My boss is such a jerk!!

[mowsie dreamer]

This cracked me up soooo much, that I just had to share it.

My boss is pretty sure that he is going to be offered a better job and will be moving to another school system. He called me into his office last week and told me about it like it was all hush-hush and then he said, "I can pretty much hire whoever I want when I get there, and I want you to know that you are the only person here I would consider taking with me."

Today, I was in his office when one of my co-workers walked in and started asking him if he had heard anything about his new job. Then she said, Don't forget you said you were taking me and Tonya with you. His face turned a charming shade of pink and he said "And don't forget Jeanie" (me). It was all I could do to keep from falling on to the floor in hysterics!

I can't even figure out what the point was to all that, except to feed his gigantic ego!

Any one else out there with a jerky boss story they'd care to share?

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

Not currently (thank goodness -- I finally have a place that I love to work at with people I like to work with), but...

Job previous to this...the VP of one department was a born again. He was constantly trying to get people to come to church with him. Now I have no problem with inviting someone to a worship service, but this was a bit over the top and he was supposed to be the VP of the Division and I thought it was inappropriate. Also he was a former hairdresser and I saw him cutting the President's hair in his office -- it was "officially" after hours, but the President was still dictating stuff to his secretary while all this was going on (and it wasn't that large of a company). Also ony my first day at this company, the man I was working with was out, so they stuck me in a room to watch some videos and the CFO dropped by. In my interview with several different managers, I had stated that I had a PhD in nutrition from the American Holistic College (now the Clayton College). It's a non-traditional school -- and everything is done via correspondence. I took the courses because I was interested in alternative health and mentioned it only because the company dealt with alternative "natural" remedies. The CFO walks in and introduces himself to me. Then says that he heard I had a background in nutrition, where did I "buy" my diploma from?! I was shell shocked. By the way, this CFO also has a PhD (from a "regular" college, which I'm sure makes him a better person ) and he is quoted on most of the back of the natural suppliments. You know Dr. So-So says this is the best thing I've ever heard of...blah, blah, blah...Of course he's going to say that! He's making mega bucks if the product sells.

Another "jerk" I almost worked for was the President of a Durable Medical Company. I was working in the a separate division that was supposedly gave free information on Lyme Disease (that ended quickly) and when they downsized the division, I was told they wanted to move me to being the President's Personal Secretary and Office Receptionist! Nevermind the fact that the woman who was a friend of mine and extremely capable! We are talking about a guy who used to measure the margins on his correspondence to make sure all the margins were EXACTLY 1" around. And berated this woman in front of people continuously!

And do you want to me to tell you about "teleflon" man -- who was the head of my division at a large insurance company? They called him that because nothing stuck...

Oh yeah, I have plenty of jerk stories...

 

[FOJMO]

I won a contest for "Worst Boss" with this one a few years ago...

I was working for a woman in a large utility company back in 1973. I was going to be getting married soon and she told me, in no uncertain terms, that I could not go on my honeymoon unless I had my filing cleaned up before then! I was so gullible (only 20) that I believed her!

Well, a few days later, I was opening the dept. mail (out in an open area of the floor/dept), when I opened an envelope addressed to her that was NOT marked confidential nor personal.

Imagine my surprise when I was starting at pornographic literature! I mean GRAPHIC! I immediately looked around to see if anyone was there and quickly slipped the stuff back into the envelope. I really don't think you get that kind of stuff, unsolicited. They must have gotten her name and address from somewhere. I pondered what I should do with it, when I had a great idea! I stamped the envelope with RECEIVED, and the date, and delivered it to her anyway.

Well, she must have seen that I opened it, and she never said a word to me ever again about my time off for my honeymoon!!!

 

[mowsie dreamer]

What a hoot, FOJMO. I'll bet your filing could have piled up to te ceiling after that and she would have never said a word.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I used to work for a very insecure older female in a "family" company. She had been with the organization since she started her working career, and I was the Yankee interloper who knew my section very well.

She and I had several go-arounds, most of which centered on her need to make herself look good while making me (and others that worked for her) look bad. Her favorite trick was to find someone in another division who had something negative to say about you. Then she would tell you the entire division hated you because of an inocuous comment by someone. Once I cought onto that trick, I pretty much blew off anything she said.

Another one of her tricks was to reject your ideas, then present them to her boss a couple of months later as her ideas. I'm not a credit hog, but that one burned me! Obviously it was a good idea, or she wouldn't have stolen it.

