20+ employees share the clueless things their bosses have said to them: 'It’s not mandatory, it’s compulsory!'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
May 30, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

The merits and qualities that can push someone into a leadership role are as surprising as they are disappointing; oftentimes, those who might actually make good leaders are passed up in favor of those who possess surprisingly undesirable qualities. You might expect them to have good knowledge and experience in handling the work at hand, along with integrity, accountability, direction, and decisiveness—you know, things that actually are commonly attributed to a good leader. My no means does this mean that a leader needs to be perfect, but being a leader means owning your mistakes and learning from them and elevating those around you.

Unfortunately, who you know and how they feel about you, your complicity, and your willingness to pass exploitative policy without question will often be more likely to get you promoted than any actual leadership qualities. They might have even been good at something—once. And showed promise in a lower role, putting up good numbers, which earned them a promotion despite having no other leadership qualities. Now, as a living and walking Peter Principle, they live their life failing upwards and making those around and under them miserable…

These workers gathered together to share their stories and experiences of things that their foolish and clueless bosses said to them that they still remember to this day.

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  • 01

    "What’s the most hilariously clueless thing a boss has ever said to you?"

    I'll go first: "We don't do overtime here... we just stay until the work is done." Yes sir, that's literally the definition of overtime.) "Can you work faster without rushing?" (Absolutely. I'll just enter my Zen- speed mode.) "Your stress shows you care. I wish more employees were like you." (Great, I'm now the office mascot for anxiety.) What's your "did-they-really-just-say- that" moment from a manager or boss? Let's hear it.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 02
    WORLD'S BEST BOSS
    via Pablo Varela

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 03
    dubbs911 12h ago • I asked my supervisor what was the max amount of mandatory OT (which was new to me in 36 years of working) was allowed according to state labor law? She responded with "we are a private company, we don't follow state law".
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 04
    babyblueeyes14 ⚫ 13h ago "Your only job is to make me look good." - after asking for role clarity and a list of my responsibilities, rather than just doing my boss's job for him) "I didn't hire you to tell me how it is. You're here to agree with me." - after I told him in private that something he claimed was a fact was not true.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 05
    "If they can't read, they deserve whatever happens." - after I raised a concern that writing the phrase "take care of yourself and pay attention to what you're doing" at the end of every step in a work instruction wasn't going to make the work any safer if people didn't have the right equipment. He was a SAFETY MANAGER. "I still need you to come in today." - after me calling from OVERSEAS where I was stranded for days due to volcanic ash causing my flight to be cancelled. I can go on
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 06
    GUI_Junkie · 12h ago I've told this anecdote a couple of times already here, on Reddit. Here it goes. I was working at an office. The client's office. There were around 70 people in that space from my company, and more from other companies. There were people there 24/7.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 07
    At one point in time, the client started renovating the space without relocating any of us. I warned my bosses that this was not safe (I was a union member of the safety board of our company). He told me that everything was under control. A few weeks (?) later, when I arrived, I saw that everybody was in the hallway. I asked what was going on and they told me that a ceiling lamp had fallen on top of the desk of someone who luckily had gone for a coffee. Nobody was hurt.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 08
    I entered the office to call my boss. He: "You have to call the other boss because I'm on holidays." I called the other boss, and told him what had happened. Then, I called the head of the safety board of our company to inform him as well. And now, for the good part!
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 09
    The second boss berated me for: 1. Not expressing the urgency of the situation (it was literally the first and only time I had called him). 2. Not inform him of the risks of the renovation project (which I had done). 3. Informing the head of the safety board without reason (someone nearly got hurt for 's sake)! That's the dumbest sh I heard any boss say in twenty years. Anyway, we were relocated for the duration of the renovation project.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 10
    WORLD'S BEST BOSS
    via Kelly Sikkema

