Workplaces are complicated areas that have a lot of moving parts. Sometimes those parts get stuck or they don’t work as intended. Thus, sometimes there is a suggestion box, to encourage workers to find ways to make the place better.
Sometimes – like here – the bosses aren’t too thrilled with the idea of a suggestion box, since it means things aren’t already perfect, or that they’ll have to do work to fix things. While this could be a tongue-in-cheek joke, it also might not be a great thing for overworked employees to see when they start the day.
A Gift From the Boss
Some people just have a twisted sense of humor, you know? Like a boss that goes to a dollar store to find a mug that will absolutely not make people feel better about the work that they're doing.
But maybe this kind of gift won't have the same effect that the boss would like it to have. Maybe this kind of gift will encourage someone to leave a dead-end job and instead try to do something that will give them more joy and fill up their heart more. Maybe that's what the boss wanted!
There, You Have Your Next Job
The explanation for this picture is that the employee was doing his own thing, not bothering anybody, and then the boss walked up to him and slapped this sticker on the employee's chest. There was no other explanation, just “here, have a sticker,” and then the boss walked away. A warning that shouldn't be ignored, or a silly joke that could be easily misunderstood?
You'll have to decide for yourself. But look at the other options – I'll cry, we're all doomed, etc. This one is just a gag, hopefully.
Dueling Notes
An employee steps into his boss's office for their one-on-one meeting, only to find that his boss isn't present. Well, we guess the employee can have the meeting on his own, which means a big raise! The boss isn't too happy about this and delivers a counter offer. It might seem a little harsh, but both sides need to negotiate when it comes to this kind of thing.
If you're worried about Steve's job, we think it's pretty safe to assume that both of these notes are just jokes between two people who understand each other's sense of humor.
It Tastes Fine
What could we be looking at here? It looks like the sort of thing that you see swarming in a science-fiction movie. What we're ACTUALLY seeing is a business's drinking-water filter, which has gone years without being replaced, and which the boss of the site says is still working fine.
It literally looks like there's a small jungle growing inside it, but sure, it's working fine. We bet that the water that people have to drink to survive isn't teeming with swarming little creatures. Try not to think about it, we guess.
I Got a Suggestion Box for You
Workplaces are complicated areas that have a lot of moving parts. Sometimes those parts get stuck or they don't work as intended. Thus, sometimes there is a suggestion box, to encourage workers to find ways to make the place better.
Sometimes – like here – the bosses aren't too thrilled with the idea of a suggestion box, since it means things aren't already perfect, or that they'll have to do work to fix things. While this could be a tongue-in-cheek joke, it also might not be a great thing for overworked employees to see when they start the day.
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
One of the classic battles that people in an office have to face is how to keep their food safe. Sure, adding a splash of milk to your coffee might not seem like much, but if everybody does it, then that person doesn't have any milk left.
Well, one boss decided that enough was enough, and it's nice to have an entry on this list that is just plain funny. How exactly did the boss accomplish this? Were there tools involved? We couldn't tell you, but hopefully, it did get people to stop using it.
Run That One by Us Again?
What fresh horror do you see before you? Yes, that is indeed a picture of a coffee machine full of cooking ramen. It seems the boss of the place was going through a divorce and had taken to spending extra time at work – perhaps even living there.
One worker caught the boss making some dinner, which explained why the coffee always tasted a little funky. Chances are the boss does clean things up, but that sort of flavor is going to linger, and it's not going to linger in a good way.
That Will Mean Some Poor Yelp Reviews
To clear up any confusion, the “there” in this story is your favorite pasta place, the Olive Garden. The thing about the flu is it tends to be messy. Like, fluids coming from places they shouldn't be coming out of. Most certainly someone who has the flu should not be serving food.
They should be in bed, drinking lots of fluids, and reading that book they've been putting off. This person did the right thing. Well, she could have done it with a little more class, but we don't think anybody would be mad.
Caught Red-Handed
Who brings a whole dang pie into work? Nobody, since this is what always happens some pie thief happens across it, and won't take no for an answer. You might as well leave a warm one on the windowsill, so tramps can float toward it, drawn by the steam.
