Nearly everyone has encountered a toxic boss. Between the boss’s dreadful demands and belittling behavior, they are the worst!
However, these employees weren’t afraid up to stand up to their bosses and say the two magic words, ‘I quit!’
Here’s how these employees got revenge against their toxic bosses and gave their workplace the boot once and for all. Content has been edited for clarity.
“It Was Great To Get How I Felt Off Of My Chest”
“I quit my job at a factory recently. To be fair, I did put in my two weeks’ notice, and my boss had been trying to pick a fight with me ever since. I took a day off during the week to take care of some pre-employment tasks for my new job.
The next morning (my last day), I got to work later because I had to rent a trailer to move my tools. I arrived late to a meeting my workplace was having about safety.
I should include the fact my boss gave me a major project during my last week of work, which I advised him against. Because of inevitable issues with parts I needed for the project and my taking the day off, the project didn’t get done.
Anyway, after the safety meeting, I went to go check on the parts I needed for the project. Even though I knew I likely couldn’t finish the project before my two weeks were up, I was still going to try my best.
As I was going to check on the parts, my boss asked, ‘Why do you even need these parts in the first place?’
I explained to my boss why the parts were crucial to finishing the project, and he countered with, ‘Do you know how much of an inconvenience you are? Your attitude is poor, and there is no reason this project shouldn’t already be done. You should have come to work yesterday.’
I wasn’t having his attitude.
I yelled back at my boss, ‘My attitude is an issue? The only reason my attitude has been poor is that you have been rude to me for the past two years! Your poor management of good employees is the real issue here. Plus, my absence from work yesterday had a valid reason. I needed to take care of pre-employment tasks for my new job. If you would have listened to my advice, you wouldn’t have assigned me a major project during my last week to begin with.’
‘Take care of your matters in your own time,’ my boss responded.
‘I did take care of it in my own time,’ I pressed, ‘You weren’t paying me, and a two weeks notice doesn’t mean you get to control me for my last two weeks of employment. I’m done arguing with you.’
My boss replied, ‘Fine. Don’t use me as a reference at any job ever again!’
‘News flash, buddy,’ I snidely responded, ‘I already got the job. You can take your reference and leave me alone!’
The craziest thing was, that I wasn’t the only person who had experienced this type of behavior with this employer. The last two employees who had quit had experienced the same attitude from our boss.
I had been loyal to the company for over four years. I worked on the weekends. Sometimes, I worked until two or three in the morning. I was even on call twenty-four hours a day, and I would come in whenever they needed me. I spent my salary buying the company tools to make them money. I worked in insane weather conditions, cold and scalding hot. Essentially, I did everything in my power to please the company and my boss. Still, it wasn’t enough.
Sometimes, I regretted what I told my boss. I let my temper get the best of me in a heated moment. I feared what my actions would do for my reputation going forward. At the same time, it felt great to get some things off of my chest and tell my boss what I wanted to say for the past two years.
All of my co-workers have told me they are also looking for different jobs. They explained how they were secretly cheering me on while I stood up against my boss. It is a shame because the company previously was an excellent place to work. However, management chased off any good talent and ran the business into the ground.
I was fortunate enough to already have another position lined up. I wish I would have left the company on good terms, but my boss made it impossible.”
“He Was A Micro-Managing Ball Of Stress”
“Telling my boss they were terrible was addictive. Once I did it and landed on my feet, it was always in the back of my mind the next time my boss was being awful.
I worked for an evil manager, ‘Kathy,’ at a grocery store. She consistently did not do her work, spread gossip throughout the workplace, and got in everyone’s faces. One eighteen-year-old staff member was put on a pedestal, but Kathy treated the rest of her employees like garbage. I was the only full-time employee in the grocery store, so I was stuck there forty-five hours a week doing the worst of the work. I even began doing my boss’ job for her.
I had just finished my weekend off when I got to work and saw Kathy’s lazy buddies standing around and doing nothing. The store looked awful. I had been at work for one hour when Kathy walked in and started berating me for the store’s state.
I explained to Kathy, ‘I haven’t been here all weekend. How is it my problem?’
She argued, ‘It doesn’t matter. You are responsible for how the store looks!’
I looked Kathy in the eye, crossed my arms, and calmly said, ‘I quit.’
