20 Employees That Had Enough and Finally Walked Away from Their Toxic Bosses in the Best Ways
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At certain junctures in our lives, we’ve all encountered stories of oppressive bosses who exploit their workforce and display reprehensible behavior. Faced with such trying circumstances, what recourse do the employees enduring these situations have? For some, when they’ve reached their breaking point, they opt for the decisive path of saying “I quit” and never looking back. This empowering decision affords them the chance to reclaim control over their lives.
People in a forum share stories, some hilarious and some ironic, about their bosses and their final days working with them.
1. What Are We Celebrating?
“My co-worker bought cake and ice cream for the office. Someone asked what we were celebrating.. and he said his last day.” Talk about a power move.
Another writer replies, “I did that once. And the cake said, “I’m sorry for your loss.””
2. Scheduling Games
One boss and employee found themselves in a major power struggle.
“I booked a day off work like a month in advance, got approved. Then shortly after, I handed in my two weeks notice, so he scheduled me for the day I asked off.
I tried to get others to cover, in which they were happy to, but he said nope it has to be your shift. After finding multiple solutions he wasn’t happy with, I said “look, it’s the last day of my last week, I’m not gonna be there that day.” He replied okay, then updated the schedule and removed all of my remaining shifts.
I was on a day off, but a coworker told me, so I came into work and we had a yelling match for an hour, before they escorted me out.” Oops.
3. Whistle-blowing Done Right
“On my last day at the bowling alley, I sent an email to head office detailing all the sh** he’d been up to but everyone was too afraid to report (inc. trying to fire someone when he found out she was pregnant – a big no no in my country.)
I heard later that the next day regional manager and a couple of executives turned up for a surprise inspection. He’s found in the office, having backed a 16-year-old female colleague in the corner, screaming at the top of his lungs, with his big red vein-throbbing face touching hers. She was distraught and obviously crying her eyes out.
Manager was escorted off premises there and then and never heard from again.”
4. No Vacation? No problem
Some bosses can be very strict about time off. One employee was already feeling like quitting when he suddenly had the chance to take a trip of a lifetime, requiring three extra days off. The boss denied his vacation request. After thinking about it for a few days, he told his boss he would take the trip no matter what. It resulted in a written warning from HR, which promptly led to him quitting on the spot. They tried to talk him out of it, but the damage was done, and he was out of there.
The community loved this story, one user sharing “Rofl. Here is YOUR written warning. Except it’s not a warning, it’s an f*** you. I quit.”
5. Good Luck Replacing Me
Some people bust their butts and do the work of multiple people without recognition. Here’s what happens often:
“My boss and I had butted heads a few times after she took over the office. After finding a much better job I handed her a list of my job responsibilities, which she asked for because she didn’t understand what I did there.
This is too much, we’d have to distribute all this to like 4 different people” and I said “yea” and walked out. Spoiler: she didn’t do any of that and was fired less than a year later as the office was falling apart.”
6. Two-Hour Notice
This boss didn’t get two weeks; he got two hours.
“I gave him a two-hour notice when I quit. He had a habit of firing people on the spot when they gave advance notice.”
7. Quitting Mid-Black Friday
If managers or bosses get too pushy in an already stressful situation, there’s a chance they’ll quit on the spot like this girl.
“Working retail I quit at the register on Black Friday. I had recently gotten another full-time job and was keeping this retail gig because I liked the employee discount and due to my other job this check was pure fun money, all that is to say I didn’t need the retail job.
My store manager comes over at hour 7 of my shift, with chaos and a line 100 people long, and has the nerve to tell me my up-sales(fishing for promo signups, i.e. rewards, credit cards etc) weren’t cutting it for how much traffic I was seeing. In front of the customers! I already couldn’t stand this B so I said, “You know what you do it, I’m done,” and then I apologized to my coworkers on the way out.”
8. Every Person Here Deserves Better
This user’s story of helping all of his coworkers is amazing.
“I worked hard over the course of a year to get all my former coworkers I cared about new jobs.”
9. You’re the Problem; it’s You
“My exit interview when I was asked the reason for leaving, I simply said their name and nothing more.” That’s pretty straightforward, I’d say.
10. No More Funny Business
It’s amazing what some bosses think they can get away with.
