New candidate for the world's worst boss
Filed under: Extracurriculars
I've worked for some rotten bosses (thankfully, not the case here at WalletPop, smooch smooch), but my travails pale in comparison to the schmucks who hustle ads for Men's Journal. As a publicity stunt for an adventure issue, its publisher, Will Schenck, had its ad clients vote on a challenge for his crew. The "Dare the Rep" contest offered a choice of such staff-motivating tasks as climbing the Empire State Building (on the inside, thankfully), attending pro wrestling school, fire walking and winter surfing.
The winning challenge, though, proved to be swimming with sharks. According to Ken Wheaton in Advertising Age, the 15-person staff ended up at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ, in a pool full of sharks of several varieties (but no great whites). Thankfully, there were no incidents. No ad reps were bitten, no sharks were conned into buying a quarter-page in the fall issue.
The next time your boss peeves you, just remember the tank full of sharks. For me, the trip to Camden would have been enough to turn in my notice.
Have a story about the worst boss you've ever had? Share, please!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
2-18-2008 @ 8:15PM
southcalgal said...
My former boss asked me if I could , "Hurry up and get back to work when the kid's arm is sewn back on?" after my 9 year old niece's arm was severed in an auto accident. She asked me this when I called in to tell them I would not be back that day because all the family members had to give blood, since I was the legal guardian I had to oversee what was going on, and start calling the family.
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2-18-2008 @ 8:28PM
John said...
I had a heart attack at work while my boss was at the hospital visiting his wife who had been in an accident. The ambulance was taking me to the hospital just as he was arriving back at work. When he came in the office he asked our receptionist where I was. When she told him that the ambulance just rushed me to the hospital he replied "Well, he could've waited until I got back".
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2-18-2008 @ 8:30PM
elaine said...
My boss would intentionally write bad evaluations so I would have to file a grievance. (I won.) He would spread stories about other employees having affairs. He would go behind your back and criticize you to other employees. He would make sure you couldn't get funding for business-related travel. One employee filed a grievance and was awarded $10,000. Finally he was removed but ended up getting an even higher paid job with the complany. What an ass.
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2-18-2008 @ 11:41PM
ntheblak said...
you don't happen to work at the US postal service do you? thats their style & what happens when they get in trouble!
2-19-2008 @ 6:26AM
frnci said...
Proof positive that the "Peter Principal" works. I've seen this happen more than once.
2-18-2008 @ 8:35PM
lorrie thompson said...
..my boss recently said, "I am so glad my parents cared about my education, I could never do your job." Not to be outdone by "oh he is just mad because he has a bad haircut." I guess her brain is just not connected to her mouth.
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2-18-2008 @ 8:44PM
Craig said...
I HAD A MANAGER THAT THOUGHT THE WORLD REVOLVED AROUND HIM....HE WOULD SCHEDULE AN EMPLOYEE TO WORK PART OF HIS SHIFT SO HE COULD TAKE TIME OFF FOR PERSONAL BUSINESS, BUT WHEN ONE OF US ASKED FOR THE SAME CONSIDERATION, THE ANSWER WAS NO, EVEN IF WE ASKED TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE!!! HE HIRED PART TIME EMPLOYEES AND CUT OUR HOURS SO HE COULD INCREASE HIS BONUS, REGARDLESS OF HOW IT HURT OUR FINANCES.....WHEN HE SCREWED UP, HE WOULD WRITE OTHER PEOPLE UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO BLAME THINGS ON THEM......NEVER ONCE DO I RECALL HIM EVER TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS ACTIONS.....WHEN OUR COOLER WENT ON THE FRITZ, HE LEFT HOT DOGS AND SAUSAGES SIT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR 3 DAYS BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN THE FREEZER.....THEN WHEN THE COOLER WAS FIXED, HE THAWED THEM BACK OUT AND SERVED THEM TO PEOPLE!!!! HE HAS VIOLATED FEDERAL LABOR LAWS, AND CONSISTENTLY VIOLATES COMPANY POLICIES.....AND YET, SINCE HE IS A MINORITY, HE GETS AWAY WITH IT TIME AFTER TIME.....HE IS A TERRIBLE MANAGER AND HAS NO LEADERSHIP QUALITIES WHATSOEVER, BUT HE IS STILL WITH THE COMPANY......I GUESS PLAYING THE RACE CARD HELPS, DOESN'T IT??????
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2-18-2008 @ 9:09PM
Ellis said...
