Boss prevents social media manager from running any promotions, spending any money, complains they get no sales

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jul 1, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

What if your boss prevents you from doing your job? 

When you're new at a job, you're probably going to take a while to learn the ropes. You have to get accustomed to the environment in which you work, and the kind of work that your superiors expect from you. Maybe you got an idea of it during the interview process, but it doesn't fully crystallize until you're in the room with them, and you can get an idea of how they operate. That's what happened to the employee in this story, who shared their struggles on the antiwork subreddit. They wanted to do a good job in their new position, but they just weren't given the resources to thrive. This can be a particularly frustrating position to be in as an employee, because it's not your fault that you're not being given the tools you need to thrive. 

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  • It's a manager's job not only to take their place in the middle of the ranks, but to give resources to the people who work below them. The best managers know how to dole out what's given to them to ensure that their employees succeed. It's on you to give them what they need to get their jobs done. And if they keep asking for it and you keep refusing to give it to them, then you have a serious problem on your hands. That's what was happening here to this employee. They wanted to do a good job, but they kept running into issues with their employer. No matter what they came up with, they refused to take any of their advice, and thus it rendered the job impossible to do. It seemed like they were heading toward an impasse, and the worker in this story wondered what she could do about it. Should she just move on and find another job? Or should she try to fight to make her workplace a little more bearable? Keep scrolling to read what happened here and see what you think about it.

  • Cheezburger Image 10643553536
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    A frustrated employee puts her hands to her temples at work

  • My boss won't let me do my job properly

    So as the title says, my boss is exhausting. I don't know if this will give context, but I'm a 33F and he is in his mid 70s. Why he is still working blows my mind. (his hands shake and everything).
    via Puggloaff
  • I was hired in a weird position, they honestly didn't know what to do with me at first, this is a small family owned business. Right now I am doing 10 different jobs basically, but my main is social media branding.
    via Puggloaff
  • He complains that they don't get any online sales, so naturally I told him why. There was zero marketing before I got here, and they don't promote their shop whatsoever. He won't let me do anything to help promote the business. They'll spend money on god knows what but I can't spend a little money promoting our social media and posts. But they'll make me do alcol runs to buy $60 bottle of whiskey for their personal collection.
    via Puggloaff
  • He's passive aggressive with me, asking every day if we got an order and I politely say no. He wants me to wave a magic wand and somehow get us an order. He won't let me do promotional sale posts, like 10% or buy 1 get one free. Just the other day he gave me a new task, basically if our servers go down I have to go in and fix it. I wanted him to watch
    via Puggloaff
  • me do it since it was very important, I couldn't find my notes on it that's been buried with the other countless of job notes I have. He makes a nasty remark "you're really good at taking notes but horrible at keeping them." Somehow I was supposed to also remember how to do this server task even though he showed me once a week and a half ago.
    via Puggloaff
  • I'm so burnt out already and I've only been here since April. I don't know what to do. I have become his personal assistant but at what cost?
    via Puggloaff
  • Cheezburger Image 10643554816
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    A stressed woman sits at her desk surrounded by papers

  • Commenters gave their opinions.

    SingaporeSlim1 Look for a new job then. Or get clarification what your duties are.
    via SingaporeSlim1
  • NatashOverWorld "Sales via social media will not happen until we try X". Just keep repeating that line when he asks. And obviously start looking for a new job, that can take a while.
    via NatashOverWorld
  • Objective_Move7566 First of all from your description I'd keep looking for a new job. Sorry you are dealing with that. Sounds like he has an expectation that you are supposed to organically get new business with your social media post.
    via Objective_Move7566
  • Maybe there needs to be a weekly meeting where you explain what kind of organic reach and engagement the business gets and discuss what's possible without a real marketing budget.
    via Objective_Move7566
  • ObligationMurky8716 "When is the last time you saw anything about us being online, outside of work? Why would you expect anyone else to know about us, either?"
    via ObligationMurky8716
  • agent_smith_3012 Answer his passive aggressive question with another appropriate question. "Did we get any online sales today?" "Did you put any money towards online marketing" "No" "Well, there's your answer"
    via agent_smith_3012
  • pangalacticcourier > this is a small family owned business. Red flag number one. >Right now I am doing 10 different jobs basically, but my main is social media branding.
    via pangalacticcourier
  • Red flag number two. >He complains that they don't get any online sales, so naturally I told him why. There was zero marketing before I got here, and they don't promote their shop whatsoever. He won't let me do anything to help promote the business. Red flag number three.
    via pangalacticcourier
  • >they'll make me do alcol runs to buy $60 bottle of whiskey for their personal collection. Red flag number four. F, I'm stopping there. Too many other red flags. This is a toxic workplace.
    via pangalacticcourier
  • >I'm so burnt out already and I've only been here since April. I don't know what to do. I have become his personal assistant but at what cost? Time to dust off that resume, OP. Does this man- child not put gasoline in his car and then wonder why it won't start? You can't win
    via pangalacticcourier
  • with the mentality this boss has exhibited. His disconnect with reality is astonishing. Protect your mental health and get the f out of there forever.
    via pangalacticcourier
  • Lasivian "You hired me to do a job. A job you do not know anything about. So, tell me, are you going to allow me to use my knowledge in this area, which you do not possess, to improve your online presence. Or do you
    via Lasivian
  • want to keep telling me to do things your way, in an area of sales and marketing, that you admit you don't know or understand? I don't walk in here and act like an expert in areas you know far better than I do, so don't insult me by acting that way towards me."
    via Lasivian
  • jmw403 Find a new job or just stop giving a sh about the current one and just collect a check.
    via jmw403

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-work-environment
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