Terrible boss stories

[PawPatrolDrivesMeInsane]

Can I hear your terrible boss stories?

I'll start with mine.

I got my first full time job at 18. Most of the people I worked with were lovely and I'm still good friends with some of them now. But this one woman was horrible, she was about 6 years older than me and was supposed to train me, whenever I did something wrong she would get impatient really quickly.

This went on for a couple of years and she would point out any little mistake I made. She was just generally rude, the vast majority of the abuse was aimed at me. It was so bad that I ended up having counselling over it. I cried most evenings but I was determined not to quit because of one person.

She ended up taking sabbatical leave for a few months and on her return a lot of the team who did speak to her now weren't so friendly with her. I remained as I normally did, was polite but avoided having much to do with her if I could help it. Each team member was pulled aside by management. So I had my meeting and my manager started off by saying 'I know you and so and so don't have the best relationship...' The man knew this woman had been bullying me relentlessly for the best part of two years and had just ignored it. (He had a separate office).

Completely lost all respect for him then and there.

My old boss told me I wouldn't get anywhere due to my age and constantly undermined me, took responsibilities off me and gave them to younger less experienced colleagues. Told me I wasn't young and ambitious. I'm mid 40s so not old.

The funny thing is I left to go to a more challenging, responsible role at a Global company and am doing really well. New company and new boss are amazing, my new boss encourages me, actively takes an interest in me and my work. We have a great relationship.

I know it's got back to her how well I'm doing as well. For someone who she decided wasn't ambitious and didn't think was worthy of anything as she classed me as 'old' I'm doing pretty well for myself!

That's horrible! @Yetisrus 40s is by no means old. At least you managed to get out of there!

I was getting bullied relentlessly at work by the same groups of people. My boss always made me feel like I was the problem. It was all my fault. I ended up ill over it. I went to therapy. Left and got a new job. 4 years later, I am thriving in my new job and my team are phenomenal and haven't had 1 issue with anyone. Heard now she's not very liked and is rubbing alot of people up the wrong way 🥴

I had a boss who telephoned my landlady to ask her if I had men visit me in my flat.

I took it to the big boss and the result was to move me sideways into another department and nothing was done about him.

A woman I worked for years ago was honestly the most vile, evil bitch I've ever met in my life, I honestly think there was something mentally wrong with her. ( she will now be known as 'bitch') It would take too long to tell you all the stories of her, but here's one example; she was screaming at me because she said I hadn't mucked her stallion out properly, I was trying to get a word in edgeways to explain that I hadn't mucked him out her daughter had actually done it. Her daughter walks round the corner and said 'what's the problem I did that stable!' Bitch just glared at me and said ' well you don't do anything do you?!' Just one example of what an absolute cunt she was. When I handed in my notice I gave her 2 months to be fair to give her time to find someone. She said ' well you won't be leaving until I say you can, don't think you will be!' Consequently I walked out that weekend. Having to drive into work feeling physically sick is insane, I don't know why I put up with it as long as I did. Probably because she drove my mental health through the floor and made me feel so utterly shite at everything I did. She was just evil. And years on I'm so glad I'm self employed now 🤣

When I was 18 I got my first job working in a solicitors firm. I was promised I would be an assistant to a solicitor but in reality I was on reception every day. Every time I had to put a call through to the senior partner he would scream and swear at me down the phone. Other solicitors were rude and didn't hardly speak to me. Then, one of the other partners made a pass at me. The next day I came into work, it got to lunch time (another morning being shouted and sworn at) and I went for lunch and never went back. Bastards didn't even pay me what they owed me.

I had a boss who suffered with migraines but was convinced she had a brain tumour. The amount of ambulances she called out was incredible. She paid to see a specialist at Harley Street because she didn’t believe they were “only migraines” and they told her the same thing. She was a complete nightmare. She would often phone me from another location and ask me to look in her files for “a file with a name like …” and it was usually saved under something completely different.

She was seeing one of the directors so she got away with it all

First job in teaching and the head of department told me she was only going to tell me what I was doing wrong. Really unhelpful as a brand new teacher in an extremely difficult school.

Second job after leaving school was a well known company. The company next door was owned by my friends dad who said if he had known I was going to work there he would have told me not too. It was like a prison camp, absolutely awful, if your pen run out you had to take that one pen to the MDs wife who was a director for the issue of a new one, if she scribbled it on her pad and it still worked you had it returned to you to keep using (therefore was easier just to bring your own pen) you could not go to the loo without asking and you would then be told you had to ask everyone if they wanted a drink as the coffee machine was near the loos, so if you were desperate well tough, if you took too long getting drinks as you may have to wait for the machine to be free or were too long in the loo MDs wife would come marching down looking for you!

You could not stand and wait at photocopier while someone used it and wait your turn you would have to return ti your desk and wait until it was free.

You could not greet other staff members in morning or when leaving, just leave and do not disturb others that hadn't finished or started.

Do not speak to each other unless about work.

Do not eat at your desk *there was no where to eat but your car if you had one

All computers to be turned off at lunchtime and desk tidied before you leave to sit in your car

If as on one occasion there was an accident causing me to be late in the office you had to make that time up even if it was 5 minutes yet you were never paid overtime.

At the annual character assassination the MD would destroy you tell you how awful you were, scruffy, awful personality traits, useless at job etc and then give you a tiny pay rise..

My confidence was on the floor with that company so low I didn't think I'd get a job anywhere else and so stayed. He was snagging around, she was miserable and knew and it all played out in the office it was toxic

Not a boss as such but an employer. I was diagnosed with a brain tumour while working as a GP receptionist. The day after my diagnosis I was told my contract was being terminated. They must have then taken some HR advice as they hastily backtracked but I knew my cards were marked and sure enough it was only a matter of time before they got me out over a small oversight.
I heard this week they'd been nominated for an award and snorted in disbelief. I still find it hard to believe an organisation under the umbrella of the NHS could have such a lack of compassion for one of its staff.
I quickly found a job at a different surgery where they've been so lovely and supportive, even with me needing eight weeks off sick following neurosurgery .
I may still take the first surgery to a disability discrimination tribunal. Now I've had the surgery and am feeling stronger it's something I need to take legal advice on.

My boss of nine years got me a half full bottle of wine for Christmas one year

My first job was in a nursery. I was young, just left an abusive relationship and found out I was 12 weeks pregnant. My team leader came with me to the the acting boss at the time. She was mean and fussy and insecure because she was only acting head. But I had never had an issue with her. Even though she knew my circumstances, I was a hard worker and gave my all to be a good member of the team. When I told her she looked me up and down, laughed heartily while looking me in the eye and turned and walked away.
I crumbled when I got to the staff room