So this person brought a pie in, left it somewhere in the office, and then it went missing. Who had it but the boss of the place? Sure, there are probably some places that share resources, but food isn't the kind of resource that usually gets shared.
You Know What You Did, Cody
This boss, at the very least, is trying to encourage people. But it's not that cool calling out Cody like that. If there is really a problem with Cody, it should be addressed in a private place. But, is it possible that this is just a gag? Like, Cody is the butt of the joke, and they had some good-natured ribbing ready to go on the big screen.
The red text makes it seem like this is the case. Maybe Cody is just that bad at whatever he's doing. Shame on you, Cody.
Grandma Needs Her Grandkids
Sure, practicing with the band is an important element of being in the band – even if you know the songs back to front, you have to be able to work with the other musicians. Then again, Grandma's birthday party only happens once a year. The solution to this problem is simple.
Have Grandma call up the band director and explain that she might not have much time left, and she needs to get grandkid time as much as she can. Who could possibly say no to a message like that?
Does This Person Work at a Coal Mine?
We're really trying to figure out what kind of place this person works at. It seems like it could be a restaurant of some kind, but what kind of restaurant doesn't let people take tips, and then also shorts their checks? Not any place I want to go to eat, that's for sure. They probably never change the lettuce.
Nobody seems happy at this place, and we can't decide who to side with, but we think we're gonna side with the worker, cause what kind of an employer takes the tips for himself? A bad one!
Get Ready for a Long One
This one's a pretty rough one. There's either a lot of miscommunication, or there's a lot of lying going on. These kinds of stories, present us with a problem. Since they always come from the employee, they're framed to make the employee look good.
But we should all know by now that it's easy to remove information that makes you the bad guy. We aren't saying that this happened here – it seems pretty clear that the boss is off his rocker somehow – but we want to encourage people to realize the employee could be in the wrong as well.
At Least Lunch Is Provided
If you get called up to take a night shift during the holidays, you should expect some extra benefits. Not so at the company from which this picture comes, which has workers on the holiday without extra pay – but at least they get a free lunch.
Yes, it's true, an old microwave burrito and a moldy piece of fruit will fill your stomach as you're working hard, instead of celebrating the holiday (whichever one it was) with your family or earning extra money.
Second-Hand Shaming
This review isn't even from an employee – it's just a review that somebody left on Yelp or a similar site. The owner of the place revealed him or herself as quite the brute, not even allowing someone to have a drink of water without requiring payment. What's worse, the boss then said that it was coming out of the employee's paycheck – a double dose of mean boss energy.
The customer rightly left the cup of water, and we truly hope that the employee threw it in the boss's face before walking out of the restaurant forever.
You Only Live an Hour Away
This worker lives in a different state from the workplace in question, but that doesn't keep the boss from asking them if they can make it in with less than an hour's notice. We doubt it's any worse than just over the border from the place of business, but it still seems like not a very reasonable thing to ask.
People get testy, comments about “attitudes” are brought up, and the employee drops a line that we're all going to be repeating whenever we need to leave something.
Stealing Our Precious Power
If you're like billions of other people around the world, you have a cell phone that keeps you connected to friends, family, and apps. Also, your phone doesn't stay charged for very long, and you need to charge it at work.
Well, one place doesn't seem to like that, since you're taking energy from the company for your own use. This is, as you might have noticed, silly. In fact, a company fired a worker for this kind of “theft,” but was later sued for wrongful termination – and the power he had “stolen” amounted to about half a cent.
That Can't Be Convenient
The way we treat our desktops can be seen as a microcosm of the way we treat our lives. Everything is in the right place? Well then, it can be surmised that the person is methodical and measured.
If everything is cluttered, well, that kind of person might have a harder time being productive, and this boss might have taken the cake. Every single square inch of desktop space is taken up, and we bet that this guy would have layered them up if he could.
We Have Some Other Things We Want to Say
Almost any worker – except for the most soulless corporate drone – will take umbrage with this kind of sign. Not only is it covered in things that a lot of people would find insulting or aggravating, but it's also made with a childish, cartoonish, almost infantilizing style that looks like it belongs in a book for preschoolers, and not at a workplace.
