Have you ever worked for someone so awful as a human being that you didn't give notice, you couldn't take one more day with them?

49 Comments

1. AnonymousJanuary 29,2025 at 2:37PM UTC

   Yes. I worked for a little CPA firm where the owner lost his temper and cursed at top volume every day over really stupid crap, and you never knew what would set him off or when. He also played head games. On April 7 that year, when, speaking of a friend's father who had just died, he said, "Why the f--- couldn't he have waited two weeks to die" and played a head game with me one time too many, I fled and didn't come back.

2. AnonymousJanuary 29,2025 at 3:31PM UTC

   Part ways, move on. Only contact the person who hired you but DO NOT apologize. For what?? You didn't do anything wrong. Use the email to your advantage saying you wanted to let him know what happened and that it was in your best interest. I do hope you will be a future reference for me as I appreciated working for you. But that's it. The end. Keep facing forward and do not look back.

3. Leslie KeckJanuary 29,2025 at 3:43PM UTC

   Yes, I worked at a church for 8 years doing the accounting (part-time). There was a temp hired after my previous manager left. The temp was awful and I didn’t have anyone to back me up. I gave notice and left that same day. In my resignation letter I included a Maya Angelou quote, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget the way you made them feel. Walk away and don’t look back. You deserve better.

4. AnonymousJanuary 29,2025 at 3:57PM UTC

   I’m assuming you are out on stress leave and getting paid. At least I hope that’s what you’re doing. The boss you want to apologize to knows your boss is a pig. He hired him. You owe no one an apology for being abused. Obviously this company like so many others allows this. So take care of yourself and move on

5. AnonymousJanuary 29,2025 at 4:07PM UTC

   Good for you for looking for better opportunities. Feeling guilty for following the company rules doesn’t make sense to me. The regulations of your company requires you to play this game. So play it. I’m assuming you only get approved time off for certain things. Otherwise you could just ask for the time without explanation since you are given PTO. Get rid of the guilt and keep going.

6. Vanessa LontocJanuary 29,2025 at 4:09PM UTC

   I'm sorry to hear this happened to you. That sounds like an incredibly difficult and painful experience. It takes immense strength to recognize when a situation is harming you and to prioritize your well-being. You did what you needed to do to protect yourself, and that’s nothing to apologize for.

   To cover your bases, here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re fully disconnected from your former workplace:

   → Log out of and remove any personal accounts (Gmail, social media, cloud storage, password managers) from work devices.

   → Change any passwords that might have been saved or used on work systems.

   → Ensure you don’t have personal files left on work computers.

   → If you had a company phone, check that two-factor authentication (2FA) isn't still linked to it.

   → Save any documentation (emails, messages) that might support your experience if needed later.

   As for reaching out to your former boss’s boss, give yourself time. There’s no rush. If you do decide to connect, it’s not about apologizing but about maintaining a professional relationship. A simple message expressing gratitude and hope to stay in touch is enough—keeping in mind that anything you say could be repeated.

   For future employers, you still have time to frame your narrative in a way that is honest yet professional. If you know an employment lawyer, it might be helpful to get their perspective on how to position your departure. Most importantly, I hope you have the space and financial cushion to focus on yourself right now: to reflect, recharge, and heal. You deserve that.

7. AnonymousJanuary 29,2025 at 6:28PM UTC

   I would definitely reach out. Ask for a coffee meeting if you can and give him direct feedback on why you quit with no notice. Keep it professional and let him know that you quit because you felt unsafe, period. Keep it simple. Let him know that if at such a time this person leaves the company that you would consider a return if you can. Let them know it was a difficult decision to burn the bridge but you really appreciated their faith in you and you apologize for failing them specifically. Let them know that other than the conversation you are having with them you do not plan to flame the company on any 3rd party places but you did want to alert them to what they may not be aware of that is going on. Perhaps doing so will have them realize you are a hero. Worst case you clear the air and leave things better than when you ran out by preserving the relationship with them.

