could not 'complete the tasks her job entailed while pregnant'
Jesus, lighten up

Sam Kade

So did anyone have a horrible boss other than the few whiny employees looking for something to complain about?

xalot

Cormac... wrote: »

Was it in your job spec that this was one of your tasks?

Cause while this might be an unpopular opinion, if you cannot complete the tasks your job entails while pregnant, you shouldn't be there.

Now if it was "anyones" job and they were singling you out to do it out of nastiness, that's a different matter.

No it wasn't in my job spec. I could climb the stairs, pregnancy isn't a disability, but it just demonstrated how inconsiderate he was, especially since the paper was right beside the printer all he had to do was open the drawer and put it in. Not rocket science, but sure why do it yourself when you can get someone to climb four flights of stairs to do it for you.

Generic Dreadhead

magicmushroom wrote: »

She didn't say it wasn't her job, she's just pointing out that it was a bit mean of him to make her do it - she also never stated that she could not 'complete the tasks her job entailed while pregnant'
Jesus, lighten up

You lighten up and get off your soap box :pac:

It's no different to being in work sick, if it's affecting your ability to do your work, maybe you should take some time off.

I wouldn't go out of my way to make a pregnant woman do stuff if they were a colleague, but if they are a PA or secretary or receptionist and a large part of their job requires tasks like that and they can't even get up out of a chair well......

And this is not directed at the OP, it's just a general thing i'd like to point out. OPs boss may have been a total p***k and making her do it cause he is a jerk, which is exactly why I said my 3rd sentence.

xalot wrote: »

No it wasn't in my job spec.

Well there we are, it wasn't explicitly your job, so your boss was being horrible, or at the very least inconsiderate

I could climb the stairs, pregnancy isn't a disability

ummm.... ok... dunno who said it was... but.... whatever...

but it just demonstrated how inconsiderate he was, especially since the paper was right beside the printer all he had to do was open the drawer and put it in. Not rocket science,

And we're back on track with the sense making

but sure why do it yourself when you can get someone to climb four flights of stairs to do it for you.

Because he was horrible/inconsiderate it seems

mathie

Who had "whiney and childish by post #10"?

Please step forward and claim your prize.

michellie

Yes I did, she was a bibe. I remember being nervous to tell her I was pregnant!! When I told her she said "ok, leave it with me"... Wtf!?! and that was it!

Another time I was walking out because she was being a bitch and wasn't giving me time off for hospital appointments, she called me back in and apologized. I should have left there and then! Never went back after my maternity leave as the thought of working for her made me feel physically sick. And what made it worse was she was sweet as pie to patients.

DeltaWhite

Yep, had a boss who had a printer 5 feet from his desk and he would phone me up and ask me to come up 2 floors to get his stuff from the printer... Absolute lazy pr!ck. Refused to make his own coffee because he doesn't like how he makes his coffee?? Seriously did ye ever hear such tripe!

Years ago when I was 16/17, I worked for a boss that wouldn't pay us minimum wage. and everyone was too afraid to say anything.

OMG the most strange, was a job I got off FAS website years ago and it turns out it was some dodgy Insurance job from yer mans house! He was so strange on my first day, chain smoked all day, had a shower and sat down in the "office" beside me in his fcking towel instructing me how to make the insurance calls! At the end of the day he gave me a key to the house and said to "let myself in" the next morning.. NOPE! I dropped the key back in the letterbox in the middle of the night that eve and didnt go back! Reported him to FAS and the following week I saw on the news, someone had put a bomb put under his car!!! Strangest job ever EVER!!

One more.. my boss actually told me to "get over it" (her exact words) 8 days after my Mam died when I had come back to work..... no words

Neyite

I cant describe scenarios because they will out me, but I can share my revenge story. It never fails to cheer me up after fcukwit boss does something obnoxious.

One day fcukwit boss sent me to the nearby deli to get a ham salad sandwich - not in any way part of my job description but hey-ho. This came hot on the heels of them giving me a bollocking for something that they did so I was pretty annoyed.

As the deli worker was building the sandwich, putting the ham on, I spotted that there was a small dead fly on the ham that he clearly didn't see. He covered it up with the salad. I didn't say a word.

Watching boss eat that sandwich was beautiful.

uch

I constructively dismissed and old Narky foreman on a site years ago, bollix was always a snide, obnoxious prick, he took his cúntfullness to very high levels one monday when I was dying with a hangover, so I lamped him, felt terrible instantly, but when I was leaving the office after being laid off, all the lads were cheering and whistling from scaffolds and window. There was rakes of work then so I was only out of work for a week.

Worked for a well known electrical retailer for over 6 years (4 of which were part time through College). They used every opportunity possible to demean you so they could refuse you a wage increase.