It's hard to pick out the worst one, but the bottom right says “Given the chance to keep working here, I would gladly accept a cut in pay!”
Some People Shouldn't Be Bosses
Yes, what you're reading is real. A woman is trying to take time off to see her son – who is on life support – and is immediately fired by her boss. The boss tries to paint it as if the woman is quitting, but she isn't. She's going to see her son, who is on life support. Life support!
The woman held her ground, stating that she'll be talking to corporate about such a bloodthirsty response, and she'll be going to see her son, who is, we'd like to remind everybody, is on life support.
Everybody Likes Socks
“Everybody likes socks” is a true statement once you get past the age of eighteen, but it's also the thing this employer was thinking. The employee's contract states that he's supposed to get a three thousand dollar bonus for making the company money.
Instead of that chunk of change, he got a pair of cold-weather boot socks. Comfortable, yes, but not the kind of thing you want to find in your stocking at year's end. The employee decided that it was time for him to find a different company or industry altogether.
That's the Kind of Statement That Will Haunt You
It isn't legal to sell food that is too old or might have gone bad, so a lot of places are required to throw out old stuff at the end of the day. This guy gave a bag of mostly-fresh bagels to a homeless guy and was subsequently fired by his boss, which we could say is quite the statement about our time.
But that's for another article. The boss also said the guy had been fired for “feeding the animals,” which is just straight-up cruel, and maybe that boss should be shamed for this.
A Hint You Should Start Talking About Your Pay
This company-wide email was sent out to everybody, and whether or not it was in response to something, it probably raised a few eyebrows. What's more, the story goes on to say that the person who got the email reported it to Human Resources, and HR responded that "it was out of place for her to critique her superior's emails."
Remember: Human Resources is not your friend. They are the company's friend. That's what they're there for. It is your duty and your right to make their lives as difficult as possible.
How Dare You
It's all right there. Vacation days are a standard part of the package for most employers, be they salaried or hourly employees. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Unless, of course, your boss gets mad when you use the vacation days that he gave you.
It's like a modern version of a catch-22. How dare you use those things that I gave you! Sadly, we bet this is a common occurrence, especially during certain times of the year.
To Be Fair, It Looks Well-Built
You need the right tools for the job – that's true everywhere from the writing desk to the kitchen to the garage. If your tools are old and worn out, you won't be able to do your job the right way, and it may even be more difficult than it should be.
This worker asked for new tools and was told by his boss that he just got new tools. As we can see, the tools aren't really all that new. They were made in a country that stopped existing in 1991.
It Is, Indeed, a Red Flag
Remember, there are absolutely no laws whatsoever about talking about your salary or rate of pay. You can wear it on your shirt if you want. You can ask other people out of the blue if you want. This person wants to know one of the most critical pieces of information about a job – how much it will pay.
The person that is communicating with the prospective employee seems to think that this kind of thing is bad. It's called a “red flag,” something that tells you there is danger ahead. The prospective employee responds the proper way.
The No That We All Want to Say
As this tweet tells us, there are some bad things about being an independent contractor – you have to provide your own health insurance, pay more in taxes and work on finding your own jobs – but there are some great aspects about it, too. This guy, for instance, is about to enjoy getting paid without doing a single thing unless the company he works for comes crawling back on bended knees.
Trust us, one of the best parts about being an independent contractor is not having to have any regular meetings – unless they're in the contract, of course.
Striking Back Where It Hurts
Keeping a place from being short-staffed is an around-the-clock job for a lot of managers, since every employee wants a certain amount of hours, wants to have a certain amount of free time, wants time off, etc. Sometimes they can be a little pushy, such as in this example. Somebody quits, the boss calls someone else in while that person would be out of town, and an argument occurs.
A rather short and to-the-point argument, but an argument nonetheless. It ends with the employee also quitting, which was exactly what he or she had threatened.
This Is It. The Saddest Picture We've Ever Seen
If you need a moment, we understand. To think somebody would be so callous as to throw away all that perfectly good pizza! Makes us wonder if there is any good left in the world.
