Tell us about bosses you have had - from the sublime, to the ridiculous...

I had a boss that used phrases such as "we don't have problems here, only solutions!". He never offered solutions though and us poor souls on the phones had to fend off irate building site managers who had issues with what they had been sent. Which was completely out of our control. He sat in his office being smug a lot of the day.

Another boss I had was a woman who was utterly hilarious. A small team of us, about 6 in total, she was in a side office overlooking us. She alternated between being a hormonal cow and when she had a bloke, revealing s with stories of their dates and walking round singing an all saints song. Then they broke up and we got the saga of the break up including how he interviewed the door of her shed to get his lawnmower back. Then she went out with someone else and we got it all over again. She couldn't work her computer either, we had to set up a word document any time she wanted to type a letter. She was good fun although a bit daft.

Actually, no that's not his sur name. Got it wrong

The worst boss I ever had was called Lonan O'Bastard (like the sandwich shop) name and shame

He hired me on one of those government schemes where the company pays a pittance towards your salary and the govt makes up the rest.

He was rude to me all the time, he mocked me for reading a book! The nerve of me, receptionist, with delusions; reading!
He made me root through a bag of mushy rubbish to look for a number because it might have been a new client. I couldn't find it. I had to put all the mushy rubbish back in to a new bag and bring it back to skip outside. He didn't care that I hadn't found the number, he was smug that he'd 'made his point'.

When some woman came back from maternity leave, (I hadn't known she existed, so I think there was a plot not to tell me) he suddenly out of the blue fired me because of the lost post-it note incident about four months earlier.

I hated him. He got me to work there for about a year at a cost of about 4k to his company. That's what really pissed me off. He used the govt scheme to exploit somebody and that somebody was me. This was a long time ago but I hope now that there are penalties for scheister employers who behave like that.

Best boss - my first really 'good' job in the City. Young American woman. She was fab - really knew her shit and was happy to teach you. Very encouraging and supportive. I learnt so much from her.

Worst boss - next job. Weak, ineffectual man who was bullied by his boss who was a bit of a 'lad'. They'd sod off down the pub for four hours, while we did 10 hours a day with no break, then come back and moan you'd not done some little thing.

God he made me cross

I had a boss who was amazing at the beginning and shown me everything she knew about our job. Most people were scared of her but I thought she was fab - until I realised she thought she actually owed me then it went tits up!

I had to cover the fact her daughter didn't turn up in work for six weeks (because she couldn't be arsed) she even clocked her in!

She asked to see my scars after my first eptopic pregnancy (whilst as I was teaching) and expectantly waited for me to pull my waist band open

Insisted I got a warning as is been off for two weeks because of it as her dd recieved one for time off due to periods (luckily general manager said no)

After I complained to her that her dd had actually put a child in danger she told me she had told DD to 'watch her back'

Got a parent who she is very close friends with to write a letter to my manager saying I was bullying her child. Twice. Luckily my other managers seen through it.

Would stare at me through the window while I was teaching trying to intimidate me.

Absolute unhinged nightmare of a woman !

I had a very lovely boss when I was about 23. He was called Roger and was bald and was in charge of a wholefood shop.

He was just the loveliest person in the world, sadly (for me) he was already attached, but I had the biggest crush on him.

I still see him about, now I'm 40 and he always says hello.

Those were the days.