What's the worst thing a boss has ever said to you?

[Anonymous]

"If my daughter was as unhappy at a job as you seem to be I would tell her to quit. There's no reason to stay in a job you hate."

The reason I was unhappy was because the boss kept adding to my workload. I heard through the company grapevine that she was trying to get me to quit so she could hire her friend for my position, and indeed that is what eventually happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"When you are in a meeting [any meeting], you are not to speak unless asked a direct question. Then you can answer that question only. Nothing more."


Ooooookay.

I once had a boss tell me that I was not allowed to speak to her first or initiate a conversation in any way. This included if I passed her in the hall....I was not to say "hi" unless she said "hi" first. If she did not acknowledge me, I was to keep walking and remain silent. BTW, she was in her 30s and I was about 50.

(I was there only a couple more months after that.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"When you are in a meeting [any meeting], you are not to speak unless asked a direct question. Then you can answer that question only. Nothing more."


Ooooookay.

I once had a boss tell me that I was not allowed to speak to her first or initiate a conversation in any way. This included if I passed her in the hall....I was not to say "hi" unless she said "hi" first. If she did not acknowledge me, I was to keep walking and remain silent. BTW, she was in her 30s and I was about 50.

(I was there only a couple more months after that.)

Hahaha. When I was a super junior attorney I got the first poster's talk except was basically told not to talk at all. Then at the client meeting they kept asking me questions directly so I looked to my boss and he nodded. Later he was like "I didn't mean it, you have good sense and they like you but I wasn't sure until I saw you with clients." I was fine with him because lots of junior people say dumb shit.

The worst was when my grandmother was dying at UVA hospital and my boss kept insisting I rewrite a memo because the cases didn't say what he had told the client (wrongly). I just said I couldn't write what he wanted because the law said otherwise, and he needed to read the cases so we could work it out. To this day I know I was 100% right but it made my grandma' death from cancer so much harder. What a dipshit in retrospect.

[Anonymous]

"Are you sure you need two days off? One won't suffice?"

"Yeah I'm having kind of major surgery and will be high on painkillers".

[Anonymous]

Asked me how much weight I gained during my pregnancy... twice. Then sent me an stating, "I hope the baby is gaining weight, and you are not."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Don't you need to leave to let your babysitter go?'" said to me by a female boss with four children and a SAHH.

idk, she sounds thoughtful.

Yeah, I was confused about this one. What's the problem?

I couldn't figure this one out either!?

I am a guy and solely responsible for drop-off and pick-up. Several of my coworkers know that I get charged $10 for each 5 minutes after 5:30. I have had coworkers ask "Don't you have to go and pick up your kids?" I agree that the boss in the first quote sounds thoughtful. If you have a nanny, overtime is time and a half. That can get very expensive, very quickly.

[Anonymous]

They said "stop beating a dead horse". I thought that was pretty unprofessional

[Anonymous]

Oh, so many chauvinist pigs in DC OP. One told me he wouldn't talk to me because he "didn't want to ruffle my feathers". Such a loser

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They said "stop beating a dead horse". I thought that was pretty unprofessional

Um. It's just an expression? not sure how that is unprofessional? Unless you work with actual horses?

[Anonymous]

"You weren't the committee's first choice, but I knew that you were the best person for the job."

She said this after her boss complimented me on a job well done. She was always threatened by me and loved putting me in my place. Needless-to-stay, I left shortly after this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They said "stop beating a dead horse". I thought that was pretty unprofessional

Are you new to America? It's a very common expression here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They said "stop beating a dead horse". I thought that was pretty unprofessional

Are you new to America? It's a very common expression here.

Which reminds me. One of my colleagues said he had a "brain fart" when he forgot something. The non-American client asked what that meant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Are you sure you need two days off? One won't suffice?"

"Yeah I'm having kind of major surgery and will be high on painkillers".

My husband fielded conference calls after a major surgery. He was so jacked up on painkillers that he would forget to unmute when it was his turn to speak. Repeatedly. After two days of this, they finally left him alone. Who knows how coherent he was anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They said "stop beating a dead horse". I thought that was pretty unprofessional

Um. It's just an expression? not sure how that is unprofessional? Unless you work with actual horses?

I hope that's the worse thing they ever hear. I wish it was the worst thing anyone said to me.

[Anonymous]

You are to slow for this-fast paced job. Put in your resignation or you're fired.