She replied, ‘Go on and quit then. Do it! I won’t miss you.’
‘Don’t you see I’m quitting right now?’ I replied, ‘I am literally grabbing my bag and walking away as we speak.’
Kathy started backtracking and trying to defend her position, but I just kept walking out of the store.
The same afternoon, I sent Kathy one of the harshest messages I have ever sent anyone. I didn’t cross any lines, I simply said everything I was feeling. Allegedly, Kathy left work crying after she read the message. The store owner pulled the staff together to have a meeting about me, and how the staff members should avoid speaking to me.
Most of the store staff members messaged me to congratulate me for quitting. It felt great, and I didn’t regret my decision at all.
After quitting this job, I quickly got a different one. At my new job, I began working for a micro-managing boss, ‘Mike,’ who was a ball of stress. My new boss couldn’t stay off my back, even though I ran his shop for him five days a week with no help whatsoever. I constantly worked overtime, and always changed my schedule to accommodate the store’s needs.
One day when I was working by myself, Mike was just standing there nitpicking everything I was doing. Instead of jumping in and trying to help me, Mike was just breathing down my neck while I tried to do ten things at once.
I became fed-up and finally told Mike, ‘Get off of my back. If you want more done around here, you need to hire somebody else.’
Mike didn’t like honesty, and he threw a massive tantrum in front of our customers. The same night, I sent him a friendly text. I thanked Mike for the job, and I explained to him I would keep working at the store until he could find a replacement for me.
The next morning, Mike apologized to me profusely. It was pathetic. I kept working at the store, but Mike knew he was treading a fine line with me. I even told him I loved quitting jobs, and I couldn’t wait until the day I could quit working for him. I simply couldn’t care and thought my resume spoke for itself.
A few weeks later, I wound up walking out of the store. Mike and I got into an argument, and he stated it would be my last shift at the store.
Mike threw a fit and said, ‘Well actually, you might as well leave now.’
So technically, he fired me. I handed him the store keys, thanked him, and walked out. Only seventeen hours later, I found a new job.
My advice? Live a little. I have never regretted quitting any job when a boss has been dreadful.”
“My Boss Filed Charges Against Me”
“Quitting a job with a crummy boss is the most wonderful feeling in the world. I have had some awful bosses in my time. However, quitting my job wasn’t the act that furnished the impetus to tell off my boss.
I have had a mixture of reactions after telling a boss off. I have been sent home and fired. Sometimes, my words even triggered a moment of clarity for the boss.
Only one boss had a moment of clarity after I told him off. See, I never changed how I did my job simply because management was on the floor. My boss flipped out because I wasn’t doing things his way, so I informed him that ‘his way,’ was ineffective. I advised him about listening to the people who had been doing the job for several years instead of assuming he knew everything.
Instead of getting angry, my boss looked like a light bulb had come on or something. He left work for the day and I didn’t see him for a while. When he finally returned to work, I could tell his attitude took a major turnaround. My boss became teachable, started working with the team, and listened to his employees more often. It made a miserable job so much more pleasant. However, it was the only positive outcome I have ever had when telling off a boss.
When I told off my other bosses, I would start in on their incompetence and poor leadership. Next, I moved on to the lack of adequate staffing and proper supplies. Then, I would end my rant detailing the boss’ lack of humanity and what a terrible human they were. Finally, I expressed how I hated the air they breathed, the ground they walked on, and how I wish I could do something about my disdain for the job.
Then, I would tell my boss, ‘Actually, I can do something about it. I quit,’ and walked out.
I once picked a fight with a boss after being screamed at all day. The boss did nothing but complain and sit in his office all day. He would only come out to scream at his employees from time to time. The other employees scrambled to do his work, but I didn’t budge, which appeared to set him off.
The boss would scream at me, but I didn’t do anything. I simply sat there.
Suddenly, the boss yelled at me, ‘What do you think you’re doing? You’re a lazy mess!’
I felt a surge of anger and adrenaline rush through my veins. I stood up, picked up an item off a nearby shelf, and began swinging it at him. I didn’t even realize what was happening until the manager and police arrived and broke the fight up. As the manager pulled me away from my boss, I continued screaming about how terrible my boss was.