8. AnonymousJanuary 30,2025 at 1:25PM UTC

   I once walked off a job no notice (other than an email fired off in anger). This was not my finest moment - I broke down in front of others. But I was in that job for about a year and it was hell. The stress of it started taking a toll on my health. A lot of things I learned after I took the job: basically the entire department had turned over in the previous year, the person I replaced was in her office crying every day because of her the treatment she received, people were constantly walking on eggshells. The department head was a horrible human being (but the cash cow of this place, so he got away with a lot). Before I said eff it, I'm done, I called my then fiancé. He knew how stressed I was, but I couldn't make that decision without telling him first and he fully supported me. The day after (I think it was the day after, this was nearly 20 years ago now), I reached out via email to the HR department with a more formal resignation, demanding an exit interview (which I completed via paper, with an additional page added to it because I wanted to document as much as I could and have it on file with them), demanded I be paid out my vacation time (because the policy was no notice, no vacation payout), and - because I actually liked everyone else I worked with - I continued to provide guidance for the next month to the person who unexpectedly had to take on my role. I didn't want others to suffer because I couldn't handle it anymore.

9. GirlBossanova934974January 30,2025 at 2:07PM UTC

   I am still unclear as to why in 2025 that some are still taking this sort of abuse and then a few weeks or months later, quitting on the spot. The thing to do is DOCUMENT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT these abuses and be ready to turn over the list of offenses to your HR Dept or Senior Management. In the meanwhile, the resumes should be flying out the door to every conceivable future employer. I have had these sorts of bosses and let me tell ya! THE WORD GOT AROUND FAST! Within weeks or months, a good chunk of the staff had resigned and left. The GASLIGHTER was left with a skeleton crew and a bunch of new hires who stuck around for a year and left as well. Sooner or later, the C Suite put their finger on the bad actor.........

10. AnonymousJanuary 30,2025 at 2:08PM UTC

    I had an awful boss. I should have quit. Instead I went through PIP and then was fired.

11. Erin LukenJanuary 30,2025 at 2:31PM UTC

    I worked for a terrible man for about 10 months before quitting on the spot. I value dependability, longevity, and building connections, but this guy would try to tell me that the grass was blue and the sky was green. He had business practices that were unethical and against industry regulations (financial planning), which I just could not be a part of. I was planning my way out (after work, not while on the job), when one day he asked me to lunch where he proceeded to be angry with me for, among other totally off the wall things, not paying enough attention to him at his birthday party! At that point, I put down my silverware, folded my napkin, looked at him, and said "Thank you for the opportunity to work for you. I'm going to go back to the office now, gather up my things, and not come back. Goodbye." The look on his face was priceless. Several months later I found out that he was being accused of SA by several women. I was sickened, but not surprised one bit.

    Anyway...I recommend scheduling some sessions with a therapist to process the abuse you endured before reaching out to his boss. A therapist can help you look at the situation from different angles, decide what course of action would be best for you at this time, and come up with what to say to future employers that feels true to you but won't hinder your hire-ability. If you do reach out, be very wary that abusers are good at only showing their behavior to people they think "don't matter," so his boss might not believe you or believe you "enough."

12. Lynn KleinJanuary 30,2025 at 2:50PM UTC

    Yes, I once walked out for lunch and never returned.

    It was a small firm and the owner was certifiable. He made the local press for being a hoarder and crazy to his neighbors.

    Him and his wife used to have massive fights in the office where they would throw things at each other, in front of us all. She was nearly a foot taller, she won most fights. She eventually left him.

13. AnonymousJanuary 30,2025 at 2:51PM UTC

    I was let go on 1/27 because I couldn't deal with my supervisor who is 20 years younger than I am, She did not give me the space to be able to do the work alone and to be involved in everything that I do. My self respect is so important that it was not worth to stay in a position where I feel like I have no value,

14. AnonymousJanuary 30,2025 at 3:04PM UTC

    I have considered (even came close to) walking off, but I never did. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to, which was their hold on me. I documented, went to HR, went to the skip manager, and ended up in the hospital for four days due to the stress (heart issue). Luckily, the person was moved to a different department, and I didn't have to work closely with him anymore.

    If you have any documentation of the abuse (recordings of meetings, memos, friends at the place who would confirm your story, etc.), you could contact the EEOC rep at the company and file a complaint. Unfortunately, now that you're gone, you don't have as much influence as you would have before.

    As for what to say about why you left with future opportunities, state it was a mutual agreement that the role wasn't a good fit, and follow that with why the new opportunity would be perfect.