This pizza is from an office party, and for some inscrutable reason, the boss does not let people take any of the leftovers home. Admittedly it doesn't look like GREAT pizza, but bad pizza is still better than most other foods. Why wouldn't the boss let them take it home? That's a bad boss in our book.
Some Employees Are Liked More Than Others
Ah, Christmas, when cheer is at maximum levels, and even frugal companies are willing to give out presents to their workers. You could get things like fruity post-it notes, pens, chocolate, and a free jeans day.
That's what this employee got and when you compare it to money... we'd take money any day. This boss exposed themselves, and no one would want to work somewhere where this is considered a gift.
A Brand New iMac
Having the right computer equipment is sometimes critical to doing your job right. It could be proper software, or it could be hardware that is current enough to let you actually get something done without waiting for it to turn on for an hour. One employee asks his boss if there's money in the budget for new iMacs, and then he walks into his office to find this sparkling new machine.
Turns out that new computers – especially Apple computers – are just too expensive. But using your imagination is for free!
Organization Is a Skill
An employee at some unnamed office was having trouble keeping her files in order, which was slowing down the rest of the office. The boss came up with an idea, and you see it in action here. Now there's no way for things to be confusing, thanks to a long label that just has the entire alphabet written out. That way, everybody will know what order the files are in.
Yup, that should do it. Another problem solved – now to go figure out why the coffee machine makes coffee taste like ramen noodles.
Doesn't Seem Very Safe
Yes, you're looking at a desk that is actually a dresser with a big piece of glass perched on top of it. Apparently, the boss threw out all the old desks to make room for these new ones.
Why on earth the boss did this is beyond us, since they don't look as comfortable, or as natural to work at, and they also look like they could be a real danger. Dressers are a little more top-heavy than working desks, and that glass looks like it's just sitting there, ready to fall at a single wrong touch.
It's Totally Random, We Swear
Sometimes you just need to get away from it all, including your job. One of the places you can go to do so is an event called Burning Man, which is a music festival where people like to, uh, unwind. You know what we mean.
But all good things must come to an end, and people have to return to work eventually, so they can earn enough money to visit the next Burning Man. But what if the boss decides to “randomly” select them for an illegal substance test? Hopefully, there wasn't too much unwinding while at this event...
We'll Just Make Our Own
There are tons of social media sites now, and try as they might, most employers can't block them all. But back when Facebook was the only thing people were using, employers did their best to keep employees from spending too much time online.
The employees at this company decided to create a small version of their own on a whiteboard, complete with posted statuses, pictures, comments, likes, and Justin Bieber memes. This must have been back in the early teens. Even people who don't like him can't bear to post JB memes anymore. Just let the kid live his life.
Oh, Yeah, That's Going to Go Over Well
Tips are a big issue when it comes to the food-service industry. A lot of workers depend on them since their jobs have lowered their wages...to account for tips. Doesn't seem all that fair, but what do we know?
Even worse is if a restaurant doesn't even distribute tips between waiters, but instead, the management just hoards it all. Seems like the bad boss exposed himself here.
We All Have to Make Sacrifices
Instead of a shaker of pepper, the boss of this burger place ordered six thousand pepper packets. Was this a cost-saving venture, or an actual mistake? Most likely it was some kind of combination of the two.
One way or another, it meant that an employee had to spend what was likely hours upon hours – if not days – cutting open tiny pepper packets and mixing them all together so that they could make the burger seasoning. We bet the person the boss liked the least got this job.
We Don't Think That Will Solve Anything
Here we have some wire cutters that have been locked in place by a wire. Now, go ahead and take a few seconds to figure out why this setup might not work that well. You figured out that those wire cutters aren't safe from a five-fingered discount.
This situation happened because the boss of the place (we have no idea what kind of business it is) was sick of people stealing their wire cutters, or at the very least putting them down in the wrong places. But, again, if someone does want to lift the tools, they will.
I'm Glad I'm Leaving
Well, hey, at least she got a cake. This picture comes from the going-away party for a worker who had found a different job. Her old boss and coworkers gathered to enjoy some delicious cake, which also bore a somewhat suspect message.
