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Employees hating their jobs is nothing new. It's widely understood that many people are simply showing up to work for a paycheck, not because they're passionate about making Excel spreadsheets or frying chicken tenders. But something that can turn a mundane job into a nightmare is having a boss who makes you want to rip your hair out.

Unfortunately, the internet is full of many such examples. We took a trip to the Bad Bosses subreddit and gathered some of their most appalling posts below. It’s obvious that these employers have absolutely no respect or empathy for their workers, so we won't feel bad about calling them out. Good luck scrolling through these pics without becoming filled with rage, and be sure to upvote the bosses that you'd like to see get fired!

#1

I’m Quitting Lmao

Text conversation where boss denies disabled employee reasonable accommodation to sit at work

QueerTrashRat Report

Mark Alexander
Community Member
6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never threaten to talk to HR. Threaten to talk to a lawyer.

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    #2

    Just Saw This Post On Linkedin And Thought This Subreddit Would Get A Kick Out Of It

    Post about no pets allowed policy impacting productivity at work

    Intelligent-Run-4738 Report

    Robyn Hill
    Community Member
    7 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    IDK what this company is/does, but the fact that it has AI in the name and wants to control all aspects of their employees’ lives makes it vile.

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    #3

    What My Boss Posted For All The Staff Yesterday 😀🔫

    Workplace cleaning rules with warning about bathroom use consequences

    Low_Operation_6446 Report

    Bookworm
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thanks for putting the OSHA violation in writing boss.

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    There are many reasons why you might hate your job. You may not be able to stand the woman who sits across from you and smacks her gum all day. Or you might cringe every time an older colleague tries to flirt with you. But one of the most common reasons why people dread getting out of bed and going to work is that their boss is a nightmare.

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    According to research from Stagwell, one-third of workers say that they have a toxic boss, and 71% say that they have had at least one toxic boss in the past. Over half of employees admit that they’ve even had nightmares about a toxic boss, and 41% have had to seek therapy due to treatment they’ve experienced from their boss.

    #4

    My Boss Thinks She's Doing The Kindest Thing By Posting Her Half Eaten Leftovers For Us In The Group Chat (Warning Pics Could Be Gross)

    Photo of leftover noodles with message offering food to others

    ClarinetTunes Report

    #5

    If You’re Sick You Still Have To Come In

    Text messages showing boss ignoring COVID positive employee safety concerns

    Mothmags Report

    Charlotte
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Gee, maybe encouraging contagious employees to show up is why you have so many sick employees?

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    #6

    “We Have To Flex” *refuses To Flex*

    Employee requests day off due to schedule change, boss refuses for funeral reason

    beluga199 Report

    Bookworm
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Really depends on how much notice was given.

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    There are plenty of things employers can do to get on their employees’ bad side, including saying extremely insensitive and rude things. For example, over two-thirds of workers with a toxic boss have been told something along the lines of, “What I say is final because I’m the boss.” Two-thirds have also been told by their boss that they’re lucky to have a job in today’s economy.  

    While some employees feel trapped in their current position due to financial pressures or being unable to find a job elsewhere, a survey from GoodHire found that 82% would consider quitting if they had a bad manager. And a lot of people don’t have much faith in their managers, as over 80% believe that they could easily do their manager’s job (and that they could do their own job without their manager around).

    #7

    10 Days After We Had Our Baby

    Text message asking for help working the bar on a weekend showing poor boss behavior

    Wowbobwow1995 Report

    Colleen Glim
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No. No. And did I mention no. That sounds like a you problem. Are you kidding my right now?!

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    #8

    My Boss Wants Me To Come In After Contracting The Norovirus And Having Active Symptoms. This Isn’t His First Time Wanting Me In During Hard Times

    Text conversation about norovirus symptoms and work absence confirmation

    writing_a_book_ Report

    Colleen Glim
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So you can let one employee recover or you can have every other employee call out in a few days. Pick one

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    #9

    Make This Make Sense

    Text message discussing wearing an athletic skort with polo for dress attire rules at work

    Back in may I asked if I could wear the athletic skort to work since I’d be leaving directly from my branch to a work event that was outside. Her reply was that I could wear it and I even sent a picture of it to make sure but then the next month when we had our one on one meeting I was told I couldn’t wear it. Make this make sense. Like what the hell?

    reddit.com Report

    Charlotte
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Boss caught flak from the maligned Melissa for double standards

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    When it comes to conversations about promotion opportunities, only 39% of Americans say that their manager is open and honest. And only 44% of employees in the U.S. say their manager is open and honest when talking about their salary. Less than a third of workers believe that their manager actually cares about employees progressing their careers, and only 46% say that their manager truly respects their personal time outside of working hours.