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), I was pregnant with my second kid during the majority of that time, so I resigned the position in order to be mom. Best decision I ever made!

 

[HunnyPots]

to have been a SAHM for the past sixteen years!

 

[snoopy]

I've been lucky, I have had great managers in my career. Some better than others, but no rotten eggs, thank goodness.

However, someone said this to me the other day and I thought I'd share: Don't forget, boss spelled backwards is Double SOB!

 

[tc]

The attorney I work for now was an associate in a firm where I was the legal assistant for four attorneys. Needless to say it was hectic. I was able to keep on top of all issues, and even answer the phone in the mornings before the receptionist came in. The owner of the firm told me that he hired me because I was cute, and I have kept the job because I just keep getting better.

My current boss was leaving his firm anyway, and she was taking me with her, but after this comment, our move was much quicker.

 

[RUDisney]

My last boss was a super nice person outside of work, but inside of the office, he had, well, alot of quirks.

He setup a proof reading schedule for his 6 managers so he wouldn't have to read anything that anyone gave him that would have a typo. Luckily, my months were May and November, and the thought took a dive by February, so I never had to endure the torture.

We received a memo from him in 1993, and I quote, " Effective immediately, I would appreciate it if each of you would see me on items that require immediate attention and that you refrain from leaving me telephone messages to return calls to only find you are gone to lunch or you are not available. Common sense tells me that it would be more appropriate if you would endeavor to track me down instead of me tracking you down!" (He kept his door closed 95% of the time and made it clear that he didn't like to be interrupted when his door was closed.)

He had a rule that we could only loop the string around the catch of an interoffice envelope once because it wasted his time to unravel them.

We were not allowed to give him anything or call him about anything two days before and two days after he returned from a vacation or conference.

He used to manage the largest division of our organization and now he manages just two departments. Best of all, I have a wonderful, motivating, funny boss who will step in to help any of his staff members and managers at a moment's notice.

 

[FOJMO]

Originally posted by RUDisney
[BHe had a rule that we could only loop the string around the catch of an interoffice envelope once because it wasted his time to unravel them. [/B]

Sounds a little obsessive/compulsive, I think.

 

[Micca]

Mowsie I don't think your boss did such an awful thing. It is good to have connections with people who have the capacity to hire you

 

[RUDisney]

FOJMO,

The funny thing about looping the string around the envelopes too many times has become legendary among the employees. Of course, his staff doesn't loop more than once, but EVERYONE else makes sure that they loop so many times that the end of the string gets buried so he has to dig for it with his nails or a letter opener. Sorta backfired on him. Don't you think?

 

[mowsie dreamer]

That is true Micca. But if he hires everyone from here that he has told he is taking then there will be no one left here and the new place will go bankrupt!

 

[CALIFLADY]

I got a doosie! In September, I was moved from the technical ladder to middle management against my will. I’ve hated my job ever since. My boss is one of those micro-managing types who ultimately will have it his way. Anyhow, a few weeks ago, I couldn’t stand it anymore and made the career limiting move statement to him in a rage…”What part of ‘I hate this job’ don’t you understand?!?”. I proceeded to explain to him that a big part of the problem with my job was that I was now trying to supervise my peers of six months ago. IMO, it’s incredibly ignorant to promote from within and straight up, but that’s what they did with me, so I’m now my old office mate’s boss. It just doesn’t work! So I spend five minutes explaining this to him, then he says, “Okay, well, do you know if any of your direct reports would be interested in replacing you?”. HELLO!?! What did I just get done saying that makes this job so tough and bad? And he wants to repeat it again! Me? I’m going back to my techie job (and looking to get out of here for good).

 

[FOJMO]

Originally posted by CALIFLADY
a big part of the problem with my job was that I was now trying to supervise my peers of six months ago.

I know exactly how you feel! A number of years ago, I worked in the Word Processing Center of a utility company. I was promoted to Asst. Supv. of the Center. I was then a supervisor of my peers and co-workers. The biggest problem was that they were Union and I was Management. When I tried to help by typing some of the projects that came in (in order to keep the project turnaround time, on time), they filed a grievance against me for taking away their work! These were people who were wasting their time all day long talking on the phone and gabbing instead of getting the work done.

I transferred out of their quickly and haven't been interested in a supervisory position evey since!