After 6 years I hadn't been given a pay rise, though I had been promised one at least twice a year by different managers. They constantly swapped managers between each store which allowed managers to escape these promises.

One time I had actually managed to tick all of their crazy boxes in their "One to one" performance development reviews and the manager looked panicked at the prospect that he'd actually have no way to deny me a pay rise. Later that day after the review I was setting up a TV and stood back to check the picture and he came up to me and said "I'm sorry, I can't have you watching TV on the job, I'm going to have to deny your opportunity for a pay rise." I could have killed him then, but he couldn't be spoken to. Probably should have left the job that day... I couldn't though because of financial commitments and such.

I did eventually leave and one of the rare sound managers gave me an amazing reference which has helped me get a really good job in Canada. But jesus what a completely rotten to the core company that was... Never doing retail again.

They also tried to fire me for something I wrote here on boards.ie but then 2 years later I was their official representative on here!

ghogie91

Once had a boss that punched a pile of paper across my desk with anger and ignorance

needless to say when his retirement came I celebrated hard!

davo2001

Deleted User wrote: »

Worked for a well known electrical retailer for over 6 years (4 of which were part time through College). They used every opportunity possible to demean you so they could refuse you a wage increase.

After 6 years I hadn't been given a pay rise, though I had been promised one at least twice a year by different managers. They constantly swapped managers between each store which allowed managers to escape these promises.

One time I had actually managed to tick all of their crazy boxes in their "One to one" performance development reviews and the manager looked panicked at the prospect that he'd actually have no way to deny me a pay rise. Later that day after the review I was setting up a TV and stood back to check the picture and he came up to me and said "I'm sorry, I can't have you watching TV on the job, I'm going to have to deny your opportunity for a pay rise." I could have killed him then, but he couldn't be spoken to. Probably should have left the job that day... I couldn't though because of financial commitments and such.

I did eventually leave and one of the rare sound managers gave me an amazing reference which has helped me get a really good job in Canada. But jesus what a completely rotten to the core company that was... Never doing retail again.

They also tried to fire me for something I wrote here on boards.ie but then 2 years later I was their official representative on here!

Currys & PC World by any chance?! :pac: :pac:

NSAman

OK I cant name names or locations as it may identify me.. but here goes...

I was in a finance role, new area manager comes along for various reasons she kept saying she couldn't get to my location (which was supposed to be her base) anyhow after a few weeks she arrived and started to interfer with my functions (large operation) after only two weeks she flatly refused to allow my to go to talk to the bank presiden, refused me leave, reported me for theft of cash (lots of cash being handled) and then claimed I had put the lives of employees at risk.

Headoffice called me back home and sacked me.

Little did they realise that I had letters and backup material for all the accusations made against me. THe staff revolted against this woman upon hearing I was sacked. Then a burglary happened which saw a massive amount of cash being stolen, she blamed an employee and he was placed in jail.

I confronted head office, told them I would go to the press and sue them. I got my full years pay for the contract. Also that same day I had multiple offers from different companies to go back to the same job with others at higher pay.

Upon taking up a very nice package from a great employer, I got the employee released from jail, took all my old employees over (needed new staff) and continued on a very nice salary for another few years, she was later found to have a fondness for the drink and to be untrustworthy shall we say.

The woman in question has never worked since..... despite trying ... I have friends (from doing people favours) and a few well placed phone calls has seen her rejected at every hands turned.

Moral of story, don't get mad get even..;)

somesoldiers

Wow, well done you getting the person out of jail and all! A modern day Gareth Peirce

Dalkeybabe

Why is it horrible bosses are almost always women? In my experience & of other women I know. Usually you can pick them out though Type A personality with a large dollop of OCD & some perfectionism & plenty of insecurity into the bargain. Why are these kind of women promoted? It only leads to absenteeism in the workplace & costs companies more money😡

somefeen

Dalkeybabe wrote: »

Why is it horrible bosses are almost always women? In my experience & of other women I know. Usually you can pick them out though Type A personality with a large dollop of OCD & some perfectionism & plenty of insecurity into the bargain. Why are these kind of women promoted? It only leads to absenteeism in the workplace & costs companies more money😡

Could just be that we notice bad female bosses more than male ones. Most of the characteristics of a bad boss are masculine characteristics so we pay more notice when a female has these attributes.

Or maybe its because female bosses are very insecure and feel like they need to prove something.

Neyite

Dalkeybabe wrote: »

Why is it horrible bosses are almost always women? In my experience & of other women I know. Usually you can pick them out though Type A personality with a large dollop of OCD & some perfectionism & plenty of insecurity into the bargain. Why are these kind of women promoted? It only leads to absenteeism in the workplace & costs companies more money😡

I'd more horrible male ones than female ones.