“Sent them to the feds for Medicare fraud and they got fined 41.7 mil.” Reports one user. Of course, they got in major trouble.
11. A Clean Slate
One man was fired from a crappy job that required him to constantly travel and hustle.
“First thing I did was wipe my company phone clean before handing it over [holding essential info only he had]. A few days later they called me asking where all the contact information was stored. “Sorry I don’t work for you anymore.” “
12. Bullet Dodged
“Mechanic at a commuter airline. Boss wanted me to sign off a plane pre-flight inspection. I refused to sign because the plane was not airworthy. He told me if I wished to continue working, then id better sign. My response: then I guess I don’t work here anymore. I picked up my tool box and left.”
13. Public Sharing of Income
Many bosses will ask to keep salary numbers private, but this is technically illegal in the US.
“When I left, he promised to take half of what I was making and spread it among the team as raises to cover the extra work. He was trying to stop the exodus as I was the 3rd person to leave in a short time.
So when I left I handed my pay stub (minus social security info) to the team and said, “Just in case he tried to lie. This is what I make.”
14. My New Job Starts Right Now
One boss realized too late this woman’s value.
“I was a program director developing and piloting a new program, and after a year of being overloaded and telling our exec director I either needed a second person or a smaller caseload, he pulls me into his office and goes “We don’t really think you’re a good fit for this position, but you’re a bright young lady and we’d hate to lose you. I’m giving you the option to stay and be my secretary. You have until 7am tomorrow to decide.” I took an early lunch, walked to my other job, asked if I could take on more hours, walked back, and told him I had found other employment and would have my stuff cleared out by noon. He asked if I could stay 2 more weeks to train a new person, and I told him no. What if we paid you a consultation fee? No. But you’re the only person in the county certified! Should have thought of that earlier.
Bonus: This was in the middle of an audit, where it was discovered that he owed me about $3000 from unpaid hours. I like to call it my leaving bonus.”
15. I’m Not on Call
Some bosses expect employees to drop everything when they call, like this one:
“Applied for a full time job at a daycare. Interview was on Friday and the director said she would text me over the weekend to tell me my hours for next week. Yay! I got the job!
Monday rolls around and no text or email from her so I am sitting in my pjs at home thinking I’m out of work. At 10am a random number calls me and she asks me to come in for 11. I let it slide thinking she lost track of time or whatever.
By the end of the day I asked for my schedule and she said she’ll contact me tomorrow morning at 9am. The next day is the same thing, except this time she calls at 11am asking to come in for 11:15!!!!! I waited TWO hours for her call. Now I have no car and live 15 minutes away. On top of this the shifts were only 4ish hours long, so the job isn’t even full time. I tell her I need a schedule by the end of the day. Didn’t get one.
The next day she calls at a random time but too late, I’m busy at an interview with a different job! I tell her I’ll stop in to get my cheque by the end of the week because she can’t respect my time and lied on the ad about being full time. Also I am not getting paid to be on call.”
16. Give Me the Money
This story is ironic, “Salary was delayed by 2 weeks and was about told to be lenient because the company is growing and needs our help and cooperation. I waited for another week but I was ignored. I left the job without notice and upon them calling me to sue me, I replied “You have money to sue people but no money to pay employees.” I switched job and I am at a better place right now.”
17. Taking What’s Mine
A woman shares a blood boiling story, “I worked at a dry cleaner for a summer. Front desk, cash under table type of job. I worked 50 hours one week and he told me he’d pay me time and a half for the OT. I go into work on payday and my cash envelope is not in the drawer. I called him and asked about it and he told me he couldn’t pay me for my work yet. I kindly informed him that I was taking the money I was owed, and locking up the shop, and left.”
18. You Don’t Own Me
Not many people respond well to threats and intimidation. One employee writes, “The manager told me the company I worked for owned me and that I’d do what they said or face consequences. This was in a meeting with other employees present. I walked out of the store with the manager screaming at me to get back to work.” It’s crazy how much of a power trip some bosses are on.
19. We Don’t Do That
A man shares, “I worked at UPS for a few months and when I went to make a unpaid time off request they looked at me like I was crazy and said we don’t do that here.
That was my last day.”
20. Accused of Lying
A man shares he was wrongly accused for something he didn’t do. When he tried to explain, he was then told he was lying. “That was my last day,” he shares.
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