“We Don’t Believe Employees Should Own Pets”: 27 Bosses And Employers That Are Truly The Worst

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.

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.

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).

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.

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. 

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.  

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.