15. CMTJanuary 30,2025 at 3:07PM UTC

    I

    Yes, I had a very toxic work environment and yes, I walked out because no matter what I would’ve done and documented everything, my boss was so entrenched that no one would’ve ever given me time a day about my concerns. She would’ve lied and the people that were in the company with the longevity that she had they would’ve taken up for her. I worked for a credit union the biggest one in my state, and it was absolutely the most antiquated place I had ever worked as far as principles, technology, management, and the sad part is it went straight up the food chain.
    the best thing for you is to just not look back !!it took me several months to get over my mental state. 10 years later, I cringe every time I drive by there. And I refused to go there to do my banking. Talk about PTSD.
    All I can say is thank God you had the courage to walk out congrats

16. Colleen HansonJanuary 30,2025 at 3:55PM UTC

    I have done this! Mine was more a matter of two catty women that I worked with who were the epitome of "mean girls" in their 50's. They cackled and pointed at me constantly and when I would ask if I was doing something wrong they would say "no" and laugh even more. I was involved in an accident during this time, on the way to take my grandson to preschool before heading to work. It was in a snow storm. As a result, my grandson had to be taken to the hospital and the car towed. My boss told me I needed to "find a way" to work (as I was at the hospital with my grandson). I explained that with my daughter out of town for work I was not going to leave my 3 year old grandson alone at the hospital (he was scared, shaken up and had a pretty severe concussion). The lack of compassion was mind blowing! My daughter obviously caught a flight home, but didn't arrive until early evening. When I returned the next day I was chastised for not "valuing my position" enough to "make other arrangements" for my grandson! What? Then I was questioned by the mean girls about location of the acciddent, location of the preschool, proximity of the accident to the preschool, etc. It felt like the Spanish Inquisition! Half way through the day the mean girls inform me that, based on their "research" there was no preschool around the area I lived in and no reported accidents in that area either! They literally went on line, digging for information to try to discredit me! I told them that I had not felt the need to give them any personal information for a reason, and it was none of their business where my grandson's preschool is and what the proximity was to the accident or my home. Then I find out they had closed late morning anyway, due to clients cancelling and not being able to arrive in the poor weather! They proceeded to talk about me to clients as they arrived, letting everyone know that I was the only to not come in the previous day, degrading and belittling me throughout the day (which I found very unprofessional). I had spoken previously to the boss/owner about these women as they were consistently spreading rumors to clients about the boss' wife and their marriage (telling people his wife cheated on him, she was a gold-digger, he was leaving her, etc.). I had never worked in such an unprofessional environment in my life! Anyway, I had enough and just did not show up the following day. I did send a follow-up email to the boss and let him know why I was not coming back. I also let him know that, being that this was a business associated with the medical profession, I was shocked that he had allowed such bullying and harrassment in the workplace. I instantly felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders!

    I did find out about a month later that one of the women had been let go. I guess he decided to ask clients if they had been "gossiped" to and was shocked to find out the things that were being said about his wife/marriage. He followed up with me to thank me for calling the unprofessionalism to his attention. Mind you, while I was employed there I had told him all of this and nothing was ever done or looked into. I guess being short-staffed forced his hand. From what I understand I had been the third person to quit, with no notice, due to these women. Hopefully he learned to listen better when someone approaches him with a concern!

17. AnonymousJanuary 30,2025 at 6:31PM UTC

    I read your situation and feel sad that this happened to you. You did the right thing by leaving. I experienced the same situation that it gave me PTSD and I struggled once I started working again. This occurred right before the pandemic. The boss was a complete bully. She expected me to know the entire system when I started. I should have run when I saw that they used paper forms for benefits enrollment, and this organization has well over 60k employees. I was working in the benefits department. I also knew it was off when I arrived at my cubicle, which I was told was an office, and there was an ancient computer with the big monitor from the early 90s! This is a very wealthy municipality. The HR system was archaic and the entire structure was unorganized. No one knew what the other person was doing. I hated every second I was there. I cried when I woke up and I cried when I was in my car driving home. I took it for only four months. We had a long weekend, MLK day we were closed, and I made a decision to go in early and drop off my resignation and ghost them. I had already packed up all of my things, which wasn’t much. I walked out and ran into the psycho boss. She stopped and literally dropped her papers and purse turning white. She said, “Where are you going?” To which I responded, “home”. I told her, “I left you a gift on your desk. Buhbye!” and walked into the elevator. As the door closed, she was just standing there. I felt the weight of the world fall from my shoulders. I stopped by HR and dropped off my badge. The HR Consultant from the benefits department ran after me. Apparently, they finally pulled up the file on that nutcase boss. She had many complaints and grievances against her. I laughed out loud and said that I had no desire to stay with an organization as disorganized and unprofessional as this. I also called my insane boss a d-bag. Later, I found out from an old coworker, who was also bullied, that she was fired and the union pressed some type of charges against her. I still don’t know what they did, but the office was gutted from top to bottom. I felt the greatest satisfaction from knowing she was terminated without pay or severance and supposedly, don’t know if it’s true, lost her retirement. I’m much better now. I hope the best for anyone who has been through similar experiences. Good luck!

