The most wildly disrespectful things employers have done to employees: 'He spent 30 minutes stating he would call an ambulance'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jul 2, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

There are times when having a job feels like some kind of humiliation ritual.

It is the definition of being stuck between a rock and a hard place: you need to work if you want to be able to afford to live, but working has become the kind of chore that just seems unnecessarily painful, thanks to dealing with a lackluster employer. It is both a common situation and one that nobody wants to find themselves in.

Anyone with some experience of the working world is well-versed in its downsides. Companies want the maximum amount of labor and profit for the minimum amount of expense, and more often than not, it is the employees who bear the brunt of that. When things get truly outrageous, often the only option is to move on to a different workplace. Sometimes this isn't always possible, though, and the only option is to grin and bear it for a little while longer.

Arguably, this is why it is a blessing when employers manage to show their red flags in the interview stage. It can avoid an employee going through a world of stress and inconvenience if they decide to actually take the job.

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    An employee rolls her eyes as a manager puts his hand on her shoulder while she is sitting down
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

    An employee rolls her eyes as a manager puts his hand on her shoulder while she is sitting down

  • It is a sad fact that almost everyone who has been employed or just been looking for a job has faced treatment from an employer that is not acceptable. They make it blatantly obvious that you are seen as disposable and that they do not care about your long-term or short-term well-being. Not only is it unpleasant to experience, but at its worst, it can have a serious effect on your quality of life.

    When somebody who had suffered through an embarrassing job application situation asked people the most disrespectful thing a manager or company had done to them, the answers were sure of one thing: they would prefer to be where they were appreciated.

     

  • 02

    What is the most disrespectful thing an employer did to you?

    Recently I interviewed for a higher paying position at the company I now work for. This would have big a huge increase in pay and status and it was a job I was very qualified for. I was told at the end of the interview how well I had done and how pleased they were with my presentation.
    via Aarunascut
  • 03
    Two weeks later it was announced that a person was chosen for the job that had less time with the company and was much less qualified than I was. I was called to HR to have a final interview (after the appointment of the other person) for an explanation of why they didn't hire me. Mind you, I am 70 years old and the person they chose is
    via Aarunascut
  • 04
    30. It's not like I didn't know the reason I wasn't chosen. The disrespect came when I was told that they wanted me to sit in to watch this person doing his job and they would hire me for the same position later on if more openings came up.
    via Aarunascut
  • 05
    Naturally, I declined the offer and explained to HR that it was fine and it is their loss. I continue to do my job there but now searching outside the company for advancement.
    via Aarunascut
  • 06
    Three employees have a discussion over documents as coworkers walk around in the background
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

    Three employees have a discussion over documents as coworkers walk around in the background

  • 07
    Adorable_Comment_282 Demote me without telling me.
    via Adorable_Comment_282
  • 08
    oldleolady71 Snap his fingers at me to get my attention.
    via oldleolady71
  • 09
    Inevitable_Pace9522 When our baby was born, my boss was legally obligated to give me tax reliefs (it's a bit more complicated than that, but because of my lacking english skills I'll leave it at that),
    via Inevitable_Pace9522
  • 10
    he did do it, but he lowered my bonuses by a percentage so i got paid the same as i was prior to the baby being born. He put his personal prejudices on how much i deserve to receive, over my families well being.
    via Inevitable_Pace9522
  • 11
    Three employees have a discussion as coworkers walk around in the background
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

    Three employees have a discussion as coworkers walk around in the background

  • 12
    Stray_137 Cancelled all employee health insurance without giving us any notice. Found out that was legal, by the way.
    via Stray_137
  • 13
    Groove4Him Asking me to go out into the parking lot for a fist fight after calmly answering his question that disagreed with his position. Dude was wild and the business went under not long after I fled that hot mess.
    via Groove4Him
  • 14
    alexh2795 I am a freelance writer with no set schedule. One time, I told my boss I would have to step out to see a doctor with an injury. He lost his mind (over Slack) and spent 30 minutes spazzing and sarcastically stating he would call and ambulance.
    via alexh2795
  • 15
    I worked 7 days a week for him. He got ped if I left for an hour, but didn't mind if other guys took 4 days off without a heads up.
    via alexh2795
  • 16
    Industry-Common I went up to the manager's office to hand in my letter of resignation but he was busy. I said I'd come back in a while later. I came back about twenty minutes later to find that the administration manager had already put my role up on the job vacancies notice board.
    via Industry-Common
  • 17
    Togger82 Got me to train up 2 new unqualified members of staff with no prior experience, who I then found out were getting paid more (about 12.5%) than me. I left soon after.
    via Togger82
  • 18
    yamaha6336 When I first signed on, we agreed on a set schedule. 10am-8pm. Then these motherfukers started putting me on jobs at 5am daily. I told them I'm not doing it anymore then they fired me.
    via yamaha6336
  • 19
    That_Ol_Cat Twice in my career at a company upper management claimed "poor business conditions" and denied any/all employee raises and bonuses for the year. One of those years felt legit, they asked any employees nearing retirement
    via That_Ol_Cat
  • 20
    to take advantage of a buy out and cut staff. Both times, they happily posted numbers exceeding their business plan goals for the same year. Which may not seem like much in the world of 2%-3% raises...until you think about how much money they saved year-over-year on the salary increases.
    via That_Ol_Cat

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employee work toxic workplace bad bosses
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