Bad Boss Contest: The Final Chapter

CityNews.ca‘worst boss’ contest

Since then, the article has been archived on our site and – we thought – long forgotten. But it seems like you didn’t.

For the past few months, we have continued to receive a steady stream of emails from disgruntled employees (and many ex-employees) who seem to want to vent about their obnoxious overseers.

And there was at least one who took us to task about not soliciting the worst employees stories. You’ll find his reply at the end of the list.

So here’s one more dip into the boss bust business, with a look at the winning entry in the U.S. contest, which was sponsored by the AFL-CIO and offered a vacation as a prize. The winner was chosen last week. Here’s the entry that topped them all down south, followed by some of your home grown responses. 

U.S. “Bad Boss” Contest Winner

“Never mind that the dentist I worked for was the cheapest bastard in the world (trying to get out of paying me for a mandatory meeting by arguing that he paid for lunch) or that he was unethical.

Never mind all that. Dr. X proved himself to be the worst kind of person imaginable during the week of 9/11.

That day, the patients all cancelled their appointments. Perfectly understandable, if you ask me: there’s a national tragedy and the last thing on anyone’s mind is their oral health. But this meant no income for Dr. X. His response? Taking $100 out of every employee’s paycheck.

Mind you, we were paid hourly, not based on production. In the wake of a travesty that should bring out the best in people, he had the audacity to steal money from his own employees. Not that it was even necessary. Dr. X earned over a million dollars a year. He owned a mansion. Did he really need my $13/hour that badly?

Apparently so. I promptly quit.  Lucky for me, a better job was around the corner. As for Dr. X–his karma will catch up with him.”

Your entries may not have been quite so dramatic or traumatic, but they do speak volumes about what’s certainly a work that’s not in progress.

For obvious reasons, company and employee names have been omitted, but at least you get one last chance to vent. Thanks for all your letters, and speaking of dentists…

“I had a made a dentist appt. at 6pm one night – needed to have 4 fillings replaced.  At 5:30pm my employer said he needed me to stay as he had someone coming in for an interview at 7pm.  I told him it was too late to cancel my appt. or I’d be charged and his response was that I was to come back after my appt. (FYI – I started my days at 7am). 

 I came back with my whole face frozen as I had fillings both on top and bottom replaced.  While in that state he made fun of how I looked to the person he was interviewing! Turned out all he needed me to do was get coffee and answer his phone in case his wife called!

However the fact that he clipped his toenails in his office will still be the worst thing about him.”

DH

“I had been working for the same company for eight years when I transferred to a new department. My new manager met with me on my first day…and informed me that I was one month behind in my project!”

DM

“I put up with abuse for 3 years [from] three brothers who run an electronics manufacturing plant and their C.F.O.  

During that time I was forced on a frequent basis to clean up mouse droppings, sit on rotted furniture, and dispose of dead vermin.  I finally quit when I was told I had to do my job plus the job of the receptionist with no compensation – in fact I was to lose my office. 

When I complained to the President – I was told to make him a “nice cup of tea” and that he understood that it was “That time of the MONTH” for me, and I should do what I was told. 

When I quit, I received a phone call a week later telling me that I can come back, but they would “have to punish me”.  At Christmas, instead of the bonus all the other employees were given, I was given a chipped mug from the dollar store and a makeup bag which was someone else’s free gift with purchase. 

After quitting, I discovered I had been exposed to employees with tuberculosis as well as numerous cancer causing agents and asbestos.  Now that is the epitome of a terrible boss!”

SH

“Nobody can beat this one. I worked for my old boss (a doctor), for five years. I worked 50-55 hrs. a week (did not receive overtime) and called in sick one time in that five years.

During the “great blackout” of Toronto I had to walk home from Parkdale to Scarborough. It took me six hours. That night my boss called to confirm that I was coming in and I explained that I would but that I may be late because I had to figure out HOW I would get there if the streetcars were down.

Sure enough the next day the streetcars were down and I proceeded to walk the six hr. walk.

 I eventually arrived, blisters and all, when my boss asked how I was getting home I said I was not sure because the streetcars still were not running. Instead of offering me a drive or offering to pay for a cab, he offered me his bicycle.

Needless to say I no longer work for him.”

LP

“On my way to work (on my first day on the job no less) I witnessed a brutal double physical assault on Bay Street. I stopped, called the police, waited for them to show up, directed them to where the perpetrator had run off, and left after giving the police my name and telephone number. I arrived at work, visibly shaken, exactly 7 minutes late.

When I explained what had happened to my boss, twice, in detail, he replied:

“Your personal life is your own business, and that is no excuse for being late – especially on your first day. You didn’t have to stop.”

I replied that I was thoroughly disappointed in him. After that he tried to have me fired a number of times, but failed each time.”

KB

And finally a response from the other side of the office.

“Yes, there are bad bosses – I have been in business 26 yrs and came into my business as a really nice guy – that ends real fast when you have to deal with Canadian employees who view showing up for work as 1) optional, and 2) at a time of their choosing and who receive dozens of personal calls a day, store resumes – written on company time – on work computers, send them out on work fax, and  fail to do any work not absolutely ordered. 

I have had an employee defecate in my nice showroom, an employee attempt sex at work (I caught them before it could proceed fully), of course stealing employees (will steal anything – everything) and almost anything employees can do at work while trying not to work. 

Right, tell me all about bad bosses.”

KK

Your previous responses

How to deal with a bad boss