18. asmith13January 30,2025 at 6:32PM UTC

    Mean girls at work are the absolute worst. I have totally been there and it is so stupid and immature.

19. AnonymousJanuary 30,2025 at 3:56PM UTC

    It would be a class move to send the big boss a message that you were sorry you left without saying goodbye (soft message that you would have left anyway) and that you appreciated them hiring you and giving you the opportunity to further develop xyz (whatever your main accomplishments were there). However, from what you've said you likely have at least a weak case for age discrimination and big boss might be afraid to have any more communication with you.

    In terms of what you say, something along the lines of "it wasn't at my level so I wasn't going to grow, they needed a much more foundational employee". About the no notice, you could say "the norm at that company is to not work a notice period". If appropriate in an interview you can say "I know the norm is to job hunt while you still have a job but in my case I felt too disloyal, was afraid I'd be caught, etc. so I decided to quit and then look." Once hired, if someone tries to get you to spill the tea, just turn the table and praise the new company for a calm environment which allows people to work without distraction.

20. AnonymousJanuary 30,2025 at 4:16PM UTC

    If you respect and trust your Big Boss, it would be collegial and respectful to drop a line to apologize for the suddenness of your departure.

    However, since your immediate boss wanted to paint you as hysterical and incompetent, I would be wary of saying anything that could feed that.

    Do not vent at length to your Big Boss, ask them to take sides or arbitrate. They need a hint that this person is difficult but they may already know and turn a blind eye.

    Say something simple like “thank you for giving me the opportunity, I enjoyed and learned xyz, and I hope we’ll cross paths again in the future. I am sorry if my sudden departure left your company understaffed. However, I could not tolerate the demeaning / threatening behaviors exhibited by [Mid Boss] and found they diminished collegiality and cooperation. At the very least, not a culture match. I wish you the best. Cheers”.

    Focus on yourself now, on finding your peace. And well done getting yourself out of there and prioritizing respect and sanity.

    And as far as future employers, say “previous employer was not a culture match”

21. AnonymousJanuary 30,2025 at 4:19PM UTC

    You should have been having conversations with the person who hired, you and HR. At the very least I hope you called 911 for the poor wife being attacked in front of witnesses

22. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 4:13AM UTC

    Sure, reach out. He sounds like a nice guy and it would be nice to tell him thank you and goodbye. If he insists on knowing why, mention the getting violent with the wife thing.

23. Kathleen Norton-SchockJanuary 31,2025 at 1:14PM UTC

    Even with no notice, any self-respecting company with a well-trained HR team would have requested that you complete an exit interview. Did you interact with HR, at all? (They will frown on the "no notice" but the remaining team/company needs feedback to see if there is a dangerous management cog in their wheel). And, yes, reach out to the manager's manager, and document what you experienced (which, no offense, you should have been documenting all along). Good luck! PS - I had never heard of the term "Grey Rocking" before --- maybe I am lucky. In any case, thanks for the new term. (Love vocabulary extensions). Be well.

24. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 1:51PM UTC

    She could be in an 'employment at will' state, so she is absolutely entitled to leave whenever she wants without notice - just as the company is entitled to term whenever they want, without notice.

25. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 1:18PM UTC

    i was working as a nursing supervisor in a nursing home… the director of nursing was beyond ignorant and unprofessional and berated me I front of coworkers, basically told me I wasn’t “a good fit” for the position based on my years of hospital -based nursing, and literally ignored me when I asked for assistance in improving my performance… so for the first time ever, I walked out that day and didn’t look back…. I’m in my 50s, I’m better than that, and I don’t regret what I did one bit… yes people will naysay, but I couldn’t give two S***s.

26. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 1:38PM UTC

    I literally could have written this myself. I walked away from my job in December and I don’t regret the choice I made.

27. Karyl HallJanuary 31,2025 at 1:43PM UTC

    SAME! I left a lucrative but toxic job in June 2023 ... worked 2 part time jobs between then and now to keep afloat, and finally just accepted another offer in a totally different field with much less money, but I know for sure I will be so much happier!

28. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 1:43PM UTC

    I was mentally battered by the last company for which I worked. I complained to HR and they did nothing...it was ongoing and when that boss told me that Friday if I wanted to know anything about my coworkers schedules or even how they were doing, ask only him, I was done. I packed everything up that evening after everyone was gone and I left. They denied me all of my PTO I had accumulated but that was a small price. Less than one week later I was offered the best job, in the best place. I made the right decision.

29. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 1:48PM UTC

    I walked away from a toxic environment too, and don't regret a thing.

    If you feel compelled to explain the situation to the person who hired you I would suggest setting up a phone call - but don't apologize. Simply tell him why you needed to leave abruptly and thank him for the opportunity. Don't put anything in writing.

    Good luck!

30. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 1:51PM UTC

    Since you are no longer there, you have nothing to lose by reaching out to the manager who hired you to give a goodbye and brief explanation of why you left. It really depends on what your relationship was like with this big boss. If you didn't really have much contact with them after being hired, keep it high level and really professional. If he is someone you have had candid conversations with, then maybe it would be appropriate to divulge more details simply based on how your interactions have been in the past.

    I was in my early 20s when I knew I needed to leave my job because I literally cried every day on my way to work because my manager was so horrible to me. However, I knew I could not survive if I didn't have another job before I left, and the 2-week notice had been taught to me as a must no matter the circumstances. I found another job without my manager knowing and gave my new employer a start day of 2 weeks out. I went to work and wrote an intercompany email to my direct boss and our regional manager (her boss) thanking for the opportunity, blah blah blah, and stating this was my 2-week notice. I "politely" told them why I was leaving by saying the way I've been treated and seen others treated in the workplace is not something I can condone or be part of anymore (I was the assistant manager and my boss would try to make me criticize the employees like she did). I explained I was still giving my 2-weeks because I could not feel like I was leaving the rest of my team high and dry to pick up my shifts the next couple weeks. I came in the next day, and my boss had left for the day right before I got there. I clocked in and saw I had a reply from her that my notice was accepted and today would be my last shift. She left me notes on the counter of tasks to do and informed my coworker (fellow assistant manager) that I was not to help any customers and could only complete my list which was an insane amount of deep cleaning. Her intent was to make me mad enough that I would leave before my shift was over and she could say that she fired me for not completing my shift. Lucky her, she had an extremely clean workplace when she came in the next morning with my name tag on her desk. No way was I going to let her bully me into just leaving. My new job ended up letting me start training the very next afternoon. After that experience I realized that the 2-week notice is not a must and something I would only give to an employer deserved it. If you feel unsafe or so unhappy that you are willing to leave without having another job lined up, it is definitely not somewhere you should be staying for another 2 weeks.

31. GingerJanuary 31,2025 at 2:26PM UTC

    I was in a similar situation. I just went to lunch one day and never returned. I notified HR same afternoon.

    I spent two weeks struggling with what I did. But I am resigned to the facts that I wasn't the only one being bullied and harrassed constantly, and that the 50 % turn over each year is testament that something is wrong and has been for a long time. The boss portrays himself as Christian and pious, but the vengefulness and over the top need to control everything is noticed by everyone except him. The HR director is an enabler every step of the way. I can't reason why this person is that way, when the job is to be fair and reasonable for all concerned and should have intervened on several occasions when other employees had issues with the boss. Job security? Not my problem anymore and starting to enjoy being in charge of my time.

32. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 2:35PM UTC

    I was denied FMLA coverage when my daughter was in hospital on life support during COVID because they “didn’t believe “ I went to visit her at the hospital. I took a month off to settle my mental health then I walked in and told them it was my last day.

33. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 3:23PM UTC

    You can buy know your boss probably already painted you as crazy to everyone. That's just how white men operate on corporate America.

34. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 3:24PM UTC

    I did, while also trying to manage a major medical condition, for which I was verbally abused and torn down on a daily basis, on top of being ripped apart for all the little mistakes I made in front of the staff that I had hired and trained and been forced to step down to their level because of this manager’s lack of compassion and ability to properly manage the team or situation appropriately. We lost multiple team members due to her poor management and lack of ability to control her anger especially with me. I was hand picked by the VP of Operations to start the team and train the team before the manager even came in and she tore me down verbally daily in front of my team, rewarded them in ways that excluded me, forced me to step down and wrote me up to where I was afraid each day I was going to lose my job. So, I was going to have surgery and was supposed to come back but decided once I was gone that I could not go back to her torture every day. Each of my team had let me know the lies she had said behind my back once I left, and one of them even left and unloaded everything to HR. What was left of the team has since been relieved of their positions, but the manager still has a position with the company! My one surgery turned into three surgeries in seven months, which lead towards me being disabled unfortunately, but I have also realized that if I were to return to work I would need therapy to recover from the verbal abuse that I endured on a daily basis from that manager. I have never been able to talk to the VP about it, even though he and I worked at a prior job together and had a prior working relationship, and HR did not do any kind of an exit interview with me. They either left it that I was not returning due to my medical issues or who knows. Either way, that person should not be in management, and I’m sorry for anyone else who had to go through anything like what I did.

35. Christi MillerJanuary 31,2025 at 3:49PM UTC

    I say reach out if you were very close to that person. If not, then I probably would not reach out. Your boss already told him you were crazy and he is glad you are gone. Move on to finding a company and role that works for you. As far as an interview, you could say something about looking for better alignment. There is a lot of advice on how to answer that question on you tube and Instagram. Good luck.

36. Michele DarleyJanuary 31,2025 at 4:39PM UTC

    I just left the same type of situation in July. I thought about reaching out to her boss, but I think he knew and it wouldn’t do anything anyway. Her entire team quit including people she hired herself, so I’m pretty sure the entire organization was clear on why the entire team left. I’m glad you got out and I hope you take care of yourself and don’t worry about that company anymore.

37. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 4:44PM UTC

    I would call the cops re the wife abuse. I would also lawyer up since I bet he's a vindictive ahole.

38. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 5:43PM UTC

    Been there. I did not just leave but the immediate relief I felt leaving at the end of my last day was incredible. No one should try to function in a place that is disruptive and so emotionally abusive. I have not reached out and have not contacted anyone from that job. And after 18 years I had some solid friends and community there. But one person really can destroy years of work and our self confidence. Good for you for letting go and moving on.

39. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 6:57PM UTC

    Good luck! I had an abusive manager. She was incompetent and used the abuse to cover up her on inadequacies. Unfortunately higher management and HR stood up for her as she had told her story of events weeks before I summoned the courage to stand up for myself. I figured once i left she would just find a different team member to target. Several other folks left her team after i left, so hopefully management noticed a pattern of unhappy employees that they paid attention to. Glad to be gone.

40. SANDRA SMITHFebruary 1,2025 at 1:42PM UTC

    I was in your shoes, exact situation. I quiet quit and spoke to HR's boss about the situation. TRUST ME!!!! nothing will change unless she does something that either makes the company look bad or it affects their bottom line!

41. AnonymousJanuary 31,2025 at 7:10PM UTC

    In my opinion, I wouldn’t bother because I think it’s likely that your boss knew what that person was like and by not doing anything about it, condoned it.