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    #10

    When Someone Need Off For A Funeral That Is Of A Different Culture

    Text discussing need for 3 days off for a funeral with employer

    reddit.com Report

    #11

    I Love This Meetings 🙄

    Screenshot of a manager saying a meeting should be quick followed by meeting length over an hour

    BrilliantClear2069 Report

    Charlotte
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah... This can also be because the employees had way more questions than expected. Is it a trend, or a one-off,?

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    #12

    Boss Doesn’t Know How Sickness Works?

    Email complaining about too many sick days and unacceptable number of absences in the office

    kohmi1820 Report

    Mark Alexander
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You should start by not demanding the plague carriers come in and infect everyone else.

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    According to Bamboo HR’s 2025 Bad Boss Index, the top pet peeves that employees have about their bosses are being disorganized, micromanaging, and being unapproachable or inflexible. Meanwhile, the top deal-breakers that workers have observed in bad bosses are being unethical, being hypercritical, overworking the team, or having unrealistic expectations. 

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    #13

    Am I The Problem?

    Text message exchange about work schedule and availability conflicts

    Rogue_Voidd Report

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    #14

    Pretty Sure She Wanted Me Fired

    Handwritten employee yearly meeting notes critiquing behavior and accountability

    So a little backstory; I’m the only teller in my branch( I work for a credit union) and I’m pretty sure my supervisor was trying to get me fired. Luckily she got let go so she’s no longer my problem but I found this in one of her notebooks. She would write stuff down to talk to our branch manager about. The part I marked out was about an outdoor concert venue that our credit union sponsored and we sometimes would work the table at the events.

    reddit.com Report

    #15

    Boss Scared Me So I Quit

    Reddit post about a young woman's awkward experience with a bar owner's inappropriate questions

    bluebanisters44 Report

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    Many employees also admit that they don’t always feel comfortable raising concerns or complaints with their boss, as 59% say they fear retaliation when doing so. Their fears are not unwarranted, though, as nearly a third of employees have received an inaccurate performance evaluation after doing so. 30% have also been reprimanded for raising issues with their boss, and 28% have experienced increased scrutiny.  

    #16

    Hair Discrimination

    Person with curly hair and angry emoji face representing workplace frustration

    For context I have naturally curly hair same as the wig I am wearing, why wear a wig then? First off it’s a quick and simple way to get ready for the day and two I am thinning I have yet to see a dermatologist to see what’s wrong but that is besides the point, I woke up this morning and decided I wanted to feel better about myself so let me get my best hair on and go to work, this wig is practically the same length as my natural hair the only difference is that this one has way more hair in the front which I am happy with because that is where I am thinning.

    I get to work and everyone is impressed with my hair, I haven’t typically worn a wig at work but I do always change my hair style: I have it in braids, I have it up, down, straighten, all of the styles, but my boss is almost speechless at the sight of me. I thought he would make a comment on my hair like he has in the past the meme with the “puerto Rican hair” sound but instead he instantly says that I need to put it up to not be in the patients eyes..?

    In my couple of years working here he has never had an issue with any hairstyles I’ve had it all this is only the first time I’ve worn a wig, well it’s rubbed me the wrong way, he did try to “apologize” without saying sorry and was just making sure I didn’t feel picked on by him, well I do and I’m so over it, currently crying silently to myself because if I didn’t need this job I would have walked out I just need a place to rant and see what others say, like I understand he’s just doing his job but at the same time this felt very targeted and hurtful to me.

    Nikki_ispickyy Report

    Eileen Ryan
    Community Member
    7 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's not doing his job, that's picking on you. Does anyone else have longer hair? Does he make them put it up? Can you show me where it says that in the employee handbook?