Dark humor aside, this cake seems a little too mean for our taste. Just go the traditional route and wish the person leaving well. Even if you're unhappy about them leaving, be unhappy on your own time.
Really, Is There Anything We Need to Add?
Hey, bad news, we found the camera you put in the bathroom. More bad news: we all quit. Even more bad news: That's really super illegal and you'll be lucky to avoid jail time unless you can come up with a really, REALLY good reason for having a camera in the bathroom.
We can't think of any places where putting security cameras in a bathroom is legal, and a cursory Google search tells us that that's pretty much how it is everywhere.
Is This a Trick Question?
This almost seems like a joke. Unless your family is just the aunts from “James and the Giant Peach,” the answer to that question is going to almost always be family. And when it's a kid working a summer job in a high school, the question is absolutely a joke.
Yeah, you miss out on work experience and a little bit of cash, but it's a summer job. Later employers aren't even going to raise an eyebrow when they see that you quit early. Go and make sure your family is cared for – there will be other summer jobs.
How Dare These People Love Their Family
Just because you aren't close to any of your parents' siblings doesn't mean nobody is. There are people out there that were raised by their uncles or aunts. Even if they were just spoiled by their aunt or uncle, that's a pretty good reason to call out.
Plus, if you get invited to a funeral – or even if you just know of one that you should go to – you should go. Funerals are something you shouldn't miss. It only happens once, as opposed to your job, which is a daily occurrence.
They Must Have Really Needed the Help
This story, like too many others on this list, is about a boss that wants someone to work with the flu. Look, we prefer that nobody who has the flu will be bringing us our pasta. We'll even go back there and make it ourselves. We're fine with that. We really just want to get out of the house.
And does the boss not know how the flu works? It really doesn't go away that quickly. In fact, it's more likely that every time he called, he was just waking the person up from much-needed sleep.
Trying to Keep Me From My Education?!
Only people who own a store full of roaches can be so ruthless about not giving up time off. Plus, do they really assume that when deciding between graduating and working at a Kmart, anybody in their right mind will pick Kmart? There are probably more people who would choose to do another four years of high school than get a job at a Kmart.
Are they even still in business? Well, this location likely isn't, due to the aforementioned nest of roaches. Bye, I'm off to a better life.
The Bigger Picture
There are some jobs that you just need to be ready to leave. We get it – it's hard. Whether it's because of finances or because you don't like making that kind of change, a big shift in your life in that way will always be an issue. Unless, of course, you work at this company.
Here, it seems like there is nothing good going on at all. There aren't enough resources, and nothing really works. Human Resources can't even respond to a resignation email. The employee has to do it the old-fashioned way. Just quit.
On My Two Legs?
The employee has no car and walks to work every time he has a shift. Still, the manager at his store scheduled him at a different store miles away, which would have required walking.
We don't know how far exactly, but jogging five miles can take an hour – more than that and you're looking at your entire day, including walking home the same distance in the dark. This employee gracefully declined, even saying that he needed to move on. So must we all, sometimes.
For Everyone to See
Planet Fitness calls itself a “judgment-free zone,” but anyone who's tried to do more than just walk on the ellipticals knows that's pretty far from the truth. It seems like there's plenty of judgment when it comes to the people that work there, since there's nothing in the way of benefits, PTO, etcetera.
Unpaid lunch breaks are standard, so this employee had enough and taped up a nice big letter to the boss to let him know that enough was enough.
I'll Try, I Guess
This could certainly be worse – the boss appreciates the employee's time and wants him or her to get better (for backstory, the employee had to call in sick). The boss also seems to say that this person is one of the top workers, which is always good to know.
Then again “you have 5 hours to try and feel better” doesn't exactly fill us with working spirit. Yeah, let me just will the illness away, and I'll be in to run the cash register at a Trader Joe's in no time.
More Time Is Necessary
Sure, some of us might be awake at 11:30 at night, but people, that doesn't mean we are going to be prepared for an interview at nine in the morning. Even if you're just in bed reading, that still throws the entire day into wack.