It was a messed-up situation, and the boss filed charges against me. The charges were later dropped, and the boss ended up getting a restraining order against me. I didn’t care. I must have made my point though because he ended up getting fired after the other manager launched an investigation.”
“Incompetent Management Made It Impossible To Stay”
“I didn’t enjoy my workplace. I decided I wanted to quit, but I needed to wait for the perfect opportunity. Around the time I was considering leaving my job, one of my relatives passed away and left me a nice sum of cash. I then, quietly, began surveying job opportunities in the area. I found job openings in my area of expertise were fairly plentiful. I asked half a dozen co-workers, who also despised hospital management if they would give me references for a new job. They happily agreed.
One morning, I walked into my job at the beginning of my shift. I sat down and immediately began typing up a resignation e-mail to my boss. I explained to her how the ever-increasing workload, stagnant wages, and incompetent management made it impossible to stay at the job any longer. I also told her and the hospital administration to stuff it.
I proceeded to walk out with no further notice given, leaving my workplace scrambling to cover the next two weeks of my scheduled shifts.
The cash I inherited kept me afloat long enough to find a new position, but not before I took a two-month-long vacation. I interviewed for a new position and was re-employed shortly afterward. My former employer was inconvenienced and insulted, and they couldn’t do anything about it. To this day, I never regretted my decision of walking out of my job. I found the experience a richly rewarding one.
I was lucky enough to be in an exceptionally favorable situation which enabled me to quit my job. Without the small inheritance, telling my boss off would have hurt me more than it hurt them. If you planned on taking revenge on your boss, there is one important detail you should know.
Timing is everything.”
“I Wish I Would Have Handled The Situation Differently”
“When I quit my job, I realized it wasn’t as great as I imagined it would be.
Shortly after I resigned, I realized I had lost my composure. I allowed a terrible boss to make me go to a bad headspace. I felt like I handled the situation poorly, and I constantly replayed the scenario in my head. I could have handled things differently without losing my temper.
When this situation occurred, I took a short-term position in Chicago roughly twelve years ago. At the time, my side business was going slow. I needed some type of extra income to stay afloat. The boss in my short-term position was an idiot and constantly behaved inappropriately.
After a few months of working with my boss, we argued. I decided I would take my chances on the open market rather than work with him any longer.
I planned on quitting at the end of the work day, but my boss and I got into it beforehand.
I told my boss, ‘Get over yourself. I better not see you outside of work. If you know what is good for you, leave me alone from here on out.’
Then, I got in my car and left.
I had left another personal vehicle in the company’s parking lot, and I had roughly two thousand bucks worth of personal tools still on the premises. After some lengthy negotiations with the company owners, I returned and got my tools and vehicle.
I have never used this company as a reference, and the company wasn’t even popular within their industry. This meant my actions weren’t going to damage me professionally. However, I wish I would have just driven my vehicle to their garage, loaded up my tools, and left without saying a word.
While it felt good at the moment to walk out of my job, it also made me look like a terrible person. I wish I would have handled the situation differently, with a bit more professionalism and class. At the end of the day, I still didn’t regret quitting the job, though.”
Declarations And Dreadful Bosses
“A while back, I quit my job rather abruptly.
I previously worked for a guy at a law firm who had major temper and control issues, and he would yell at the top of his lungs when things did not go as planned.
At my job, we had a deadline to pay a fee or risk getting a client’s case dismissed. I told my boss on a Tuesday about how we needed to pay the fee on Thursday. On Wednesday, I handed my boss the form and told him to sign it so I could send it out.
Late Thursday afternoon, I found out my boss didn’t sign the form as I asked him to. Plus, he lost the form in a sea of paperwork on his desk. The next day, I prepared a new form and told him how his signature was crucial so I could turn the paperwork in.
My boss asked, ‘When is this due by again?’
Annoyed, I replied, ‘The form was due yesterday, Thursday.’
The boss proceeded to fly into a fit of rage. He threw his cell phone on the floor, called a friend, and began ranting about how I was a terrible employee. Then, my boss came in and demanded I write a declaration starting about how we missed a deadline because I lied to him.
I didn’t lie to him! My boss just wasn’t doing his job correctly!
I was petrified to speak up against my boss. After he left, I cleaned out my office. I had already given my two weeks’ notice, but at this point, I was ready to leave and never come back.