Its about time the race stuff ended once and for all. All of our large citys are run by minorities and now it seems the country may be too. Well done America, we are allowing minorities to take over. They come to this country wanting every right an American has, and still want to live by the rules of their country they have left.England has been taken over now its our turn.
2-18-2008 @ 10:30PM
Noneya said...
Doesn't matter WHAT race a boss is! I work for someone white and trust me, having a degree does not make you a great boss!! A crappy boss is just that, a CRAPPY BOSS!!!!
2-18-2008 @ 11:12PM
Francis Orlando said...
Craig:
That sounds EXACTLY like my last job but with one major exception: The idiot (I'm being kind here) is the OWNER of the company! He pitted all his employees against each other and then SCREAMED when something went wrong. All of the decent people got out (some, without notice,) before it was too late.
Francis
2-18-2008 @ 11:06PM
Jasmine said...
First of all race does not determine ignorance nor intelligence. Even Noneya incenuated that if a minority is in a place of authority they must be degreeless. It is hard for minorities to be in places of authority. A major reason for this is the fact that everyone assumes that if a minority is in a position of status or a supervisory role it must be affirmative action. People this is not the case!!! Finally it is human nature, unfortunately, that when given power or status it goes to our heads and creates jerks. That manager is the same person who was sitting next to someone saying the same things that people are saying about them. Ironic isn't it?
2-19-2008 @ 1:01AM
Moon said...
Lovely to put race into this. If you didn't know this but everyone in this country is technically a minority!!!!! Obviously it's not race that causes idiots, its just people like you. You get back what you put out into this world. Remember that when you are complaining about something that has "happened" to you and decide to play the race card!
2-18-2008 @ 8:44PM
Denise said...
As my father recently was dying from cancer, my boss called me into his office and stated, "I know you have alot going on, but as long as you take care of me first, you can do what you need to do." This is "one" of too many to even write, most self centered comments he has said to me over the years. He is a "me, me, me" kind of kind.......
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2-18-2008 @ 8:46PM
R RIVERA said...
My wife works for a Hispanic manager that goes out of her way to tell ALL the Hispanic employees not to trust my wife or any Anglo. The plant manager, who is an Indian, will not take any corrective action. The manager has done evrything possible to get my wife to quit. Now, the stupidity, is that I am Hispanic. The issue is the manager likes to treat the employees like she is EL PATRON, while my wife, the supervisor believes in courtesy and respect. Well known company out of Illinois specializing in measurements.
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2-18-2008 @ 8:54PM
Ricky P said...
My wifes boss, manager of a local Circle K in Tioga Louisiana propasitioned her for sex! When she told him she was very happilly married and well taken care of in that department he fired her calling her a "Hoe"! Seems to me if had taken him up on the offer then perhaps the title may have been justified but somewhere this guy was confused with his definitions! It all came at a time when our child was deathly ill and the money was severely needed in order to pay for further treatment! New Job-No Problem!
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2-19-2008 @ 6:41AM
jamie said...
seems like you have a lawsuit there
2-18-2008 @ 8:54PM
pissed off said...
I have this male boss that gossips with the employees and tells one particular employee what upper management discusses behind closed doors. He also will stand behind you when you are talking to wait and see if you turn around. Then he says "remember I can fire you". He is always trying to get in everyone's business and make promises that he cant keep. He needs to be fired.
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2-18-2008 @ 8:55PM
joe said...
During the busy holiday season the Management staff at our store was told that a store manager in a different had a stroke and was in the hospital.......my bosses first response was..............that's gonna put them in a jam for the schedule!!!!!!!
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2-18-2008 @ 9:00PM
Florence said...
My boss had me work 10 hours a day, then go to the gym with her for an hour, and then go to dinner with her because she was single.
When I called in sick one day, she had me come in anyway.
She refused for me to attend my doctors appointments when I got sick. The day my doctor put me on disability for stress, Diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterol, depression carpal tunnel syndrome, all work related. My boss came to my home that evening and told me that since I was on disability, I could no longer work for her and fired me.
When I sued her, she reported it to her work comp insurance so she would not have to pay. I then turned around and sued her for work comp and wrongful termination.
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2-18-2008 @ 9:00PM
Paulina said...
I had a manager once who thankfully finally got fired, who while I was pregnant, called me into her office and opened her check book and showed me her check designs which were of Anne Geddes (sp) sleeping babies...she stated "Don't you think these look like dead babies?" I sat stunned...she followed that statement up with "I hope nothing happens to your baby" in a slow seething voice as she leaned over her desk. That fat ass fired me at 30 weeks pregnant, a week before I was to go out on leave. I had a lot of time saved up...a lot.
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