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    #17

    At The Time We Had To Share Vans. Am I Wrong For Telling My Boss I Would Not Be Driving This Around Until It Was Cleaned?

    Messy work van filled with tools and boxes showing workplace disorganization

    6six1one9nine Report

    #18

    Boss Forcing An Employee To Attend A Sunday Picnic

    Boss demands employee reschedule picnic plans despite serious personal reasons

    senor_po Report

    Colleen Glim
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No. Boss can kick rocks. Employees are allowed to have lives outside of work

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    On the bright side, however, over two-thirds of employees say that good bosses are actually common too. And Bamboo HR notes that there are several key traits that highly effective bosses tend to embody. First, they are supportive and understanding. They’ll show empathy if something unexpected happens in your personal life, and they will encourage you to follow your passions.

    A great boss is also an effective communicator who provides just enough feedback. They’ll never leave you guessing about where you stand, but they won’t critique every move you make either.       

    #19

    An Old Departmental Manager Karen Of Mine From Years Ago. 2nd Pic In Comments. Changes Her Story A Bit Quick

    Social media post about skiing plans despite coronavirus, showing determination to go on the trip

    Eirevampire Report

    Mark Alexander
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Uh. BP. It's one thing to repackage content from somewhere else but could you, at least, include the 2nd pic in comments?

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    #20

    Is This Normal? It Seems Like My Boss Is Just Insecure

    Work message demanding 100% daily workload update and clocking rules

    yeetmedowntown Report

    Cee Cee
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I once had a new manager. His first team wide initiative was for us to record at 15 minute intervals all we had done in that 15 minutes. This was in a hostel for the homeless not a production line. Very odd.

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    #21

    Am I Overreacting? Help!

    Message sharing feedback on professional attire and teaching standards in workplace

    I was called out in a group message and have been trying to formulate a response, and I genuinely need to know if I'm taking things too personally. I'm a 1099 yoga instructor for this business, and have to show up on site wherever I'm scheduled to go. We work with in business professional settings, but there has never been a dress code mentioned. I am your average 5'3" athletic, tiny-cheasted female. Pictured are screenshots of the employer's messages to the ENTIRE group, plus my considered but not sent, response to the pictured conversation is below. I really need some advice because I didn't receive a dress code, never got clarification on it in the group messages, and feel really attacked for something that could have been so simple to fix with some advice. I honestly thought what I wore was appropriate workout attire, and feel unprotected as that seems predatory to me. I also have never had complaints wearing similar outfits, even shorts, with the other locations I go to.
    My response - feel free to comment advice: ""- indicates a generic change for privacy.
    This next part is lengthy, but I would really love to share my side of today in a private conversation. I understand completely that you needed to address some things, but the approach felt targeted, and I'd love to share my POV.
    I mentioned I had videos I shared specifically for "private students", and asked if their collection was similar. He didn't know, but I said maybe we(as in "yoga business that hired me") could put together more videos for them since he said there was only three. I can see the misunderstanding, but I don't even have public YouTube videos at this time, and would have been happy to clarify that and share a link to my YT to prove I'm not trying to take away your ability to make profit. I've always wanted your success!
    About my my outfit, I wore high waisted, full-length dual-lined leggings with a white, full coverage sports bra under the "company logo" top I just bought and socks. It wasn't up to their dress code, which is fine, that can always be fixed, but there also wasn't one distinguished for fitness instructors, and if it was something specific, it would have been great just to get a simple dress code or uniform and not be called out on the full group chat, that was hurtful. 🥺
    Overall, that message felt very much like I was being attacked ultimately after I showed up, delivered a great, full-body class with lots of smiles and stretched bodies, and tried to show I heard them about getting variety in videos.
    All of that being said, I really loved working with the studio, but those messages in the group were really unprofessional and hurtful. I don't feel protected as what I wore was not provocative at minimum, and I think it's best for my mental health if I come by and return your key. Thank you so much for providing the opportunity, and I wish you all the best!!

    TheseCaterpillar7540 Report

    Charlotte
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Boss didn't handle this well but I don't think it's worth quiting over.