I decided to come back the next day to tie up any loose ends and leave on amicable terms. My boss reminded me about the declaration once again.
I told my boss, ‘I wrote the declaration. However, I told you twice about the form and the fees. You just weren’t listening to me.’
My boss angrily replied, ‘No, you’re lying. You never told me about the forms.’
This time, I knew I needed to stand my ground.
‘I told you the forms were due Thursday,’ I yelled, ‘Because you didn’t fill out the form and it was too late, I told you we had to get it done the next day.’
My boss raised his voice and said, ‘Don’t even try to spin this situation against me! You are lying straight to my face!’
Fed-up, I looked at my boss and replied, ‘You know what? I’m out of here!’
I grabbed my car keys and walked out of the office without telling anyone goodbye.
It felt amazing.”
“Nothing I Ever Did At Work Was Right”
“At my first job out of college, I quit because of my boss.
My boss had been working at the company for less than two years when he was promoted to a management position.
From the day I started my job, I knew I was being targeted. If I did a task too fast, I was told I wasn’t being thorough. If I did a task too slow, I was scolded for not being quick enough. If I didn’t take notes during a meeting, I was yelled at for not paying attention. But if I did take notes, I would be asked to stop and focus my attention on the presentation. Nothing I ever did at work was right.
My boss would intentionally hold me after meetings to scold me for my work. He would belittle me and say I am a slow learner.
After six months of dealing with my boss’ attitude, I began having anxiety and panic attacks on my way and during work. My boss started to notice, and he would intentionally schedule meetings with me to talk about it. He knew all along he was the cause of my anxiety.
I ended up quitting eight months into the job because of him.
On the bright side, one week after my last day, one of my coworkers called me and let me know he was fired.”
The Rude Restuarant Owner
“I was self-employed, but I took a job at a restaurant for some extra cash. I worked hard, stayed late, and made good friends with the restaurant regulars. Working at the restaurant was great at first, but the experience quickly turned sour.
The restaurant was run by a couple. The male half of the couple, ‘Nick,’ was an extremely difficult person to be around and work with. He was the type of person who was always argumentative and snappy, and his attitude worsened day by day.
One afternoon at work, Nick looked at me and said, ‘You’re stupid! Why are you always standing around here doing nothing?
Nick’s issues with me seemed to be more about himself.
I responded, ‘This job is awful anyway! Nobody deserves to be bullied every time they come into work.’
I walked out of the restaurant and never came back. I realized how lucky I was to have another job and be able to quit the restaurant without any notice. If an employer treats you terribly, look for something else. Don’t take anyone’s negative attitude.”
“I Have Been Waiting For The Day I Could Finally Leave”
“I previously worked at a large retail store. I was loyal to the company for about three years, all while putting up with two extremely hard-to-please assistant managers. One day, one of the assistant managers decided to make my life miserable.
The assistant manager looked for any reason possible to write me up. After his seventh write-up attempt (six of which failed), I knew I couldn’t stay at the job any longer. At this point, my manager’s behavior was affecting my mental health, and it wouldn’t be good for me to stay.
The following day, I called in sick to my shift. At the beginning of my next shift, I showed up and slammed my work identification card on my manager’s desk.
I told my manager, ‘I’m done with you, and I am done with this job. You make my life terrible, and I have been waiting for the day I could finally leave.’
As I walked out, several of my close colleagues began cheering me on. I knew they wanted to quit, too.
Two years later, I became an assistant manager at a different retail store. One day, my old boss came waltzing in. I could tell he was upset because I was doing so well at a different job. Oh well, it was his loss.”
“My Manager Never Helped His Employees When They Needed It”
“Quitting my job was the most empowering feeling I ever had.
When I worked at a technical support company, I quit after two months because of my manager’s poor behavior. The manager was rude, dismissive, and abusive to me daily. I always left work angry, woke up angry, and I was getting tired of my manager’s stupid games.
My manager never did his job properly, either. Most of the time, he would sit in his office and play on his phone. Other times, he would stand around and joke with customers. He never helped his employees when they needed a hand.
The company was doing great, and they were just starting to land global enterprise clients when I quit. All of my co-workers were shocked when I told my manager off.
Later, I wound up getting a much better position as a contractor. This time around, my manager was actually competent.”
