When asked in a recent FindEmployment survey the open-ended question, “What is the worst thing your boss has ever made you do in the course of your work?” British workers responded:
- Employee was asked to deliberately overcharge a client so the boss could keep the extra.
- Employee was asked to sack a coworker on the bosses’ behalf.
- Manager publicly threw the employee’s work into the office trash.
- Employee was made to lie on the company’s time cards to the state.
- Worker forced to endure excessive paint fumes at work.
- Lie to clients to protect the image of the company.
- Employee was asked to “dumb down” and minimize his experience at work in front of clients.
- Boss withheld an agreed promotion for over 2 years.
- Employee was instructed to return to work the moment he was discharged from the hospital.
The survey also found the majority of British employees (41 percent) have been shouted at by their boss in the course of a work-related discussion. Also, 12 out of every 100 employees have been sworn at and verbally abused by a superior at their company, and 8 percent have been blackmailed or threatened by their employer.
If you are a follower of HR Strange but True, these incidents seem kind of tepid. And, of course, none of them would ever happen in the United States!
It’s interesting how many of these things would be illegal in the U.S.
I bet companies implementing these type of rude management doesn’t have employees stay longer to work with them. If I am the employee and asked by my boss to do any of these things, I’d rather quit.