To think hierarchy doesn't work at work?

What is needed when you're working with a lot of people is clear role definitions. That usually comes with some level of hierarchy.

You're complaining about bad management. A good manager shouldn't have time to micromanage. I don't have time to double check everything my team does, but I trust them to know when to escalate, what things I need informing about, what things I need to sign off on. I don't tell them absolutely everything I do, but I pass on relevant information, tasks and so on. It works because we know the expectations of our roles within the wider hierarchy.

YABU - because what you talking about is not hierarchy, it is poor management.

If you are concerned, give ACAS a call as apparently they are very helpful. Don’t let them break you so badly that you don’t have the confidence to do what is right for you

Most employers only ask for a factual one. It’s in a standard form from the new employer that the old one is asked to fill in.

If for any reason they decide to sabotage you, ACAS sets out the options here

https://www.acas.org.uk/providing-a-job-reference

Plus most crappy employers are only too happy to get rid of staff

Are you in the UK? As far as I know, references are generally just factual usually - start and finish dates etc

I sympathise as I was bullied so badly I was self harming and suicidal. I stayed too long. I had things thrown at me, was shouted at and made to feel like shit.

But if you can’t handle it, go elsewhere while you still have the mental fortitude and confidence to do it. I imagine your anger is reflected in your attitude as it’s impossible for it not to be. Things will then break down completely.

Sooner or later the staff turnover will be noticed and the higher ups can do something or not - either way it’s not your problem by then

Do you think the boss would just accept that? Or would they realise you were being childish and deal with the situation accordingly?

Oh I'd be so petty and I would be sending emails every hour on the hour about useless 💩

Yes, I agree, in most settings, I'm of the opinion everyone is equal and that you just have different roles. A democratic leadership style fits most environments best. No one likes being micromanaged. Most people respond best to a collaborative approach where everyone's different skills are valued. I think you can talk to people about performance/be firm when needed without an old school style hierarchy in place.

Hierarchy is only really relevant in places like the military, where there is a clear chain of command for obvious reasons. The other time it is relevant is in emergencies in certain settings. For example, in a crisis in A&E, there is a clear chain of hierarchy due to everyone's experience/education level, and in an emergency, someone has to take accountability and leadership and a more autocratic approach is needed. I work in healthcare and most of the time I just see our consultant psychiatrist as equal but fulfilling a different role, BUT I respect that if I am struggling with a patient, I will often default to her plan, and certainly in an emergency (e.g. someone at risk of sectioning), I seek her advice as she has overall responsibility, which is how a hierarchy should work.

Hierarchy isn't about status or anyone being better than anyone else. It's about chain of responsibility and knowing when someone who isn't you needs to make a decision. People higher up are paid to take accountability, so let them!

I can see it working well in places like schools, hospitals and the military where clear structure and authority are genuinely needed. But in most businesses I’m not convinced it’s the best way.
I think we’d often get better outcomes with a more collaborative approach and some proper profit sharing. A lot of industries are pretty dull and routine, so half the problem is people competitively fighting and politicking over the more interesting bits of work, while the boring but essential stuff gets dumped on whoever’s lower down.
Has anyone else noticed this in their workplace?

It’s a bizarre viewpoint.
She has more responsibility than you have, and she’ll be paid accordingly.
Any group with employees at different levels are hierarchical, it’s the very definition of the word 🤷🏻‍♀️
Your respective worth as human beings doesn’t come into it.
She may be a shite manager, but none of the rest of your grievances make any sense at all.

Your boss is not on the same level as you, op!
You don’t seem to understand how hierarchies work.
Your issues with her micromanaging are a different matter entirely.

She also insists on being cc'd in on every email that anyone sends, so "a senior manager" can see it. She drives us all mad

That is a bizarre level of micro managing, if it applies to everyone and not just those on probation or a competency procedure.

But I disagree with your premise that hierarchy doesn't work.
As pp says, you need managers to ensure everyone is doing what they should, at a very minimum. You need managers so that you know who to turn to when you need support or even to answer a query. Depending on the size of the organisation you work for, you need managers to go to all the really boring, frustrating 'strategic' level meetings, argue your Team's case, and then come back to the Team to share the next set of decisions made.

Micromanagement often comes from leadership insecurities. Theres a massive difference between a leader and a manager. Give me a reflective receptive leader any day, someone who helps build a joint vision and great team work and entrusts workers and constructively resolves issues through supervisions and probations.

Oh my dear, what has worked best for you doeasn't mean the whole banana/Hierarchy doesn't exist in the main.

It does. It sucks. We erode it.....