42. Jane EJanuary 31,2025 at 10:36PM UTC

    when i was younger i had a boss who was awful ( i truly believe she had mental issues). this was a local business owned by her and her husband. he was great but there was no doubt he and the other employees new exactly what it was like in the front of the store.

    gaslighting (though we didn't really use that word back then), out often with migraines then would come back and tell me everything i had done in her absence was completely wrong, favored another employee, very openly. part of my job was cleaning. i should have known how it was going to go when, on the first day of my job, she actually gave me detailed instructions and a demonstration on how to clean a toilet. like...whut?? it was a freaking nightmare. i walked in one morning (when i knew she wouldn't be in yet) and gave my key to her husband and told him i was done. no drama, no crying. such a relief!

    i am at the end of my career as we speak and am lucky enough to work with good people, most of which are stable. :o)

43. SalinaJanuary 31,2025 at 11:08PM UTC

    Tell the truth! If people are toxic they create a toxic working environment. Some people have no business being charge of others and that boss sounds like one of those that need no control of others! Bully-

44. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistFebruary 1,2025 at 5:58AM UTC

    I would reach out to the former boss's boss. I would not apologize but I would explain to him that you felt, for your own safety, you had no other choice. Be factual, I actually would leave all the bullying out of it and make it about safety. Because of workplace violence, many companies take that seriously.

    Tell him that you appreciate him him hiring you. You never know when you may need a reference from that company - I wouldn't burn that personal bridge with him.

45. SANDRA SMITHFebruary 1,2025 at 1:38PM UTC

    I caught my HR manager in a lie and called her out on it. In order to retaliate against me she claimed all my bosses complained about me and my mistakes (another lie) and put me in another department with her friend. It was an absolute nightmare to the point I had a breakdown and scared my daughter. I was hoping to work for this company until age 70 (I am 68) but I could not do it. The place was toxic, and it affected my health both psychically and mentally. On 11/7/24 I went into work, worked a full day and at 5pm I quiet quit via to email to HR but before I left, I had a meeting with HR's boss to detail my experience

46. Sami RezlerFebruary 1,2025 at 5:18PM UTC

    I hated working at King Soopers pharmacy. After a year, I still had not gotten the system down, because they didn't stress which parts were most important, and the training, while we got to shadow for a while, it wasn't enough. They had these ancient, DOS-based computers (this was in 2008) and the system didn't remove medications that had no pills left. They never told me how to see and I asked multiple times, when the NDC had pills on it to choose the correct one. That frustrated me so much.

    It was a very busy pharmacy. If I made a mistake, after the other pharmacy tech who was getting bullied left with a pharmcist who saw it, and was going to take her with her when she got her own store, I should have seen the signs there. She started treating me the same way. The pharmacy manager/pharmacist would take me into the "coat closet" which was an open area where you donned your pharmacy coat at the back-right corner, and would yell and berate me until I was crying when I made any kind of mistake. One day I was sick of it and said, "I'm done. I'll come back for my license later, I can't be around you any longer."

    And this was after I complained to the union rep and wrote a note to the store manager, who then gave her the letter to read and pick out parts that she felt would hurt me the most.

    This was after I had been out of my first relationship for about 7 years, the man was verbally abusive.

47. Sami RezlerMarch 14,2026 at 3:20PM UTC

    Correction: I had only been out of that relationship for 2-3 years.

48. AnonymousFebruary 1,2025 at 11:41PM UTC

    I worked in a department store in a mall while in college. The mall opened in August. There was a mass hiring at the time. There was no distinction between 'seasonal hires' and regular hires. The company even admitted as much.

    At Christmas time, with pay checks / stubs managers handed out their Holiday cards. Many of the cards included 'pink slips' along with a note informing (that) 'the Holiday season doesn't officially end until January (# date) due to potential returns, and that everyone was expected to work their shifts as scheduled until then'.

    That was December 15. I never opened my card. I walked out at the end of my shift, and I never returned. I don't know if I had gotten a pink slip or not. I didn't care. I wasn't going to work for a company that was so callous and treated their employees with such disrespect.

49. AnonymousFebruary 4,2025 at 9:50PM UTC

    My last boss was an absolute nightmare like this toward the end of my employment. We had always gotten along, I was never written up, when he needed someone to work weekends I was his go to bec he knew at the time I needed the money. After a little over a year and a half he started being so belittling and complaining about EVERYTHING I did bec he wanted to change the way he wanted them done but didn’t care to give training so I never changed and neither did the other lady in the office. He then hired another office worker claiming it was to take some of the work load off of me & the other lady. Not what happened, the new girl did not like anyone telling her what to do even though it was just her being trained so she complained to him that she was tired of being corrected. I worked with her on Monday was out with the flu Tuesday - Thursday came back on Friday and was let go by text on Saturday; which helped bec I wasn’t going to go back on Monday but since he let me go I was able to get my unemployment