And if you already have plans for the morning, or you need to notify your current employer, you're usually going to be out of luck. This person took the right tactic and said "No, but keep me posted." But, we have a feeling this recruiter is going to prioritize other people.
Already More Mature
This student joined in on a quick-service place with the promise that there would be time for him to focus on his schoolwork, which is the reason one goes to school. That might seem obvious, but apparently, it isn't to everybody. This person was still being scheduled for fifty-hour weeks, which is even more than most professionals work these days.
The boss for some reason seems blindsided by this, and the student pointed out that in the fight between working fifty hours a week and having enough time to do schoolwork, the schoolwork is going to win out every time.
Toxicity Always Reveals Itself
A toxic work environment is one of the worst things that can be in a person's life. People work to earn money, but if the place they work is toxic, it just makes everything difficult. This person decided that enough was enough, and quit, prompting a back-and-forth conversation with the boss, who didn't take the quitting very well.
The boss seems like not the best boss to work for, and we don't even know the full details of the “toxic work environment.” Though the fact that the boss brought out the F-bomb certainly tells us a lot.
Saying the Wrong Thing
A lot of times, we're just waiting for our bosses to say the wrong thing so we can post the interaction on Twitter or Reddit or wherever the kids post them nowadays. This interaction started fine, with the boss worried that the employee didn't have the right gear. The employee pointed out that money is a little tight nowadays and they might hold off on the expensive jacket (apparently costing almost three hundred dollars).
The boss responded with what we're going to charitably call a bad joke, saying that the employee must need to pick up some extra shifts.
Time to Start Running
The employee in question here lost a mother, and the boss in question expected him or her to be in the office the next day. But, anyone with a human heart knows that it takes a little bit longer than that to get over such a thing.
The worker, we believe, did not go to work the day after losing a mother, and the boss started cutting hours after jumping the gun and hiring more people. The boss has a business to run, but maybe the employee should just run away to another business.
I Guess That's All We Get
This guy just decided he wasn't happy with the work culture, which is one of the more common complaints from workers.
If you don't like being at work, then it's pretty hard for you to enjoy the work you do. Bad bosses are just part of the problem, and it seems like the boss (and a friend of the boss) were really dropping the ball when it comes to creating the right work environment.
We've All Wanted to Do This at One Point
The backstory of this long text is that the worker had worked seven sixty-hour weeks straight and wanted time off for his birthday. The request was denied, so the worker called in sick instead. The boss then figured it out, and this text was the response from the worker, detailing all of the issues with the workplace and giving a final notice.
This worker already has a new job, one that will treat him like a person. We don't get to see a response, but from what we know about the boss, it probably wasn't a happy one.
Does This Person Have a Fifteen Year Old as a Boss?
Thirty-two cry-laughing emojis in a single text count as harassment no matter where you work, that's in the constitution. This person wanted to be properly paid for the vacation time that he or she didn't take, and the boss seemed to think this was a very funny prospect.
The employee then without missing a beat wrote out the rule right from the book of the state laws about employment. The boss then responded in kind, with a well-thought-out and responsible...oh, no, wait, he turned a two-letter word into a ten-letter word.
All This for a Collared Shirt?
Why the demand for a collared shirt at this job? It must be a sign of status, the kind of thing that will have people flocking to you. You wear a collared shirt, you must be important.
But, you gotta earn that shirt, and if you dare to defy your boss, you'll never see that desired collared shirt. We have to admit we don't really get this one, but we side with the worker, cause why the hell not?
Remember: Recruiters Deserve Nothing
If a recruiter comes calling on your phone they're probably going to ask several things of you. The proper responses are, usually, laughing at them and telling them to go back to their dank little hole.
If you do play with them for a little while, this is the kind of thing you're going to get: demands, as if they own you, when they initially came crawling to you on their knees, pleading for someone, anyone, to take the job. All that so they can take some of the money you earn.
Time for a Call to the Friendly Neighborhood Health Inspector
There are a lot of jokes out there about the bad food quality in Taco Bell, but most of us are ok after eating there, at least, those of us with digestive systems that aren't made of soft crackers. But then you read a story like this one and you think that maybe you shouldn't be going to Taco Bell ever. At least this worker can very easily pick up the phone and call a health inspector.