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    Meanwhile, a great boss provides recognition and rewards. They don’t simply expect their team to stay motivated for no reason. They praise their workers for doing a wonderful job, and they provide incentives to keep up the good work. In the same vein, the best bosses curate a positive work environment. They empower and trust their employees, and they ensure that everyone feels safe and comfortable.   

    #22

    Working At A Small Business Means No HR… My Boss’ Bookmarks On The Browser We All Use 🤦🏼‍♀️

    Computer screen showing website bookmarks including workplace related directories

    Independent_Code5494 Report

    #23

    Not My Boss But Posted By Local Comic Shop Owner

    Sign hiring college graduates with strict conditions for internships and jobs

    NoraCerburas Report

    Charlotte
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unpaid internship - but don't think about closing early suggesting you're alone in the store? That's not an internship, it's just wage theft.

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    #24

    Could You Just Whip Up A Gta Clone In 3 Months. Sure. No Problem

    Memes about bosses making unreasonable weekend work requests

    MuntyPunter Report

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    We sincerely hope that these images don’t remind you of your own bosses, pandas. But if they do, clearly, you’re not alone. And maybe it’s time to quit! Keep upvoting the images that leave you appalled, and let us know in the comments below what the most egregious thing your boss ever did was. Then, if you’d like to check out another article from Bored Panda featuring stories of horrible bosses, look no further than right here!

    #25

    My Covid-19 Hypocrite Boss:

    Instagram post from The Enneagram in Business offering support to those suffering globally

    My COVID-19 Hypocrite Boss... just came back from Bangkok before she was forced quarantined there. The US let a 72 yo heavy smoker back into the country (she said she was exempt from being in the high risk group because she does not inhale her cigarettes, although she constantly hacks her lungs out- so she lies to herself constantly).

    When she arrived back in the US she went straight to her home OFFICE. ...Where three of us work including her son. The day before she arrived I set up, single handedly, a teleworking software program for all of the office computers except my coworker’s personal laptop- my coworker did that one herself. I found, tested and installed the software. We made a plan with her son to turn on and off the computers as needed so we could have a connection during work hours. We all exchanged numbers and made the decision to comply with the law- San Francisco was implementing the “shelter in place” law the next day, also her return day.

    Next day: She sets up a zoom meeting asking me to apologize for not coming into work and not being explicit about not showing up to work. My coworker and I DID sent her an email explaining we would be teleworking so to comply with the law. What my coworker and her son did not tell me was that they gave credit for the teleworking software to “the iMac guys” to create more validity. BEcauSe ThEy’Re mEN. (?!) Nothing against that gender, but it did ruin my credibility and autonomy in the workplace. I told Ginger, my boss, that it was me who installed the software and she was upset that I felt the need to collect credibility. (Imsorrywhat?!) Her son also told her HE WAS NOT ENTIRELY SURE if we were coming back to work or not. Even though we made plans, exchanged numbers, and said, “See you in two weeks.” to one another as I left for the last day in office. Spineless. Prick. ...who has only worked for his mother and is 28yo.
    So she ‘let me go’ because there is no money right now even though she made me make this graphic: see above. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO THIS STORY. But the last thing she did before laying me off was forcing me to make this graphic so she could maintain the presence as a caring, loving entity on social media. I was her, I am a, graphic designer. Feel free to email in asking for me to have proper compensation. Feel free to comment on her social media sites. It is a free country.

    shesheseabeaut Report

    Mark Alexander
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If someone is forcing you to work then you're a s***e. That's kinda the definition.

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    #26

    How Do I Know She Was A Bad Boss? Referencing An Article About Burnout As Some Of Her Best Career Advice May Be A Clue

    Illustration showing a large face with a small man standing on the nose, representing Sunday night dread at work

    EasterIslandNoggin Report

    Mark Alexander
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What a world we could make by answering all this bull with a simple "no" and no further words. Make them liable for unemployment payments. Honestly, they really cannot survive if noone will submit. Solidarity.

    #27

    I’m In The Middle Of Something Too. It’s Called A Mental Breakdown, Due To My Overdrawn Bank Account

    Text exchange about paycheck concern and delayed response from boss

    ReneeMaezie Report

    Charlotte
    Community Member
    4 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Document, document, document. It will make life easier when suing for those unpaid wages.

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