Stone Deaf 4evr

walkingshadow wrote: »

Just had a friend vent to me about his a-hole boss, and got me thinking: do any boardsies have stories of working for really horrible bosses? Here's mine:
I once worked for a boss who would sometimes make me write out the dialogue I would speak to a supplier on the phone and approve it before I made the call. When I would then go about making the phone call, he would be listening from his office across the floor, and as I spoke, he would loudly shout to me extra things to say to the person on the other end.

was your boss Vince Mc Mahon?

Generic Dreadhead

Neyite wrote: »

I'd more horrible male ones than female ones.

I've had a bit of both, but the phrase "women who hate other women" springs to mind, sometimes bosses I had that were grand were just hated by other women in the team/department

somesoldiers

I worked in a Hooters once where the manager would make the girls compete to see you could go home early. Who could eat a plate of beans fastest with hands tied behind their backs was the most popular.... oh no that was an episode of Undercover Boss US

harvester of sorrow

Memo issue in work looking for members of the H&S committee.
Asked the boss one day on his own what was the requirements to be accepted to the committee?
He replied " oh who ever gives the best blowjob"

Kristopherus

xalot wrote: »

I had a boss who used to make me climb four flights of stairs at 9 months pregnant to put paper in his printer cos he didn't know how to do it himself

You should've been on maternity leave at that stage.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

somesoldiers wrote: »

I worked in a Hooters once where the manager would make the girls compete to see you could go home early. Who could eat a plate of beans fastest with hands tied behind their backs was the most popular.... oh no that was an episode of Undercover Boss US

sounds like tonight's entertainment sorted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4UEhhfkqhE

Reedsie

DeltaWhite wrote: »

OMG the most strange, was a job I got off FAS website years ago and it turns out it was some dodgy Insurance job from yer mans house! He was so strange on my first day, chain smoked all day, had a shower and sat down in the "office" beside me in his fcking towel instructing me how to make the insurance calls! At the end of the day he gave me a key to the house and said to "let myself in" the next morning.. NOPE! I dropped the key back in the letterbox in the middle of the night that eve and didnt go back! Reported him to FAS and the following week I saw on the news, someone had put a bomb put under his car!!! Strangest job ever EVER!!
(

No messing with FAS these days...

kylith

Dalkeybabe wrote: »

Why is it horrible bosses are almost always women? In my experience & of other women I know. Usually you can pick them out though Type A personality with a large dollop of OCD & some perfectionism & plenty of insecurity into the bargain. Why are these kind of women promoted? It only leads to absenteeism in the workplace & costs companies more money😡

I can't speak for any other places but the manager I mentioned earlier was the single mother of a child that looked strikingly like the CEO.

Horrible male bosses I've known have tended to be lazy and inept rather than shamelessly awful.

tomwaterford

I once left a job over a pair of horrible bosses
Nothing could be done right ever....and they'd come out and fcuk you outta it Over nothing and nearly always it was the other dope what did what they were complaining about :mad:

Everything was done arseways etc....I was doing something one day and not allowed do it properly and sure enough it went wrong and after being fcuked outta it already that day over something pointless lost the temper and throw the equipment off the wall....packed up my tools and fcuked off home in absolutely vile temper....meet a mate in the pub that evening and got a job with him for a few weeks powerwashing!!!





*sorry for the vagueness

Alt J

I was on a working holiday visa in Australia two years ago. Have to say in my time there I had some amazing bosses but a few months into my trip funds were low and I manged to get a job in a fruit and veg shop in Melbourne, the money was crap but I had no options and a girlfriend in Australia. I ended up getting the job and working for a family from Palestine in their new set up shop. I only lasted a week, instead of referring too you by your name they would call you 'boy', come here 'boy'. They would constantly say this is wrong etc even thought they were clueless. I got my money on my lunch break on the first friday, they gave us like twenty minute breaks for working nine hours. I crossed the road and jumped on the first bus, constant calls from them for a week asking if I was coming back, I sent back, no thanks, never

C.D.

Worked for a vindictive bully. Once I started having dreams of harming him I knew it was time to hand in my notice.

SHOVELLER

In the Civil Service there are some absolute pearlers who are ''bosses''. Not horrible per se but staggeringly incompetent. The worst part is that they can never be fired as they along with HR are trying to compete with each other on not doing their jobs.

It is a shame really as there are a lot of intelligent people in the service but are held back by these lifers who have never worked a day in the real world. Unqualified tossers.

chuckster

Kristopherus wrote: »

You should've been on maternity leave at that stage.

No, pregnancy is 40 weeks... (10 months)... Many women are still workin at 9 months pregnant ...

sashafierce

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Emsloe

We need a horrible employees thread! The stories managers could tell.