Their job is already probably ninety percent shutting down Taco Bells, so might as well point them at one that clearly deserves it.
Say No to Spying!
There is one age-old question we have not been able to solve — which is worse, having your boss sit next to you and watch your every move, or having a camera spy on you for him? This guy decided he's had it with being spied on while he's just trying to make it through the day and make an honest wage.
We love the solution he came up with, but we have a feeling that even if his boss loves Nicolas Cage, he won't be a fan of this one.
No Longer Number One
There is a rare kind of employee who just loves their job and their boss. Sounds insane, we know, but it's true. These types of people will do anything they can to get their supervisor's attention, and for them, the most terrifying employer is the one who spends more time at home with family, rather than at the office.
This guy was so jealous of his superior's daughter that he decided to remind him that he is just as talented as his two-year-old daughter, if not more. He has definitely proved he has the same level of emotional maturity.
Work on Those Negotiating Skills
If your boss wants you to come in when you aren't scheduled, you can try something – press for that extra cash. Think about it. You're the one he or she is coming to, that sounds like the kind of thing you can use for leverage.
You want me to work? It's going to cost you. If you don't want to pay, go ahead and find someone else to do the work. This is, of course, something you should only do if your job is a safe one – we aren't going to be responsible for any unemployment.
It's a Seller's Market on Bartending
Good news for people who know how to mix drinks and give barflies a friendly smile – everyone is hiring bartenders right now. This is why the boss of this guy made a critical misstep in demanding that his drunk worker come in and help out for a long, long shift.
In the boss's defense, he realized that he had made a decision and wanted to talk with the worker, but the die was cast, and the bartender sent a terse, unmissable reply.
See You Never
Sometimes enough is just enough and you find yourself doing something that others may deem extreme. The couple who worked this restaurant was practically running the place for the owner, and after many months of terrible treatment from him and an inability to recruit any other workers, they decide they just can't take it anymore. They clocked out and locked the store and left never to be seen again.
They have this message for all of us: "If you’ve been contemplating quitting your job because you’re unhappy and stress and overworked, do it! Your body and mind will thank you."
You Have to at Least Say Please
There's a lot more to this story than just this picture – like a boss that is unable to understand that being two hours away and drunk is not the way one should come to work. The boss presses, saying it's either come in to work or lose the job.
Our hero laughs and points out that he could get a new job, and decides that's exactly what he's going to do. The site superintendent follows up to apologize for the boss's behavior and offers to move our hero to another team, but it's too little, too late.
That's Going to Take Some Extra
Some jobs require people to be on-call – medical professionals, server techs, etc. To a lot of bosses, it might seem like having a company phone is the same as being on call, but there's a big difference.
One of them lets you communicate during all hours of the day for money, the other means people have a way to contact you during normal work hours. If it isn't in your contract, then you don't have to do it. If it is in your contract, we hope you're getting paid for it.
Paid by the Penny
We all want to get exactly what we deserve, but since life can be unfair at times, that's not how things usually turn out. But, lady luck can surprise us and grace us with her presence at unexpected times. Winning a bet against your boss could be one of them. As long as he won't hold a grudge, of course.
But, this boss found a way to make his loss just a little sweeter, by paying his employee in the most inconvenient way possible — stacks of pennies.
Immediate Work-Life Separation
This seems like the kind of "final straw" story that is all over the place. A worker goes along with whatever a job needs him or her to do because they need the money, but eventually, they just hit a breaking point. Such as when the job says they can't spend time with their family and that they have to come in and work anyway.
If a boss asks nicely, aware that people have a life outside of their jobs, that's one thing. But “cancel those plans and come in or you'll regret it” just isn't going to fly these days.
And I Wanted to Sleep Last Night
Look, we get it. It's a lot of work doing schedules for a store. There are always going to be lots of moving parts. Who is on the register, who stocks, who runs the floor? We don't know, and often the managers don't know either.
A boss texts a worker at three-thirty in the morning, which is when people sleep. Literally, everyone is asleep at that point, except for those who are paid to be awake. We do like that the worker responded exactly twelve hours later. That's a nice touch.
