‘I’m tired of asking him to do his job. Our department is breaking down because of his refusal to communicate’: Boss goes into hiding every time an employee quits, insisting it isn’t his job to communicate the departures when confronted

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
May 7, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

When this boss talks about leading by example, it's like they mean setting a standard by turning the office into a giant game of hide-and-seek, minus the fun, because you're actually searching for your boss to hand them your resignation letter. It's a hybrid mashup of "Where's Waldo?" and "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," only instead of a tail, you get to pin a notice that says, "I'm outta here!" But hey, who needs accountability when you can perfect the art of disappearance?

In this version of corporate culture, leading by example means treating your role like a part-time job at an invisibility cloak rental shop. You set the tone by pretending you're not actually in charge, just a bystander watching your team evaporate without the inconvenience of actual responsibility. It's like trying to teach your dog to fetch by never throwing the ball and then being surprised it doesn't know how to play.

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  • In this innovative form of leadership, your role model is more like a ghost: they haunt the office, occasionally making their presence known by asking the same question for the fifth time or acting surprised when someone leaves.

    Managers who lead this way are like the ultimate role models for absenteeism, inspiring their teams to seek higher purposes elsewhere, largely by demonstrating that leadership is about hiding from problems until they magically solve themselves.

  • "Boss is hiding when people quit."

    "My boss is hiding when people quit, might be the worst communicator I've ever met"
    via AndreyPopov

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

  • My boss just might be the worst communicator I've ever encountered. Our department is a small 5 person team. Over the past year, we have individually
    via moraalli
  • and as a group gone to him to request more communication from him. We actually asked for weekly staff meetings if you can believe it. When important things
    via moraalli
  • happen in our organization he doesn't share them. For example, we were closed for a number of days due to a hurricane. There
    via moraalli
  • Cheezburger Image 10501906432
    via Photos.com

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

  • was a meeting amongst all the directors in the org, giving them a return date and instructions. He simply did not tell us (luckily someone else did). Another time,
    via moraalli
  • everyone was sent home when our building lost a/c mid summer. He did not tell our department and we sat in sweltering heat for
    via moraalli
  • 2 days before HIS boss came and released us. Anyway, one of my coworkers finally had enough and resigned effective immediately. I knew she was leaving and waited
    via moraalli
  • 97
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • for him to address the team. 2 weeks went by, and we confronted him. He said that it wasn't his job to let us know. Now
    via moraalli
  • another person has resigned. He got upset when he found out we knew. He was going to completely ignore that our team has gone from 5 people to 3
    via moraalli
  • people in 30 days. And the craziest part is that we work in person! I'm tired of asking him to do his job. Our department is breaking down because of his
    via moraalli
  • refusal to communicate on any level. I don't understand how a person like this got a leadership job.
    via moraalli
  • Midwest MSW Go to his boss. Frankly all 3 of you should say we are not working in these conditions anymore.
    via MidwestMSW
  • Apprehensive_Leg_760 Have you considered going above him to seek help? Could one of the folks leaving do it for you?
    via Apprehensive_Leg_760
  • ReddtitsACesspool Probably because your boss has another company/side gig/side businesses that steals his time and his care level about your workplace is 25%... This is not uncommon in small business
    via ReddtitsACesspool
  • Old_Goat_Ninja Oh man, I know exactly what you mean. My boss doesn't communicate sh. I mean, nothing. One guy on our team accepted another position a week ago in another department. Nothing was said. I only
    via Old_Goat_Ninja
  • know because coworkers from other departments told me. In the natural progression of things his spot should now be mine. Boss didn't say anything.
    via Old_Goat_Ninja
  • Coworkers kept asking me when I take over and nada, dunno, boss hasn't said anything. I know my boss likes me, they make it very clear, and my coworkers say
    via Old_Goat_Ninja
  • the same thing, that my boss likes me and likes the way I work. They just have crappy communication. I know the spot is likely mine
    via Old_Goat_Ninja
  • now (same position, better hours), but boss still hasn't said anything. Other coworkers asked the boss why I haven't been told yet
    via Old_Goat_Ninja
  • and boss replied "apparently you guys know more than I do" and continued to play dumb. Goodness.
    via Old_Goat_Ninja
  • I like my boss fine, but communication, wow, it's just not there, at all.
    via Old_Goat_Ninja
  • Before I get a million replies saying "just ask", well, my boss doesn't operate that way. They're very weird about it. Everything is a secret with them and they get upset when asked.
    via Old_Goat_Ninja

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management boss workplace-stories hr toxic-workplace manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
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