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Original poster

What is the worst thing ever said to you by a boss?

194 replies

Chocywockydodahhhhhh · 27/03/2018 12:53

So many posts on here about bad bosses I was just wondering mine would be
I had a miscarriage on the Sunday and came into work on the Sunday and managed to get through. By Tuesday afternoon I was bleeding through my pads, pants and onto the chair and I was in a lot of pain so went home. I was off two days and when I got back my boss didn’t ask how I was or how I was coping and instead said
“why couldn’t you have worn a thicker pad and not gone home, we had some in the cuboard, you could have put two together”

Bitch

OP posts:
strawberrysparkle · 27/03/2018 12:55

If you get pregnant you'll be sacked and also asked if I watched porn with my boyfriend.

I was too young and naive to realise how inappropriate both of these things were.

DameLillyTillicut · 27/03/2018 13:22

Chocy you poor thing! I'm sorry. Any decent boss would ask you why on earth you'd come to work, and to please go home and look after yourself with the "come back when you are ready" clause. You know miscarriage is pregnancy related sickness and they aren't allowed to discipline you for it? Flowers

Mischa123 · 27/03/2018 13:26

I was told to 'wear my shortest skirt and biggest brassiere' to get more work at the company launch. He was a real peach

Gudgyx · 27/03/2018 13:27

Not as bad as any of these, but I once got jumped and had a black eye. Went into work and to a meeting, got pulled out the office by my director the next day and asked if I've gone to the meeting to get attention from senior management.

He later told me that he suspected my black eye was actually a result of DV, and he had me on DV watch with HR. He was sacked the year later for sending inappropriate photos to colleagues on his work phone (not me thank god)

GingerFoxx · 27/03/2018 13:28

To ‘dance for him’ Hmm

AnachronisticCorpse · 27/03/2018 13:29

‘I only employed you so I’d get a chance to fuck you’.

He didn’t.

Skarossinkplunger · 27/03/2018 13:30

“You haven’t smiled as much as I told you to”

Said to me a couple of weeks after a supervision meeting where I told her that having been redeployed because of cuts and as a result lost £5000 per year in pay and having to give up my flat she told me to that I needed to “look happier”.

Chapterandverse · 27/03/2018 13:30

We were on deadline and my job was due to be completed before *Jane's.

When I sent my final draft to boss he was busy editing Jane's.

When I protested that mine was due before hers he said: "but chapter, you don't look as good as Jane"

I reported him and he apologised. He was right but since when did your looks matter in the workplace (unless they obviously do!)

LivingDeadGirlUK · 27/03/2018 13:30

I was told by a director in my first job that I would never have a senior position because of my disability. Luckily non of the companies I have worked for agreed with him.

Gudgyx · 27/03/2018 13:31

Oh another one

In my interview, I had to tell them I was recently diagnosed with a lifelong condition. I told them because it was a new diagnosis, was covered under the disability act, I needed time off for apps etc and didn't want to be dishonest.

A few years later the lady who interviewed me told me she hired me because she felt sorry for me. I'm still here 8 years later, so not a bad hire!

ThymeLord · 27/03/2018 13:31

You poor thing OP. That's just heartless.

My boss told me to wear more make up and "shorten my skirts". He suggested I go to the firm of solicitors next door and look how the girls there were dressed so I'd have an idea of what was expected.

Quietvoiceplease · 27/03/2018 13:32

"I didn't think it was worth inviting you, because you don't work everyday".
To a key meeting. About a project I was working on. On a day when I was in the office.
The fact I routinely worked on my non-working days had also eluded him.
I can't under-estimate how low my morale was after that.

cloudchasing · 27/03/2018 13:32

Rang me in the middle of the night (I lived in) and said 'don't s'pose you fancy a fuck do you? '

Errrmmm..... No. You're alright. Thanks for asking Hmm

QueenofmyPrinces · 27/03/2018 13:35

When I was 17 my boss took me on a date to a pub with an attached hotel - a bit like a travel lodge.

Anyway, it felt awkward and I think he sensed that and asked me if I was embarrassed to be seen with him because of the age gap. I said no and he told me that if it was true then I should kiss him in front of everyone. I said I didn’t want to and he then told me if I liked him then I should stay overnight with him to prove it. I told him I didn’t want to and so he stood up and walked out leaving me there with no way of getting home.

Thankfully it was a seasonal job so I only had to work with him for about 3 weeks after that.

