‘My boss, his boss, and the HR Director took turns screaming at me’: 3 power-tripping executives try to intimidate employee into quitting because they're unable to fire them immediately, employee refuses

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Mar 29, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Having a job in this current job market is like finding a pot of gold, but it's not really yours, and you're just holding onto it until somebody decides to steal it from you. No, I'm not talking about leprechauns… I'm talking about the higher-ups who are always patiently waiting to pull the rug out from underneath your feet and knock you down to zero. If it's not the higher-ups trying to get you out, it's always somebody.

Even when you realize your job is protected, what point is there if you're living in your own personal Hades realm? Well, for one: If you stick it out long enough, you'll qualify for the pension you've worked hard toward. Also, you'll lose just a smidge of your dignity if you decide to quit because not one, not two, but three executives decide to scream at and berate you because they can't terminate you themselves. That's the employee's case in this next story, and they refuse to quit just because three big, bad bosses told them to do so. Scroll to read.

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  • Executives will do everything in their power to exercise the power they have. Even still, they will always meet their match. The match in question? A clause in employee contracts that rejects at-will termination. The employee alleges that they have done nothing wrong and cannot understand why the executives are berating them as such… Power trips. That's why. And probably some budget cuts that might affect their big bonuses if the company decides to keep them.

  • "They demanded I quit immediately." 000
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "Three Company Executives took turns screaming at me, demanding I resign (would you quit?)"

    Would you quit a job immediately if three senior managers screamed at you for an hour, demanding you quit? Or would you reject their demand until you found another job that paid a similar wage?
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • I was recently working for a large bureaucratic organization that had employee safeguards against immediate employment termination. Before someone
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • could be fired, they had to go through a process with a formal oral warning, written warning, and performance improvement plan. Unless it was a case of gross misconduct.
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • They could not fire me without this process because I did nothing wrong, so they tried to intimidate me into quitting. They pulled me into a conference
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • room, and my boss, his boss, and the HR Director took turns screaming at me and calling me names and telling me everyone hated me and wanted me gone. They demanded I quit immediately.
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • This was for a job that would give me a pension if I survived for another year. If I quit, it would likely take at least a year to find
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • another $90K job in my career field. But who wants to stay in a place where everyone hates you! And if I stay, they would make every day more miserable.
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • Cheezburger Image 10486962432
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • I had talked to an attorney specializing in employment law, and he said that if I quit, I get nothing, including my pension. This meeting was before the screaming session, when things were just starting to heat up.
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • The lawyer did say it would be years for the case to make it through the courts, and it would cost me lots of money to fight it, even if they broke all the laws and rules. What would you do?
    via Beta_Nerdy
  • AttackOfTheMonkeys That's hilarious. You need to quit. No, you need to grow a pair and fire me. Offer to leave if they package you out. See how high you can get them before saying sorry guys I changed my mind
    via AttackOfTheMonkeys
  • Consistent Minute9 Show up every day with the intention of making their lives more difficult, all while doing the bare minimum...
    via ConsistentMinute9
  • johnjacobjingle1234 Stay until you find something else. But also, an eeoc lawsuit.
    via johnjacobjingle1234
  • Mojojojo3030 Maybe I'm cracked but the yelling means I'm definitely staying if only to stick it to them lol. Document everything, and talk to a lawyer now. Firing you to avoid a pension is classic wrongful termination fodder.
    via Mojojojo3030
  • amouse_buche I would look into the laws in my state concerning single party consent and if allowable, start a voice memo on my phone before the next meeting.
    via amouse_buche
  • Imaginary_Most_7778 They want you to quit, so they don't have to pay unemployment.
    via Imaginary_Most_7778
  • Downtherabbithole14 If you quit, they win. If you stay, let them fire you, collect your severance and unemployment. Oh and I'd consult with an attorney.
    via Downtherabbithole14
  • M er_Hobo_LS77 I would stay and be as petty as possible. I'd also write a letter to the entire C- Suite about the experience, request a one on one with the VP of HR, and absolutely do my level best to get those managers terminated or reprimanded.
    via M***er_Hobo_LS77
  • I might also randomly bump into them. and spill coffee all over them (iced of course can't have them getting hurt and paid out). I would stay the year and get that pension. They're trying to get you out rather than paying. Tactic old as time.
    via M***er_Hobo_LS77
  • The words "that is outside of my scope of support" will be your best friend. Keep your role req sheet handy and make them work for it if they want anything outside of that sheet.
    via M***er_Hobo_LS77

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reddit stories boss workplace-stories fired career advice bosses work i quit workplace Horrible Bosses entitled executives reddit thread bad bosses work advice Reddit entitled people
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