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 11
    Socrav 12h ago • "The company needs to manage IT budget and security compliance instead of anything innovative." I'm a technical founder. High skilled. I build stuff and tell great stories to our customers. Run dev teams. Forward thinking, lead-by- bringing-up kinda thing. We had some cr p happen at our company and lots of heads were reduced. Of course I can do the job, I did build it up after all. But this is not who I am and where I want to be in my career. They find out probably mon that I qu
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 12
    RummazKnowsBest 11h ago "It's not mandatory, it's compulsory!" A deeply stupid man, too stupid to know he was stupid. He was also an aggressive bu y. Absolutely stealing a living (he's been promoted again since I worked with him). We looked forward to the days he was off because everything ran smoothly without him.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 13
    sonia72quebec • 10h ago I never worked more than 5 days a week. All the Bosses knew this. One Manager called me anyway to ask to work a sixth day. I refused saying I don't work more than 5 days. He told me but you're lucky you have two days leave in a row (Tuesday and Wednesday) • "But if I come in I won't anymore." ... idiot.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 14
    RedGhost3568 · 11h ago "We've decided to retrench your team because it is cheaper to restructure and outsource." CEO ignores fact that ~40 staff in two states he's signed off on retrenching have +250 years of collective experience in international stockmarket forecasting and have 1-on-1 personal relationships with our entire customer base built up over years of trusted business advice. We think the company will be de d in under three years.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 15
    • Alarmed-Custard-6369 · 11h ago I can't afford to spend any more on this project, can you volunteer your time to finish it? It's for a good cause! The man drove a Porsche and it was his own personal vanity project.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 16
    SocialRevenge • 8h ago You are welcome to work as a team, just do it separately.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 17
    Fisch1374 8h ago I was hired as an RN Care Manager for an agency. My position was private-pay only we did not take insurance payments for my work. I got my first client, with whom I spent 5 hours the first day I met with them. The next day the supervisor chewed me out for spending 5 hours when the limit was 2 hours for Medicare patients. I had to explain to her that this was a private pay patient and she should be happy that I spent 5 hours of reimbursable time.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 18
    howyallare ⚫6h ago I was recently reminded of this... a budget shortfall plus grant mismanagement was happening, and my boss suggested that I just pause my work for two months while they "figure things out." To her "credit," she was floating the idea and wanted my input. Thus, I got to explain to an actual adult human that not being paid for two months would be... checks notes... really bad.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 19
    PA_Archer 11h ago • "DO SOMETHING! Even if it's wrong."
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 20
    emotional-empath 8h ago "You aren't fully flexible if you aren't available to cover on your scheduled days off." She fully expected me to wait at home IN CASE I was called in - a minumum wage till worker. Like, no, my days off are for me.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 21
    MfrBVa 8h ago • "I want my employees to be a little afraid for their jobs every day." I just looked at him.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 22
    themobiledeceased · 8h ago • "I don't know what difference your opinion makes anyway... After asking my opinion. ||
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 23
    Spaceeebunz . 8h ago My colleague and I were discussing our salary and pay rises with my then boss. My colleague explained that her rent has gone up and she's struggling to afford it. My then boss went: 'Why don't you just buy a house?'
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 24
    Grendel0075 · 8h ago New manager: "you're a part timer" me: "no, I was hired in as full time."
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 25
    not_falling_down ⚫ 7h ago After (as an employee of abut 5 years) being passed over for a promotion in favor or a guy who had been hired only months earlier: "You'll need to hold his hand a bit until he gets up to speed."
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 26
    • Imaginary_Map2609 · 7h ago "If I knew you had career aspirations, we never would have hired you."
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 27
    Loud_Ad5093 .7h ago "You don't need to listen to what the customer wants, you give them what they need." I matched colors for a paint shop and was waiting for a customer to bring me a sample of a color they wanted.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 28
    Ok_Bicycle2684 • 7h ago "We have decided, this very week without informing anyone, that overtime has to be approved. So that 70 hours you all did does not count and we're not paying any overtime this week". So I let the director know that I was implementing Work To Rule and not supporting the entire team as I had been: I was just doing my lighting tasks and then going home.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 29
    We got paid overtime. However, he was so dismissive, ride, and condescending about wanting money that was contractually owed to us that I put in my notice the next week. I specifically stated in my notice that it was due to his poor conduct.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 30
    Leavariox 6h ago • I think my favorite is as follows. I have more that are so random but this one still sits in my brain rent free. "My computer screens won't turn on." I press the power button on the computer and watch screens turn on. "I did that and nothing happened." (walking away and confused that that just happened)
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 31
    sloen12 6h ago Just this week my boss gave me a project that ChatGPT said would take 6-9 months. He wanted it by Thursday.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 32
    CowAcademic629 15h ago • "It's okay for me to be late because I'm the boss."
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 33
    Linusthewise • 12h ago My boss asked me to create the site calendar. They wanted me to break the annual calendar into three 18 week trimesters. A bit of basic math shows why that is stupid. When I pointed it out, they threatened me with insubordination.
    via DueFalcon1895
  • 34
    ihaveaf... 12h ago Edited 12h ago He said about W-9's being required to set up a new vendor for payment, "it's just a suggestion, they're not required". The IRS would like a word... ugh.
    via DueFalcon1895

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