The Big Hand Is on the...
If you want some work done, it can be difficult waiting until the working hours, which are usually between eight in the morning and five in the afternoon. Any time after that, and you're looking at a low chance. Even if you're a boss or a coworker who needs something done right away.
Super, extra especially if you want something done and it's past midnight, which we think is also the name of a collection of horror stories. And this is a modern horror story – the boss who won't ever leave you alone. Feel the dread!
I Guess I'll Just Hang Out
This article is going to include lots of bosses that are too angry for their own good, and want their employees to work too much. This entry is a little different. It has the boss apologetically letting the worker know that there isn't a shift available, despite the fact that the worker had already taken the bus.
So what's a low-paying worker supposed to do when they're in town with no work to do? They could go to the library, they could take a walk in the park and even feed the ducks!
Maybe It’s for the Best
It didn’t take much for this boss to drop the hammer on an employee who was just trying to get in some relaxation before going back into the office. In fact, the boss wants the guy to go on a trip, how exciting!
Too bad the person won’t be back in the office until after the trip leaves. Sure, just let me cancel the plans I’ve made months in advance (apparently) and cater to your every whim. Surely, there must be someone else who can go on this trip? Not the person who is on vacation?
Do the Letters PTO Mean Anything to You???
Here’s an interesting idea — if someone tells you they aren’t working, you let them get back to not working and find someone who IS working to help you out. PTO stands for paid time off, and that last word is the most important.
Even better, the person that is complaining has a very simple way of getting the situation fixed: submit a ticket. It's something that has been done ever since computers have been around. Even the sales department has been able to figure them out, so we know anybody can do it.
Oh, Good to Know
The backstory for this one is simple: this person has a bad job, has been wanting to quit for more than ten years, and decided to take a mental health day. We don't know if that is going to help in the long term, but it's worth a try.
Unless, of course, the boss texts them and says the only medical reason they can stay home is ebola. You know, the disease that melts your insides!
Not What He Meant When Asked for a Raise
We all work in order to make ends meet, and let's face it: making ends meet is getting harder by the day. This means most of us are longing for one, seemingly insatiable thing, a raise. The holy raise that will save our lives and change everything. One brave guy decides to ask for it. We suspect god wasn't on his side that day.
His boss gave him a raise alright, just not the one he wanted. When they say that man plans and God laughs, there's a great chance this is what they had in mind.
We're REALLY Sure This One Is Illegal
So, this person had an allergic reaction to getting the second dose of the vaccine. A lot of people suffer from the second vaccine in some way, since it's the one that gets your body to start fighting off the disease. This person had no idea it would happen and had to undergo a bunch of tests to make sure he or she was healthy.
Apparently, that wasn't a good enough reason, even though it was totally unintended. What else was the worker supposed to do? Guess that there would be an allergic reaction in advance?
We're Pretty Sure That's Illegal, Somehow
A lot of service businesses like bars, restaurants, fast-food joints, etc are having problems finding people who will stick around a lot.
This person worked eight days in a row, and then when he or she wanted to relax on the one day off in the last week and a half, the boss seemed to threaten the person's health insurance. Yeah, that's really going to fly. Well, good thing this person has options, which include quitting on the spot and letting the boss deal with the fallout.
I Have a Thing
What kind of person doesn't give an employee the chance to mourn a father? A robot in a human skin suit, that's who. And then the boss has the gall to try and equate losing a father with losing an uncle and a grandma.
We aren't going to say that those are GOOD things, but neither of them will come close to what it's like to lose a father. Plus, this all started because the boss got the day wrong, and thought this employee would be coming in when he said he wouldn't be.
I've Made an Important Decision
In this story, not only was the worker sitting to keep the pressure off the two broken bones in his foot, but he was also going above and beyond the level of the other employees around him, gaining the top spot on the day.
That wasn't enough for his boss, however, who noticed that – oh, the horror! – the employee was sitting on a stool for a while. The employee then pointed out a few things about the workplace, such as the fact that it has a pretty hard time retaining workers, and told his boss to have a good life.