I later found out that he’d done the same thing with a few other young members of staff too.

evaseven · 27/03/2018 13:36

'You look like you're on drugs' and 'come downstairs so I can finger you' are the 2 that spring to mind 😐

JayZed · 27/03/2018 13:36

When I was interning at the tender age of 14. I had pink hair and a senior partner leered over me to ask 'does the rug match the curtains?'
Left and never went back, my mum wanted to burn the place down with him in it but I didn't want to cause a fuss

evaseven · 27/03/2018 13:38

Well it's not surprising how many pervy/predatory bosses there are! When I was 16 I showed up to the 'work night out' to find it was only me and my boss. You can imagine how it went from there

QueenofmyPrinces · 27/03/2018 13:39

These stories are horrific and it just proves what level of sexual harassment women are exposed to in the workplace.

How the hell do the men in these tales think it’s acceptablr to say/do these things to women?

I’m flabbergasted.

HeresMeh · 27/03/2018 13:43

And ex boss called me a 'fat c*nt' only first week in the job... I last three months before walking out on New Year's Eve!

Snorkpod · 27/03/2018 13:44

I'm sorry OP. I hope you have the time and space to recover. X

Snorkpod · 27/03/2018 13:45

Apparently I'd be pretty enough to shag if I made more of an effort. As it is, I have to live with the disappointment that I wasn't up to his standards.

ForTheLoveOfSleep · 27/03/2018 13:46

After explaining to my boss that I was still suffering from mild symptoms from miscarrying an unplanned/unknown pregnancy over Easter weekend she said, "Well you should have been on the pill." Hmm

LadyFlangeWidget · 27/03/2018 13:46

my female boss said get your arse off the chair and do the job I asked. I had mini breakdown....

MerryShitmas · 27/03/2018 13:46

Not sure if this counts but meh... It was years ago now, but I left school with no qualifications (due to being extremely ill during the later half of y10 onward) and the only college courses that would take someone on without those were for 21+ or immigrants/those without English as first language (I was neither). So I was trying desperately to get a job. McDonald's crew/waitress/toilet cleaner type job.
One place offered me a job as a waitress + kitchen hand (basically an all rounder who'd do basic prep, dishes, cleaning and serving customers at one time or another) pending successful trial, of course I was delighted. I did the first trial and was told I hadn't worked hard enough. I was gutted but accepted it. Manager looked shocked then said "you could come back again tomorrow and have another go!" I did so, you can imagine what happened, same again. Only this time it was blamed on the fact he hadn't been able to see me work personally as there was x y z going on. So I came in for a third day. Fobbed off again as there'd been a (3 minute) power cut that distracted him and asked me to come in at 9am again. (These weren't short shifts mind, between 6 and 8 hours a time!) When I said "I'm sorry, but I've done 22hours of unpaid work now. I really need to know if I've got the job. If I have I'll be delighted but if not then I'm sorry to have wasted your time."
He screamed in my face that he was only trying to be nice offering me multiple chances and I blew each one, he called me a lazy cunt, said I'd always struggle to hold down a job and that I was no good for anything, anyone, any type of employment and should just slice my wrists and have done with it. I was so shocked and I still remember how I cried when I got home. Sad I was only 16.

Manager was one of those "if my staff aren't busy for so much as 5 seconds then the place isn't running efficiently" types. So if his staff weren't filling every second they'd get a bollocking and sent to do something random (along the lines of power washing the bins or spraying perfume in the ladies). Most of his staff (2-3 on each shift with me) were standing around trying to look busy while I was helping in the restaurant, kitchen and doing orders on the till. I was constantly on the go working hard, doing my best and my god I was sore at the end of each day. Everybody barring nasty manager/owner said I'd done amazingly well and 2 interviews after that I landed my first job and it's been a great journey upwards since, but I've never forgotten that prick...

Valkyrie99 · 27/03/2018 13:47

After being bullied for years by one of my bosses:-
"the reason i was so horrible to you was cos i had a huge crush on you and that was the only way i could deal with it."

Another boss:-
DF died very suddenly in his 50's - no warning at all. I was completely responsible for phoning all of our friends/relatives and organising the funeral (in my early 20's). I was told by a colleague to 'take as much as i needed', as boss wasn't around when i rang in. So i took 6 work days off. On the 6th day boss rang me and asked why i wasn't back at work as she expected me the day after the funeral (day 5 after he died). I explained that i had to do religious stuff the day after the funeral and I also had chest infection. She said she would only be able to give me 4 days compassionate leave. So i asked if 2 days sick leave was possible ? She said yes, but i should understand that sick leave should not be taken unnecessarily and is only paid up to 2 weeks (as if i was taking the p*ss).

These are the two worst bosses i've ever had.

OP, i'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage and your b*tch of a boss. That is truly nasty.