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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Annoying little things your boss does that really bug you!

57 replies

DroningOn · 04/04/2018 14:00

I like my boss and we generally get on well but he has this really annoying habit of discussing people in our team or projects we collectively are working on as "his"..... "hello, let me introduce your to Lucy, she is my financial controller" or "yes, that's my project and I'm really proud of it, my team really excelled in that one"

petty I know but it bugs so many of us, and replacing "my" with "our" would totally change the tone of it.

AIBU or is this as patronising and braggy as I think it sounds?

OP posts:
paranoidpammywhammy2 · 05/04/2018 18:13

My ex boss didn't give me all the relevant information so I had to keep getting back to him and ask for more. He was lucky I realised bits were missing but what if I hadn't?

I think it was his way of feeling important and keep track of what I was doing - but it was a constant start/stop.

MrsPussinBoots · 05/04/2018 18:19

Shouting "Tell them I'm not here" when I'm on the phone, loudly enough that the person on the other end can hear.

Otherwise I love my boss. She's wonderful.

DailyMailReadersAreThick · 05/04/2018 18:23

Interrupts me several times in a row. As in:

Me: Engrossed in my work.
Her: "Daily, just to let you know [information.]"
Me: "[Acknowledgement of information.]"
She turns back to her work, I turn back to mine.
30 seconds later...
Her: "Oh, and Daily, another thing..."

Sometimes three or four times in a row.

I'm a writer, so every time I'm distracted it takes me a while to recover the flow of the sentence/paragraph/whatever.

But she's probably the best boss I've ever had, and this is a very minor thing.

Batmanthedude · 05/04/2018 18:24

Our boss loves a meeting. There are numerous meetings including various people across departments that go on for half hour at time, most of them could have been covered in an email or quick 5 minute chat. Waste bloody hours in them

Batmanthedude · 05/04/2018 18:26

He also asks you a question which you answer. He'll then go and ask at least two other people yo check your answers correct. Don't know how he gets anything done.

Sarsparella · 05/04/2018 18:29

Asks someone to do something, then either does it himself too or asks someone else as well - so quite soon lots of people end up having ridiculous conversations not knowing who they’re supposed to be replying too

And today, forwarded me an email sent by X and asked me to make sure X was briefed on it Confused

beyondthesky · 05/04/2018 18:31

My ex-boss asks you how you are or similar and then walks away before you answer. He really isn't interested in anyone else at all but I think he feels he should ask.

Like other PPs no empathy at all for anyone off ill.

Quite outing this one I think but the most odd thing is that when he dictated letters he would pronounce 'Re' (as in subject line) as 'ray'. Took me years to get used to it.

redexpat · 05/04/2018 18:38

Mine forwards emails to me that either I have already received sometimes weeks , or sends her own emails several times.

redexpat · 05/04/2018 18:39
  • weeks before
redpickle · 05/04/2018 18:42

Mine does the 'my' thing.
Introduces herself - "Hello, I'm redpickle's boss" rather than "Hello, I'm Head of (job role)"
Sends every email as 'high importance'
Sends emails in Caps lock and bright colours and size 30 font for emphasis
Sends a Monday morning "it's a new week, you need to focus on...." email. I think she thinks it's motivating but it's just bloody annoying. I know what needs focussing on more than she does anyway. Grrrrr there are many more

DextroDependant · 05/04/2018 18:50

I am feeling so fortunate, my boss is lovely.

My ex boss though used to do pelvic thrusts as you were sat across the desk talking to him. Do men even have a pelvic floor?

purplecorkheart · 05/04/2018 19:16

He does not understand personal space and stands on top of you breathing his foul breath on you, he is a smoker who does not believe in teeth brushing. He is hard of hearing but screams at you that you are mumbling when you do not want go share confidential information at shouting pitch in a public office.

Original poster
DroningOn · 05/04/2018 19:17

Imagine the employment tribunal cases that could be had with some of this stuff. Beginning to wonder if companies know how exposed they are by the conduct of their middle management staff!

OP posts:
Plannergirl9 · 05/04/2018 20:02

My exmanager was a meerkat. Anytime someone came into the office he was up out his chair to see what was going on.

He would make the most boring and mundane meeting private on his calendar (even if it wasn't on anybody else's. Just so he could pretend it was important.

He would go to the weekly senior manager meeting and then drop hints of all the 'hush hush can't possibly tell you' things they discussed. The minutes from the meeting usually were sent to everyone the next day.

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 05/04/2018 20:11

Apart from the walking on egg shells awaiting his return from his many golf sessions as to what sort of mood he’d be in and his tendency to be racist/misogynistic/ageist etc... he’d use my phone at my desk and pick and scratch the ick out of his other ear and leave a trail of himself on my desk/seat/phone. Vom.

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 05/04/2018 20:18

Makes me print out her emails. Her entire fucking inbox - plus attachments - every morning. It takes ages.

Then she makes me sit there while she reads them and throws them in the bin.

Ladyroookwood · 05/04/2018 20:24

My actual boss is lovely but I have a colleague who thinks she's my boss - she is full time to my three days a week. She tells me to do stuff that I was going to do anyway, tells me when I have received a reply to an email and worst of all keeps bloody thanking me for coming in to work my contracted hours as if I'm doing it for her!

Original poster
DroningOn · 05/04/2018 20:34

You should sign her up for newsletters form a handful of less than scrupulous websites. Within a week she'll be getting emails for viagra, penis enlargements and botox. Give you an excuse to stop "sorry I'm not comfortable seeing this part of your personal life, makes me uncomfortable Blush"

OP posts:
Sparklesocks · 05/04/2018 20:40

Mine WhatsApp’s me jokey work stuff out of hours 😬

paranoidpammywhammy2 · 05/04/2018 20:52

Just remembered the worst - farting whilst talking to me in his stinky office, with the door shut.

EustaciaPieface · 05/04/2018 20:57

My boss giggles like a schoolgirl whenever she’s out if her depth. Which is all the time! And cackles when the situations are even more out of her comfort zone. I can’t believe I have to work for her...

pandarific · 05/04/2018 21:39

He lost my objectives for my three month review. Lost them! Three months ago and I’ve still not had them.

pandarific · 05/04/2018 21:41

Oh my god thatmustbenigelwiththebrie that would drive me INSANE.

Barbaro · 05/04/2018 21:43

My ex boss was a micro manager. Basically if he opened his mouth he annoyed me.

Thankfully new boss is great.

TheSmallClangerWhistlesAgain · 06/04/2018 13:45

Dextro I used to work alongside a pelvic thruster! I wonder if it's the same one.

Once I had to go with him in his car. He even thrusted while he was driving. I looked out of the window so I couldn't see it, but the keys in the ignition jingled every time he thrusted.

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