Neyite

sashafierce wrote: »

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A former boss once denied my request to take annual leave to attend a family funeral because I didn't give the required 2 weeks notice. :rolleyes:

MrWalsh

Generally speaking my last boss was sound but he had boundary issues. He would phone me for a "chat" late in the evening and talk about work for an hour, eventually I just stopped answering. Once when I was off sick he phoned and asked me to do something and I explained that I was actually on the loo with no chance of moving away from the bathroom and he asked did I not have a loo nearer to the modem so I could use the laptop in there.

My current boss is awful. Probably the worst Ive ever experienced. Its well known and no one does anything about it. Im just biding my time to GTFO.

Maguined

I had a boss that was terrible at playing favourites. One guy on our team used up his last week of holidays when his wife was delivering their first child, unfortunately it was a very complicated delivery and the mother was left bedridden. Neither of them had any family that could offer support (parents were either passed on or in nursing homes, siblings emigrated) so it was just up to the two of them. As the mother was totally bed ridden she could not look after the child by herself so after the last day of his holidays were used up he asked to take unpaid leave. He got a bollocking over the phone how he was taking the piss and he should be back in work.

That was bad enough but it was the unfair treatment that a girl on the same team came back from her two weeks off very early. She was out for three days and then unexpectedly came into work on the fourth day of her holidays explaining one of the group got food poisoning so the entire group of friends all returned home with her as she didn't want to be sick in a foriegn country. She came into work as she didn't want to waste her holidays. The same boss told her she would get the full two weeks back as leave even for the three days she was out of the office as it wasn't her fault her holiday was ruined.

circadian

I had a boss that used to scream at people, like full on could hear it on the other side of the office screaming. She was completely unreasonable and at one point someone snapped and threw a phone at her in a meeting.

She called me into her office for a dressing down one day. I began to defend my point and she lost her sh!t so I got up and walked out telling her that I'll come back when she felt like discussing the issue rather than have me sit there while she had a tantrum.

Never screamed at me again. Also, gave me a great reference. Still a top grade asshat and I feel sorry for anyone dealing with her now.

illdoit2morrow

A manager who was eventually walked our the door for incompetence was at a 'how to handle stress in the workplace' session.

We were all talking about things that stress us out, he popped up with this, 'you guys don't know stress, my wife and my two daughters are on the same monthly cycle'. Room went silent.

This happened two less than two years ago.

arayess

I'm the boss and I'm fairly sound.
I pay the staff above min wage and once they are on time, well groomed and smile at the customers then we are all cool.

sashafierce wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

fella i knew went in to tell his boss that his granny had died and he'd want the day off for the funeral and the boss replied "why? were you close?"
knob.

sashafierce

This post has been deleted.

Neyite

sashafierce wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I know! To be fair, when I went to HR about it, they told me they'd sort it and did this face :rolleyes: when they heard what he said, so I guess they were used to his stupidity.

osarusan

michellie wrote: »

I remember being nervous to tell her I was pregnant!! When I told her she said "ok, leave it with me"... Wtf!?! and that was it!

This one actually made me laugh out loud.

Saralee4

Had a boss once, she was once of those perfectionist, control freaks who micro manage.

I had to attend a meeting with her every month, talk about my goals and objectives. She just had this really weird staring thing going on that she did. She would look directly at you with these glaring eyes and would not look away for the entire meeting which would go on for about a half an hour or so. You just didn't know where to look. She didn't even blink. Most of the time I don't even know what I was saying to her but in my head I was saying 'I wish she would just stop looking at me, where the fxxx will I look, will I look away, stare back?'. My own eyes actually hurt after the meetings.

When I handed in my notice, she was not pleased. She walked by desk (it was a big office with cubicles) several times and just stared straight at me. It was so bizarre. I cursed myself after smiling at her once and receiving the intense blank stare back. She was so weird like an alien or something !

Keyzer

I had a guy in the states who was an absolute nightmare from day one. Made my life an absolute misery for no reason whatsoever.

Condescending, pathological liar, arrogant and obnoxious.

Rang me on XMAS day a couple of years ago demanding an update on the EMEA GM's outlook issue. XMAS day !!! Because everyone checks work email on XMAS day. Spoke to the GM shortly afterwards and he asked me is the guy insane?

I moved to a new role and then left the company shortly afterwards but the last I heard he dropped dead of a heart attack in a server room somewhere.

mushu

When I was 19 my boss hurt her shoulder. I was handed some deep heat & instructed to rub it in well.

Chijj

Last year when my granny passed away I came in the next day and told one of the managers that I wouldn't be in the following day due to the funeral.

He asked me what her name was so he could check on RIP.ie

He obviously thought I was lying but anytime I see him I just think "what a complete knobhead"