A boss can really make or break a workplace. A good boss can make a work environment fun, friendly, and positively challenging. A bad boss, however... they make going to work a nightmare every day.
The tide may be changing as more members of Generation Z are becoming managers. In 2024, Glassdoor predicted that Gen Z will make up 10% of managers in 2025.
Does that mean there won't be as many terrible bosses around? Perhaps, but work jerks are a breed that's difficult to get rid of. We've got a compilation of the most toxic and entitled bosses for you here, just so you remember the level of pettiness and absurdity some employees and managers can stoop to.
To learn more about how to spot horrible bosses and how to deal with them, Bored Panda reached out to organizational psychologist, speaker, author, adjunct professor, and podcast host Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett.
With 25 years of experience, she is a thought leader on workplace psychology, career development, and the future of work. Dr. Laura founded Canada Career Counselling and other consulting practices and is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology. A Canadian Women of Inspiration Award winner, she is dedicated to helping people and organizations thrive.
Dr. Laura kindly agreed to tell us more about how people can differentiate between difficult and toxic bosses, what steps to take if you're working under a toxic manager, and how Gen Z is growing less and less tolerant of entitled bosses. Read her expert insights below!
More info: Where Work Meets Life™ podcast | Dr. Laura Hambley Lovett
#41 How My Boss Asks Me To Work 21 Days Straight
We have 7 routes and 11 drivers. These guys thought it was a good idea to let 3 drivers take a vacation spanning over 3 months. All 3 will be gone at the same time over the next month. So what's their plan? Try to make other drivers work for almost a month straight to pick up the slack. Needless to say, it hasn't gone over well. Now the boss and production manager get to drive a couple nights a week as well as work the day shift.
Report
30points
#43 My Mum Has Stage 4 Cancer In 5 Areas And Her Boss Has Been Pressuring Her To Come Back To Work
This email might lot look like much but every other week there’s something, and no emotional support or kindness offered at all.
Report
30points
#44 Former Boss Ghosts Me After I Ask About Not Getting Paid
This is after I've been sending daily emails to finance and management since last Friday.
Report
30points
#45 Fractured The End Of My Femur In A Bike Accident A Few Months Ago. This Was My Boss's Response
I sent him this picture of my knee. It’s like 3x the size that it normally is idk what he was on I worked at a restaurant too, I know that “the 18 year old” was just a blatant lie.
Report
30points
#47 My Boss Doesn’t Think This Needs To Be Changed And I’ve Only Swept Half The Store
Report
29points
#50 My Boss “Cleaned My Desk” Aka Threw Everything Out. I Had To Go Digging In The Trash To Get My Personal Items, Along With Client Files, Receipt Records, Etc
Report
26points